SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Metal flow in laser additive manufacturing using x-ray imaging and machine learning

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has been a hot topic for many years. A fundamental understanding of the metal flows in the molten pool is critical to improving the quality of the sample produced by AM. Laser metal deposition (LMD) is one of the most widely used AM methods, which has a high production efficiency, and a special application in repairing the damaged parts with large size and high price. During the LMD process, a powdery filler is injected from the nozzle onto the surface of the base metal, and a laser beam is used to melt the powders and surface of a specimen. Dynamics of the keyhole and molten pool will determine the temperature distribution and the profile of the molten pool, thus affecting the microstructure of the printed bead. It is difficult to observe the dynamics of the molten pool in AM directly with a camera because the molten pool is surrounded by the solid metal. The objectives of this proposal are to reveal the dynamic characteristics of the keyhole and molten pool in LMD and provide a guide for choosing the proper production parameters for defect-free AM. To achieve the objectives, the X-ray imaging system in the host institute will be used to observe the dynamics of the keyhole and molten pool. With the high-melting-point tungsten particles as the tracers mixed with the metal powders, the flow of the liquid metal in the molten pool could be observed. The machine learning technique is then used to track the flow of the tungsten particles, which makes the quick determination of the flow routes and velocities of the liquid metal possible. The novelty of this proposal is that the x-ray imaging method combined with the machine learning technique is first used to visualize the dynamics of the keyhole and molten pool in LMD. This research could provide a guide for optimizing the process parameters and improving the AM quality, and the achievement of this research could contribute to the development of LMD in the industry.
Association between suppression of otoacoustic emissions and annoyance levels in tinnitus patients with normal hearing

To correlate the annoyance of tinnitus assessed by the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and on a visual analogue scale with the evoked otoacoustic emission test result in tinnitus patients with normal hearing.Case-control study.Public tertiary hospital.The sample was initially based on a population of 80 subjects with tinnitus; 20 of them had normal hearing and normal evoked otoacoustic emission test results and comprised the study group. For the purpose of comparison, a control group was formed, which consisted of 17 subjects with no hearing complaints and normal hearing. The participants were submitted to hearing tests, immittance testing and tests for the evaluation of acoustic reflexes, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs), and suppression of TEOAEs. The tests were performed in a sound-treated booth using a linear contralateral noise of 60 dB. The presence of suppression effects was defined when the response amplitude was 0.5 dB or higher.Abnormal evoked otoacoustic emission suppression test results were observed in 52.9% of tinnitus patients and in 32.4% of control subjects (p = 0.086). Suppression effects of TEOAEs were absent in 38.5% of subjects with minimal or mild discomfort and in 61.9% of subjects with moderate or severe discomfort (p = 0.183).It was not possible to associate the annoyance caused by tinnitus with the TEOAE suppression test results, although suppression effects were found to decrease with increasing annoyance.
Novel biocatalysts for glycerol conversion into 2,3-butanediol

Abstract Bioconversion of biodiesel-derived waste glycerol into high-value products is proposed as a solution to improve economic viability of biorefineries. Several microorganisms are able to metabolize glycerol into 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD), a promising bulk chemical with wide applications: solvent, fuel additive, and feedstock for synthetic rubber production, among them. In the present work, a wide screening of microorganisms present both into the waste water treatment system in a biodiesel industry and in culture collections was carried out in order to evaluate their potential as new 2,3-BD producer biocatalysts. Two microorganisms for 2,3-BD production from glycerol as sole carbon source have been selected, namely Raoultella planticola CECT 843 and Raoultella terrigena CECT 4519. Raoultella strains belong to the non‐pathogenic bacteria class (biosafety level 1). This genus has not been previously described as biocatalyst for the studied process. The influence of operational temperature, organic acid addition, and yeast extract concentration on 2,3-BD yield and productivity have been studied through Taguchi design methodology as well as initial glycerol concentration. Based on these results, the feasibility of the process employing pure glycerol and different samples of raw glycerol has been demonstrated.
Cement production technology improvement compared to factor 4 objectives

In this study, the effects of potential technological improvements in cement industry are compared to global goals of sustainability such as those from the Intergovernmental Panel Group for Climate Change. In other words, does the current and standard technological knowledge in the cement and concrete industry make it possible to achieve the “factor 4” concept? This concept aims at reducing the CO2 emissions in developed countries in 2050 by a factor of four from their 1990 levels, after they have first been reduced by a factor of 2 by 2020. The present study shows that it seems technically possible to design concretes to meet “factor 2” objectives whatever the evolution of cement production, but a technological turnaround is needed to reach factor 4 objectives. This technological shift will require not only changes in concrete raw materials and mix designs, but also new building techniques, using less materials for the same final structure.
Hantavirus ecology in rodent populations in three protected areas of Argentina

In this study, we identified hantavirus genotypes and their reservoirs and evaluated the spatial and temporal distribution of the virus in rodent population in three protected areas of Argentina over 3 years (2007-2010). A total of 837 rodents were captured with an effort of 22 117 trap-nights. We detected the genotype Lechiguanas in Oligoryzomys nigripes and O. flavescens and Pergamino in Akodon azarae. There was no correlation between seroprevalence and trap success of the host. The proportion of seropositive males was significantly higher than the proportion of seropositive females. The total length of seropositives was higher than that of seronegatives in each host species. Seropositive individuals were observed in warm months and not in cold months, which suggests an infection cycle. This investigation confirms that protected areas of central east Argentina are places with a variety of sylvan rodents species associated with different hantavirus genotypes where reservoirs are numerically dominant. Although there was more than one known reservoir of hantavirus, only one species had antibodies in each area. This can be explained because the transmission of the virus does need not only the presence of a rodent species but also a threshold density. Longevity of even a small proportion of the host population in cold months may provide a trans-seasonal mechanism for virus persistence. The seroprevalence detected was higher than the one found before in rodent populations of Argentina, and this explains the appearance of human cases in two of these three areas.
Safe(r) by design implementation in the nanotechnology industry

Abstract The implementation of Safe(r) by Design (SbD) in industrial innovations requires an integrated approach where the human, environmental and economic impact of the SbD measures is evaluated across and throughout the nanomaterial (NM) life cycle. SbD was implemented in six industrial companies where SbD measures were applied to NMs, nano-enabled products (NEPs) and NM/NEP manufacturing processes. The approach considers human and environmental risks, functionality of the NM/NEP and costs as early as possible in the innovation process, continuing throughout the innovation progresses. Based on the results of the evaluation, a decision has to be made on whether to continue, stop or re-design the NM/NEP/process or to carry out further tests/obtain further data in cases where the uncertainty of the human and environmental risks is too large. However, SbD can also be implemented at later stages when there is already a prototype product or process available, as demonstrated in some of the cases. The SbD measures implemented in some of the case studies did not result in a viable solution. For example the coating of silicon nanoparticles with amorphous carbon increased the conductivity, the stability and reduced the dustiness of the particles and therefore the risk of explosion and the exposure to workers. However the socioeconomic assessment for their use in lithium-ion batteries for cars, when compared to the use of graphite, showed that the increase in performance did not overcome the higher production costs. This work illustrates the complexities of selecting the most appropriate SbD measures and highlights that SbD cannot be solely based on a hazard and exposure assessment but must include other impacts that any SbD measures may have on sustainability including energy consumption and waste generation as well as all associated monetary costs.
Scanning droplet tribometer for characterizing surface wetting properties

Superhydrophobic surfaces repel water to great extent, that droplets in contact with such surface have spherical shape, featuring high contact angle (>150°) and low friction. The classic measurement technique for their characterization is contact angle measurement, though that technique faces serious challenges for superhydrophobic characterization, as optical accuracy for high contact angles is poor, and local variations in wetting cannot be easily probed. Here we develop the proof of concept for Scanning Droplet Tribometer as a new measurement method that could overcome these challenges, by measuring friction of droplets. Preliminary data are obtained and very promising. There is interest from industry (see two support letters). In DropletScan ERC PoC project, I will set up a team to develop the protocol and analysis tools, test limitations, build a prototype and validate the results. Furthermore we will analyse the market, identify possible partners, develop a commercial roadmap and strategy, carry out IPR & FTO analysis, write new patent applications and create a IPR strategy.
When will a stuttering moment occur? The determining role of speech motor preparation

The present study aimed to evaluate whether increased activity related to speech motor preparation preceding fluently produced words reflects a successful compensation strategy in stuttering. For this purpose, a contingent negative variation (CNV) was evoked during a picture naming task and measured by use of electro-encephalography. A CNV is a slow, negative event-related potential known to reflect motor preparation generated by the basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical (BGTC) - loop. In a previous analysis, the CNV of 25 adults with developmental stuttering (AWS) was significantly increased, especially over the right hemisphere, compared to the CNV of 35 fluent speakers (FS) when both groups were speaking fluently (Vanhoutte et al., (2015) doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.05.013). To elucidate whether this increase is a compensation strategy enabling fluent speech in AWS, the present analysis evaluated the CNV of 7 AWS who stuttered during this picture naming task. The CNV preceding AWS stuttered words was statistically compared to the CNV preceding AWS fluent words and FS fluent words. Though no difference emerged between the CNV of the AWS stuttered words and the FS fluent words, a significant reduction was observed when comparing the CNV preceding AWS stuttered words to the CNV preceding AWS fluent words. The latter seems to confirm the compensation hypothesis: the increased CNV prior to AWS fluent words is a successful compensation strategy, especially when it occurs over the right hemisphere. The words are produced fluently because of an enlarged activity during speech motor preparation. The left CNV preceding AWS stuttered words correlated negatively with stuttering frequency and severity suggestive for a link between the left BGTC - network and the stuttering pathology. Overall, speech motor preparatory activity generated by the BGTC - loop seems to have a determining role in stuttering. An important divergence between left and right hemisphere is hypothesized.
Thioredoxin interacting protein is a novel mediator of retinal inflammation and neurotoxicity

Up-regulation of thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP), an endogenous inhibitor of thioredoxin (Trx), compromises cellular antioxidant and anti-apoptotic defences and stimulates pro-inflammatory cytokines expression, implying a role for TXNIP in apoptosis. Here we have examined the causal role of TXNIP expression in mediating retinal neurotoxicity and assessed the neuroprotective actions of verapamil, a calcium channel blocker and an inhibitor of TXNIP expression.Retinal neurotoxicity was induced by intravitreal injection of NMDA in Sprague-Dawley rats, which received verapamil (10 mg·kg(-1), p.o.) or vehicle. Neurotoxicity was examined by terminal dUTP nick-end labelling assay and ganglion cell count. Expression of TXNIP, apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK-1), NF-κB, p38 MAPK, JNK, cleaved poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), caspase-3, nitrotyrosine and 4-hydroxy-nonenal were examined by Western and slot-blot analysis. Release of TNF-α and IL-1β was examined by elisa.NMDA injection enhanced TXNIP expression, decreased Trx activity, causing increased oxidative stress, glial activation and release of TNF-α and IL-1β. Enhanced TXNIP expression disrupted Trx/ASK-1 inhibitory complex leading to release of ASK-1 and activation of the pro-apoptotic p38 MAPK/JNK pathway, as indicated by cleaved PARP and caspase-3 expression. Treatment with verapamil blocked these effects.Elevated TXNIP expression contributed to retinal neurotoxicity by three different mechanisms, inducing release of inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α and IL-1β, altering antioxidant status and disrupting the Trx-ASK-1 inhibitory complex leading to activation of the p38 MAPK/JNK apoptotic pathway. Targeting TXNIP expression is a potential therapeutic target for retinal neurodegenerative disease.
Transposable element impacts on gene expression and regulation

Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that are able to spread within and between genomes. While transposition may lead to evident harmful effects, TEs can also positively impact the host genome by, for instance, donating intrinsic regulatory elements such as promoters. The main goal of this research project is to understand the regulatory changes that TEs engage within host genomes. While in mammals TE-derived promoters are often observed, only recently Drosophila TEs were described as potential platforms of gene regulatory networks, opening a new field for important discoveries. Since TEs are extremely active in fruit flies and Drosophila is found worldwide, TE copies that are population-specific are observed. Drosophila constitutes therefore a perfect model to study the impact of TEs in the host transcriptome. We hypothesize that Drosophila TEs are able to act as gene promoters and cause differential gene expression between wild-derived strains. Our first aim is to discover strain-specific TE-derived promoters involved in differential gene expression between Drosophila melanogaster populations by using a genome-wide high throughput sequencing method named RAMPAGE. In our second aim we will determine how histone modifications regulate TE-derived promoters by producing chromatin maps for each strain studied. The comparison of full sites (sites containing the insertion of a TE in one population) with empty sites (sites devoid of a TE insertion in another population) allow us to clearly demonstrate the impact and regulation of TE promoters.
Itinerant cultural agents in early modern europe and the scotsman thomas seget: a case-study

AGENTSEGET is an interdisciplinary project that will explore a neglected type of intellectual who grew to prominence in Europe at the end of the sixteenth century, a time of significant social and cultural upheaval. The religious conflicts, political tensions, and profound intellectual transformations of the decades around 1600 called for new styles of communication often involving subterfuge, middle-men, and disguise. A different type of intellectual was required to connect scholars in different and often troubled areas of Europe. Their task was to deliver scientific instruments, precious books and manuscripts crucial to the production of new knowledge and theories. To support themselves, they also traded information about princes, governments, religious factions and political machinations. The project will focus on the Scotsman Thomas Seget (1569/70-1627), one of the most interesting and less studied examples of this type of intellectual. By using Seget as a case study, AGENTSEGET aims to unlock the rich and vibrant personal and professional network of intellectual brokers and cultural middlemen in which prominent scientists such as Kepler and Galileo operated and thrived, exchanging ideas and receiving informal feedback on their work. The findings of AGENTSEGET are expected to demonstrate that cultural and scientific mobility has always been an essential component of the circulation and development of cutting-edge scientific research. The results will be disseminated through a monograph, Open Access publications, an interactive website, an edited volume, an exhibition, and a series of educational activities.
Reconstruction of geomagnetic activity and near-Earth interplanetary conditions over the past 167 yr – Part 2: A new reconstruction of the interplanetary magnetic field

Abstract. We present a new reconstruction of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF, B) for 1846–2012 with a full analysis of errors, based on the homogeneously constructed IDV(1d) composite of geomagnetic activity presented in Part 1 (Lockwood et al., 2013a). Analysis of the dependence of the commonly used geomagnetic indices on solar wind parameters is presented which helps explain why annual means of interdiurnal range data, such as the new composite, depend only on the IMF with only a very weak influence of the solar wind flow speed. The best results are obtained using a polynomial (rather than a linear) fit of the form B = χ · (IDV(1d) − β)α with best-fit coefficients χ = 3.469, β = 1.393 nT, and α = 0.420. The results are contrasted with the reconstruction of the IMF since 1835 by Svalgaard and Cliver (2010).
Economic Impacts of Timber Product Outputs in Ohio across Timber Market Regions

Input-output models were constructed to describe the economic impacts of timber product outputs in Ohio and its three timber market regions - the Northeast, West, and Southeast - for 2012. Impact Analysis for PLANning was used to describe these impacts in terms of employment, output, and value added based on 1) the total value of outputs delivered to market by each region’s logging sector and 2) a per-unit change in the regionalized delivered value of one million board feet (MMBF) of hardwood sawtimber. Direct impacts of timber products were greatest in the Northeast (for output and value added) and Southeast (for employment). The total economic impacts of timber products in Ohio were 2,880 employees, $287 million in output, and $147 million in value added. The per-unit impact results were more varied due to regional differences in economies and timber price determinants. Employment and output economic impacts per MMBF were both highest in the Southeast. The employment levels directly and indirectly associated with each MMBF in the West were higher than the Northeast. Value added per MMBF was highest in the Northeast across impacts.
Anschlussblock für Solarzellen

Anschlussblock für Solarzellen mit einem Gehäuse (1) und einem im Gehäuse (1) befindlichen, elektrisch leitenden Bauteil, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass – sich an dem Gehäuse (1) und einem Bodendeckel (3) ein das elektrisch leitende Bauteil umschließender Wärmeleitkleber (4) zur Abkühlung desselben befindet, – das elektrisch leitende Bauteil mehrteilig aufgebaut ist und vier elektrisch leitende Bleche (2) umfasst.
Theoretical study on the mechanism and kinetics of atmospheric reactions NH2OH + OOH and NH2CH3 + OOH

Mechanism and kinetics of NH 2 OH + OOH and NH 2 CH 3 + OOH reactions were studied at the B3LYP and M062X levels of theory using the 6-311++G(3df, 3pd) basis set. The NH 2 OH + OOH and NH 2 CH 3 + OOH reactions proceed through different paths which lead to different products. Transition state structure and activation energy of each path were calculated. The calculated activation energies of hydrogen abstraction reactions were smaller than 25 kcal/mol and of substitution reactions are in the range of 50–70 kcal/mol. The rate constants were calculated using transition state theory (TST) modified for tunneling effect at 273–2000 K. • Mechanism of NH 2 OH and NH 2 CH 3 formation was investigated. • Mechanism and kinetics of NH 2 OH + OOH and NH 2 CH 3 + OOH reactions were studied. • Rate constants for these atmospheric reactions were calculated. • The rate constants for hydrogen abstraction were more than those for replacement reactions. • The calculated activation energies by the B3LYP were smaller than those obtained by the M062X.
G. & O. S.N.C. DI Gnecco PIERPAOLO AND OPPO LUCA

The COMPANY G.& O. OFFERS STRATEGICAL AND OPERATIONAL MARKETING CONSULTING SERVICES, UNDERSTANDING, IN RECENT TIMES, THE COLLECTED COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES. WE HELP CUSTOMERS MAKE THE MOST APPROPRIATE CHOICES TO IMPROVE THE CURRENT BUSINESS OR DEAL WITH FUTURE PROJECTS IN THE BEST WAY. WE OFFER CUSTOMERS THE REALISATION OF MARKET ANALYSIS, STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PRODUCTS, DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL BUDGETS, PRICE PLACEMENTS, EVALUATION OF NEW PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES, UP TO DIGITAL MARKETING PLANS, WHERE THE STRATEGIC APPROACH IS FULLY COMBINED WITH THE OPERATIONAL AND COMMUNICATION TOOLS TO THE TARGET. WE PRIORITISE PRACTICAL AND TAILOR-MADE SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYONE, WITH WORK PROPOSALS IN SUCCESSIVE STEPS (NON-BINDING) AND TRYING TO ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP OF MUTUAL TRUST IMMEDIATELY. WE ARE TWO PARTNERS, EMPLOYED FULL-TIME IN CONSULTING ACTIVITIES (WE HAVE NO EMPLOYEES), AND WE BRING OUR PREVIOUS TWENTY-YEAR EXPERIENCE GAINED IN A PRIMARY AZ