SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Advanced Diabetic Nephropathy with Nephrotic Range Proteinuria: A Pilot Study of the Long-Term Efficacy of Subcutaneous ACTH Gel on Proteinuria, Progression of CKD, and Urinary Levels of VEGF and MCP-1

Background and Objective. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is able to reduce proteinuria in nondiabetic glomerulopathies through activation of melanocortin receptors (MCR) expressed in the podocyte. To determine the efficacy of ACTH, we conducted a randomized, open-label pilot trial of ACTH gel in patients with advanced diabetic nephropathy. Study Design. Twenty-three (23) patients with diabetic nephropathy were randomized to daily subcutaneous (SQ) injections of 16 or 32 units of ACTH gel for six months. Outcome. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving a complete remission (&lt;300 mg/24 hours) within 6 months. Exploratory endpoints included the percentage of partial (50% reduction) remissions, changes in Cr, and urinary cytokine markers. Results. After 6 months of ACTH gel therapy, 8 of 14 (57%) patients achieved a complete (<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"><mml:mi>n</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:math>) or partial (<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"><mml:mi>n</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>7</mml:mn></mml:math>) remission. In the low-dose ACTH gel group (16 units), urinary protein fell from<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"><mml:mn>6709</mml:mn><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mn>953</mml:mn></mml:math>to<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"><mml:mn>2224</mml:mn><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mn>489</mml:mn></mml:math> mg/24 hrs (<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M5"><mml:mi>P</mml:mi><mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.001</mml:mn></mml:math>). In contrast, 2 of 6 patients in the 32-unit group achieved partial remission, but aggregate proteinuria (<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M6"><mml:mn>5324</mml:mn><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mn>751</mml:mn></mml:math>to<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M7"><mml:mn>5154</mml:mn><mml:mo>+</mml:mo><mml:mn>853</mml:mn></mml:math> mg/24 hours) did not change. Urinary VEGF increased from 388 to 1346 pg/mg urinary creatinine (<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M8"><mml:mi>P</mml:mi><mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.02</mml:mn></mml:math>) in the low-dose group but remained unchanged in the high-dose group. Conclusion. ACTH gel stabilizes renal function and reduces urinary protein for up to 6 months after treatment. The ClinTrials.gov identifier is NCT01028287 .
Comparisons of allometric and climate-derived estimates of tree coarse root carbon stocks in forests of the United States

Refined estimation of carbon (C) stocks within forest ecosystems is a critical component of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of projected climate change through forest C management. Specifically, belowground C stocks are currently estimated in the United States' national greenhouse gas inventory (US NGHGI) using nationally consistent species- and diameter-specific equations applied to individual trees. Recent scientific evidence has pointed to the importance of climate as a driver of belowground C stocks. This study estimates belowground C using current methods applied in the US NGHGI and describes a new approach for merging both allometric models with climate-derived predictions of belowground C stocks.Climate-adjusted predictions were variable depending on the region and forest type of interest, but represented an increase of 368.87 Tg of belowground C across the US, or a 6.4 % increase when compared to currently-implemented NGHGI estimates. Random forests regressions indicated that aboveground biomass, stand age, and stand origin (i.e., planted versus artificial regeneration) were useful predictors of belowground C stocks. Decreases in belowground C stocks were modeled after projecting mean annual temperatures at various locations throughout the US up to year 2090.By combining allometric equations with trends in temperature, we conclude that climate variables can be used to adjust the US NGHGI estimates of belowground C stocks. Such strategies can be used to determine the effects of future global change scenarios within a C accounting framework.
Controlling an engine with a multi-link type piston crank mechanism

The invention provides an engine having a piston (3) which is slidably received within an associated cylinder and a crankshaft (15) connected to the piston (3) for reciprocably moving the piston (3) with respect to the cylinder, a multi-link piston crank mechanism (30) connected to the crankshaft (15) for controlling movement of the piston (3) such that an acceleration of the piston (3) at top dead centre is less than an acceleration of the piston (3) at bottom dead centre. The engine further includes determining means to determine an operating condition of the engine and combustion mode control means to control a combustion mode of the engine to operate at an air-fuel ratio leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio when the determining means determines that the operating condition of the engine resides in a predetermined first operating region. The invention also provides a control system and a method for operating such an engine.
Symbiotic bacteria in midges: understanding their role in determining vector competence and transmission of viruses

The health of livestock is commonly impacted by viruses acquired from midge vectors. The viruses transferred following a midge bite cause considerable economic losses across the EU, making control of midges/midge vector competence a pressing concern. Recent research has indicated some inherited symbionts may alter the vector competence of their insect host, and thus represent viable means of interrupting pathogen transmission in natural populations. However, reduction of vector competence has only been considered for Wolbachia symbiont infections, and for viruses of importance to human health. Midges, in contrast, are commonly infected with a Cardinium heritable symbiont with unknown properties. This project seeks to establish tools for understanding this symbiont, and investigate whether it affects host immune system activity and vector competence following exposure to an infected blood meal. This proposal will thus provide both fundamental understanding of a poorly studied symbiont in an important host group, and, more practically, evaluate whether alteration of symbiont presence is a viable means of interrupting viral transmission.
Cleanup of an Offshore Emulsion Spill, An Experimental Approach

An emulsion leak during offshore oil production operations is a real problem facing the oil industry. No work has been reported in the literature covering a technique for offshore emulsion spill cleanup. A vacuum collection system was used in this project to study the possibility of mechanical removal of emulsion spills. The system consists of a sea water unit, emulsion-collecting system, vacuum unit, and air distributors. A number of operating parameters were tested, such as air flow rate 0.0167 × 103–0.15 × 103 m3/sec), emulsion spill thickness (0.6–3.5 mm), the height of water column in the emulsion removal system (0.40–0.85 m), and the collection unit hole size and density. The system has been tested before for the oil spill and has been found to be a simple, fast cleaning process, efficient with minimum cost. The results of this study indicated that hole density in the collection unit has an effect on the emulsion cleanup process, and increasing the air flow rate increases the amount of emulsion remo...
Beadcap-Dna: 30-minute on-site dna test kit

BeadCAP-DNA aims to create a world-first 30-minute on-site DNA test kit, for food provenance, thereby eliminating the 2 to 5 day wait for DNA results from a central Lab.  This is achieved by a novel merging of molecular biology and semiconductor capacitive sensing in a single-use microfluidic disposable DNA test kit.  No such solution currently exists.  Our prototype has no molecular amplification, i.e. no risk of on-site cross-contamination.  It has 3-orders of magnitude response, enabling qualitative and quantitative DNA detection. The first product version is defined with end-user customers as 8-multiplex, aimed at GMO detection & 8-food-species testing to 0.1% limits. 3 patents are pending.

BeadCAP kits will address the huge un-met need for fast on-site DNA food diagnostics. Consumer trust will be significantly increased by on-the-spot DNA-ID-tests of food content and GMO’s.  BeadCAP will help food processors and retailers eliminate costly quarantines and food recalls, food wastage, risk of reputational damage and loss of sales (e.g. ‘horse-burger’ crisis 2013).  BeadCAP will also accelerate uptake of EURL regulations on DNA-testing of food and shell-fish, thus increasing food safety, and reducing food fraud, mislabelling, and adverse health issues. 

The AltraTech trans-disciplinary team has 30 previous patents and >100 years experience in semiconductors, molecular biology, microfluidics, venture-capital fundraising, and commercialization success.  Our ambition is to scale up BeadCAP-DNA to €100M revenue in high-growth niches of the €4B food-test market, and become a full product solutions supplier and world leader in portable on-site point-of-use DNA diagnostics. 

We've raised €900,000 seed funds to date.  In this SME-Inst-Phase-1 feas.study we aim to do DNA trials & investigate technical and commercialization risk reduction.  We target Phase-1 final report on 30/11/2014, and aim to submit business-plan to 17/12/2014 SME-Inst-Phase-2 call, target up to  €2M.
The hall plateau transition and non-unitary quantum field theory

I propose to solve the Quantum Field Theory (QFT) describing the transition between plateaus of quantized Hall conductance in the Integer Quantum Hall Effect (IQHE). 
The existence of the plateaus and their topological origin are certainly well understood. In sharp contrast, the transition, which mixes the effects of disorder, magnetic field and possibly interactions, remains very mysterious. Numerical studies of lattice models are plagued by disorder. The QFT description involves physics at very strong coupling, and requires a non-perturbative solution before quantitative predictions can be made.
Finding such a solution is very difficult because the QFT for the plateau transition is ‘non-unitary’ -  it involves a non-Hermitian ‘Hamiltonian’. Non-unitary QFT is a challenging, almost unexplored topic, that must be first developed before the plateau transition can be addressed. 
I propose to carry out this task with a cross-disciplinary strategy that uses ideas and tools from conformal field theory, statistical mechanics, and mathematics. Key to this strategy is a new and powerful way of analyzing lattice regularizations of the QFTs by focussing on their algebraic properties directly on the lattice, with a  mix of advanced representation theory and numerical techniques.
The results - in particular, concerning  conformal invariance and renormalization group flows in the non-unitary case - will then be used to solve the QFT models for the plateau transition in the IQHE and in other universality classes of 2D Anderson insulators. This will be a landmark step in our understanding of the localization/delocalization transition in two dimensions, and allow a long delayed comparison of theory with experiment. The results will, more generally, impact many other areas of physics where non-unitary QFT plays a central role - from disordered systems of statistical mechanics to the string theory side of the AdS/CFT duality, to the effective description of open quantum systems.
WIRELESS DATA SESSION HANDOFF USING LOCATION UPDATE MESSAGE

A High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) wireless access network station (400) that accepting a data session handoff from a CDMA2000 1x base station. The wireless access network station (400) receives, from an access terminal (120), a location notification message with a valid Previous Access Network Identifier (PANID). The wireless access network station (400) further receives session parameters from a remote access network having a previous data session with the access terminal and determines if the PANID is consistent with the session parameters received from the remote access network. The wireless access network station (400) further has a data session controller (402,416) that, in response to determining the PANID is not consistent with the session parameters, establishes an RF traffic channel and connects a data session between the access terminal (120) and a Packet Data Serving Node (208) based upon the PANID received from the access terminal.
PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTROLYTIC BATH FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A PLATINUM-BASED METALLIC SUBLAYER ON A METALLIC SUBSTRATE

The invention relates to a process for manufacturing an electrolytic bath for the production of a platinum-based metallic sublayer on a metallic substrate, which comprises the following steps: a) a first system comprising ligands and amine functional groups is provided, said first system consisting of an aqueous solution with amine ligand comprising at least one compound X-(NH2)n, with X belonging to the group consisting of (CH3, CH3-CH2, CH3-(CH2)m), or NH3 or a salt xP-(NH4)+ p with x an acid radical belonging to the group consisting of (PO4 3-, HPO4 2-, H2PO4 - HPO4 2- and H2PO4 -, SO4 2-, HSO4 -, CH3COO-), n, m and p being non-zero integers, b) a second system that forms a buffer system is provided, c) a third system that provides a metal salt and consists of an aqueous solution with platinum is provided, d) a fourth system that makes it possible to impart the conductive property to the medium is provided, e) the four systems are mixed, by means of which said electrolytic bath is obtained. The first system, the third system and the fourth system are grouped together as a single first solution denoted by B; during step c), the third system forms a second solution denoted by A, consisting of an aqueous solution with platinum IV and comprising sodium hydroxide (NaOH). During step e), the following sub-steps are carried out: e1) the first solution B is covered and its temperature is brought to 50°C minimum for at least 1 h 30 min, e2) the second solution A is added to the first solution B in order to form an electrolytic bath which comprises an amine platinum complex. Application to the manufacture of a metallic sublayer for a thermal barrier on a part made of a superalloy.
Centre of excellence for nanophotonics, advanced materials and novel crystal growth-based technologies

The grand objective of the project is to create an autonomous Centre of Excellence ENSEMBLE3 with excellence in research and great innovation potential in the area of crystal growth-based technologies, novel functional materials with innovative electromagnetic properties, and applications in nanophotonics, optoelectronics, telecommunication, medicine and photovoltaics. The ENSEMBLE3 CoE will build on the best of (i) nanophotonics and medicine-oriented research of the University of Warsaw (UW); (ii) research and development in the area of crystal growth and innovation practices at the Institute of Electronic Materials Technology (ITME); and (iii) the technology transfers via existing companies and new spin-offs. ENSEMBLE3 will be a not-for-profit limited liability company acting as a scientific unit created in strong partnership with leading institutions in the field with complementary expertise: (i) the outstanding Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany with its research excellence in controlling the flow of light at an unprecedented level utilizing three-dimensional structured materials; (ii) the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy with its research excellence in theory and experiment of linear and nonlinear optics, especially of complex materials; and (iii) the Cooperative Research Center nanoGUNE Consolider, Spain with its excellence in optical near-field nanospectroscopy and nanoscopy, nanomaterials and nanofabrication. The increase of scientific capabilities gained through the Teaming partnerships will enable ENSEMBLE3 to be successful in receiving competitive funding in international forums; achieving a measurable and significant improvement in terms of research and innovation culture; self-sustainability and sustained excellence provided by stable long-term agreements with the advanced partners; and help the Mazovian region and Poland to attain a competitive position in the global value chain. ENSEMBLE3 perfectly fits the goals outlined in Teaming Phase 2.
Inequality, financialization, and the US current account deficit

Abstract The US has run a persistent current account deficit since 1982. Its growth particularly accelerated in the early 2000s, and the deficit peaked at about 6% of US GDP in 2006. Coincidentally, the distribution of income and wealth has grown progressively unequal, while the so-called financialization of the US economy has deepened. This article argues that the concomitant processes of persistent current account deficits, rising inequality, and deepening financialization are not merely coincidental but can be traced to common causes arising from the global restructuring of US production through foreign direct investment and offshoring, which has underlain the structural transformation of the US economy since the 1980s. On the one hand, the US is the world’s biggest exporter of capital and recipient of foreign investment income; on the other hand, it is the biggest importer of foreign goods, often produced with the involvement of US capital. Ultimately, deindustrialization at home—a major factor behind the loss of middle-wage, middle-class jobs, and thus of rising income inequality—and the transnationalization of US production have boosted corporate profits, thereby propping up and accelerating the financialization of the US economy.
An account of epistemic democracy: ignorant majorities and the better decision

This thesis analyses traditional and contemporary democratic theory from an epistemic, instrumental angle. It argues that these theories depend too heavily on intrinsic values, such as equality of participation, which then sacrifice good decision outcomes. Using a reverse-contractarian tool, where social contracts can be prospective rather than retrospective, it is possible to argue that a free public would form government on the basis of services it provides and ergo, instrumental reasons. As such, legitimate decisions are those that are based upon an evidential diagnosis of a problem, and use evidence to help bring about the good provision of such problem-solving services. It uses the observation of topic-specific ignorant majorities, defined as being where each citizen has both areas of expertise and areas of ignorance, to criticise both fair-proceduralist accounts and non-democratic technocratic accounts. The former overstates the contribution that every citizen can have when designing and managing those services, whereas the latter understates the broader contribution knowledgeable minorities can have in governance. Overall, a tailored democracy is called for using the name service democracy, which is a theoretical response to the above observations.
It concludes by offering epistemic policy proposals that could be implemented within the current governmental institutions and policy processes. It calls for state-funding of political parties to avoid undue influence over policy, committee oversight of ministerial appointments so that competence can be assessed and finally academic and professional crowd-sourcing to allow the wider knowledgeable minority in a given area to contribute to policy creation and development.
Laboratory facility to create reference radon + thoron atmosphere under dynamic exposure conditions

Radon (222Rn) and thoron (220Rn) levels in the environment are typically subject to significant random and systematic variations. Creation in the laboratory of reproducible and controlled exposure conditions close to that in the real environment can be useful for testing 222Rn and 220Rn detectors and for research. In this report the design and performance of a novel laboratory facility with such functionality is presented. The facility allows the exposure of detectors under controlled dynamic as well as static activity concentrations of 222Rn and 220Rn (pure and mixed) and temperature. The temperature is measured and regulated within -15 °C ÷ +60 °C by a dedicated programmable thermostat. Different reference activity concentrations in the exposure vessel are made by regulating the flow-rate of the air that flushes 222Rn/220Rn activity from the sources towards the exposure vessel. Reference atmospheres that contain 222Rn, 220Rn or a specified ratio of the two can be created. Pilot experiments that demonstrate the feasibility of the approach are presented. They include follow-up of a pre-defined temperature profile (in the range -5 °C ÷ +35 °C), test of the correspondence between planned and measured 222Rn and 220Rn activity concentrations, follow-up of a pre-defined dynamic profile of 220Rn concentrations and test of the possibility to create mixed 220Rn/222Rn atmospheres (experimentally checked for ratio of the activity concentrations from 0.27 to 4.5). The results from the experimental tests are in agreement with the values obtained by the developed theoretical model. The proposed approach can be used to plan and create stationary and dynamic reference exposure conditions that are close to the real exposure regimes in the environment.
INterregional Ecosystem for entRepreneurship, ReseArch and Technology

In the past years, Countries have understood the importance to bet on innovative entrepreneurship, promoting the launch of companies based on the research activities of youngs, researchers, startuppers. However, in the territories involved in this Programme, the lack of funding and networking opportunities are hampering these enterprises to grow. Moreover, research centers often do not know how to turn successful ideas into concrete products and services.
This project aims at creating an innovative ecosystem, inter-linked with research and entrepreneurial actors in public-private logic, able to foster dialogue between different territories, enhance collaborative research actions, supporting talents mobility and strengthen the capacity of attracting private capitals. To realize this, it will implement the following main operative steps: Supporting the creation of an interregional network among the main stakeholders: research and technological centers, companies and public administrations; Defining a model for the technology centre, exportable in Albania and Montenegro and based on the Italian 20 years&#39; experience; Facilitating knowledge sharing & talents mobility. The Main outputs of the project will be: The Interregional Ecosystem, networking businesses, research centers, technological districts and Public Administrations, an international cluster for the promotion of Spin-offs, Start-ups, and innovative organizations operating, in the mid-long term, as an international Hub able to catalyze experiences, knowledge and expertise; the Albanian Technological Center, set in Tirana; International liveshows and workshops across project partners’ territories, to promote the project cluster, attract private investment funds, and look for new creative talents and potential innovative SMEs; continuous training Fund.
PEST CONTROL COMPOSITIONS

A pest control composition includes humic acid, wherein the humic acid has a concentration of phenolic groups of 0.19 to 1.30 millimoles per gram of the humic acid, bacillus thuringiensis and water.