SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Animal coloration through deep time: evolutionary novelty, homology and taphonomy

What does the fossil record tell us about the evolution of colour in animals through deep time? Evidence of colour in fossils can inform on the visual signalling strategies used by ancient animals. Research to date often has a narrow focus, lacks a broad phylogenetic and temporal context, and rarely incorporates information on taphonomy. This proposal represents a bold new holistic approach to the study of fossil colour: it will couple powerful imaging- and chemical analytical techniques with a rigorous programme of fossilisation experiments simulating decay, burial, and transport, and analysis of fossils and their sedimentary context, to construct the first robust models for the evolution of colour in animals through deep time. The research will resolve the original integumentary colours of fossil higher vertebrates, and the original colours of fossil hair; the fossil record of non-melanin pigments in feathers and insects; the biological significance of monotonal patterning in fossil insects; and the evolutionary history of scales and 3D photonic crystals in insects. Critically, the research will test, for the first time, whether evidence of fossil colour can solve broader evolutionary questions, e.g. the true affinities of enigmatic Cambrian chordate-like metazoans, and feather-like integumentary filaments in dinosaurs. The proposal entails construction of a dedicated experimental maturation laboratory for simulating the impact of burial on tissues. This laboratory will form the core of the world’s first integrated ‘experimental fossilisation facility’, consolidating the PI’s team as the global hub for fossil colour research. The research team comprises the PI, three postdoctoral researchers, and three PhD students, and will form an extensive research network via collaborations with 13 researchers from Europe and beyond. The project will reach out to diverse scientists and will inspire a positive attitude to science among the general public and policymakers alike.
Mapping electromagnetic dualities via quantum decoherence measurements in 2D materials

The quantification of quantum phase coherence can reveal several properties of charge carriers in systems of given dimensionality, illuminating mechanisms leading to quantum decoherence due to inelastic scattering events, to decoherence mechanisms due to device geometry, and to dephasing due to geometrical phases from applied fields. Examples of several effects are presented. Quantum phase coherence lengths were measured in mesoscopic geometries by quantum transport methods including universal conductance fluctuations, weak-localization, and quantum interferometry. The geometries were fabricated from two-dimensional starting materials. In wires of materials with strong spin-orbit interaction, we show that spin decoherence due to spin-orbit interaction and dephasing due to applied magnetic fields show an electromagnetic duality. We show that dephasing due to applied magnetic fields can be expressed in terms of a magnetic length quantifying time-reversal symmetry breaking. In wires, the main orbital quantum decoherence mechanism related to the wire length appears as environmental coupling decoherence, with longer wires showing asymptotically longer phase coherence lengths. For mesoscopic stadia, the geometry plays an additional role, inducing stadium-wire coupling decoherence.
Optimal sampling plan for clean development mechanism energy efficiency lighting projects

Clean development mechanism (CDM) project developers are always interested in achieving required measurement accuracies with the least metering cost. In this paper, a metering cost minimisation model is proposed for the sampling plan of a specific CDM energy efficiency lighting project. The problem arises from the particular CDM sampling requirement of 90% confidence and 10% precision for the small-scale CDM energy efficiency projects, which is known as the 90/10 criterion. The 90/10 criterion can be met through solving the metering cost minimisation problem. All the lights in the project are classified into different groups according to uncertainties of the lighting energy consumption, which are characterised by their statistical coefficient of variance (CV). Samples from each group are randomly selected to install power meters. These meters include less expensive ones with less functionality and more expensive ones with greater functionality. The metering cost minimisation model will minimise the total metering cost through the determination of the optimal sample size at each group. The 90/10 criterion is formulated as constraints to the metering cost objective. The optimal solution to the minimisation problem will therefore minimise the metering cost whilst meeting the 90/10 criterion, and this is verified by a case study. Relationships between the optimal metering cost and the population sizes of the groups, CV values and the meter equipment cost are further explored in three simulations. The metering cost minimisation model proposed for lighting systems is applicable to other CDM projects as well.
NUCFRG3: Light ion improvements to the nuclear fragmentation model

Abstract Light ion improvements to the nuclear fragmentation model, NUCFRG, are reported. Improvements include the replacement of the simple light ion production model with a light ion coalescence model and an improved electromagnetic dissociation (EMD) formalism. Prior versions of the model provide reasonable overall agreement with measured data; however, those versions lack a physics-based description for coalescence and EMD. The version reported herein, NUCFRG3, has improved the theoretical descriptions of these mechanisms and offers additional benefits, such as the capability to calculate EMD cross-sections for single deuteron, triton, helion, and alpha particle emission. NUCFRG3 model evaluation and validation show that the predictive capability has been improved and strengthened by the light ion physics-based changes. Based on increased capability and better theoretical grounding, it is recommended that NUCFRG3 replace its predecessors for space radiation assessments and other applications.
Simulation of Ethanol Production by Fermentation of Molasses

Ethanol is a renewable resource of energy and is potentially cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Production of ethanol is growing day by day at a great extent for its versatile application and demand. During recent years, production of ethanol by fermentation on a large scale has been of considerable interest to meet to increased demand. It has long been recognized that molasses from sugar-cane or sugar provide suitable substrates for ethanol production. Production of ethanol by fermentation of molasses is simulated by Simulation software Aspen Hysys 7.1 to investigate the effect of few important parameters like fermentation temperature, pressure that effect the production of ethanol.  The present investigation has demonstrated that decrease of fermentation temperature enhance the production rate of ethanol. To maximize the production of ethanol, an optimum boiler water feed flow rate of 120 kgmole per hour was determined.
Three explanations for extraterrestrials: sensible, unlikely, mad

Abstract The Fermi Paradox (or Question) has moved back into central focus. This is for a number of reasons, not least the evidence for both the abundance and antiquity of many extra-solar systems, the extrapolation of current technological trends to suggest that even inter-galactic colonization (by self-replicating machines) is plausible (if not desirable), and the recurrence of evolutionary solutions (convergence) in the terrestrial biosphere suggesting that features such as intelligence and tool-making are not fortuitous outcomes, but frequent if not universal. Here I review the three possible solutions to the Fermi Paradox. First, extraterrestrials certainly exist (and may be abundant), but for one reason or another (probably mundane) we have not yet met them, or at least found evidence for their existence. Second, against all expectations, we are alone. Third, we have entirely misunderstood the sort of universe we live in and have become unwitting hostages to a strict materialist explanandum that in refusing to acknowledge the other realities of our Universe has derailed any prospect of explaining the apparent absence of extraterrestrials.
Three-dimensional analytical description of magnetized winds from oblique pulsars

Rotating neutron stars, or pulsars, are plausibly the source of power behind many astrophysical systems, such as gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, pulsar wind nebulae and supernova remnants. In the past several years, 3D numerical simulations made it possible to compute pulsar spindown luminosity from first principles and revealed that oblique pulsar winds are more powerful than aligned ones. However, what causes this enhanced power output of oblique pulsars is not understood. In this work, using time-dependent 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and force-free simulations, we show that, contrary to the standard paradigm, the open magnetic flux, which carries the energy away from the pulsar, is laterally non-uniform. We argue that this non-uniformity is the primary reason for the increased luminosity of oblique pulsars. To demonstrate this, we construct simple analytic descriptions of aligned and orthogonal pulsar winds and combine them to obtain an accurate 3D description of the pulsar wind for any obliquity. Our approach describes both the warped magnetospheric current sheet and the smooth variation of pulsar wind properties outside of it. We find that generically the magnetospheric current sheet separates plasmas that move at mildly relativistic velocities relative to each other. This suggests that the magnetospheric reconnection is a type of driven, rather than free, reconnection. The jump in magnetic field components across the current sheet decreases with increasing obliquity, which could be a mechanism that reduces dissipation in near-orthogonal pulsars. Our analytical description of the pulsar wind can be used for constructing models of pulsar gamma-ray emission, pulsar wind nebulae, and magnetar-powered core-collapse gamma-ray bursts and supernovae.
Developing a Transformative Drug Policy Research Agenda in the United States

Despite its strengths, drug policy scholarship in the United States has deficiencies and systemic biases that contribute to misinformation about drugs and people who use drugs. Factors ranging from funders’ biases to an overemphasis on abstinence-only outcomes limit the scope and focus of drug policy research. These deficiencies and the highly politicized nature of drug policy reform have led U.S. decision-makers to largely reproduce the uninformed thinking that epitomizes failed drug policies. In an effort to address some of these limitations, we designed Unbounded Knowledge: Envisioning a New Future for Drug Policy Research, a project to engage researchers in thinking about how U.S. drug policy research should be transformed. The project involved a diverse group of multidisciplinary drug researchers and clinicians in a focused collaboration to identify what drug research should be—but is not—studying in the U.S. It consisted of: (1) a preliminary series of interviews with researchers, (2) identification of common research constraints and factors that would transform the direction of drug policy research in the U.S., and (3) a daylong workshop to craft an aspirational research agenda. Participants were broadly in consensus that significant changes are needed to create different ways to conduct drug policy research and new opportunities within the research environment. They also generated specific ideas for research that could better shape U.S. drug policies in ways that move beyond the dominant focus on criminalization and medicalization. This article offers recommendations generated by the project for improving drug policy research in the U.S.
Candida species as commensal gut colonizers: A study of 133 longitudinally followed Swedish infants

Abstract The gut microbiota harbor a wide range of bacterial species, but also yeasts may be part of this ecosystem. Infants who are being treated in intensive care units are often colonized by Candida species. However, little is known regarding commensal yeast colonization of healthy infants and young children. Here the acquisition of yeast species was studied in a birth-cohort including 133 healthy Swedish infants. A rectal swab sample was obtained on day 3 of life, and fresh fecal samples were obtained at regular intervals up to 3 years of age; the samples were cultured quantitatively for yeasts. Colonization with yeasts increased rapidly in the first months of life, with 73/133 infants (55%) colonized at 6 months of age. The yeast numbers in positive samples decreased from an average of 105 cfu/g in infants aged 0–2 months to 103.5 cfu/g at 3 years of age. Candida albicans was the most frequently isolated species and reached higher population counts than the other species in culture-positive infants. The yeast colonization rate did not differ between infants who were delivered vaginally and those birthed via Caesarean section, whereas breastfed infants showed a lower colonization rate (p &amp;lt; 0.05 for 1 year of age compared to the other infants). The results demonstrate that yeasts, particularly C. albicans and C. parapsilosis (sensu lato), are common commensals in the gut microbiota of healthy infants and young children.
Prevalence of maternal group B streptococcus colonization and vertical transmission in low-risk women in a single institute

Intrapartum administration of antibiotics lowers the risk of neonatal group B streptococcus (GBS) infection based on recommended guidelines (a risk-based approach and a culture-based screening approach). However, many pregnant women do not undergo culture-based screening, nor treatment with prophylactic antibiotics after a GBS risk-based approach. Therefore, the value of GBS detection in asymptomatic low-risk pregnant women is controversial.A cohort study of 354 asymptomatic pregnant women at more than 37 weeks' gestation who were planning to undergo vaginal delivery, and 118 neonates (107 paired samples of both mother and newborn), was conducted to evaluate the GBS colonization rate of these pregnant women and the subsequent vertical transmission rate, using a culture method.The positive rate for GBS culture was 6.2% (22/354). Among 107 paired samples, six maternal samples and one neonatal sample were positive for GBS culture, with an estimated vertical transmission rate of 16.7% (1/6).Although the positive rate of GBS culture was lower in asymptomatic low-risk pregnant women, the possibility of vertical transmission might be high. This finding is worthy of further investigation.
Semiconductor device structures

In one exemplary aspect, a method for semiconductor manufacturing comprises forming first and second silicon nitride features on sidewall surfaces of a contact hole, where the contact hole is disposed in a dielectric layer and above a source/drain (S/D) feature. The method further comprises forming a contact plug in the contact hole, the contact plug being electrically coupled to the S/D feature, removing a top portion of the contact plug to create a recess in the contact hole, forming a hard mask layer in the recess, and removing the first and second silicon nitride features via selective etching to form first and second air gaps, respectively.
Thymoquinone protects against cigarette smoke extract‐induced vascular dysfunction through inhibition of the RhoA/Rho‐kinase signaling pathway (849.1)

There is an ever-growing focus on the role of natural products in modulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and RhoA/Rho kinase-mediated vascular disease. Thymoquinone (TQ), a constituent of the volatile oil derived from Nigella sativa seeds, possesses promising antioxidant and vasodilating properties via its effect on multiple signaling pathways; however, the effect of TQ on the RhoA/Rho-Kinase pathway remains to be investigated. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-exposed rat aortic rings were mounted in a wire myograph and subjected to contraction and relaxation. TQ protected against CSE-induced impairment of acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation, and decreased CSE-induced ROS generation and glutathione depletion. Preincubation of aortic rings for 20 min with TQ attenuated the CSE-enhanced phenylephrine-induced vascular tension in endothelium-denuded rings. TQ-pretreated rings showed a decrease in CSE-induced RhoA activation and phosphorylation of myosin light chain-20, myosin phosphatase-targeting subunit 1 and protein kinase CPI-17. These data indicate that TQ inhibited ROS generation-induced RhoA/Rho kinase pathway activation, protecting against CSE-induced vascular dysfunction. This study provides mechanistic insight for understanding the molecular basis and efficacy of TQ on vascular disease management. Grant Funding Source: Supported by NIH #00000784 to JLZ; Egyptian government
Transverse single spin asymmetry in the Drell-Yan process

We revisit the transverse single spin asymmetry in the angular distribution of a Drell-Yan dilepton pair. We study this asymmetry by using twist-3 collinear factorization, and we obtain the same result both in covariant gauge and in the light-cone gauge. Moreover, we have checked the electromagnetic gauge invariance of our calculation. Compared to previous calculations we properly treat the transverse momentum expansion, and as a consequence our final expression for the asymmetry differs from all the previous results given in the literature. The overall sign of this asymmetry is as important as the sign of the Sivers asymmetry in Drell-Yan.
BMP2/7 heterodimer is a stronger inducer of bone regeneration in peri-implant bone defects model than BMP2 or BMP7 homodimer

This study aimed to compare the effects of bone morphogenetic protein BMP2/7 heterodimer and BMP homodimers on bone regeneration in bone defects model. Identical peri-implant bone defects model were created using proper controls on the frontal skull in 18 minipigs. Collagen sponges with low-dose (30 ng/mL) BMP2/7 heterodimer, BMP2 or BMP7 homodimer were filled in the defects. New bone formation and the expression of type I collagen (Col1), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OCN) were evaluated after 2, 3, and 6 weeks of implantation. BMP2/7 resulted in significantly higher new bone areas percentage in the defect region than BMP2 and BMP7 (p<0.05). Immunohistochemical staining of Col1, ALP and OCN was stronger in BMP2/7 group than BMP2, BMP7 and control group (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that BMP2/7 heterodimer is a stronger inducer of osteoblastogenesis and could be applied at low dose to reduce the cost and side effects of BMP homodimers.
Foreign geographies in english drama, c.1576-1660

Existing studies of foreign geographical settings in early modern English drama are limited by narrow focus on particular authors, sub-periods, or geographical locations. My project will, for the first time, quantify and explicate the role that non-European geographies had in shaping the production of drama in England between c.1576 and 1660. I will uncover the overall extent of non-European settings for plays, and interrogate how English drama invoked locations that were the focus of national colonialist interest, and established foreign Empires that were at once alluring and threatening to English national interests and theatre audiences alike. ForGED will make available a body of new knowledge that will help the scientific community to better understand how England’s cultural, commercial, and colonial interests in--and anxieties about--the ‘foreign’ impacted the theatre and shaped key developments in drama. I will work with Daniel Carey (Professor of English Literature and Director of the Moore Institute) at the National University of Ireland, Galway, to refine my engagement with English travel writing and colonialist literature, which has an important bearing on my research. I will receive digital humanities training from David Kelly (DH specialist at the Moore Institute) in order to develop digital methodologies for quantitative research that will enable me to organize data about my corpus of plays and perform data visualisations to identify trends pertaining to particular dramatist, theatres, years, and foreign locations. My qualitative analysis of the data will be communicated to the scientific community through conferences and peer-reviewed puplications, and to the wider community through social media, blogs, and public engagement events.
Sensitive and Specific Whole-Cell Biosensor for Arsenic Detection

Arsenic poisoning is a severe public health issue. Rapid and simple methods for the sensitive and specific monitoring of arsenic concentration in drinking water are needed. In this study, we designed an arsenic WCB with a positive feedback amplifier. It is highly sensitive and able to detect arsenic below the WHO limit level. In addition, it also significantly improves the specificity of the biosensor toward arsenic, giving a signal that is about 10 to 20 times stronger in response to As(III) than to other metals. This work not only provides simple but effective arsenic biosensors but also demonstrates the importance of genetic engineering, particularly the use of positive feedback amplifiers, in designing WCBs.
The Efficiency of Banking Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Comparison to Slovenia: Comparative Analysis.

This paper analyzes the banking sector's performance of the two former Yugoslavian republics, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This study is the first study examining the efficiency of banking sector of two countries. Countries have formed their banking systems, with their central banks as central and main monetary institutions. Performance of the banking sector of the two countries is being examined, taking into account that one country is a post war country, while other succeeds to join to European Union. It is determined using the data on return on assets (ROA) as indicator of profit, and return on equity (ROE) as an expression of rentability of banking sector, then compared to nonperforming loans (NPL) in order to foreseethe affect on future lending. Foreign direct investment is also being examined due to the large portion of it was initially made into banking sector. Financial health of the banking sector is analyzed by comparing deposits to loans figures, in several structural aspects. Based on data Slovenia’s banking sector has higher return on equity throughoutyears, therefore it is more profitable.On the other hand Bosnia and Herzegovina’s banking sector is more risk protected, since banks have higher adequate capital that offers protection against risk.
EM Scattering From a Target Above a 1-D Randomly Rough Sea Surface Using GPU-Based Parallel FDTD

This letter presents the graphics processing unit (GPU)-based finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm to investigate the electromagnetic (EM) scattering from a target above a rough sea surface. The proposed method is validated by comparing the numerical results to those obtained through sequential FDTD execution on a central processing unit (CPU), as well as through method of moments (MOM). The comparison results show a significant improvement in computation efficiency for GPU-based FDTD versus the message passing interface (MPI)-based FDTD. Furthermore, our parallel implementation is employed to study the influences of wind speed and the tilt angle of the target on composite scattering from the target above a sea surface.