SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Classification of forest structural types with lidar remote sensing applied to study tree size-density scaling theories

The main goal of this research is to develop an objective methodology for monitoring forest structural complexity by airborne laser scanning (ALS) remote sensing. Most European countries are currently acquiring low-density national ALS data, by scanning with LiDAR sensors onboard airborne platforms, in the process to obtain full-country coverage and making it publicly available. These datasets are taken in relatively homogeneous conditions, therefore providing with a chance to develop Pan-European indicators and automated unsupervised methods not requiring field data. With the intention of producing a methodology that could be replicated in practice by any forest practitioner, publicly available ALS data from national land surveys of Member States will be used, and unsupervised methods not requiring field data will be developed. The laser partly penetrates the forest canopy, therefore providing an opportunity to study the establishment of natural regeneration in the understory layers. The analysis will be based on the study of the Lorenz curve, a method for which the applicant has obtained promising preliminary results and which the present proposal plans to generalize for more forest ecosystem types and low-density National laser datasets. The diameter distributions will be evaluated with regard to their agreement to metabolic ecology and demographic equilibrium theories. The development of a mathematical framework linking Lorenz ordering to diameter-density scaling relationships will provide with a method for authomated ecological evaluation of forests by means of ALS remote sensing. In practice this means that competition and forest disturbance conditions are different at different forest areas, and we suggest that the Lorenz method for ALS can provide indicators for these conditions. The application will be on a replicable method for forest stratification into structural types from ALS data acquired in national programmes.
Men’s perceptions and lived experiences of romantic relationships : a qualitative approach using interpretative phenomenological analysis

This study is aimed at exploring in detail men’s perceptions and lived experiences of
romantic relationships. According to Relate’s (2009, 2010) statistics, in the United
Kingdom there is a rise in the number of male clients who present themselves for
relationship counselling. There is consequently growing interest among counselling
psychologists to understand romantic relationships from a male perspective. Critical
realist epistemology underpins this study and is in accord with counselling
psychology - both place emphasis upon uncovering subjective truths. A review of the
literature on men and romantic relationships suggests that this subject has been
predominantly studied from a ‘natural science’, positivist and quantitative
framework. From a critical realist position, a gap in the literature appears to be that
men’s subjective experiences and personal perceptions of romantic relationships
have not been fully identified and understood in their own terms. This is addressed in
this study. Using a qualitative approach seven heterosexual men were interviewed.
The participants were predominantly white, British, university educated and
employed professionals, aged 30-39, with experience of a romantic relationship.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analysed using
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The findings suggest that for these seven
participants, romantic relationships were understood and experienced firstly in terms
of why such relationships were established and the factors that contributed to the
initial encounters. Secondly, participants identified several elements which they felt
were significant in sustaining their relationships. Finally, participants noted a
number of salient factors that contributed to the breakdown and/or ending of their
romantic relationships. The findings that emerged from the study emphasise that this
particular sample of men made sense of their romantic relationships in complex,
iii
specific, and varied ways. The implication of this for practice is that it reminds
counselling psychologists that their engagement with clients should be collaborative,
whilst emphasising and respecting their subjective experiences, feelings and
meanings in their own terms – fundamental components of counselling psychology
philosophy. The intricate, subjective and diverse ways in which the participants
made sense of their romantic relationships have provided new and richer insights
into this area and make a distinctive contribution to counselling psychology and
relationship theory.
SNDocRank

Multimedia ranking algorithms are usually user-neutral and measure the importance and relevance of documents by only using the visual contents and meta-data. However, users' interests and preferences are often diverse, and may demand different results even with the same queries. How can we integrate user interests in ranking algorithms to improve search results? Here, we introduce Social Network Document Rank (SNDocRank), a new ranking framework that considers a searcher's social network, and apply it to video search. SNDocRank integrates traditional tf-idf ranking with our Multi-level Actor Similarity (MAS) algorithm, which measures the similarity between social networks of a searcher and document owners. Results from our evaluation study with a social network and video data from YouTube show that SNDocRank offers search results more relevant to user's interests than other traditional ranking methods.
Evolution of the Archaean Karelian Province in the Fennoscandian Shield in the light of U–Pb zircon ages and Sm–Nd and Lu–Hf isotope systematics

Abstract: In situ Lu–Hf (laser ablation microprobe–inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LAM-ICPMS)) and U–Pb (LAM-ICPMS, secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS)) analyses of zircon, and whole-rock Sm–Nd isotope analyses were performed on rocks formed during magmatic events in three Archaean complexes in the Karelian Province of Fennoscandia (Pudasjarvi, Koillismaa and Iisalmi). These complexes have U–Pb ages ranging from 3.5 to 2.6 Ga. In Pudasjarvi, sparse xenocrystic cores give ages of 3.6–3.7 Ga and initial 176 Hf/ 177 Hf suggesting influence of a crustal component T ≥ 4.0 Ga (assuming a CHUR-like mantle source). Ages and Nd and Hf isotope patterns indicate magmatic events at 3.6–3.7 Ga (Siurua, Pudasjarvi with ≥4.0 Ga precursor), 3.2 Ga (Iisalmi, Koillismaa), 2.8 Ga (Pudasjarvi) and 2.7 Ga (Pudasjarvi, Iisalmi). In the Meso- and Palaeoarchaean events, there is no evidence of sources equivalent to present-day depleted mantle; such sources were, however, involved in the 2.8–2.7 Ga events. e Hf and e Nd are strongly correlated. Contrasts between the Archaean complexes indicate that they evolved separately until c . 2.7 Ga. The age and e Hf pattern of ≤2.8 Ga rocks in the Karelian Province is compatible with a scenario in which the Karelia, Superior, Yilgarn and Slave cratons were part of a late Archaean supercontinent, but does not constitute proof of the existence of such a supercontinent. Supplementary material: U–Pb and Lu–Hf data are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18430.
Basic Properties of Phantom Sensation for Practical Haptic Applications

Phantom sensation (PhS) is a pseudo-tactile sensation that occurs when two or more mechanical or electrical stimuli are presented simultaneously to the skin. PhS has two well-known characteristics. First, the location of PhS can be changed by changing the strength of stimuli. Second, the intensity of stimulation can influence the resulting PhS. This illusion has the potential to greatly reduce the number of stimulators required in wearable tactile interfaces. Although it has been shown that PhS is perceived more clearly with shorter pulses, currently only rough quantitative evaluation has been performed. In addition, the subjective qualities of the sensation have not previously been examined. We first summarize the basic characteristics of PhS, including the relationship between the duration of stimuli and the clarity of the illusion.
Effect of natriuretic peptides on cerebral artery blood flow in healthy volunteers

The natriuretic peptides (NPs), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), have vasoactive functions that concern humans and most animals, but their specific effects on cerebral circulation are poorly understood. We therefore examined the responsiveness of cerebral arteries to different doses of the natriuretic peptides in animals and humans. We conducted a dose-response experiment in guinea pigs (in vitro) and a double-blind, three-way cross-over study in healthy volunteers (in vivo). In the animal experiment, we administered cumulative doses of NPs to pre-contracted segments of cerebral arteries. In the main study, six healthy volunteers were randomly allocated to receive two intravenous doses of ANP, BNP or CNP, respectively, over 20 min on three separate study days. We recorded blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (VMCA) by transcranial Doppler. In addition, we measured temporal and radial artery diameters, headache response and plasma concentrations of the NPs. In guinea pigs, ANP and BNP but not CNP showed significant dose-dependent relaxation of cerebral arteries. In healthy humans, NP infusion had no effect on mean VMCA, and we found no difference in hemodynamic responses between the NPs. Furthermore, natriuretic peptides did not affect temporal and radial artery diameters or induce headache. In conclusion, natriuretic peptides in physiological and pharmacological doses do not affect blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery or dilate extracerebral arteries in healthy volunteers.
Visualising engineered landscapes: an archaeological approach to unlock environmental resilience and sustainability in antiquity

Contemporary anthropogenic landscapes were shaped by centuries of human action. Land surveying and division were the first forms of widespread landscape engineering performed by pre-industrial societies. Among those, the most complex was unquestionably the Roman Centuriation, which still characterise the rural landscapes of many European countries. Notwithstanding its impact on modern European land organisation, the principles underlying the design approach used by Roman land commissioners are still largely ambiguous. The proposed project thus aims to illuminate the process of landscape engineering undertaken in antiquity by the Roman surveyors and contribute to the discipline of landscape engineering by injecting a new body of evidence into the debate about past land division and design in order to inform models of sustainable practice for contemporary landscape management.
The project integrates archaeological, historical and geospatial information to investigate the forms, impact and endurance of complex engineering on the landscape of Aquileia (Italy), a major city of the Roman Empire. Imprinted with the Roman 'spatial signature', the Aquileian countryside provides an unparalleled opportunity to expand our current understanding and perception of the origins and advances of landscape engineering and its efforts to build sustainable responses to long-term environmental and socio-economic pressures. To achieve its research agenda, this study will develop new methods based on Artificial Intelligence for digitally identifying, collecting, integrating, managing and sharing diverse spatial and archaeological data that are key for the identification of the centurial system elements where they are no longer readily identifiable and will apply a novel approach for defining models of land division application and dynamics in antiquity.
Flow quantity valve controller and manufacturing method for flow quantity valve.

A flow quantity valve controller includes a unit for positioning so that a phase of a stepper motor (300) becomes a predetermined phase when a motor shaft (306) making a linear move with rotation of the stepper motor (300) is pulled most into the stepper motor side (300). When the motor shaft (306) is pulled most into the stepper motor side (300), a flow quantity valve controller changes a stepper motor drive signal to a drive signal corresponding to a predetermined phase.
Investimenti nel centro di sviluppo di Květná

L'intenzione dell'azienda è quella di costruire un nuovo centro di sviluppo incentrato sugli elementi e sui materiali da costruzione, in particolare nello sviluppo di nuovi prodotti di copertura utilizzando PVC e materiali classici come il rame. È lo sviluppo di pellicole in PVC con superficie placcata e macchine per la sua produzione. Il prodotto sarà utilizzato soprattutto nella ricostruzione di edifici monumentali e sarà completamente unico sul mercato. Il suo sviluppo e la sua produzione colmeranno il divario sul mercato. Progettiamo di proteggere i risultati con un modello di utilità.
NONWOVEN FABRICS MADE OF BICOMPONENT FIBERS

The present invention relates to nonwoven fabrics comprising bicomponent fibers, wherein the bicomponent fibers comprise at least two distinct polymeric domains a) and b) in intimate adherence along the length of the fibers, and - polymeric domain a) comprises a compound of formula (1), wherein the substituents are as defined in the specification, and - polymeric domain b) is free of the compound of formula (1), as well as to the preparation of such nonwoven fabrics. Furthermore, the present invention is directed to corresponding bicomponent fibers.
DEVICE FOR HOLDING PAVING BLOCKS

A device for holding paving blocks includes a front plate for contacting the paving blocks and a base plate for contacting a ground surface. Linking the front plate to the base plate is a plurality of support structures. Each support structure includes a boss member adapted to receive an anchor used to anchor the holding device to the ground surface, first and second support members which link the boss member to the face plate and which engage the face plate at opposed angles, and a third support member which links the boss member to the ground plate.
Zouj: dynamic jewish-muslim interaction in popular maghribi comedic performance culture since the 1920s

DJMI will provide the first systematic study into the dynamics of Muslim-Jewish interactions in popular comedic performance culture from the 1920s in the Maghrib and France, until the present day. The project’s hook is the word Zouj because of its shared meaning in Arabic and Hebrew: a couple, or two. While there is recognition that such ‘Mediterranean culture’ existed, there has been all too little analysis of how it functioned in the past, what its current state is, and what the implications of such change are. In its venture to explore the dynamics of these dialogical interactions through popular culture, DJMI will begin by investigating the satirical sketches of early popular comedic theatrical production in Morocco and Algeria as the crucible for the North African performing arts scene to come. These sketches were sui generis and cross-genre, adapting elements of local halqa—circle-based qu’ranic recitation—commedia del’arte-style street theatre, local musics, and the telling of folk tales and everyday-vignettes in local Arabic in the public square. DJMI traces the dynamics of Jewish-Muslim interactions through the production and texts of these sketches to Maghribi chaâbi (popular) music, and on to stand-up comedy in the present day connecting to a renewal of interest in Muslim-Jewish interactions among new generations across northern Africa in reception to a recent wave of literature, film, and music that seeks to depict or reimagine these interactions and relations. DJMI thus connects the historical to the anthropological proto-nostalgia of this reception to focus on the debates and interconnections that this renewal of interest produces and where this emanates from. These perspectives and their historical basis are of the uttermost importance in light of the perceived increasingly sectarian divisions between Muslims and Jews across the globe, both rhetorically and geographically, including the particularly dramatic situation in Israel-Palestine
Maladaptive turning and gaze behavior induces impaired stepping on multiple footfall targets during gait in older individuals who are at high risk of falling

It was recently reported that the measurement of stepping accuracy while performing a new walking test, a multi-target stepping task (MTST), could contribute to identifying older individuals at high risk (HR) of falling. The present study was designed to identify factors leading HR older individuals to an impaired stepping performance in terms of frequency of maladaptive turning behavior (spin turn) and spatio-temporal patterns of fixations. Eleven HR (80.8±3.6 years), 26 low-risk (LR) (77.1±7.7 years) older individuals, and 20 younger individuals performed the MTST. For the MTST, stepping accuracy was measured with two types of failure (stepping target and avoiding distracters). The frequency of a spin turn (i.e., a crossover step) was compared among the groups. The location and duration of each fixation were also compared. The HR older and younger participants showed a higher rate of spin turns. Whereas the younger participants fixated approximately three steps ahead, the older participants directed their fixation closer toward the imminent footfall target, demonstrating their difficulty to use the visual information regarding the target in a feedforward manner. Such patterns of fixations were significantly associated with the frequency of stepping and avoidance failures. The higher rate of stepping and avoidance failures in the MTST were attributed to maladaptive turning behavior, which is potentially destabilizing, and the tendency to fixate on/around an imminent footfall target, which prevented older individuals from considering the locations of future footfall targets.
Prospective longitudinal assessment of parotid gland function using dynamic quantitative pertechnate scintigraphy and estimation of dose–response relationship of parotid-sparing radiotherapy in head-neck cancers

To estimate dose-response relationship using dynamic quantitative (99m)Tc-pertechnate scintigraphy in head-neck cancer patients treated with parotid-sparing conformal radiotherapy.Dynamic quantitative pertechnate salivary scintigraphy was performed pre-treatment and subsequently periodically after definitive radiotherapy. Reduction in salivary function following radiotherapy was quantified by salivary excretion fraction (SEF) ratios. Dose-response curves were modeled using standardized methodology to calculate tolerance dose 50 (TD50) for parotid glands.Salivary gland function was significantly affected by radiotherapy with maximal decrease in SEF ratios at 3-months, with moderate functional recovery over time. There was significant inverse correlation between SEF ratios and mean parotid doses at 3-months (r = -0.589, p<0.001); 12-months (r = -0.554, p<0.001); 24-months (r = -0.371, p = 0.002); and 36-months (r=-0.350, p=0.005) respectively. Using a post-treatment SEF ratio <45% as the scintigraphic criteria to define severe salivary toxicity, the estimated TD50 value with its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for the parotid gland was 35.1Gy (23.6-42.6Gy), 41.3Gy (34.6-48.8Gy), 55.9Gy (47.4-70.0Gy) and 64.3Gy (55.8-70.0Gy) at 3, 12, 24, and 36-months respectively.There is consistent decline in parotid function even after conformal radiotherapy with moderate recovery over time. Dynamic quantitative pertechnate scintigraphy is a simple, reproducible, and minimally invasive test of major salivary gland function.
TRANSICIÓN A 4.0

PROPÓSITO: OBJETIVOS DE TRANSICIÓN DIGITAL: — INTEGRACIÓN DE LAS TECNOLOGÍAS DIGITALES EN LOS PROCESOS DE PRODUCCIÓN: INTERVENCIONES FUNCIONALES PARA LA INTEGRACIÓN DE LAS TECNOLOGÍAS DIGITALES EN EL CICLO DE PRODUCCIÓN DEL OBJETIVO DE LA EMPRESA: OBJETIVOS DE SEGURIDAD: — AUMENTAR LA SEGURIDAD DE LOS TRABAJADORES, CLIENTES/USUARIOS Y PROVEEDORES: INTERVENCIONES FUNCIONALES PARA MEJORAR LAS CONDICIONES DE SEGURIDAD EN EL LUGAR DE TRABAJO, QUE REDUCEN EL RIESGO DE ACCIDENTES, EN PARTICULAR PROPORCIONANDO SOLUCIONES PARA CONTENER LA EMERGENCIA EPIDEMIOLÓGICA DERIVADA DE LA COVID-19
Minapath: a novel and unique method to diagnose and prevent diseases that are caused by exposure and accumulation of inorganic mineral dusts.

Today healthcare faces critical challenges coming from an ageing population and the rise of chronic diseases. With a population expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, healthcare expenditure is at risk of becoming unsustainable. Sustainability requires diagnostic methods to become more efficient, fast and accurate, to facilitate the use of adequate therapy. Despite the effort being made, there are still many diseases that get categorized as idiopathic (unknown cause). Specially in the lung, many inflammatory conditions fall under idiopathic category and stay undiagnosed, while slowly progressing, deteriorating the patient’s quality of life. However, many idiopathic conditions do have a common factor: exposure to mineral dusts such as asbestos, silica or metals (nickel, cadmium & cobalt). We are all at risk of exposure to these minerals, from the environment and workplace, being an occupational hazard in industrial settings and construction sites. Importantly, many of these mineral dusts are carcinogenic, contributing to the increasing prevalence of cancer globally. Despite their impact, today there are no dedicated diagnostic tests to assess mineral exposure, and diagnosis is mostly based on exclusion. In response, we at Minapath have developed a unique method that combines qualitative & quantitative analysis to diagnose the patient’s mineral exposome, serving to identify the underlying cause behind many cases of inflammatory & cancer conditions. After demonstrating the diagnostic relationship between mineral deposits and idiopathic pulmonary diseases, our goal with this project is to finalise the development of our technology and reach market maturity. To achieve these goals, in Phase 1 we aim to carry a Feasibility Study that help us prepare for the main technical, commercial and financial aspects influencing the project. Once completed, our technology will bring significant impacts to society and healthcare, contributing to its efficiency and sustainability.
Education and Training Network without borders

The main goal is to promote ongoing institutional cooperation to coordinate the legal and legislative framework of training for the definition of educational models launching cross-border exchanges for students and interns over 16, with a view to recognising skills and adopting common, replicable and sustainable organisational practices. This project focuses on the analysis, design and testing of common training models/courses that can improve and increase employment opportunities for the youth, thus spurring the economic development of the Area. It will be divided into different steps: a comparative analysis of existing systems, a pilot phase of exchanges for some training courses and a final step of summary/assessment for the adoption of common procedures in designing and managing cross-border training courses. Scet-NET will also organise an information, awareness-raising and promotion campaign for all targeted stakeholders (schools, students/youth and companies) and will set up a bilingual virtual platform. The various deliverables such as studies, methods and documents in two languages will provide rich know-how for all. That will be the basis for the signature of institutional agreements which, together with the feasibility study on a cross-border exchange management structure, will be the project outputs.