SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Engineering of nanostructures with giant magneto-piezoelectric and multicaloric functionalities

Nowadays smart materials play a crucial role in the next-generation of intelligent devices and sensors, smart homes, autonomous devices, and robotics. Nanostructuring materials open up new horizons bringing in their multifunctionality and reduce the energy consumption. This reveals new scientific avenues and paves ways for breakthroughs in technology. Realization of structured materials with the strong coupling of electric and magnetic order and large multicaloric properties is a milestone for modern electronics and the gate for fascinating applications.  In this context, we develop the partnership within the RISE consortium ENGIMA, involving the academic partners from two EU Member States, France and Slovenia Third Countries Universities in Morocco and Russia the non-academic SME from Associated Country, Ukraine.  The network combines the complementary interdisciplinary and intersectoral expertise with established collaboration between partners and clear potential for skills transfer and exchange of knowledge, extended from fundamental to applied physics and from material chemistry to industrial nanotechnologies.  Consortium defined a research objective of exploring the nanostructures in a form of tethered magnetic 1-D/piezoelectric nanostructures and magnetic/piezoelectric superlattices to obtain new ferroic materials with giant magnetoelectric and multicaloric functionalities that have potential applications as magnetoelectric sensors and, telecommunication devices. This task will be achieved by joining the efforts through the staff exchange, sharing knowledge, innovation and by multidisciplinary training of the team of collaborating young researchers able to conduct the research and exploit its application to this new area.
Performing Lieder: Expert Perspectives and Comparison of Vibrato and Singer's Formant With Opera Singers

This article reports three studies about performance of lieder, and in particular in comparison with opera performance. In study 1, 21 participants with experience in music performance and teaching completed a survey concerning various characteristics of lieder performance. The results showed that there was consensus between the literature and the assessment of an expert panel-that a "natural" and "unoperatic" vibrato was favored, and that diction, text, and variation of tone are all important aspects of lieder performance. Two acoustic analyses were conducted to investigate genre-specific differences of the singer's formant and vibrato parameters. The first analysis (study 2) used 18 single quasi-unaccompanied notes from commercial recordings of two lieder, and, for comparison, 20 single unaccompanied notes from an opera. Vibrato rate was statistically identical between the two genres at ~6.4 Hz; however, lieder featured a longer delay in vibrato onset. Vibrato extent was smaller for lieder (~112 cents) compared with opera (~138 cents). The singer's formant, which is generally associated with opera, was at times observed in the lieder recordings; however, this was at an overall significantly weaker intensity than in the opera recordings. The results were replicated in study 3, where recordings using only singers who performed in both lied and opera were analyzed. This direct comparison used 45 lieder notes and 55 opera notes and also investigated three different methods of analyzing the singer's formant. A number of consistencies and inconsistencies were identified between acoustic parameters reported in studies 2 and 3, and the beliefs of singing teachers and scholars in the literature and study 1.
Leaf litter production and decomposition dynamics in four agroforestry tree species of western Himalayas

Litter fall and its subsequent decomposition in the soil are two essential ecosystem processes. In order to determine the soil fertility improvement potential of a tree species, it is necessary to evaluate litter production, its temporal variation, and rates of decomposition and nutrient cycling. In this study, we examined patterns of litter fall production and decomposition four agroforestry tree species (Celtis australis, Grewia optiva, Bauhinia variegata and Ficus roxburghii) from western Himalayas, India. Average litter fall was 2190 kg/year/ha and varied significantly among species. Leaf litter production in a year was maximum in case of Grewia optiva statistically at par with C. australis whereas F. roxburghii recorded minimum amount of annual leaf litter. In a litterbag experiment, all species had fast mass loss in the first six months of decomposition, coinciding with the rainy season. Celtis australis had significantly higher decomposition rate than all other species whereas F roxburghii exhibited slowest rate of decomposition. We recommended C. australis and G. optiva for soil fertility improvement because of their fast growing characteristic, high litter production and rapid decomposition. However where the objective is to use the leaf litter as mulch for protection against soil and water erosion as well as moisture retention, F. roxburghii will be more suitable because leaf biomass will be remained as mulch for longer period.
Awareness on HIV/AIDS amongst residents of two Local Government Areas in Lagos State

Background: This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, beliefs and practices in two local governments in Lagos State on HIV/AIDS. A baseline survey was done five years previously. Methods: A cross sectional survey of two local government areas in Lagos State, Nigeria was conducted. Study participants were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. A total of 400 participants were surveyed using a structured, pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire over a two-week period. Data entry and analysis were carried out using Epi-Info 6 and Microsoft excel. Results: Over 90% of participants had heard about HIV/AIDS with the most frequent source of information being the mass media (radio and television). It was observed that a great proportion of respondents (93.3%) were of the belief that HIV/AIDS exists. However, less than 50% attested to the use of condoms with all sex partners. A higher educational level appeared to be significantly associated with greater awareness about HIV/AIDS (P<0.05) Conclusion: The enormous level of awareness about HIV and AIDS did not appear to translate into safer sexual practices. There is need for a multi-pronged approach in the dissemination of information on the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.
DEVICE FOR DEMONSTRATING AND TESTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ANTI-REFLECTIVE TREATMENT OF AN OPHTHALMIC LENS

The invention relates to a device for demonstrating and testing in a comparative manner the effectiveness of an anti-reflective treatment of an ophthalmic lens, comprising an image (2, 20) and a mirror (3, 30). According to the invention, the device comprises a component (1, 10) having a first face (1A, 10A) holding said image (2, 20), a second face (1B, 10B) holding said mirror (3, 30) and approximately perpendicular to said first face, and a third face (1C, 10C) for positioning at least one ophthalmic lens, located opposite said second face and having an arrangement for positioning said lens (4', 4'', 40) including at least one orifice (4A, 4B, 40A) arranged in said third face and opposite said mirror such that when a user looks through said orifice the resulting reflection of said image is displayed on said lens by means of said mirror (3, 30).
Experimental investigations on bond strength between coconut fibre and concrete

Abstract Effect of fibre embedment lengths, diameters, pretreatment conditions and concrete mix design ratios on the bond strength between single coconut fibre and concrete is investigated. Fibres are prepared and categorised manually. Fibre diameters are measured by a stereomicroscope. Fibre and concrete properties are also determined experimentally. The simplified equations are proposed for estimating the fibre tensile stress, elastic modulus and toughness. Single fibre pull-out tests are carried out to determine load–slippage curves with the help of an Instron tensile machine having load cell. Bond strength and energy required for fibre pullout are calculated from the experimental data. The results show that fibres have the maximum bond strength with concrete when (i) embedment length is 30 mm, (ii) fibres are thick, (iii) treated with boiling water, and (iv) concrete mix design ratio is 1:3:3. Similar effects are observed for energy required for fibre pullout. With the obtained knowledge, empirical equations are also developed to determine the bond strength and energy required for fibre pullout.
Illumination invariant face recognition based on the new phase features

Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) is a novel signal processing method which can efficiently handle non-stationary and nonlinear signals. Two key parts are included: Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Hilbert transform. EMD decomposes signals into a complete series of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs), which capture the intrinsic frequency components of the original signals. Hilbert transform is adopted on the IMFs to get the analytical local features. Due to its efficiency in signal processing, the bidimensional version has been studied for the advanced image processing. EMD has been extended to bidimensional EMD (BEMD), and the corresponding monogenic signals are studied. Phase information is an important local feature of signals in frequency domain because it is robust to contrast, brightness, noise, shading in the image. The quantity Phase congruency (PC) is invariant to changes in image illumination. In this paper, we firstly proposed an improved BEMD method based on the novel evaluation of local mean, then the Riesz transform is applied to get the corresponding monogenic signals. Finally, PC was calculated based on the new phase information and it then has been adopted as facial features to classify faces under variant illumination conditions. The experimental results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed approach.
Differential costs of social living in nature

Group living is a common phenomenon in nature in a wide range of taxa. Studies in natural systems are central to understanding the evolution of social behaviour and systems. While benefits, such as reduced predation risk, and costs, such as increased pathogen transmission, are well documented for some species, many other effects of group living are poorly understood in natural populations. In particular, group size and composition, and individual social status might affect the level of social stress. Social stress can cause physiological stress in group living animals, including humans, leading to poor health or fitness reduction. The level of costs and benefits, as well as the optimum resolution of the resulting trade-offs, is likely to vary with social status and sex, but the nature of these differences is poorly understood. In this project, I propose to test in a free living sciurid rodent, the Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris), whether the costs of group living vary with social status, and whether this can be explained by physiological and molecular changes that influence longevity. To address these questions, I will use biomarkers of aging, involving hormone levels, oxidative damage and telomere loss. Combining the latest methods in measuring such parameters will provide a new understanding of how sociality influences stress responses in free-living mammals of different social status.
Priame zahraničné investície a rozvoj ekonomiky regiónu

Author of thesis characterizes foreign direct investment, and analyzes their impact on economic development of Slovakia's regions at NUTS 2 level. The first chapter describes the theory of foreign direct investment, the second chapter deals with regional development. The third analytical chapter examines the development and causes of the foreign investment inflow to Slovakia and analyzes the investment flow by the country of origin, according to deployment into economic sectors and regions. Last fourth chapter examines the economic development of NUTS 3 regions based on selected indicators and means of correlation and regression analysis examines the relationship and impact of investments in developing regions NUTS 2
Hunting for voters: the impact of data-driven campaigning on democracy

Data-driven political campaigns are on the rise. Concerns have been voiced that practices like online political microtargeting techniques are harmful for democracy. These concerns grew after the unexpected outcome of the US presidential elections in 2016, the Brexit vote in the UK, and several recent elections in Europe. However, it is unclear if data-driven campaigns using online microtargeting techniques are an actual threat to democracy. The project will focus on the consequences of data-driven targeting and digital persuasion. In light of ongoing political and societal turmoil, investigating how citizens may be persuaded in a changing media landscape has never been of more importance.   The overarching objective of this project is to identify the conditions and the extent to which data-driven online political microtargeting affect citizens’ attitudes and opinions, and eventually voting behavior. The project addresses three research questions: To what extent and under which conditions does data-driven political targeting have a beneficial impact, and under which conditions a harmful impact on democracy? And how can the beneficial effects trump the harmful effects?  The project is novel as it systematically analyses the impact of data-driving campaigning, providing a theoretical dual-processing model, while using a mixture of research methods and a comparative perspective. As a whole, the project will offer a deeper understanding of the global impact of online data-driven targeting techniques during elections in several countries.
Groundwater Flow Model and Particle Track Analysis for Selecting Water Quality Monitoring Well Sites, and Soil Sampling Profiles

Researchers often use only surface drainage (imperical method) as a tradition to locate sites for installation of water quality monitoring wells, and soil sampling profile for pollution studies in urban areas. They neglect that structural development may have altered the natural surface drainage. This paper demonstrates an advanced method; combining surface imperical method with a three-dimensional groundwater flow model and particle track analysis. This was performed using transient MODFLOW and MODPATH codes, as a first step in a pollution study of Owerri urban areas. Result was more reliable, showing diverging flows at Orji and Nekede auto-mechanic villages (MVs) due to relatively high elevation with the surroundings, and southward flow at the Obinze municipal waste dump (MWD). There were vertical flows at the sewage dumps (mangrove swamp areas) between Egbeda and Umuapu, and convergent flows along stream valleys. Particle tracking show an extended capture zone lying southeast. A total of eight water quality monitoring wells (WQ) was then recommended according to the directions of groundwater flow and particle releases from three tracking wells (ABC). WQ1: SE of Orji MV, WQ2: SE of Nekede MV, WQ3: south of Obinze MWD, WQ4: west of Egbeda, and WQ5: east of Umuapu. WQ6: NE of well A, WQ7: SW of well B, and WQ8: NE of well C. Soil sampling profiles; MVs: SE, MWD: South and sewage dumps: East and West. Distance of monitoring wells will vary according to the proximity of human settlements and shallow domestic wells (37m-55m) to the sites.
Automatic and integrated variable security printing technology

The project concerns the implementation of innovative technology for automatic and integrated printing of variable security, which takes the form of R & D results. Thanks to the introduction of this technology, the Applicant will be able to offer new possibilities for printing on own products in the form of packages protected by variable graphics. The new technology has the following benefits: — no limitation in the area of layout of variable security elements, – elimination of defective packaging in the order, – possibility of producing more complex security features, – possibility of printing more codes, – reduction of price. Plast-Farb currently prints variable codes using thermotransfer printing. However, this process has many flaws and limitations. The most important disadvantage is to indicate too many defective packages, which contain e.g. two different numbers, numbers are unprinted, duplicated numbers, etc. Innovative technology for automatic and integrated variable security printing will be implemented through the purchase of digital printers, material scrolling equipment, video inspection system and integration application. Full automation and integration of variable security printing on products will be achieved through the introduction of technology, and the human-induced mismatch will be eliminated to the greatest extent.
PDGF Promotes Periodontal Regeneration in Localized Osseous Defects: 36 Month Extension Results from a Randomized, Controlled, Double-masked Clinical Trial.

Abstract Background: Recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is safe and effective for the treatment of periodontal defects in short-term studies up to 6 months in duration. We now provide results from a 36-month extension study of a multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect and long term stability of PDGF-BB treatment in patients with localized severe periodontal osseous defects. Methods: A total of 135 participants were enrolled from 6 clinical centers for an extension trial. 83 individuals completed the study at 36 months and were included in the analysis. The study investigated the local application of β-tricalcium phosphate scaffold matrix with or without two different dose levels of PDGF (0.3 mg/mL PDGF-BB or 1.0 mg/mL PDGF-BB) in patients possessing one localized periodontal osseous defect. Composite analysis for clinical and radiographic evidence of treatment success was defined as percentage of cases with CAL ≥ 2.7 mm and linear bone growth (LBG) ≥ 1.1 mm. Results: The participants exceeding this composite outcome benchmark in the 0.3 mg/mL rhPDGF-BB group went from 62.2% at 12 m, 75.9% at 24m to 87.0% at 36 m compared to 39.5%, 48.3%, and 53.8% respectively in the scaffold control group at these same time points (p<0.05). Although there were no significant increases in CAL and LBG at 36 months among all groups, there were continued increases in CAL gain, LBG and % bone fill over time suggesting overall stability of the regenerative response. Conclusions: PDGF-BB in a synthetic scaffold matrix promotes long-term stable clinical and radiographic improvements as measured by composite outcomes for CAL gain and LBG for patients possessing localized periodontal defects ( ClinicalTrials.gov number CT01530126).
INnovatiVe E-Services for booSting Tourist economy and Multimodal public Transportation

Investment project aims at delivering an e-platform supporting an ecosystem of innovative services, addressing the requirements of citizens, tourists and public transportation service providers, while offering, for the first time, a unified view of the – otherwise – fragmented transportation network between the region of Western Greece and Puglia (Bari, Taranto, Ostuni).

The e-platform is envisaged through data consolidation across all the involved means of transport and will support three core e-services:

a multimodal public transit route planner, computing and visualizing optimal end-to-end routes from any point A to any point B in the programme area (e.g., from Taranto to Olympia) using different modes of transportation (e.g., bus, train, ferry, urban bus, walking).
a multimodal tourist tour planner that will derive personalized daily tourist tours via selected attractions, where each tour comprises an ordered set of attractions that matches user preferences and accessibility requirements, and using public transport services to move from one location to another.
a decision support system identifying bottlenecks across the public transport network to assist public transport operators, planners and policy makers in performing selective improvements upon the network (e.g., timetable updates or establishment of new services/routes).
Investment approach goes far beyond the existing practice in the regions of Western Greece and Puglia by homogenizing the so far incompatible transport network data so as to support added-value transport-related services for citizens, tourists, transport operators.
The Paralympic Athlete

List of Contributors vii Foreword by Dr Jacques Rogge xi Foreword by Sir Philip Craven xiii Preface xv Part 1 Introduction 1 Introduction to the Paralympic Movement 3 Sean Tweedy and P. David Howe Part 2 Paralympic Sport Science 2 Biomechanics 33 Ian Rice, Florentina J. Hettinga, Justin Laferrier, Michelle L. Sporner, Christine M. Heiner, Brendan Burkett and Rory A. Cooper 3 Physiology 51 Yagesh Bhambhani 4 Medicine 74 Stuart Willick and Nick Webborn 5 Philosophy 89 Steven D. Edwards and Mike J. McNamee 6 Sociology 102 P. David Howe 7 Psychology 116 Jeffrey J. Martin and Garry Wheeler Part 3 Exercise Testing and Prescription 8 Aerobic and anaerobic power 137 Yeshayahu Shayke Hutzler, Yoav Meckel and Judith Berzen 9 Strength training 156 Marco Cardinale and Lee Romer 10 Nutrition, body composition and pharmacology 172 Peter Van de Vliet, Elizabeth Broad and Matthias Strupler 11 Mental preparation 198 Dietmar Martin Samulski, Franco Noce and Varley Teoldo da Costa Part 4 Best Practices 12 Preparation for the Paralympic Summer Games: heat, humidity, pollution 217 Marco Tulio de Mello, Silvio de Araujo Fernandes Jr, Andressa da Silva, Luiz Oswaldo Carneiro Rodrigues, Emilson Colantonio, Marcos Goncalves de Santana and Sergio Tufik 13 Preparation for the Paralympic Winter Games: cold, altitude 231 Marco Bernardi and Federico Schena 14 Contribution of sport science to performance-wheelchair rugby 249 Laurie A. Malone, Natalia Morgulec-Adamowicz and Kevin Orr 15 Contribution of sport science to performance-swimming 264 Brendan Burkett Index 283
Learning More About and With the Face-Name Mnemonic Strategy

Summary

With the face–name mnemonic strategy, choosing and using ‘prominent’ facial features in interactive images can be difficult. The temptation is to stray from less-than-distinctive facial features and instead to associate an individual's name clue with an additional concrete detail (e.g., a headband). To examine this issue, undergraduates viewed face photographs with or without additional details under one of three conditions: own best method, fully imposed mnemonic, and partially imposed mnemonic. Experiment 2 examined a somewhat parallel situation that occurs when applying the strategy to abstract artwork (paintings with less familiar, less concrete elements) versus applying it to representational artwork (paintings with more familiar concrete elements). Our findings suggest that some pictorial stimuli (e.g., facial photos with details; representational paintings) are easier to work with mnemonically than are others (e.g., facial photos by themselves; abstract art). Moreover, in both experiments, mnemonic students displayed performance advantages on both immediate and delayed tests. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sostegno al mantenimento dell'attività imprenditoriale del Magdalena Matys Education and Tourism Centre nel contesto di una significativa diminuzione del fatturato dovuta alla COVID-19.

Il progetto riguarda il sostegno al capitale circolante del Magdalena Matys Education and Tourism Centre in caso di significativo calo del fatturato (entrate derivanti dalle vendite) a causa della perturbazione dell'economia dovuta alla COVID-19.