SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
A holistic approach to improve the photosynthetic perfromance and productivity of c3 crops under diverse environmental conditions

The PhotoBoost project addresses the widening gap between agricultural productivity and the global market demand for food/feed and bioenergy crops in an environmentally friendly manner by increasing the efficiency of photosynthetic CO2 fixation. This will be achieved by developing enhanced C3 crops that combine two or more of the following approaches: a) the optimisation of light reactions; b) the integration of an algal CCM; c) the introduction of an engineered photorespiratory bypass mechanism, improved by the knockout of the native plastid glycolate-glycerate transporter; and d) the optimisation of source-sink capacity, improved by the knockout of phloem-mobile tuberisation signal SP6A, thus enhancing the resilience of heat-sensitive cultivars to climate change. The consortium members have increased photosynthetic efficiency by up to 15% using individual approaches, but the stacking of multiple approaches in the same plant has never been attempted before. We will also explore e) the adaptation of stomatal conductance to improve the water-use efficiency, and f) the integration of an O2 scavenging mechanism as a novel strategy to boost photosynthesis. Experience from past and/or ongoing EU and B&MGF projects clearly indicates that although the individual approaches can be effective, they are insufficient to achieve the ambitious objectives of the current call. Therefore, the PhotoBoost project will generate optimised lines representing two major food crops (potato and rice) by simultaneously targeting multiple constraints limiting photosynthetic efficiency. We aim to increase photosynthetic efficiency under diverse environmental conditions by at least 20–25% in terms of photosynthesis rates and by at least 25–30% in terms of biomass yield. Our published results demonstrate that such approaches are viable and there is no a priori reason to doubt that combining multiple approaches in the same plant will achieve even higher levels of biomass yield and productivity.
Hearing Assistive and Access Technology

This book, written by three well-known audiologists with proven clinical experience in the fi eld, provides both fundamental and current information on a range of assistive and emerging technologies for individuals with hearing loss. It is laid out in four sections. In the fi rst section a review of acoustic issues is presented, including classroom acoustics. This is followed by basic information on hearing aids and implantable devices, with the recent technologies adopted in order to improve the S/N ratio, particularly directional microphones and digital noise reduction. Finally, this section discusses the assessment of individual need for assistive technologies. Section 2 deals with frequency-modulated systems, induction loop systems and infrared systems. New uses of these long proven technologies are presented clearly and in suffi cient detail. Moreover, an exhaustive explanation is given of the various shortrange wireless device communications permitted by the most recently developed technologies in these fi elds, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and near fi eld communication (NFC). Section 3 describes access to telecommunications such as the different forms of telephone, text-based technologies, speech-to-text translation and closed captioning. This section also contains materials about various alerting and signalling devices available that allow access to environmental sounds and improve personal safety. The three fi nal chapters include, respectively, seven clinical cases, the special needs of health care professionals with hearing loss, and novel or upcoming technologies. Numerous illustrations, product images and a glossary of terms further facilitate the reading of the text. In conclusion, we strongly recommend this book, which will be appreciated by audiologists, speechlanguage pathologists, special educators, school administrators, consumers, family members and all those who interact with people with hearing loss. A well organized overview of these themes was lacking and the authors have fully satisfi ed the need. This text should be recommended to students preparing themselves to become audiologists or speech pathologists.
Factors Influencing Compensation Demanded for Environmental Impacts Generated by Different Economic Activities

This work advances the understanding of compensation demanded for environmental impacts on atmosphere, lakes and rivers, soil, and ocean generated by mining, urban, fishing and agriculture activities. Our aims are to determine whether compensation demanded depends on the standard variables used in the field of risk perception (as perceived risk, public acceptability and trust in regulating authorities), and to explore whether these relationships depend on the environment affected and on the economic activity generating the impacts. General Linear Models were used to analyze survey responses from 427 citizens of Santiago, Chile. Results showed that compensation demanded depends on perceived risk, acceptability, and on the economic activity, but not on the environment affected. Acceptability depends on trust in authorities, on perceived risk and on the economic activity. Perceived risk depends on trust, the economic activity and the environment affected. Overall, environmental impacts from the mining industry are perceived as riskier, less acceptable, and have a higher compensation demanded than those generated by the other sectors. These results suggest that to achieve sustainable development, regulations should consider not only environmental impacts but also the economic activity originating them.
Expansion de l’activité vers de nouveaux marchés

Le projet est mis en œuvre afin d’accroître la visibilité des produits et services de l’entreprise sur les marchés de l’UE et des États-Unis et d’augmenter la part de marché. En outre, la société de projet entre dans une niche de l’industrie textile et de la mode. Étant donné qu’il existe déjà des sociétés reconnues sur ces marchés, qui «couvrent» une grande partie de ses produits et services, il est nécessaire que la requérante souligne ses avantages concurrentiels qui lui permettront d’augmenter le nombre de contrats conclus et d’augmenter les ventes et les recettes d’exportation. la direction et les employés des requérantes qui développent leurs activités commerciales et leurs revenus d’entreprise.
Evaluación de la vulnerabilidad del medio humano ante la contaminación de las aguas en la masa de agua subterránea de Gallocanta (Aragón, España)

La vulnerabilidad del medio humano ante la contaminación de los recursos hídricos está relacionada con su dependencia de las aguas subterráneas para asegurar su abastecimiento y el de sus bienes y actividades productivas. La vulnerabilidad del medio humano introduce aspectos socioeconómicos claves para valorar el posible impacto de un evento de contaminación. En este estudio se analiza y cartografía la vulnerabilidad de la masa de agua subterránea de Gallocanta (Aragón, España). El análisis de los factores de vulnerabilidad ofrece una visión pormenorizada de la situación, y permite la utilización de los mapas como herramientas de apoyo para la toma de decisiones relacionadas con la gestión del agua en la zona. Los resultados muestran que la vulnerabilidad se ha clasificado como moderada. Además, se ha puesto de manifiesto la falta de alternativas de abastecimiento, lo que multiplica la dependencia de la población de los recursos subterráneos, haciendo que su papel sea aún más importante para el suministro de agua.
LiveArt - Plataforma Integrada de Produção e Gestão de Conteúdos Digitais

LiveArt é uma nova empresa que visa atuar na transição digital de entidades públicas e privadas dos setores culturais e criativos, recorrendo a soluções tecnológicas de última geração e promovendo a criação, o alargamento do acesso e a fruição de bens e serviços artísticos e culturais de excelência.
Deformation mechanisms are the key to understanding and tayloring tribological behaviour

Tribology, the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion, is crucial for many aspects of modern life. Friction and wear decisively impact the lifetime and durability of many products-from nanoelectromechanical systems to gears and engines. In the USA alone, an estimated 1E18 joules of energy could be saved each year through improved tribological practices.
During sliding of a metallic contact, a mutated surface layer forms, carries most further plastic deformation and largely determines friction and wear. The origin and evolution of this distinct subsurface layer remains elusive, since our knowledge of the elementary mechanisms promoting these changes is limited. Only this knowledge however will allow for a strategic tailoring of tribologically loaded metals.
In this project, we will elucidate these elementary mechanisms for a wide range of alloys and strain rates. We will develop ground-breaking new strategies for probing the subsurface microstructure during the tribological test itself with non-destructive testing sensors like ultrasound and eddy current, resulting in subsurface in situ tribology. The data from these sensors will be analysed online, during the tribological experiment, relying on cutting edge data science methods as they have already been applied for fatigue testing. Based on these analyses, implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array, we will interrupt the test exactly when the dominating elementary mechanisms manifest themselves. These mechanisms will then be revealed by sophisticated electron microscopy and be visualized in deformation mechanism maps for unidirectional and reciprocating sliding. Such maps have proven very successful in other fields of materials science, e.g. creep at elevated temperatures. They are used to guide material selection and alloy development processes, yielding materials tailored for each specific tribological scenario, promising enormous savings in energy and resources, an important challenge of our time.
Advanced functional polymer colloids with high photo-oxidative properties

APOCOLIPS aims to develop advanced functional polymer colloids with high photo-oxidative properties. Two promising applications have been envisaged for these materials: 1) to develop efficient self-disinfecting and antimicrobial resistant polymer films and 2) to design stable colloidal dispersions for photo-oxygenation of organic molecules for fine chemicals production. One of the most innovative aspects of the proposed research is that it targets the preparation of advanced polymer coatings integrating organic photosensitizer (PS) via covalent bonding by implementing a straightforward, industrially viable and safe process. Another innovation of APOCOLIPS is to combine the key advantages of flow photochemistry with the ones of supported PS to develop stable submicronic photo-active polymer colloids which can be easily transported by the continuous phase in the microfluidic devices, while being recycling. The final goal of the two-year fellowship is to advance and diversify the competences of Dr. Aboudzadeh both as a researcher and as a future leader in the field of polymer materials for a sustainable world. APOCOLIPS is highly multidisciplinary combining polymer chemistry, polymer physics, photochemistry, microbiology, chemical engineering and green chemistry.
The fellowship will bring together the knowledge of Dr. Aboudzadeh, who recently obtained his PhD degree in polymer materials from Spain, with those of Dr. Save (project supervisor) in polymer chemistry and the skills of Dr. Lacombe in photochemistry. Moreover, the project benefits from a national collaboration with Dr. Loubière from LGC (Toulouse) with strong experiences in continuous flow photochemistry. The host centre is CNRS that boasts outstanding facilities and excellent contacts with industry. Finally APOCOLIPS brings about the fellow a three-month international and interdiciplinary secondment (Ulster University, UK) under supervision of Prof. Fernandez-Ibañez, an expert in disinfection technologies.
Trends of International Energy Security Risk Index in European Countries

Abstract The paper deals with the analysis and forecasting of energy security risk index for eleven European countries (the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, and Ukraine for the period 1992-2016). Nowadays, energy security plays an important role in guaranteeing the national, political and economic security of the country. A literature review of different approaches to defining energy security gave the possibility to consider the regression model of energy security risk index assessment, which takes into account the levels of economic, technical and technological, ecological, social and resource components. This step was proceeded with clusterization of the analysed countries in three groups according to Energy Security Risk Index. Based on this approach resource-mining countries (Denmark, Germany, Norway and the UK) were grouped in Cluster I, while Ukraine occupied the last Cluster III. The next division in five clusters supported the indicated allocation. Finally, we calculated the forecasts of energy security risk index based on data of 1992-2014. It allowed realizing the perspectives of energy market for the nearest future, particularly for Ukraine, which needs development of a new strategy of energy security
Picsohf, a minimally invasive cardiac intervention medical device to regenerate a damaged heart and extend the life of patients with heart failure

Worldwide 26 million people live with HF (Heart Failure) which is a major burden, not only for the patient, but one that also threatens the sustainability of national healthcare systems. Despite advances in treatment solutions over the last 30 years, improvements have not met the expectations for cardiac recovery and prognosis following heart attack. Current treatments are only partial solutions as they cannot regenerate the damaged heart tissue, and are thus unable to stop the progressive loss of heart function, low short- and medium-term life expectancy, and impoverished quality of life due to co-morbidities and/or frequent and continuous re-hospitalisations. 
Regenerative concepts, such as cellular therapies to regain cardiac function, once of the greatest hope for heart failure patients, have been recently discredited as they have been unable to show scientific proof of efficacy. 
Miracor, developed and clinically tested PiCSO, a breakthrough cardiac intervention triggering myocardial regeneration. Our therapy consists of a percutaneous right heart catheter intervention using proprietary software for feedback control that temporarily elevates the pressure in cardiac veins reactivating innate regeneration pathways. We have tested PiCSO in chronic HF patients (8 patients versus 22 controls) and demonstrated that 30 minutes of intervention changed the pattern of regenerative biomarkers in cardiac veins that resulted in significantly improved survival at 10 years follow up. 
Our patented technology (PiCSOHF ) is changing the market in HF, as no similar device is currently available. Our strategic goal is to become Europe´s leading reference in treating HF. After full technological, clinical and commercial development, PICSOHF profits will increase by +€66M within 5 years after commercial launch.
La crescita dell’economia italiana e il divario Nord-Sud: trend storici e prospettive alla luce dei recenti scenari demografici [Italian economic growth and the North-South gap: Historical trends and future projections in light of the recent demographic scenarios]

Italian Abstract: In questo lavoro si presenta una ricostruzione storica degli andamenti dell’economia italiana e delle due macroaree del Paese, il Centro Nord e il Mezzogiorno, a partire dagli anni cinquanta e si propongono degli scenari di crescita alla luce delle proiezioni demografiche dell’Istat e sulla base di diverse ipotesi circa l’evoluzione futura del mercato del lavoro e della produttività. L’analisi storica delinea un progressivo rallentamento del prodotto guidato da quello della produttività totale dei fattori e, più di recente, dell’accumulazione del capitale e dell’utilizzo del lavoro. Nel Mezzogiorno il rallentamento è stato più intenso; si è progressivamente ampliato il divario rispetto al Centro Nord nell’utilizzo del fattore lavoro, che spiega oggi oltre la metà del differenziale di sviluppo tra le due aree. In prospettiva, dati gli scenari demografici e in assenza di significativi aumenti della partecipazione al mercato del lavoro e di un ritorno alla crescita della produttività, l’economia italiana sarebbe destinata a contrarsi dalla seconda metà del decennio in corso. Il calo sarebbe più forte nel Mezzogiorno, caratterizzato da tendenze demografiche significativamente peggiori, anche a causa del saldo migratorio interno strutturalmente negativo. Le simulazioni mostrano tuttavia che l’Italia avrebbe spazi ampi di crescita qualora fosse in grado di conseguire tassi di crescita della produttività del lavoro simili a quelli delle altre economie europee e in presenza di un processo di convergenza tra Mezzogiorno e Centro-Nord, sia nel mercato del lavoro sia nella produttività.English Abstract: This paper presents a historical account of economic trends in Italy and its two macro-regions, the Centre and North and the South, since the 1950s, and outlines several growth scenarios based on recent demographic projections and alternative hypotheses on future labour market and productivity paths. We document a progressive slowdown in GDP, particularly in the South, driven by productivity and, more recently, also by employment and capital accumulation dynamics. Going forward, given the reduction in the working age population, without improvements in productivity and labour force participation, the Italian economy – the southern one in particular – is projected to shrink from the second half of the current decade. Despite the unfavourable demographic trends, robust growth rates could still be achieved if productivity grew at the same rate as in other European countries and assuming a catching-up process of between the South and the Centre and North of the country.
A cross-border project of environmental education 

The project aims at promoting cooperation among primary education institutes in the field of environmental education. These initiatives are geared towards a fuller understanding of the importance of waste recycling and selective waste collection. It is intended to raise awareness towards environmental issues and at the same time as an opportunity for cooperation among Italian and Slovenian schools to promote European integration. Its educational value lies in the activities identified and proposed by all project partners and translates into the notions that the students acquire to become European citizens. It aims at shaping an eco-friendly conscience: identifying the materials of which most of the things we use are made, understanding that raw materials are depletable, learning the decomposing time of several materials, understanding the importance of recycling and selective waste collection, learning the recycling phases of several materials and getting used to correctly selecting materials for disposal. Envisaged activities include: meetings and opportunities to exchange good practices and experiences among teachers and pupils of participating schools; class workshops on the reuse of materials; participation to the initiative “M’illumino d’immenso”; visit to the salt pits and museums of Pirano; the creation of an eco-symbol to encourage eco-friendly habits; production of informational literature; project closing to be held on May 9-13 2008 at Dolina, in the context of the Festival of Majenca.
Analysis of a New Cleaning Technology Based on Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Pre-treatment for Diesel Engine Remanufacturing

Remanufacturing is the rebuilding of a used product to at least its original performance with a warranty that is equivalent or better than that of the newly manufactured product. It is a vital means in improving manufacturing sustainability, through saving raw materials, reducing carbon emissions and conserving product commercial values. As the one of the demanding steps in remanufacturing process, cleaning is also one polluting stage because of the use of environmental detrimental cleaning agents and the large amount of energy consumptions. The specific aim of the work demonstrated in this thesis is to find an alternative cleaning agent that could achieve the effective cleaning of decommissioned engine parts, in an environmentally greener way. More generally, the study in this thesis uses supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) as the green agent to reduce the possible environment loads induced by conventional cleaning technologies and further investigate the feasibility of this method in removing other contaminants as an application extension. Organic contaminants, containing greases, lubricating substances and carbon depositions are the most commonly observed contaminants in a decommissioned engine, and they are analysed by a series of analytical methods to validate the feasibility of SC-CO₂ cleaning in this study. Experiments on grease, lubricating oil and paint coatings cleaning are carried out on the supercritical fluid (SCF) facility with the addition of liquid blasting to remove residues after SC-CO₂ treatment. A new cleaning method combining SC-CO₂ pre-treatment and liquid blasting post-treatment processes is proposed and a comparison is conducted between this method and conventional method (thermal decomposition and shot blasting cleaning). Operation parameters for liquid blasting process are determined through single particle blasting test and the comparison demonstrates the new method has a minimal impact on the surface properties of substrate materials, while the conventional cleaning method has a significant negative impact. Ultimately, the comparative life cycle assessment between two methods demonstrates the new cleaning technology can attain a higher cleanliness with better environmental performances. It is concluded that the SC-CO₂ cleaning could provide a “cleaner production” method for remanufacturing.
Morphological changes of placental syncytium and their implications for the pathogenesis of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disease that complicates many pregnancies, typically presenting with new-onset or worsening hypertension and proteinuria. It is well recognized that the placental syncytium plays a key role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. This review summarizes the findings pertaining to the structural alterations in the syncytium of preeclamptic placentas and analyzes their pathological implications for the development of preeclampsia. Changes in the trophoblastic lineage, including those in the proliferation of cytotrophoblasts, the formation of syncytiotrophoblast through cell fusion, cell apoptosis and syncytial deportation, are discussed in the context of preeclampsia. Extensive correlations are made between functional deficiencies and the alterations on the levels of gross anatomy, tissue histology, cellular events, ultrastructure, molecular pathways, and gene expression. Attention is given to the significance of dynamic changes in the syncytial turnover in preeclamptic placentas. Specifically, experimental evidences for the complex and obligatory role of syncytin-1 in cell fusion, cell-cycle regulation at the G1/S transition, and apoptosis through AIF-mediated pathway, are discussed in detail in the context of syncytium homeostasis. Finally, the recent observations on the aberrant fibrin deposition in the trophoblastic layer and the trophoblast immature phenotype in preeclamptic placentas and their potential pathogenic impact are also reviewed.