SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Listening and Human Communication in the 21st Century

List of Figures. List of Tables. Notes on Contributors. Introduction: Perspectives on Listening in the 21st Century (Andrew D. Wolvin, University of Maryland). Part I: Theoretical Overview of Listening: 1. Listening Engagement: Intersecting Theoretical Perspectives (Andrew D. Wolvin, University of Maryland). Part II: Listening Research Methods: 2. Qualitative Research: Critical for Understanding Listening (Michael W. Purdy, Governors State University, Illinois). 3. Quantitative Research in Listening: Explication and Overview (Graham D. Bodie, Louisiana State University and Margaret Fitch-Hauser, Auburn University). Part III: Listening as a Cognitive and Relational Activity: 4. What is Going on in the Mind of a Listener? The Cognitive Psychology of Listening (Margarete Imhof, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz). 5. Listening: A Dialogic Perspective (James J. Floyd, University of Central Missouri). 6. The Skills of Listening-Centered Communication (Judi Brownell, Cornell University). 7. Listening in a Second Language (John Flowerdew, City University of Hong Kong and Lindsay Miller, City University of Hong Kong). Part IV: Listening in Contexts: 8. Listening Practices: Are We Getting Any Better? (Sheila C. Bentley, Bentley Consulting). 9. Listening Pedagogy: Where Do We Go from Here? (Laura A. Janusik, Rockhurst University). 10. Perspectives on Intercultural Listening (Melissa L. Beall, University of Northern Iowa). 11. Listening in Spirituality and Religion (Diana Corley Schnapp, Rockhurst University). 12. The Integrative Listening Model: An Approach to Teaching and Learning Listening (Kathleen Thompson, Alverno College, Pamela Leintz, Georgia State University, Barbara Nevers, Alverno College and Susan Witkowski, Alverno College). Index.
‘How will we appear in the eyes of<i>inovertsy</i>and<i>inorodtsy</i>?’ Nikolai Ostroumov on the image and function of Russian power

This article offers a close reading of several unpublished manuscripts by the Russian Orientalist, administrator and missionary ideologue Nikolai Petrovich Ostroumov, who spent most of his career in the Turkestan governor-generalship. Ostroumov's violent Islamophobia and close relationship with the colonial administration support to some extent the thesis of Edward Said and other postcolonial theorists that European views of the ‘Orient’ were an epistemological construction of negative attributes that reflected European self-perceptions, and that academic Orientalism was often the handmaiden of colonial power and expansion. However, much of Ostroumov's writing was so abstract and divorced from the social and political realities of Turkestani society that it was of little practical use, something compounded by his view of Orthodox Christianity and Islam as polar opposites. Ostroumov's private writings reveal a deep anxiety regarding the durability of Russian conquest and rule in Central Asia, and paranoia ...
Maintaining Wireless Connectivity Constraints for Robot Swarms in the Presence of Obstacles

The swarm paradigm of multirobot cooperation relies on a distributed architecture, where each robot makes its own decisions based on locally available knowledge. But occasionally the swarm members may need to share information about their environment or actions through some type of ad hoc communication channel, such as a radio modem, infrared communication, or an optical connection. In all of these cases robust operation is best attained when the transmitter/receiver robot pair is (1) separated by less than some maximum distance (range constraint); and (2) not obstructed by large dense objects (line-of-sight constraint). Therefore to maintain a wireless link between two robots, it is desirable to simultaneously comply with these two spatial constraints. Given a swarm of point robots with specified initial and final configurations and a set of desired communication links consistent with the above criteria, we explore the problem of designing inputs to achieve the final configuration while preserving the desired links for the duration of the motion. Some interesting conclusions about the feasibility of the problem are offered. A potential field-based optimization algorithm is provided, along with a novel composition scheme, and its operation is demonstrated through both simulation and experimentation on a group of small robots.
Evaluation of PHBHHx and PHBV/PLA fibers used as medical sutures

Two types of fibers were prepared by using bio-based materials: a mono-filament made from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) and a multi-filament made from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and polylactic acid (PLA) blend. The two fibers were evaluated for mechanical properties, biocompatibility and degradability for the potential application as medical sutures. The PHBHHx fiber showed remarkable biocompatibility by H.E. Stainning, with very little impact to the surrounding tissues. The degradation of the fiber was observed by SEM after implantation for 36 weeks, and the major degradation product was detected after 96 weeks. Consistently, the PHBHHx fiber maintained more than half of the mechanical properties after 96 weeks. The other fiber was prepared by twisting PHBV/PLA blend strands to a bunch, and showed high biocompatibility and relatively high degradability. The bunched structure loosed after 36 weeks of implantation. These low-cost and easily prepared fibers have great potential in medical applications, since they could avoid the formation of fibrous capsule, reduce the size of scar, and degrade into non-toxic and even beneficial products.
SALVAGUARDIA, SELEZIONE E PRODUZIONE DEGLI ECOTIPI LOCALI DI APIS MELLIFERA LIGUSTICA

Obiettivi Il progetto ha perseguito l’obiettivo di creare un’attenzione nuova da parte degli apicoltori nei confronti del patrimonio genetico delle api allevate. Si e inteso ricercare il genotipo autoctono o comunque quello che meglio si adatta alle condizioni locali; a tal fine si sono creati sul territorio provinciale tre luoghi di selezione delle famiglie migliori per adattamento, produttivita, resistenza alle patologie e mansuetudine. Questi apiari di selezione hanno altresi lo scopo di mantenere registrate e monitorate le caratteristiche delle famiglie, creando cosi una sorta di pedigree delle regine e nuclei che vengono distribuiti. Ultimo obiettivo, contrastare la diffusione delle patologie spesso trasmesse e reintrodotte attraverso incauti acquisti di regine e nuclei. Il progetto infine ha inteso far sviluppare la professionalita relativamente a questo ambito dell’attivita apistica e la differenziazione produttiva delle aziende piu sensibili e avvedute.  Attivita svolte Il progetto e stato promosso sulla stampa locale e soprattutto presentato nel corso di incontri specifici con gli apicoltori. Sul sito www.apicoltori.so.it ampio spazio e stato riservato alle fasi del progetto, nella sezione progetti e nella cartella fotografie. Nell’ambito del progetto sono stati realizzati diversi incontri di aggiornamento tecnico e di approfondimento, favorendo notevolmente il miglioramento professionale del settore. Altri incontri sono stati riservati alle aziende partecipanti, in questi si e essenzialmente provveduto a trovare e condividere la metodologia di lavoro. Per la selezione delle famiglie e stato studiato un protocollo comune di valutazione, che prevedeva un’accurata registrazione delle osservazioni effettuate durante le visite su un’apposita scheda. Le stazioni produttive sono entrate a pieno regime nel 2004, quando le linee genetiche scelte si sono consolidate. Nell’ambito del monitoraggio, sono stati effettuati controlli diretti sui favi e su altro materiale per la ricerca di antibiotici e di inibenti che possono temporaneamente nascondere patologie, quali la peste americana. Campioni di api sono stati avviati all’Istituto Nazionale di Apicoltura per lo studio e il rilievo di alcuni parametri genetici; per tutte le altre analisi ci si e avvalsi della collaborazione con l’Istituto Zooprofilattico di Sondrio e della Fondazione Fojanini.
Modeling water and soil quality environmental impacts associated with bioenergy crop production and biomass removal in the Midwest USA

The removal of corn stover or production of herbaceous crops such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) or big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) as feedstocks for bioenergy purposes has been shown to have significant benefits from an energy and climate change perspective. There is potential, however, to adversely impact water and soil quality, especially in the United States Corn Belt where stover removal predominantly occurs and possibly in other areas with herbaceous energy crops depending upon a number of geo-climatic and economic factors. The overall goal of this research was to provide a thorough and mechanistic understanding of the relationship between stover and herbaceous crop production management practices and resulting range of impacts on soil and water quality, with a focus on eastern Iowa, USA. Comparisons of the production of herbaceous bioenergy crops to continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and corn-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotations on five different soils representative of the region were performed. Indices for total nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) loss to surface water and groundwater, total soil loss due to water and wind erosion, and cumulative soil carbon loss were derived to assess long-term sustainability. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) agroecosystem model was used to quantify the sustainability indices and to generate sufficient data to provide a greater understanding of variables that affect water and soil quality than previously possible. The results clearly show the superiority of herbaceous crop production from a soil and water quality perspective. They also show, however, that compared to traditional cropping systems (e.g., corn-soybean rotations with conventional tillage), soil and water quality degradation can be reduced under certain conditions at the same time stover is removed.
QoS-Driven Proactive Adaptation of Service Composition

Proactive adaptation of service composition has been recognized as a major research challenge for service-based systems. In this paper we describe an approach for proactive adaptation of service composition due to changes in service operation response time; or unavailability of operations, services, and providers. The approach is based on exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) for modelling service operation response time. The prediction of problems and the need for adaptation consider a group of services in a composition flow, instead of isolated services. The decision of the service operations to be used to replace existing operations in a composition takes into account response time and cost values. A prototype tool has been implemented to illustrate and evaluate the approach. The paper also describes the results of a set of experiments that we have conducted to evaluate the work.
Disruptive gpcr lead discovery platform delivering new and safer therapeutics

InterAx Biotech, a Swiss company and spin-off from the ETH Zürich and the Paul Scherrer Institute has built PICARD, a unique drug discovery platform for the identification of drug candidates with improved efficacy and reduced side effects for the largest class of human receptors: The G-Protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs). These receptors play a central role in many vital biological processes and they are implicated in a large variety of human diseases. Due to their complex nature and mechanisms that lead to the disease state, only 60 out of 375 pharmacologically relevant GPCRs have been successfully targeted by drugs, leaving >80% GPCRs without therapeutics. Bringing a drug to the market requires an investment of up to €2.2B; out of 5000 compounds only 5 will make it to the clinical trial phase and 9 out of 10 compounds fail during costly clinical trials. This inflates the price of the drugs that reach the patients, making the society paying for inefficiencies of pharmaceutical R&D. PICARD will enable better and earlier detection of safety and efficacy profiles of GPCR-targeting drugs by increasing quality and reducing costs and time-to-market of new therapeutics. The novelty of our discovery platform lies on the combination of our screening to find novel compounds, signalling Assays that cover the most common GPCR activation aspects and our Systems Biology approach leading to highly efficient and fast delivery of functional-selective compounds. We offer custom-designed PICARD services to pharmaceutical and biotech companies that are outsourcing key stages of their drug discovery process lowering risks and greatly reducing R&D costs. The revenue stream is generated both from fee per service and from long-term drug discovery partnerships with upfront and milestone payments. We estimate reaching break-even 2 years after commercialization with 45 FTE and achieving a ROI of 4.5.
CYRSTALLINE POLYCARBONATE ARTICLES AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

In an embodiment, an article comprises a crystalline polycarbonate, wherein the article has a polycarbonate crystallinity of greater than or equal to 10 wt% based on the total weight of the polycarbonate. In another embodiment, a method of making an article comprises adding a crystalline polycarbonate powder into a cavity of a compression mold; wherein the crystalline polycarbonate powder has a crystallinity of greater than or equal to 10 wt% based on the total weight of the crystalline polycarbonate powder; compressing the crystalline polycarbonate powder in the cavity at a compression temperature of greater than or equal to 10°C less than the melting temperature of the crystalline polycarbonate powder (Tcomp≥ Tm - 10°C) and at a compression pressure of greater than or equal to 1 MPa; and removing the article from the cavity.
Conversion of Phenolic Constituents in Aqueous<i>Hamamelis virginiana</i>Leaf Extracts During Fermentation

Hamamelis virginiana, known for its high level of tannins and other phenolics is widely used for treatment of dermatological disorders. Although reports on hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts from Hamamelis leaf and bark exist, knowledge on fermented leaf preparations and the underlying conversion processes are still scant.Aqueous Hamamelis leaf extracts were monitored during fermentation and maturation in order to obtain an insight into the bioconversion of tannins and other phenolics.Aliquots taken during the production period were investigated by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS as well as GC-MS after derivatisation into the corresponding trimethylsilyl compounds.In Hamamelis leaf extracts, the main constituents exhibited changes during the observational period of 6 months. By successive depside bond cleavage, the gallotannins were completely transformed into gallic acid after 1 month. Although not completely, kaempferol and quercetin glycosides were also converted during 6 months to yield their corresponding aglycones. Following C-ring fission, phloroglucinol was formed from the A-ring of both flavonols. The B-ring afforded 3-hydroxybenzoic acid from quercetin and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid as well as 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-ethanol from kaempferol. Interestingly, hydroxycinnamic acids remained almost stable in the same time range.The present study broadens the knowledge on conversion processes in aqueous fermented extracts containing tannins, flavonol glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acids. In particular, the analogy between the microbial metabolism of phenolics from fermented Hamamelis extracts, fermented sourdough by heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria or conversion of phenolics by the human microbial flora is indicated.
Ley de refuerzo del respeto de los principios republicanos en Francia. ¿El regreso del asimilacionismo?

Este artículo estudia la evolución de las prácticas de la República francesa en materia de integración desde principios de siglo XIX hasta la actualidad, con la nueva ley titulada «ley de refuerzo del respeto de los principios republicanos» de 24 de agosto de 2021. Se aportan perspectivas históricas y legales que esclarecen los fundamentos y los objetivos de la praxis francesa. A través de este trabajo se intenta demostrar que el asimilacionismo, fundamentado en el proyecto republicano de unificación de la nación, es un modelo que está resurgiendo parcialmente tras un paréntesis liberal favorable a las reivindicaciones de las minorías. Para llevar a cabo este objetivo, se aborda, en primer lugar, el marco ideológico en el que nace el asimilacionismo; en segundo lugar, se analiza la forma en que ese modelo se fue imponiendo antes de su declive a partir de los años sesenta; y, finalmente, se discute si la nueva ley marca el retorno del asimilacionismo.
Computerized Assessment of the Skills of Impaired and Elderly Workers

The number of impaired persons rises -- as a result of both regular degradation with age and psychological problems like burnout. Sheltered work organizations aim to reintegrate impaired persons into work environments and prepare them for the re-entry in the regular job market.Both for elderly and for impaired persons it is crucial to quickly assess the abilities, to identify limits and potentials and thus find work processes suitable for their skill profile.This work focuses on the analysis and comparison of software-tools that assess the abilities of persons with impairments. We describe two established generic tools (CANTAB, Cogstate), analyze a yet unknown specialized tool (Hamet) and present a new gamified tool (GATRAS).Finally, we present a study with 20 participants with impairments, comparing the tools against a ground truth baseline generated by a real-world assembly task.
SYSTÈME DE REFROIDISSEMENT BIMODAL

Un système de refroidissement peut comprendre une boucle à pompe (106) à deux phases (TPPL). La boucle à pompe (106) à deux phases peut comprendre un récepteur (104), une pompe (106) en aval du récepteur (104), une charge calorifique (102) en aval de la pompe (106), un raccord en T TPPL (112) en aval de la charge calorifique (102), une soupape anti-retour TPPL (114) en aval du raccord en T TPPL (112)et un échangeur de chaleur (122) en aval de la soupape anti-retour TPPL (114) et en amont du récepteur (104). Le système de refroidissement peut en outre comprendre une boucle de système de cycle de vapeur (VCS). La boucle de système de cycle de vapeur peut comprendre le récepteur (104), un compresseur (122) en aval d’une sortie de vapeur du récepteur (104), une soupape anti-retour de compresseur (122) en aval du compresseur (122) et en amont de l’échangeur de chaleur (122), l’échangeur de chaleur (122) et la charge calorifique en aval d’une sortie de liquide du récepteur (104).
A DEVICE FOR PROVIDING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A PHYSICAL STRUCTURE TO ONE OR MORE USER DEVICES BASED AT THE SITE OF THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE

A device for providing information associated with a physical structure to one or more user devices based at the site of the physical structure, the device comprising a wireless transmitter and a wireless power receiver configured to receive power wirelessly from an external source and to deliver power to the wireless transmitter, wherein upon delivery of power from the wireless power receiver to the wireless transmitter, the transmitter is configured to transmit a wireless signal for establishing a wireless communication channel between the device and the one or more user devices, thereby to communicate information associated with the physical structure to the one or more user devices.
Towards prevention of autoimmune diseases: the case of rheumatoid arthritis

A common feature of autoantibody-positive autoimmune disease is that the disease-associated autoimmunity often appears many years prior to clinical onset and can hence be used to identify risk groups for future disease development. Autoantibody-positive (seropositive) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) provides a unique setting due to recent insights in the longitudinal development of the disease, suggesting that autoantibodies develop in genetic susceptible individuals as a consequence of specific environmental challenges (such as smoking) to only later on target the joints.
The main objectives of the current program are:
(1). To dissect the longitudinal development of seropositive RA and gain a detailed understanding of the processes responsible for autoantibody generation outside the joints, and specifically at the mucosal sites. 
(2). To develop new ways to identify seropositive disease-susceptible individuals and map targetable life style factors and immune events responsible for this susceptibility. 
(3). To elucidate the mechanisms by which systemic autoimmunity targets the joints to first induce bone loss and pain and only in a second phase chronic joint inflammation.  
If successful our project will not only allow efficient identification of RA-susceptible individuals, but also deliver new tools for risk estimation in each of these individuals and novel ways of intervention in order to delay, or in the best case prevent disease development. By shifting the time (to phases before joint damage and disability occurs) and the ways (to drugs targeting early previously unknown pathogenic mechanisms) of interventions, expected results from the current project are beyond the current state of the art in RA.
Digital bridge: optical character recognition for early printed books in latin

This project aims to provide the first viable and accurate solution for digitising early printed books in Latin using Optical Character Recognition. Our basic OCR package will be free and open-source, in order to ensure affordability, longevity, and openness for improvement (three failures of our commercial competitors). Our Company Limited by Guarantee will market costumisation, training, support, and further development tailored to specific collections of books (the standard failure of open-source solutions). Customisation services are essential in our market. Early printed Latin cannot be successfully digitised using standard OCR packages (whether open-source or commercial): these currently have an accuracy of no more than 15%. We plan to modify the open-source Tesseract engine, by training it to account for Latin grammar and early typography: this will increase its accuracy of recognition to about 80%. Customisation tailored to specific collections of books will further improve accuracy to about 95% to 98%. 

Our company will address the needs of libraries, digital publishers, researchers, learned societies, and private collectors of early books. Our commercialisation plan is modelled on that of other successful businesses based on open-source software.

The demand for Latin OCR is strong, as publishers and libraries switch to digital publication and storage. From the invention of printing in the Renaissance until well into the 19th century, Latin was the European language of every intellectual discourse: the natural sciences, mathematics, philosophy, theology, law, literary criticism, geography, archaeology, music, medicine. The subsequent shift to using the vernacular languages was a seismic event. We are now experiencing a revolution of similar proportions: the advent of digital publication is bringing opportunities and risks whose outlines are still unclear. This project aims to offer a solid technical bridge between the digital future and the Latin past.