SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Laser prepared organic heterostructures based on star-shaped arylenevinylene compounds

This paper presents some studies about the preparation by matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique of organic bulk heterojunctions made from the mixture of a star-shaped arylenevinylene compound, 4,4′,4″-tris[(4′-diphenylamino)styryl] triphenylamine as donor and fullerene derivative, [6, 6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid butyl ester, as acceptor, in the weight ratio 1:2. The mixed layer has been characterized by spectroscopic (UV–Vis, Fourier transform infrared) and microscopic (AFM) methods, and the effects of the deposition conditions (number of pulses) and of a buffer layer of poly(aniline-co-aniline propane sulfonic acid) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) have been analyzed. The study of the electrical properties has revealed a typical solar cell behavior for the heterostructure glass/ITO/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/4,4′,4″-tris[(4′-diphenylamino)styryl] triphenylamine: [6, 6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid butyl ester/Al, confirming that MAPLE could be an adequate method for the preparation of active layer based on bulk heterojunction for solar cells.
Staff exchange for novel applications in 19f  magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a leading clinical diagnostic technique, which is able to provide whole body imaging, and when individual cells are imaged in living animals, it can provide new insights into the biology of cell trafficking and migration. 
For cells to be visualised by MRI, they generally must be labelled to enable their discrimination from surrounding tissue. 
The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents is therefore an active area of research, where the basis for this interest is the expansion of MRI as a high-resolution and non-invasive important preclinical and clinical imaging modality. 
Moreover, there are now new opportunities to developing smart materials with multifunctional abilities including MRI contrast in-built within biomaterial structures, functionalisation with targeting ligands and the carrying of a therapeutic payload. This move towards a new generation of MRI contrast reagents has also been spurred on by the mounting evidence against gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). They are currently the agents of choice and were considered historically safe and well tolerated until recently. 
However, they have been found to accumulate in various tissues of patients who do not have renal impairment, including bone, brain and kidneys. Furthermore, in 2015, the FDA released a new safety announcement regarding GBCAs and the risk of accumulated deposits in the brain following repeated use. Whilst GBCAs are being investigated, they can still be administered but healthcare professionals have been advised to limit the use of GBCA to situations in which contrast is deemed absolutely necessary.This has opened the door to the novelty of using perfluorocarbon (19F) being incorporated inside smart nanoparticles, which can offer unique quantitative signatures for molecular MRI with no competing background signal.
Happy Anniversary to JNP!

ver the years I have had several opportunities to talk to representatives from business or industry about nurse practitioners (NPs) and the Ounique contributions we make to health care. The first few sessions were painful, with such a lack of knowledge about who NPs were and what we could do that I spent most of my time trying to dispel misinformation and clarify very basic information. But over time, the sessions have produced more engaging dialogue with knowledgeable people who knew enough about the role to ask good questions. I recently talked to a relatively large group of representatives from different marketing agencies. This group was filled with mostly younger individuals, many of whom I suspected not only knew about the role but had probably even received care from an NP. I knew this would be a new type of opportunity for me and one with higher risk. It is one thing to describe to an uninformed group what NPs can do and how they do it that makes them different from other providers, but it is an entirely different matter to describe these same things to someone who has had experiences that may or may not agree with what I am saying. So, I couldn’t help thinking to myself, “Please let these individuals have had positive experiences with NPs!” Don Gardenier from Mt. Sinai in New York also participated with me in the discussion and was a wonderful representative of the knowledgeable specialist, politically astute and well able to describe the contributions of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners to facilitating the practice of NPs. The audience reception of our content was positive. There was a lot of enthusiasm about the NP role and opportunities to work with NPs, but I wondered what the listeners would finally take away from the meeting. As we were preparing to leave, a young woman came up to me and immediately her eyes filled with tears. She said to me, “What you said about NPs being patient-centered, listening to our concerns, helping us solve our own problems, resonated with me. That is exactly what happened to me. I went in for a GYN exam and the NP listened to me, talked to me, and figured out that something else was going on. Based on her questions and referral, I was diagnosed with lupus and have been under treatment ever since. You are right: NPs listen. NPs care. NPs are the ones whose role it is to teach and counsel.” So, thanks to all of you strong clinicians, knowledgeable patient advocates, necessary politicians, and peerless counselors. I felt like NPs in general had just passed a test. I am gratified that the NP role envisioned by Dr Loretta Ford so many years ago is being implemented as she desired. This issue marks the 10th anniversary of the first publication of The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. I am proud to be an NP, your colleague, and the editor of this journal. I hope that JNP has played a role in shaping your knowledge and solidifying your craft. I have immensely enjoyed working with the many authors, reviewers, and columnists who have supported JNP from its
New instruments to enhance the biodiversity of cross-border forest ecosystems

In 2006 the then European Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas declared that if climate change attracts massive media attention, the loss of biodiversity represents an even more serious threat. This is due to the fact that the degradation of ecosystems often reaches the point of no return and extinction is irreversible. Such statements are still relevant today. Cross-border forest ecosystems are rich and diverse ecological units, but vulnerable and fragile due to the excessive exploitation of resources, climate change and not always appropriate forest management actions.
BIO∆4 project integrates the complementary competences of the Agency of Veneto Region for Innovation in the Primary Sector, University of Padova (TESAF Department) and the Chamber of Agriculture of Tirol, to design and test (in the forests of Cansiglio in Veneto, Ampezzo in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Land Tirol) new biodiversity evaluation models for forest ecosystems using biotic indices (also defining a prototypal biodiversity certification scheme), as well as operational models for payment for ecosystem services (PES) supporting legislative action in this matter. Foreseen
actions will enhance the biodiversity of cross-border forests, promoting their sustainable management.
Sacrificial thermoplastic injection moulding platform for manufacturing small and complex metal and ceramic components

AddiFab has developed the first sacrificial thermoplastic injection moulding platform to support the manufacturing of small/medium size, complex and traceable metal and ceramic components with high precison – STIM-MC. AddiFab’s innovative solution is the first to remove the costly and time-consuming gap between prototyping and commercialization ramp-up.
This is only possible due to AddiFab’s proprietary material and process which uses printed objects as intermediary process tools (moulds). It runs in a single platform which integrates the automatic production and post-processing of moulds.
With single-use moulds produced automatically, prototypes and components with mould-like quality can be launched for in-market validation and easily modified. Thus, the STIM-MC platform reduces development costs, mitigates the risks of product failure and increases process efficiency, while enabling wider benefits for the healthcare, consumer products and automobile industry through new cost-effective materials.
Through the successful development and implementation of the STIM-MC project, AddiFab will be in a strong position to exploit the micro and powder injection moulding markets and enhance its profitability by the stream of the sales, with an expected cumulated revenue of €71 million, 5 years after project completion.
Response of the Amazon Tropical Forests to Deforestation, Climate, and Extremes, and the Occurrence of Drought and Fire

To the extent that many studies of the last two decades deepen the understanding about the Amazon tropical forest and more is known about the environmental services it offers, they also increased our level of awareness about the growing threats that this system has been subjected to. In addition to the process of uncontrolled expansion of the agriculture frontier, the Amazon, for its large scale, is an ecosystem highly susceptible to climate at regional and global scales. In this chapter we address issues related to environmental drivers of change in the Amazon: deforestation, climate, climate extremes, and fire. The goal is to present aspects of a synergistic action of these effects and the possible responses of Amazonian ecosystems to these drivers of change: (1) short-term responses as the mortality of some species (biodiversity loss), loss of living biomass with consequent influence on storage, and exchanges of carbon with the atmosphere to (2) long-term responses, such as ‘savannization’ and Amazon dieback. On the other hand, it has been hypothesized that the forest may show some degree of resilience to tolerate those impacts before starting to respond with degradation of the ecosystems. One of the challenges of Amazonian science today is to find out how close those drivers might be from exceeding ‘tipping points’ of stability of the Amazonian system.
A novel application of mixing coefficients for reverse-engineering gene interaction networks

In this paper, we present a new application of the so-called phi-mixing coefficient between two random variables. Using the phi-mixing coefficient, as well as an analog of the well-known data processing inequality from information theory, we present a new algorithm for reverse-engineering gene interaction networks (GINs) from expression data, by viewing the expression levels of various genes as coupled random variables. Unlike existing methods, the GINs constructed using the algorithm presented here have edges that are both directed and weighted. Thus it is possible to infer both the direction as well as the strength of the interaction between genes. Several GINs have been constructed for various data sets in lung and ovarian cancer. One of the lung cancer networks is validated by comparing its predictions against the output of ChIP-seq data.
Role of Micturating Cysto-urethrogram in Renal Parenchymal Disease

Children developing renal parenchymal disease (RPD) secondary to urinary tract infection have vesico-ureteric reflux. Micturating cystourethrogram (MCUG) is advised in routine to rule out this pathology. This study was conducted to asses the diagnostic and predictive value of MCUG in cases that suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections and are going to develop RPD. 32 children between the age of 3 - 8 years and having the history of repeated episodes of urinary Tract Infection (UTI) underwent micturating cysto-urethrogram (MCUG). 11 had vesicoureteric reflux. 6 had signs of renal parenchymal disease (RPD). 2 developed RPD but demonstrated no reflux. As such the predictive value of this investigation in children suffering from UTI with reflux to develop RPD was almost 50% i.e. children with UTI and reflux had very high risk of developing RPD.
MGMT promoter methylation in serum and cerebrospinal fluid as a tumor-specific biomarker of glioma

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation is a conventional technique to predict the prognosis or individualized treatment of glioma in tumor tissue following surgery or biopsy. However, the technique cannot be applied in those glioma patients with concomitant neurological dysfunctions or advanced age. The present study aimed to find a new minimally invasive and efficient alternative method for the detection of MGMT promoter methylation. The expression of MGMT promoter methylation was assessed in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and compared to the corresponding tumor tissue from glioma patients. The 89 patients in the study [32 World Health Organization (WHO) grade II, 19 WHO grade III and 38 WHO grade IV) were pathologically-diagnosed glioma and received radiation therapy following sample collection. The resected glioma tumor tissue (89), corresponding serum (89) and CSF (78) samples were collected for the detection of MGMT promoter methylation using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The sensitivity and specificity of detecting MGMT promoter methylation in CSF and serum were compared. Among the tumor tissue samples, 51/89 (57.3%) showed MGMT promoter methylation. The specificity of the detection in the CSF and serum samples reached 100%. The sensitivity of MGMT promoter methylation detection in CSF and serum were 26/40 (65.0%) and 19/51 (37.3%), respectively (P<0.05). In the WHO II, III and IV subgroups, the sensitivities of MGMT promoter methylation detection using CSF were 8/12 (66.7%), 11/18 (61.1%) and 7/10 (70.0%), respectively, which were significantly higher than the sensitivities using serum (7/21, 33.3%; 7/19, 36.8%; and 5/11, 45.5%, respectively P<0.05). Among patients with residual postoperative tumors, the sensitivities of detecting MGMT promoter methylation using CSF and serum were 18/25 (72.0%) and 10/24 (41.7%), respectively, both of which were significantly higher than the corresponding values for patients without residual tumors (8/15, 53.3% and 6/19, 31.6%, respectively; P<0.05). The detection of MGMT promoter methylation in CSF specimens shows higher sensitivity compared to the serum for glioma patients. Assessment of MGMT promoter methylation in CSF may provide a promising clinical methodology for early diagnosis, individual treatment, monitoring of recurrence and prognosis for glioma patients.
The polyphosphate/factor-xii pathway in cancer-driven thrombosis and tumor growth

Cancer is a leading cause of venous thrombosis. Tumor-driven procoagulant mechanisms and therapies for interference with cancer-associated thrombosis are poorly developed and are associated with life-threatening bleeding complications. Coagulation factor XII is a protease that is essential for thrombus formation while being dispensable for hemostatic processes that terminate blood loss. Challenging the dogma of a coagulation balance, targeting factor XII protects from thromboembolic disease without interfering with hemostasis. The inorganic polymer polyphosphate activates factor XII with implications for thrombosis. In addition to their roles in coagulation, polyphosphate and factor XII have mitogenic activities and contribute to cell proliferation. I have recently characterized the mechanisms of polyphosphate-driven coagulation and discovered a critical function of polyphosphate/factor XII in prostate cancer-driven thrombosis. The current investigations will explore functions and mechanisms of polyphosphate/factor XII for cancer-driven coagulation and tumor growth using cancer cells in culture, genetically altered murine models and cancer patient materials. I aim to understand activation, regulation and functions of the polyphosphate/factor XII-pathway for venous thromboembolic disease as well as tumor growth. In a translational approach, I will analyze novel polyphosphate/factor XII-inhibitors for interference with cancer-driven thrombosis and tumor proliferation. The applied project will give a comprehensive insight into the function of polyphosphate/factor XII in malignancy and will offer a novel and unique opportunity for a safe anticoagulation therapy with minimal or no bleeding risk with additional anti-cancer activities.
Assessing subject‐related variations of the Ocular Response Analyzer parameter calculation

The aim was to study the relationships between the output parameters of the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) and those calculated from the raw ORA data and to ascertain the subject-related variations of ORA parameter calculation procedures.Six subjects were recruited for a prospective study. Up to 32 measurements by ORA were performed in series on the dominant eye of each subject. A relationship was examined between Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure values (IOPg) obtained from the standard ORA output and IOPg' calculated from raw ORA data with a custom-written procedure. The same analysis was carried out for the parameters of corneal hysteresis (CH and CH'). Data and statistical analysis included Epanechnikov kernel smoothing, orthogonal linear regression, hypothesis testing and bootstrap techniques.The group average (mean ± standard deviation) IOPg and CH values were 11.6 ± 1.8 mmHg and 10.7 ± 1.7 mmHg, respectively. A strong correlation was found between IOPg and IOPg' and also between CH and CH' parameters. There was a significant (Behrens-Fisher test, p < 0.001) difference between subjects for both IOPg and CH calculations, in terms of the regression slope parameter.Subject-related variations of ORA parameter calculation were demonstrated. This could indicate that currently employed estimators of IOP parameters include unreported algorithmic procedures that may lead to biased results.
Development of automated laser scanning system for structural health monitoring of wind turbines

In recent years, the growing interest and demand in wind energy requires developing new wind turbines with larger size and capacity. However, this situation also causes some new and challenging problems which have not been en­countered before in design, operation and maintenance. Strong winds and severe environmental factors can cause cracks and damage on several turbine components such as blades and tower. Determination of the location and extent of this damage at early stages is essential to ensure safe and efficient operation of the turbine. This work aims at developing a new motorized laser Doppler scanning system which can rotate about two axes freely. This new device will enable structural dynamics of the turbine to be monitored remotely by using optical measurement techniques. The developed laser system will be used to take vibration measurements on the structure regularly. The acquired measurements will be compared with the reference measurements taken on the undamaged structure and be used to detect possible damage on the turbine while turbine is parked.
Sample Preparation Issues in NMR-based Plant Metabolomics: Optimisation for<i>Vitis</i>Wood Samples

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is one of the most commonly used analytical techniques in plant metabolomics. Although this technique is very reproducible and simple to implement, sample preparation procedures have a great impact on the quality of the metabolomics data.Investigation of different sample preparation methods and establishment of an optimised protocol for untargeted NMR-based metabolomics of Vitis vinifera L. wood samples.Wood samples from two different cultivars of V. vinifera with well-defined phenotypes (Gamaret and 2091) were selected as reference materials. Different extraction solvents (successively, dichloromethane, methanol and water, as well as ethyl acetate and 7:3 methanol-water (v/v)) and deuterated solvents (methanol-d4, 7:3 chloroform-d-methanol-d4 (v/v), dimethylsulphoxide-d6 and 9:1 dimethylsulphoxide-d6-water-d2 (v/v)) were evaluated for NMR acquisition, and the spectral quality was compared. The optimal extract concentration, chemical shift stability and peak area repeatability were also investigated.Ethyl acetate was found to be the most satisfactory solvent for the extraction of all representative chemical classes of secondary metabolites in V. vinifera wood. The optimal concentration of dried extract was 10 mg/mL and 7:3 chloroform-d-methanol-d4 (v/v) was the most suitable solvent system for NMR analysis. Multivariate data analysis was used to estimate the biological variation and clustering between different cultivars.Close attention should be paid to all required procedures before NMR analysis, especially to the selection of an extraction solvent and a deuterated solvent system to perform an extensive metabolomic survey of the specific matrix.
Study on the functions and mechanism of immune functions of human telomerase reverse transcriptase regulating dendritic cells treating sepsis.

We analyzed the functions and mechanisms of immune functions of human telomerase reverse transcriptase regulating dendritic cells (DC) treating sepsis of mice models.Eighty clean grade Balb/c animals aged from 6 to 8 weeks, weighted from 18 g to 22 g were selected for this study. The DC cells were harvested from the animals and cultivated to transfect with the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid hTERT-IRES2-EGFP construct. The LPS (E. coli 0111:B4, 5 mg/kg) was injected into the abdominal cavity of mice to establish sepsis models. Afterwards, animals were divided randomly into the sepsis group (A group), the group of hTERT transfecting DC (B group), the group of DC un-transfected (C group) with 25 mice in each group. 5 mice were in the normal control group (D group), without any treatment. An equivalent volume of normal saline was injected into the abdominal cavity of A group. Subsequently, 1 ml of cell suspension (105/ml) was transfected into B and C groups respectively. Five animals from A, B, C groups and one animal from group D were sacrificed after 24h, 48h, 72d, 7d and 10d respectively.It was found that median survival time of the group of hTERT transfecting DC was remarkably higher than that of the untransfected group and the sepsis group. The average scores of the pathology of kidney and intestine at each time were significantly lower than that of the other two groups (p<0.05). At each time point, in the group of hTERT transfecting DC, levels of CRP and Cr were remarkably lower than that of the other two groups; HLA-DR, CD40 of immune phenotype and the expression level of peripheral blood T cells MHC-II molecules were significantly higher than that of the other two groups; the expression level of IL-12 and TNF-a were significantly lower than that of the other two groups; apoptosis rate of DC were significantly lower than that of the other two groups; the content and activity of NF-κB were significantly higher than that of the other two groups (p<0.05).The telomerase reverse transcriptase gene can raise the expression and maturity of DC, reduce apoptosis, induce cytokine secretion, reduce the inflammatory response and increase the survival time.
FIBEROUS BATT AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SUCH

A process for bonding fibers comprising the steps of contacting the fibers with a particulate plastic alloy. The plastic alloy comprises a compound and a thermoplastic resin. The compound must be a crystalline organic compound, must have a melting point of 20 to 200 DEG C, must have a boiling point of 100 to 450 DEG C and must be a solvent for the resin. The mixture of the plastic alloy and the fibers are heated to melt the alloy and bind the fibers.