SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
A soft synergy-based hand prosthesis with hybrid control

In the project “SoftHands” we have achieved not only a more thorough understanding of the organization and control of hands, but also a principled approach to taming the complexity of hand design. The original concept of “soft synergies” has underpinned the realization of radically new artificial hands: “SoftHands” have been demonstrated to be more adaptive and capable than most artificial hands, yet are simpler to control and more robust. One application of these ideas and technologies which stands out for potential impact and social relevance, although not originally foreseen in the ERC AG plan, is the realization of upper limb pros-theses. The objective to realize a prosthetic hand that is anthropomorphic, aesthetically pleasing, and enables an amputee to perform most activities of daily living as well as advanced prostheses, while being robust, intuitive, and economic as basic body-powered split-hook prostheses requires a much longer and larger re-search and development effort than an ERC POC can support. In this proposal we study the feasibility of applying the SoftHand technology to address one particular, but very important, objective, i.e. work-oriented prostheses. The specific requirements of these applications are high grip power, grasp versatility, resilience, resistance to water, dust, and temperature, durability, power autonomy and low cost – while factors such as aesthetics or silent operation are less dominant. Of particular relevance is the control interface with the patient. Virtually all work-oriented prostheses are operated via a body-powered cable, which is very intuitive to use and does not need batteries, motors, and sensors. On the other hand, advanced multi-fingered prostheses have sophisticated myoelectric control affording versatility and dexterity. In this project, we will engineer and experiment a novel hybrid control for a SoftHand prosthe-sis, whereby a traditional cable harness commands the advanced mechatronic system of the SoftHand.
Ecotourism itineraries on the Web to increase the competitiveness of SMEs and the quality of services

This project takes on the shared challenge of strengthening the businesses of the 5 partner regions with increased opportunities for growth deriving from sustainable local development. The general objective is to contribute to increasing the international competitiveness of eco-tourism SMEs operating in the 5 regions. ItinERA addresses this challenge as follows:  - develops guidelines for an eco-tourism quality certification common to all 5 regions, preparatory to the creation of a single Maritime area brand; - develops and promotes supra-national thematic eco-tourism itineraries, compliant with guideline requirements; - offers training programmes to tourism sector SMEs for them to achieve the required quality standards; - organises events to promote public-private eco-tourism offer governance processes. The first to benefit are SMEs, tour operators and cruise companies operating in the cooperation area, as well as potentially the entire area itself, thanks to the creation of value, birth of new tourist attractions, development of the entrepreneurial fabric and employment growth. The partnership aims to tackle the various activities in a participatory and cooperative manner on issues in which the local approach usually prevails. The opportunity of operating over a greater area and exploiting the tourism potential of the individual areas as a system for the benefit of the entire area is a further advantage that cannot be guaranteed by local strategies.  Living Labs encourage interaction between operators to create joint growth opportunities and guarantee cross-border exchanges of good practices. E-learning training, online consultation systems and web platforms guarantee further innovation aspects of the proposal.
The Test of WTI Crude Oil Price Volatility Characteristics Based on GARCH Cluster Models

According to the aggregation characteristics of WTI crude oil price volatility,it is concluded based on the GARCH model that the WTI crude oil price volatility is mostly influenced by outside factors,but also lasts long time. Then,it is shown according to the test of GARCH-M model that the WTI crude oil price volatility owns the financial market characteristics of high income with high risk. Finally,it is indicated by the test of EGARCH Model that the WTI crude oil price volatility has the characteristics of lever effect,which means that the WTI crude oil price volatility is more affected by bad news,and thus taking on the characteristics of the main rise in price.
Influence of arsenic and cyanobacteria co-exposure on plasmatic parameters of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss W.).

Fish can be exposed under environmental conditions to multiple stressors including natural toxins and environmental or feed contamination at the same time. This study brings new knowledge about the effects of controlled exposure to multiple stressors in fish. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that influence of cyanobacterial biomass and arsenic in feed can combine to enhance the effects on fish.Rainbow trouts were sorted into six groups, each with 25 specimens: control group (fed with commercial feed), groups exposed to toxic cyanobacterial biomass (81 mg x kg(-1) MCs of feed), two groups exposed to arsenic (concentration of 5 mg x kg(-1), and 50 mg x kg(-1) of fish feed) and two groups exposed to combination of cyanobacterial biomass and arsenic in two concentrations mentioned above. The experiment lasted 30 days. During the experiment we evaluated the influence of co-exposure on plasmatic parameters mentioned above. Samples were collected on days 10, 20 and 30 of exposure.Biochemical analysis revealed a significant decrease in calcium (T20) and an increase in natrium (T10) and chlorides (T10) values in combined cyanobacterial and arsenic exposures. Our results showed a significant decrease in the values of magnesium after exposure to higher concentration of arsenic compared to control and feeding with addition of cyanobacterial biomass groups. The changes of other monitored plasmatic parameters were not significantly increased or decreased in comparison with controls.Our results confirmed the hypothesis that influence of toxic cyanobacterial biomass and a chemical agent represented by arsenic can combine to enhance the effects on fish. This work originally shows that while the single agents in sub-lethal doses do not cause changes in the plasmatic parameters, their co-exposure leads to the significantly decrease or increase of the electrolytes of rainbow trout.
Ceramics and CRafts Industries’ Increased Cooperation

Many European cities and regions can boast of deep-rooted cultural traditions in the field of ceramics and small crafts. Preserving cultural values and cultural heritage has since long been a priority area for the European Union. However, besides preservation, cultural heritage is a major asset in economic terms for European regions: it also generates jobs, household income and stimulates local economic development. 

Towns of ceramic and small crafts traditions, endowed with a rich artistic heritage, are nevertheless facing severe problems: globalisation exacerbating competition and ageing population of craftsmen, both leading to a continuous decline of the sector.  

CeRamICa is the result of a long cooperation of the municipality of Hódmezővásárhely, lead partner in Hungary, with eleven other European cities with whom they share a common cultural heritage and face the same difficulties and eagerness to preserve and promote the ceramic and small crafts sector in Europe.
Partners will join forces and exchange best practices to jointly develop local and regional development strategy recommendations and instruments to support and boost the ceramics and small crafts sector in the partner regions. These sets of recommendations will be drawn with the aim of preserving and promoting this significant European cultural heritage and thus making the sector a competitive driving force of the local economies. 

All 12 partners are municipalities (or representative bodies) from 8 countries, offering a good balance between Eastern and Western countries to enrich the exchanges and transfers of experiences between them. 

The starting point will be a thorough analysis of the sector in partners’ regions, including interviews of all relevant stakeholders. The study will be a means to identify best practices that led to tangible results. Its results will directly feed the core activities of the project: the intensified transfers of experiences and best practices.
The transfers of best practices will provide a unique opportunity to learn from each others' experiences, acquire new methodologies, processes or techniques that helped develop new products, open up new markets for enterprises and crafts(wo)men, identify effective marketing and training tools or create new jobs and enterprises. 

The project clearly addresses the objectives of the programme and the Lisbon agenda. The lessons learnt will be reflected into jointly developed local and regional development policy recommendations, validated by politicians formally represented in the project. They will also include action plans for implementation into other EC programmes. Their effectiveness will be highly improved and durability of the project results ensured. 

Last but not least, major European and regional events will be organised as to widely disseminate best practices identified to successfully preserve and promote the ceramics and small crafts sector in partners’ regions and beyond.
Desenvolvimento de um navio autónomo polivalente

O objetivo do projeto é desenvolver e demonstrar um navio totalmente autônomo, não tripulado e polivalente, capaz de navegação autónoma em condições reais de operação e totalmente protegido contra interferências cibernéticas. Prevê-se que o navio multiusos seja utilizado principalmente para atenuar as consequências de potenciais catástrofes ambientais causadas por derrames de hidrocarbonetos no mar, enquanto navio de combate a incêndios em acidentes marítimos, ou seja, para limpar os resíduos sólidos de superfície. Um navio não tripulado permitiria uma utilização mais eficiente dos recursos e, para além da ausência de riscos para a tripulação, as intervenções assegurariam uma estada a longo prazo no alto mar ou nas ilhas externas sem necessidade de alterar a tripulação assim que seja assegurada uma ação rápida e atempada.
CFD Simulation and Heat Loss Analysis of the Solar Two Power Tower Receiver

Solar Two was a demonstration of the viability of molten salt power towers. The power tower was designed to produce enough thermal power to run a 10-MWe conventional Rankine cycle turbine. A critical component of this process was the solar tower receiver. The receiver was designed for an applied average heat flux of 430 kW/m2 with an outlet temperature of 565°C (838.15 K). The mass flow rate could be varied in the system to control the outlet temperature of the heat transfer fluid, which was high temperature molten salt. The heat loss in the actual system was calculated by using the power-on method which compares how much power is absorbed by the molten salt when using half of the heliostat field and then the full heliostat field. However, the total heat loss in the system was lumped into a single value comprised of radiation, convection, and conduction heat transfer losses. In this study, ANSYS FLUENT was used to evaluate and characterize the radiative and convective heat losses from this receiver system assuming two boundary conditions: (1) a uniform heat flux on the receiver and (2) a distributed heat flux generated from the code DELSOL. The results show that the distributed-flux models resulted in radiative heat losses that were ∼14% higher than the uniform-flux models, and convective losses that were ∼5–10% higher due to the resulting non-uniform temperature distributions. Comparing the simulations to known convective heat loss correlations demonstrated that surface roughness should be accounted for in the simulations. This study provides a model which can be used for further receiver design and demonstrates whether current convective correlations are appropriate for analytical evaluation of external solar tower receivers.
A metabolically stable analogue of anandamide, Met-F-AEA, inhibits human thyroid carcinoma cell lines by activation of apoptosis

The active components of Cannabis sativa and their derivatives produce a wide spectrum of effects, some of which may have clinical application. The discovery of specific cannabinoid receptors and a family of endogenous ligands of those receptors has attracted much attention to cannabinoids as agents capable of controlling the decision of cells to survive or die. We analysed the effects exerted by 2-methyl-2'-F-anandamide (Met-F-AEA), a metabolically stable analogue of anandamide, and observed a growth inhibition in cell lines derived from thyroid carcinomas. Growth inhibition was associated with a high level of CB1 receptor expression, suggesting that the cytotoxic effect is due to interaction with the CB1 receptor. This phenomenon was associated with activation of the protein, p53, an increased apoptotic rate, and expression of p21(CIP1/WAF1). This study provides new insights into the mechanism of Met-F-AEA action, and could have significance in providing a basis for the management of thyroid carcinoma.
A inserção da Bahia na economia internacional no biênio 2019/2020

Desde o advento dos processos de globalização, ainda no final do século passado, as relações comerciais internacionais vêm, paulatinamente, ganhando cada vez mais intensidade e velocidade, tendo como resultado tanto o aumento da produção mundial, quanto o surgimento de acordos comerciais e blocos econômicos que possibilitam aos países inserir-se nesses mercados externos. Nesse contexto, o presente artigo tem como objetivo estudar e analisar a inserção baiana na economia internacional no biênio 2019/2020. Para o cumprimento desse objetivo, além de uma análise teórica da economia internacional e uma análise da evolução econômica da Bahia, foram utilizadas as bases de dados de exportações e importações da Superintendência de Estudos Econômicos e Sociais da Bahia (SEI) e do Ministério da Indústria, Comércio Exterior e Serviços (MDIC) de modo a estabelecer análises da inserção da economia baiana na economia internacional, principalmente no âmbito das exportações e importações. Os resultados obtidos revelam que a Bahia tem, em suas principais conexões globais, as commodities agrícolas e os produtos derivados da indústria química e petroquímica, que por sua vez tem como principal destino a China, União Europeia e Estados Unidos, além de apresentar significativas quedas em suas relações com a América do Sul.
RiverLinks - Interface d'excellence pour un rapport durable ville-fleuve.

RiverLinks faces the challenge of sustainable planning for metropolitan areas on rivers. Although the approach is sectoral, a large number of towns that have developed along river basins can be included, since they present identical problems. Key factors include metropolitan pressure, protection of natural river systems and security for territories and citizens. In most towns, the river/town interface presents both limitations and benefits. It is essential to define the limits and take full advantage of benefits in order to apply careful, judicious planning to these strategic, sensitive territories. Overall objective / Objectif général Creation of co-operative activities for a new approach to the challenges of land planning in metropolitan river basins. Mid-term objectives: systematised awareness, local sensitivity, transfer and application of know-how; organisation and orientation of demonstrative operations. General objectives: help to establish Sdec perspectives, improve local tools, integrated approach, participation, reduce risk of alluvion, establish a virtuous circle between the challenges of development and the fragility of natural river systems. Expected results / Résultats attendus Projects: Meetings at each partner site, lectures and talks, local assemblies with citizens, newsletters, web site, European audit, six local demonstrations, four pilot infrastructure projects, comparative dossier and manual. Results: To create awareness of the need to set up a friendly, sustainable interface between citizens and their rivers, increasing awareness of the need for safeguards and careful development of urbanised river areas, updating and optimising local tools for use by specialists. Impacts: Local actions for future urban planning around rivers, raising the quality and attractiveness of urban areas along rivers and demonstrating the possibility of combining river safety with development of riverside territories.
Subspecific taxonomy of the desert locust,<i>Schistocerca gregaria</i>(Orthoptera: Acrididae), based on molecular and morphological characters

We evaluated the validity of the subspecific designation for Schistocerca gregaria gregaria (Forskal) and Schistocerca gregaria flaviventris (Burmeister), isolated in distinct regions along the north–south axis of Africa. Towards this goal, we assessed the variation of multiple morphological and molecular traits within species. We first used elliptic Fourier and landmark-based relative warps analyses to compare the size and shape of two internal and two external structures of male genitalia. We provide a discriminant function which classified the specimens with 100% accuracy and selected shape elements of the external structures only (cercus and epiproct). We also tested eight molecular markers, and because of either absence of variation or contamination by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-like sequences, we used a clone-and-sequence analysis of the standard cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial DNA barcode only. We differentiated 185 true mitochondrial sequences from 66 mitochondrial DNA-like sequences, most of which were from S. g. gregaria specimens. On the dataset of mitochondrial origin, we identified three characteristic point mutations that diagnosed the two allopatric subspecies with 94% accuracy. Minimum spanning network and parsimony tree analyses identified S. g. flaviventris as a monophyletic lineage distinct from the nominate subspecies. Accordingly, microsatellite data indicate rarely occurring admixture events only, showing that independent evolutionary history is the norm. (Resume d'auteur)
IMMUNOGENIC PEPTIDES WITH IMPROVED OXIDOREDUCTASE MOTIFS

The invention relates to immunogenic peptides comprising T-cell epitopes and oxidoreductase motifs with increased activity, and their use in regulating the immune response in subjects.
Developer companion for documented and annotated code reference

Software is everywhere and the productivity of Software Engineers has increased radically with the advent of new specification, design and programming paradigms and languages. The main objective of the project DECODER is to introduce radical solutions to increase productivity and by means of new languages that improve the situation by abstractions of the formalisms used today for requirements analysis and specification.  We will develop a methodology and tools to improve the productivity of the software development process for medium-criticality applications in the domains of IoT, Cloud Computing, and Operating Systems by combining Natural Language Processing techniques, Modelling techniques and Formal Methods. The combination is a novel approach that permits a smooth transition from informal requirements engineering to deployment and maintenance phases. A radical improvement is expected from the management and transformation of informal data into material (herein called ‘knowledge’) that can be assimilated by any party involved in a development process. Thus, the DECODER project will 1) introduce new languages to represent knowledge in a more abstract manner, 2) develop transformations leading from informal material into specifications and code and vice-versa, 3) define and prototype a Persistent Knowledge Monitor for managing all relevant knowledge, and 4) develop a prototype IDE. The project will automate the transformation steps using existing techniques from the Big Data (knowledge extraction), Model-Driven Engineering (knowledge representation and refinement), and Formal Methods (specifications and proofs). The project will produce a novel Framework combining these techniques and demonstrate its efficiency on several uses cases belonging to the beforehand mentioned domains. The project expects an average benefit of 20% in terms of efforts on these use-cases and will provide recommendations on how to generalise the approach to other medium-criticality domains.
Beta cell gaba secretion: route, physiological function, and potential for pharmacological modulation in diabetes therapy

According to the World Health Organisation, diabetes affects 422 million people worldwide, over 8% of the entire adult population. The progression of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is characterised by a decrease in the number and function of beta-cells within pancreatic islets. It has recently been demonstrated that the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is produced and secreted from beta cells, is able to slow and even reverse this loss of beta cell capacity. This finding has caused great excitement as treatments which directly address beta cell degeneration would revolutionise diabetes therapy. In order to realise this potential, it is essential that we understand the biogenesis, storage, and secretion of GABA in addition to its functional effects upon islet cells. I therefore propose to characterise a suggested route of GABA secretion from beta cells, assess its role in signalling between islet cells, and identify pharmacological modulators of GABA secretion. This study will be hosted by Patrik Rorsman (University of Gothenburg) with a secondment to AstraZeneca (Mölndal). This interdisciplinary study will combine my experience of applying cutting edge proteomics and genetic editing techniques to the study of protein trafficking with my host's world-leading expertise in islet cell physiology. Successful completion of the proposed work program will reveal fundamental details of islet GABA signalling and likely identify new therapeutic targets for the treatment of diabetes. Furthermore, during a cross-sectorial secondment to AstraZeneca I will carry out a high-throughput phenotypic screen to directly identify small molecule modulators of beta cell GABA secretion.