SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Wideband energy reflectance measurements: Effects of negative middle ear pressure and application of a pressure compensation procedure

The wideband energy reflectance (ER) technique has become popular as a tool for evaluating middle ear function. Negative middle ear pressure (MEP) is a prevalent form of middle ear dysfunction, which may impact application of ER measurements in differential diagnosis. A negative MEP may be countervailed by application of an equivalent negative ear canal pressure. The present study examined ER in the same ears under normal and experimentally induced negative MEP conditions. Thirty-five subjects produced at least one negative MEP each (−40 to −225 daPa). Negative MEP significantly altered ER in a frequency-specific manner that varied with MEP magnitude. ER increased for low- to mid-frequencies with the largest change (∼0.20 to 0.40) occurring between 1 and 1.5 kHz. ER decreased for frequencies above 3 kHz with the largest change (∼–0.10 to –0.25) observed between 4.5 and 5.5 kHz. Magnitude of changes increased as MEP became more negative, as did the frequencies at which maximum changes occurred, and the frequency at which enhancement transitioned to reduction. Ear canal pressure compensation restored ER to near baseline values. This suggests that the compensation procedure adequately mitigates the effects of negative MEP on ER. Theoretical issues and clinical implications are discussed.
Violence, state formation and memory politics: an off-site ethnography of post-revolution iran

How can violence be studied when access to the field is impossible? Fieldwork is a trademark of ethnography, which is fast becoming a key practice in qualitative research across disciplines. In conflict and post-conflict zones, social scientists tend to negotiate access to fieldwork through an international community of experts and practitioners. But empirical investigation proves more difficult in strong regimes that are closed or restricted, and exert (tight) surveillance over academics and the civil society. The power-knowledge apparatus draws some boundaries for researchers to respect in order to keep access to the field: thus, subjects that fall outside the domain of ‘researchability’ disqualify for ethnographic study. Consequently, research is (re)oriented by opportunities of access to the field. The study of violence (its mechanisms, effects, genealogy and everyday experiences) in repressive States thus remains a blind spot, with protracted effects on the understanding of societies that are built on this history of violence. 
Based on the case of Iran, this pioneering research seeks to change our ways of studying ‘locked’ societies, by adapting our methods and episteme to the global circulation of norms, data and people. Through the anthropology of the State and violence, archive ethnography and the use of new technologies, it experiments trans-disciplinary methods in the production of empirical study off-site, in order to fill a substantive gap in scientific knowledge on the Khomeini years in Iran (1979-1988), and how their legacy reappears in todays’ politics of memory. By classifying and reviewing available sources in a digital “counter-archive”, the project will establish a genealogy of post-revolutionary violence and state formation in Iran, and make this documentation available for further research. It will also document and analyze the memory politics linked to this foundational past and how they redefine the boundaries of political participation.
Ultrafast disk technology enables next generation micromachining laser sources

Ultrashort pulsed lasers based on thin disk technology have entered the 100 W regime and deliver several tens of MW
peak power without chirped pulse amplification. Highest uptime and insensitivity to back reflections make them ideal
tools for efficient and cost effective industrial micromachining. Frequency converted versions allow the processing of a
large variety of materials. On one hand, thin disk oscillators deliver more than 30 MW peak power directly out of the resonator in laboratory setups. These peak power levels are made possible by recent progress in the scaling of the pulse energy in excess of 40 μJ. At the corresponding high peak intensity, thin disk technology profits from the limited amount of material and hence the manageable nonlinearity within the resonator. Using new broadband host materials like for example the sesquioxides will eventually reduce the pulse duration during high power operation and further increase the peak power. On the other hand industry grade amplifier systems deliver even higher peak power levels. At closed-loop controlled 100W, the TruMicro Series 5000 currently offers the highest average ultrafast power in an industry proven product, and enables efficient micromachining of almost any material, in particular of glasses, ceramics or sapphire. Conventional laser cutting of these materials often requires UV laser sources with pulse durations of several nanoseconds and an average power in the 10 W range. Material processing based on high peak power laser sources makes use of multi-photon absorption processes. This highly nonlinear absorption enables micromachining driven by the fundamental (1030 nm) or frequency doubled (515 nm) wavelength of Yb:YAG. Operation in the IR or green spectral range reduces the complexity and running costs of industrial systems initially based on UV light sources. Where UV wavelength is required, the TruMicro 5360 with a specified UV crystal life-time of more than 10 thousand hours of continues operation at 15W is an excellent choice. Currently this is the world’s most powerful industrial sub-10 ps UV laser.
Moraxella catarrhalisinduces an immune response in the murine lung that is independent of human CEACAM5 expression and long-term smoke exposure

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Moraxella catarrhalis infection of the lower airways is associated with chronic colonization and inflammation during stable disease and acute exacerbations. Chronic smoke exposure induces chronic inflammation and impairs mucociliary clearance, thus contributing to bacterial colonization of the lower airways in COPD patients. The human-specific carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule (CEACAM) 5, expressed in human airways, has been shown to contribute to epithelial colonization of CEACAM-binding pathogens. To investigate the impact of CEACAM5 expression on pulmonary M. catarrhalis colonization, we infected mice transgenic for human CEACAM5 (hCEACAM5) and wild type mice intratracheally with M. catarrhalis with or without preceding smoke exposure and analyzed bacterial colonization and local and systemic inflammation. Our results show that airway infection with M. catarrhalis accelerated acute local but not systemic inflammation, albeit independent of hCEACAM5 expression. Long-term smoke exposure alone or prior to M. catarrhalis infection did not contribute to increased local or systemic inflammation. No difference was found in pulmonary clearance of M. catarrhalis in hCEACAM5-transgenic mice compared with wild-type mice. Smoke exposure neither altered time nor extent of persistence of M. catarrhalis in the lungs of both genotypes. In conclusion, M. catarrhalis induced a local acute immune response in murine airways. Neither hCEACAM5 expression nor chronic smoke exposure nor a combination of both was sufficient as prerequisites for the establishment of chronic M. catarrhalis colonization. Our results demonstrate the difficulties in mirroring conditions of chronic airways colonization of M. catarrhalis in a murine model.
Development of smart human machine interface for solar powered appliances

This paper presents a low cost smart human machine interface (HMI) solution designed for solar powered home appliances and industrial units. The underlying concept behind the design and development of such a device is the growing convergence between communication equipment, appliances and industrial devices. A large number of appliance and industrial manufacturers now need advanced control and insights into their existing solutions for providing added ergonomics in their product and increase overall customer interest and therefore the product life. The HMI solution developed here is one such platform which has the ability to be integrated to a variety of logging, connectivity, monitoring, control and e-commerce based web applications. Certain individual hardware and software modules can be added to the existing HMI to enhance functionality.
Novel natural products for healthy ageing from mediterranean diet and food plants of other global sources

The main goal of the MediHealth project is to introduce a novel approach for the discovery of active agents of food plants from Mediterranean diet and other global sources to promote healthy ageing. This will be achieved through an extended and well-balanced scheme of researcher’s secondments between 5 universities and 4 enterprises from EU & Associated countries as well as 4 universities from Third countries. A mutual scientific project developed on the needs and interests of both sectors exploiting the existing complementary expertise will be the base of this proposal. Plants from the Mediterranean diet and food plants from TC will be rationally selected and will be subjected to an integrated, interactive and comprehensive platform including in silico, in vitro (advanced cell-based assays), in vivo (flies and mice models) & metabolism assessment. Advanced analytical techniques will embrace the pharmacological evaluation process for the efficient isolation and identification of bioactive plant constituents. Pharmacological profiling of bioactive natural products as well as identification and synthesis of their metabolites will be carried out. Finally, to carry to the stage of development innovative products in the area of nutraceuticals/dietary supplements process-optimization studies will be performed. Within this project, core scientific multidisciplinary knowledge from different research areas will be integrated creating valuable synergies. Expertise will be transferred by means of the seconded researchers training in environments with different research orientation where complimentary skills are required. Special attention will be given to dissemination activities aiming to public awareness of benefits of healthy diet(s). MediHealth aspires to comprise a successful model promoting considerably researchers’ competences and long-lasting collaboration between Industry and Academia generating innovation potential at the European and global levels.
An integrated platform for incresed flexibility in smart transmission grids with storage entities and large penetration of renewable energy sources

FLEXITRANSTORE project shall develop a next generation of Flexible Energy Grid (FEG), which provides the technical basis to support the valorisation of flexibility services, enhancing the existing European Internal Energy Market (IEM).  This FEG addresses the capability of a power system to maintain continuous service in the face of rapid and large swings in supply or demand, whatever the cause. Thus, a wholesale market infrastructure and new business models within this integrated FEG should be upgraded to network players, incentivize new ones to join, while demonstrating new business perspectives for cross border resources management and energy trading. The strategic objectives of FLEXITRANSTORE are: to enhance and accelerate the integration of renewables into European energy systems and to increase cross border electricity flows across Europe. Flexibility is one of the keys to meeting these strategic objectives. A range of state-of-the-art ICT technologies / control improvements will be exploited to enhance the flexibility of this novel energy grid while increasing the utility of the existing infrastructure by integrating storage and demand response management. From a market perspective, state-of-the-art ICT technologies / control improvements will be applied to develop an enhanced market model on an integrated platform, for flexibility services and to support cross border auctioning and trading of energy. The FEG components and the digital market infrastructure will be deployed in 8 Demonstrations which will take place in 6 countries (Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovenia, Belgium, Spain), focusing on illustrating specific functions and serving real needs and existing challenges.
Comparison of Capability of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Endometrial Stem Cells to Differentiate into Motor Neurons on Electrospun Poly(ε-caprolactone) Scaffold

Human endometrial and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells can be differentiated into a number of cell lineages. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are potential candidates for cellular therapy. The differentiation of human bone marrow MSCs (hBM-MSCs) and endometrial stem cells (hEnSCs) into motor neuron-like cells has been rarely investigated previously; however, the comparison between these stem cells when they are differentiated into motor neuron-like cell is yet to be studied. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate and compare the capability of hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs cultured on tissue culture polystyrene (TCP) and poly ε-caprolactone (PCL) nanofibrous scaffold to differentiate into motor neuron-like cells in the presence of neural inductive molecules. Engineered hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs seeded on PCL nanofibrous scaffold were differentiated into beta-tubulin III, islet-1, Neurofilament-H (NF-H), HB9, Pax6, and choactase-positive motor neurons by immunostaining and real-time PCR, in response to the signaling molecules. The data obtained from PCR and immunostaining showed that the expression of motor neuron markers of both hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs differentiated cells on PCL scaffold are significantly higher than that of the control group. The expression of these markers in hEnSCs differentiated cells was higher than that in hBM-MSCs. However, this difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, differentiated hBM-MSCs and hEnSCs on PCL can provide a suitable three-dimensional situation for neuronal survival and outgrowth for regeneration of the central nervous system. Both cells may be potential candidates for cellular therapy in motor neuron disorders. However, differentiation of hEnSCs into motor neuron-like cells was better than hBM-MSCs.
Distribution of the Crustal Magnetic Field in Sichuan-Yunnan Region, Southwest China

Based on the new and higher degree geomagnetic model NGDC-720-V3, we have investigated the spatial distribution, the altitude decay characteristics of the crustal magnetic anomaly, the contributions from different wavelength bands to the anomaly, and the relationship among the anomaly, the geological structure, and the geophysical field in Sichuan-Yunnan region of China. It is noted that the most outstanding feature in this area is the strong positive magnetic anomaly in Sichuan Basin, a geologically stable block. Contrasting with this feature, a strong negative anomaly can be seen nearby in Longmen Mountain block, an active block. This contradiction implies a possible relationship between the magnetic field and the geological activity. Completely different feature in magnetic field distribution is seen in the central Yunnan block, another active region, where positive and negative anomalies distribute alternatively, showing a complex magnetic anomaly map. Some fault belts, such as the Longmen Mountain fault, Lijiang-Xiaojinhe fault, and the Red River fault, are the transitional zones of strong and weak or negative and positive anomalies. The corresponding relationship between the magnetic anomaly and the geophysical fields was confirmed.
The mechanism of sleep control through a sleep-active sleep-promoting neuron

Sleep is essential for human and animal life and is broadly conserved. The nervous system induces sleep through the activation of sleep-active sleep-promoting neurons but the key mechanisms of sleep control remain to be elucidated. Recent work from my lab showed that the C. elegans nervous system contains a single sleep-active sleep-promoting neuron, called RIS, which is GABAergic and peptidergic as is its vertebrate counterpart. C. elegans shows sleep behavior and allows the easy combination of behavioral assays with functional neural imaging and genetics. Here I propose to study the single neuron RIS as a highly simplified model of a sleep-active neuron. This is a unique and novel approach to sleep research and my expertise on sleep behavior in C. elegans puts me into a pole position to study sleep. I will elucidate the molecular mechanism of activation of sleep-active neurons, analyze the mechanism of homeostasis of sleep-active neurons, and determine the molecular mechanisms by which sleep-active neurons induce sleep in the nervous system. I will combine transcriptional profiling of sleep-active neurons with physiological assays such as functional neural imaging, genetic screening, optogenetics, and functional molecular analysis of mutants. Using the highly simplified C. elegans model, I will boost sleep research and gain mechanistic insight into the regulation of sleep behavior through sleep-active neurons. This will be the first time that sleep-active neurons have been dissected in this way and I expect to identify novel conserved molecular and circuitry mechanisms. This work should provide the basis for understanding the more complex systems that control sleep in vertebrates and for understanding human sleep disorders.
Reverse Engineering the Euglenoid Movement

Euglenids exhibit an unconventional motility strategy amongst unicellular eukaryotes, consisting of large amplitude highly concerted deformations of the entire body (euglenoid movement or metaboly). A plastic cell envelope called pellicle mediates these deformations. Unlike ciliary or flagellar motility, the biophysics of this mode is not well understood. We examine quantitatively video recordings of four euglenids executing such motions with statistical learning methods, revealing strokes of high uniformity. We then interpret the observations with a theory for the pellicle kinematics, providing a precise understanding of the link between local actuation by pellicle shear and shape control. We find that two of our euglenids execute their stroke at constant body volume, the other two exhibit deviations of about 20% from their average volume, challenging current models of low Reynolds number locomotion.The active pellicle shear deformations can reach 340%. Moreover, we find that metaboly accomplishes locomotion at hydrodynamic efficiencies comparable to those of ciliates and flagellates. Our results suggest new quantitative experiments, provide insight into the evolutionary history of euglenids, and suggest that the pellicle may serve as a model for engineered active surfaces with applications in micro-fluidics.Arroyo, Heltai, Millan and DeSimone, PNAS (in press).View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Traditional tomato varieties and cultural practices: a case for agricultural diversification with impact on food security and health of european population

Tomato is the second most consumed vegetable in the EU and a major dietary source of many nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. Consumers complaints about the loss of flavour in modern tomatoes, provide an opportunity for the valorisation of traditional tomato varieties, in order to protect them from genetic erosion and the replacement by higher-yielding, pest resistant modern cultivars. Genetic, epigenetic and phenotypic variability and knowledge from farms and in public repositories, will be concentrated in a TRADITOM database and seed repository (O1). The available genetic and phenotypic variability present in TRADITOM varieties, and the genetic and epigenetic differences from modern cultivars will be assessed (O2). For varieties whose cultivation is not sustainable due to unacceptably low yield and/or pathogen resistance, novel F1 hybrids will be generated, retaining the quality characteristics of traditional varieties and incorporating yield and disease resistance traits (O3) Finally, traditional varieties and the impact of traditional cultivation methods will be valorised through a thorough characterization of their composition in term of flavour- and health-related compounds, the identification of consumer preferences, the evaluation of socio-economic factors limiting their market diffusion, and the protection of the most significant case studies through PDO or PGI denominations (O4). TRADITOM is a multidisciplinary translational, multi-actor research project bringing together scientists working in academia, local farmers communities, consumer experts and small seed companies that have preserved the local germplasm, in order to bring to fruition and apply to traditional tomato varieties the enormous knowledge generated on tomato genetics, genomics and metabolomics. This will help the conservation of traditional tomato varieties and enhance the competitive advantage of rural communities based on their production.
Theia: automatically generating correct program state visualizations

Program state visualizations (PSVs) help programmers understand hidden program state like objects, references, and closures. Unfortunately, existing PSV tools do not support custom language semantics, which educators often use to introduce programming languages gradually. They also fail to visualize key pieces of program state, which can lead to incorrect and confusing visualizations. Theia, a generic PSV framework, uses formal abstract machine definitions to produce complete, continuous, and consistent (CCC) PSVs. To produce CCC visualizations with Theia, an educator only needs to specify an abstract machine and optionally customize the resulting web page, allowing her to visualize custom language semantics without developing a language-specific tool.
AL-‘UQUD AL-MURAKKABAH IMPLEMENTATION ON AKAD AL MURABAHAH WA ARRAHN AS A SHARIA BANKING PRODUCT INNOVATION

This article aims to determine the application of al-uqud al-murakkabah on akad al murabahah wa arrahn in sharia banking product innovation. This study uses analytic methods based on doctrinal content, by applying four types of legal approaches, namely: (i) historical / historical; (ii) Jurisprudence / philosophy; (iii) comparison; and (iv) analytical and critical. In addition, a harmonious approach is needed to align innovation of sharia banking products with sharia compliance principles. the conclusions in this study are: 1) The implementation of al-ququd al-murakkabah as an innovation of Islamic banking products by the majority of Hanafiyah scholars, some opinions of Malikiyah scholars, Shafi'i scholars, and Hanbali are of the opinion that law is legal and permissible according to Islamic law, 2) The implementation of al-uqud al-murakkabah in the Murabahah wa ar Rahn contract is not in accordance with the principles of sharia compliance. Because the al Murabahah wa ar Rahn contract combines several contracts that cause usury or resemble usury, such as primarily combining the murabahah contract with the qardh contract, in addition to the wakalah contract and rahn contract.