SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Large area nanoparticle deposition system

I intend to travel to the University of Oxford and the lab of Dr. Moritz Riede and build a second generation version of the
Large Area Nanoparticle Deposition System (LANDS) that I have designed and built during my PhD studies at Stanford
University in the USA. This will be a flexible, particle-agnostic system that will be capable of depositing uniform films of
nano- and micro-particles from solution. It is designed to emphasize scalability, high throughput and large area film
uniformity and will be compatible with low-temperature flexible plastic and foil substrates and the devices built on them.
Once complete, I will initially use the LANDS to deposit nanostructured thin films of metal nanowires to form transparent
conductive electrodes for photovoltaic applications. I will continue to develop and explore the use of such metal nanowire
films as replacements for industry standard transparent conductive oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and fluorine doped
tin oxide (FTO) especially in flexible devices.
Weight maintenance by agrp neurons

Obesity and its comorbid sequelae are major health burdens across European nations. Many citizens would greatly benefit from permanent weight loss, but only a few succeed. They rather suffer from weight regain after dieting, often referred to as Yoyo effect. Delineating the largely unexplored, CNS-driven molecular events that impede sustainable weight loss and drive the Yoyo effect is a prerequisite for future therapies, and a major goal of my proposal.
Recently, my lab demonstrated unprecedented weight loss in diet-induced obese mice treated with the plant-derived leptin sensitizer celastrol. Our data suggested breakthrough potential for therapeutic anti-obesity strategies built upon leptin re-sensitization, and pointed towards a key role for orexigenic circuitry and AgRP neurons residing in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus. As 1st objective, we will 1) establish if leptin resistance originates in AgRP neurons, 2) delineate the molecular underpinnings of leptin resistance and leptin resensitization in AgRP neurons, 3) verify novel drug-able leptin signalling components in murine and human iPSC-derived cells and 4) identify leptin sensitizing weight loss drugs. 
AgRP neurons will also be in the focus of my 2nd objective that targets epigenetic mechanisms of Yoyo dieting. Building upon our own data on epigenetic mechanisms that drive weight re-gain through hyperphagia, we will 1) establish if an epigenetic memory for obesity in AgRP neurons exists, 2) explore by Crispr-Cas9-based trans-epigenetic modulation of AgRP neurons in mice whether resetting the epigenetic memory for obesity can prevent weight regain and 3) demonstrate the human relevance of our new weight regulatory genes in post-mortem human hypothalami of lean, obese or type 2 diabetic donors.
Overall, my proposal will establish hypothalamic AgRP neurons as crucial drivers for leptin resistance and Yoyo dieting. My translational aims are further providing the groundwork for future anti-obesity therapeutics.
Inter-annual variation in soil extra-cellular enzyme activity in response to simulated global change and fire disturbance

Abstract The interactive effects of global change drivers (e.g. climate change, nitrogen deposition, and elevated CO2) on soil microbial activity have important implications for ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling. However, these interactions have primarily been explored in single-year, single-factor studies despite the reality of multiple simultaneous global changes. We measured the activity of six enzymes (β-glucosidase, α-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, xylosidase, acid phosphatase, and N-acetylglucosaminidase) for 3 years (2004–2006) following wildfire (2003) at the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment (JRGCE), a long-term multi-factor global change experiment in a California annual grassland. JRGCE manipulations include climate change (elevated temperature and precipitation), nitrogen addition, and elevated CO2. In general we found only minimal interactions among treatments and found the strongest main effects from nitrogen addition and burning. Enzyme activities increased under elevated nitrogen, a response that persisted throughout the 3 years of the study. Wildfire was slightly related to decreased enzyme activities (by 10–20%) in 2004, with a larger decrease (by 25–50%) in 2005. The response was gone by 2006, suggesting that the microbial community was able to recover by 3 years following wildfire. Finally, enzyme responses to treatments, even where statistically significant, were of smaller magnitude than annual variation in activity. We propose that overall decreases in enzyme activity from 2004 to 2006 were due to decreased temperature and increased precipitation in 2005 and 2006 relative to 2004. Our results suggest that while it is important to assess response to specific global change treatment and treatment interactions, these responses (A) may change over time and (B) should be characterized within the context of inter-annual fluctuation in microbial community function.
Synthesis of zeolite NaA membranes with high performance and high reproducibility on coarse macroporous supports

Abstract Pilot-scale zeolite NaA membranes with high PV performance supported on cheap coarse macroporous supports were prepared by one single secondary growth using varying temperature hot dip-coating seeding method (VTHD). Through the VTHD method, a thin, dense and pinhole-free asymmetric NaA seed layer composed of large and small NaA seeds could be manipulated onto the surface of a coarse macroporous support. The large NaA seeds mainly acted as fillers to reduce the pore sizes of the support while the small NaA seeds acted as nuclei to provide sites for NaA crystal growth. The effects of the seed suspension concentrations, the seed sizes and coating temperature on the morphology of the seed layer and the separation performance of the resulting NaA membranes were investigated. The reproducibility of the VTHD method was as high as 70%. The zeolite NaA membrane prepared by the VTHD method showed a water flux of 2.85 kg m −2  h −1 with a separation factor over 10,000 in dehydrating the 90 wt% ethanol/10 wt% water mixture at 343 K. The use of a cheap macroporous support and the high reproducibility of the VTHD method provide the feasibility for large-scale commercial production of low cost zeolite NaA membranes, promoting the broad application of zeolite NaA membranes.
Securing the european gas network

SecureGas focuses on the 140.000Km of the European Gas network covering the entire value chain from Production to Distribution to the users, providing methodologies, tools and guidelines to secure existing and incoming installations and make them resilient to cyber-physical threats.  Three business cases, addressing relevant issues for the Gas sector and beyond (e.g. oil), have been identified so that to ensure the delivery of solutions and services in line with clear needs and requirements, focused on: risk-based security asset management of gas transmission and distribution networks; impacts (economic, environmental and social) and cascading effects of cyber-physical attacks on interdependent and interconnected European Gas grids; integrity and security, through the operationalization of resilience guidelines, of strategic installations across the EU Gas network. 
SecureGas tackles these issues by implementing, updating, and incrementally improving extended components, integrated and federated according to an High-Level Reference Architecture built upon the SecureGas Conceptual Model, a blue print on how to design, build, operate and maintain the EU gas network to make it secure and resilient against cyber-physical threats.  The components are contextualized, customized, deployed, demonstrated and validated in each business case, according to the scenarios defined by the end-users. Related services provided by SecureGas will be offered to the end-users via a Platform as a Service (PaaS), that allows modularity, flexibility, cooperation and third-party interoperability, thus securing a long-lasting impact, supporting the project exploitation strategy. A multidisciplinary consortium (Gas operators, technology providers, research institutions, sector-related associations), supports the project implementation across Construction, Demonstration and Validation phases, as well as a Stakeholder Platform ensures inputs, advise, and a wider Diffusion of the project outcomes
Stratified turbulence and mixing processes

We propose to study turbulence and mixing in stably stratified fluid. Mixing is central to a wide range of questions from the heat uptake in the global ocean, the transport and dilution of pollutants in the atmosphere, the efficient cooling of buildings, to the homogenising of products in the food industry. However, the mechanisms that are responsible and their physical and dynamical aspects are largely unknown, and it is not possible to predict mixing rates from a knowledge of the overall flow and density fields.

We have invented a new laboratory experiment that produces a maintained stratified shear flow in parameter ranges directly applicable to the situations described above. The experiment, consisting of a two-layer counterflow in a stratified inclined duct, is easy to use and highly flexible. A rich variety of flows from transitional, to spatial and temporal intermittent flow, to fully turbulent flow are obtained, and can be maintained for long times to explore the life-cycles of the turbulence.

We have also developed a unique capability to make near-instantaneous, highly spatially resolved, measurements of all three components of velocity and the density field over a volume. This capability allows, for the first time in a laboratory experiment, measurements of all the quantities of interest over a three-dimensional region.

In addition we have a computational code with which we will carry out direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the experiments over a limited region of parameter space. We will use data from the experiments as initial conditions for the DNS, and compare the time evolution of the flow in the computations and the experiments. We will then use the experiments to extrapolate the results to the full scale.

This study, using the new experiment and diagnostics and state-of-the-art computations, will provide new insights into the dynamics of stratified turbulence and set the standard for future studies of this problem.
Effects of inflammatory cytokine gene polymorphisms on warfarin maintenance doses in Korean patients with mechanical cardiac valves

Cytokines that are involved in inflammation are related to blood coagulation, which could indirectly affect warfarin dose requirements. This study aimed to examine the effects of inflammatory cytokine gene polymorphisms on warfarin dose requirements for Korean patients with mechanical heart valves. In total, 191 patients with mechanical heart valves who were on warfarin anticoagulation therapy and maintained INR levels of 2–3 for three consecutive occasions were retrospectively followed up. In addition to vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1) and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9 polymorphisms, the interferon-γ, interleukin-1β (IL1B), interleukin-6, interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1), tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein genotypes were determined. The predictive contribution of age, VKORC1, and CYP2C9 to variability was 46.0 %. The addition of IL1B and TGFB1 polymorphisms increased the R 2 to 48.8 % for stable dose requirements, and significantly higher doses were found, especially when the TGFB1 CC genotype was combined with the IL1B TT genotype. Based on the results, it was concluded that inflammatory cytokine genes, such as TGFB1 and IL1B, can be predictive variables for stable warfarin doses in Korean patients.
Effects of winds on stratification and circulation in a partially mixed estuary

[1] Numerical experiments are conducted to investigate how axial winds affect stratification and circulation in the partially mixed estuary of Chesapeake Bay. In the absence of rotational effects, stratification in the estuary decreases following both down-estuary and up-estuary winds, but stratification experiences larger reduction and takes longer to recover under up-estuary winds. In the presence of rotational effects, wind-driven lateral circulations cause the lateral straining of density field and weaken the shear in the along-channel flows. Under the down-estuary winds, a counterclockwise lateral circulation steepens isopycnals in the cross-channel sections, while the Coriolis force acting on it decelerates the downwind current in the surface layer and the upwind-directed current in the bottom layer. Under the up-estuary winds, a clockwise lateral circulation flattens isopycnals in the cross-channel sections and reduces the shear between the surface and bottom currents. Hence, in the presence of rotational effects, the lateral straining offsets the effects of longitudinal straining such that the asymmetry in stratification reduction is significantly reduced between the down-estuary and up-estuary winds. Regime diagrams based on Wedderburn (W) and Kelvin (Ke) numbers are constructed to summarize the net effects of winds on estuarine stratification during both wind perturbation and postwind adjustment periods.
PROCESS FOR FIXING PIGMENT PRINTS AND PIGMENT DYEINGS WITH IONISING RADIATION OR UV RADIATION

A process is described for printing or dyeing fibre material with pigment dyes, which comprises applying to the fibre material a dye formulation comprising at least one pigment dye and at least one pigment dye binder as well as optional further auxiliaries and then fixing it with ionising radiation, or applying to the fibre material a dye formulation comprising at least one pigment dye, at least one pigment dye binder and at least one photoinitiator as well as optional further auxiliaries and then fixing it with UVradiation.
WELL LOGGING WITH AUTONOMOUS ROBOTIC DIVER

A logging apparatus for use in a well can include at least one sensor that senses a well parameter, at least one buoyancy control device, and the logging apparatus extending helically between opposite ends of the logging apparatus. A method of logging in a subterranean well can include installing at least one logging apparatus in the well, and the logging apparatus helically displacing in the well as a sensor of the logging apparatus senses a well parameter. A well system can include at least one logging apparatus disposed in a wellbore, the logging apparatus including multiple segments, the segments including at least one buoyancy control device and at least one sensor that senses a well parameter, and the segments being helically arranged in the wellbore.
Climate change impact mitigation for european viticulture: knowledge transfer for an integrated approach

Although among the top 10 Portuguese universities with higher number of top quality scientific papers published, and despite the growing attractiveness that it has been gaining in terms of research and teaching, UTAD is still far from the European high performing R&D institutions. Thus, the Clim4Vitis project aims at enhancing UTAD’s S&T capacity, as well as raising its staff’s research profile, specially focusing one of the fields of research in which the University has become a national reference: viticulture. Within this broad area, particular attention should be given to two main lines of research: 1) grapevine modelling and 2) tools for assessing climate change impacts on European viticulture, in general, and on grapevine productivity, quality attributes and risk of diseases and pests in particular. In order to boost competences in these topics, the project gathers 5 international partners (1 university from a Widening country, 3 internationally-leading research institutions, and an international consultancy & training company). The 3 internationally-leading research institutions are from the same field of study, but with complementary skills. The implementation of several twinning activities (thematic workshops, staff exchange, short courses, thematic seminars, webinars, conferences, among others) will enable the access to systematized knowledge and cutting edge-technology, as well as the knowledge and technology transfer between the high performing partners and the UTAD. Clim4Vitis is based on an integrated approach, which envisages the effective internationalization of the University, through extensive networking, dissemination and the establishment of long-term transnational cooperation relationships with world-leading R&D institutions. Furthermore, the project actively contributes to the sustainability of UTAD, once it also foresees the increase of contracts with business partners and stakeholders.
Challenges in determining soil moisture and evaporation fluxes using distributed temperature sensing methods

To protect fragile groundwater-dependent environments of arid zones, it is important to monitor soil moisture and groundwater evaporation. Hence, it is important to assess new methods to quantify these environmental variables. In this work, we propose a new method to determine groundwater evaporation rates by combining the actively heated fiber-optic (AHFO) method with vadose zone modeling, assuming that the evaporation front remains at the soil surface. In our study, the AHFO method yielded estimates of the soil moisture ( θ ) profile with a spatial resolution of ~6.5 mm and with an error of 0.026 m 3 m −3 . The numerical model resulted in a slightly different θ profile than that measured, where the largest differences occurred at the soil surface. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses highlighted that a better precision is required when determining the soil hydraulic parameters. To improve the proposed method, the soil heat-vapor-water dynamics should be included and the assumption that the evaporation front remains at the soil surface must be relaxed. Additionally, if the AHFO calibration curve is enhanced, the errors of the estimated θ profile can be reduced and thus, successful estimation of the evaporation rates for a wider range of soil textures can be achieved. The spatial scales measured are an important advantage of the proposed method that should be further explored to improve the analysis presented here. • New method to determine evaporation fluxes using soil moisture derived from DTS. • The method provides better results for fine-textured soils. • The method performs better when soil hydraulic properties are accurately determined. • The method will perform better when soil heat-vapor-water dynamics are considered.
Low-Luminance Visual Acuity and Microperimetry in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

To compare the effectiveness of low-luminance visual acuity (LLVA) and microperimetry as functional measures in early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Prospective cross-sectional study.One hundred seventy-nine participants with a clinical spectrum of non-neovascular AMD and 26 control participants.Best-corrected visual acuity (BVCA), LLVA, and microperimetric retinal sensitivity were measured on 1 eye of all participants. Low-luminance deficit (LLD) was calculated as the difference between LLVA and BCVA. The functional parameters were compared between 6 clinical severity groups (from controls to non-foveal geographic atrophy [GA]), and the relationships and magnitude of these parameters were determined and compared.Visual acuity parameters (BCVA, LLVA, and LLD) and central retinal sensitivity.Best-corrected visual acuity, LLVA, and central retinal sensitivity were reduced significantly for all AMD clinical severity groups when compared with control participants (P ≤ 0.002), except for those with drusen between 63 and 125 μm (P ≥ 0.107). However, LLD was not significantly different from control participants in all groups (P ≥ 0.073), except in the non-foveal GA group (P = 0.008). A significant positive relationship between central retinal sensitivity and LLD (R = 0.613; P < 0.001), but not BCVA, suggests that there is a trend for LLVA to detect a greater extent of functional deficit than BCVA in eyes with increasingly poorer retinal sensitivity. However, the results of the linear regression models estimated central retinal sensitivity to be 6.1, 3.7, and 5.1 standard deviations (SDs) less than normal by the time BCVA, LLVA, and LLD, respectively, were 2 SDs less than normal.In early stages of AMD, LLVA did not detect a greater extent of functional deficit than BCVA when compared with control participants. Although there was a trend for LLVA to be more effective at detecting foveal deficits than BCVA in eyes with increasingly poorer retinal sensitivity, both visual acuity measures were much less sensitive compared with microperimetry.
Hybrid energy storage stations

Electric vehicles (EV) are expected to play a key role towards a decarbonised transport system and thus contribute to meet EU’s ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the wide adoption of EVs has been hampered by key barriers, particularly the lack of a well distributed infrastructure for fast and widespread charging. The main objective of HEROES is the development and demonstration of a disruptive hybrid high power/high energy stationary storage system for fast charging of EVs (17.5 min) to be used in medium-size charging stations connected to the LV grid. The system will take advantage of combining state-of-the-art Li-ion capacitor (LiC) with high power and high energy densities, with Li-ion batteries (LiBs) to store high amounts of energy and serve as back-up when  the charging demand of EVs surpasses the LiC  and grid connection capacity. The combination will bring a higher efficiency and better performance of the system, as well as longer battery life, as the LiC can protect the LiB from accelerated degradation, more energy from battery cells, simpler and cheaper management, and lower overall system cost, all with a strong sustainable drive. The HEROES system will be a key enabler for the widespread fast charging of EVs, cost-effectively, without the need for major investments in the grid. 

To achieve this overall objective, the project will include research and development activities of key technological enablers such as the LiC cells and modules, a new Battery Management System, a DC/DC converter specifically developed for high input and output voltage ranges, and Energy Management System (EMS). The prototype system will be demonstrated for the fast charging of EVs in operational environment. The consortium includes partners that cover the full value chain of energy storage, placing the consortium in a perfect position to develop scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as seizing novel market opportunities.
Averaged Stokes polarimetry applied to characterize parallel-aligned liquid crystal on silicon displays

Parallel-aligned liquid crystal on silicon (PA-LCoS) displays have become the most attractive spatial light modulator device for a wide range of applications, due to their superior resolution and light efficiency, added to their phase-only capability. Proper characterization of their linear retardance and phase flicker instabilities is a must to obtain an enhanced application of PA-LCoS. We present a novel polarimetric method, based on Stokes polarimetry, we have recently proposed for the measurement of the linear retardance in the presence of phase fluctuations. This can be applied to electrooptic devices behaving as variable linear retarders, and specifically to PA-LCoS. The method is based on an extended Mueller matrix model for the linear retarder containing the time-averaged effects of the instabilities. We show experimental results which validate the predictive capability of the method. The calibrated retardance and phase fluctuation values can then be used to estimate the performance of the PA-LCoS device in spatial light modulation applications. Some results will be given.