SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Short-day and melatonin effects on milking parameters, prolactin profiles and growth-hormone secretion in lactating sheep

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that elevated levels of melatonin in lactating sheep, simulated either by short-day conditions or by melatonin implants, would decrease milk yield while disturbing the rhythm of prolactin (PRL) and growth-hormone (GH) secretion. Eight weeks after lambing, lambs were weaned, and the ewes were subsequently used for milking. The ewes were divided into three groups: (i) long-day control group (LDC, n  = 20); (ii) long-day melatonin-treated group (LDM, n  = 20) and (iii) artificial short-day group (ASD, n  = 20). Milk yields were recorded individually at 10-day intervals from day 57 of lactation. Blood samples were drawn from the sheep every 28 days to monitor the changes in PRL and GH secretion. On each sampling date, blood samples were collected at 20-min intervals over a 6-h period beginning at 12:00 p.m. The plasma concentrations of PRL and GH were measured using radioimmunoassay. The longest duration of lactation was found in LDC sheep, and the shortest duration was found in LDM and ASD sheep ( p p  ≤ 0.01) less milk was obtained from the ASD group. The highest PRL concentration was found during the long-day period (from May to July) in LDC sheep. Prolactin concentration decreased with increasing duration of lactation and decreasing day length. The use of melatonin implants (LDM group) or artificial short-day conditions (ASD group) significantly ( p  ≤ 0.01) decreased PRL secretion and reduced milk yield as early as the beginning of milking. Growth-hormone concentrations were significantly ( p  ≤ 0.001) higher in LDC ewes than in LDM and ASD ewes. In contrast to the temporal profile of PRL secretion, GH concentrations decreased during the long-day period but increased as lactation progressed and day length shortened. Despite the considerable reduction in GH concentrations, the GH-secretion profile retained its characteristic seasonal rhythm. Therefore, we conclude that exogenous melatonin (from implants or induced by artificial photoperiod manipulation) decreases milk yield primarily through its effect on PRL concentrations in lactating ewes.
Structural hemoglobinopathies: Analysis of 128 cases and their relevance in the diabetic control

Hemoglobinopathies are monogenic disorders with autosomal recessive inheritance. In Europe, with increased migration flows these conditions are appearing more frequently in non-endemic regions. HbA1c testing is useful for evaluating long-term glycaemic status in diabetes mellitus patients. During HbA1c evaluation, other hemoglobin fractions are detected, such as structural hemoglobinopathies. The principal objective of this work is to study the incidence of structural hemoglobinopathies in our area and their management. Total population of 65,000 patients for glycaemic monitoring was evaluated with HPLC equipment (HPLC-ARKRAY® ADAMS, Menarini Diagnostics, Italy). This equipment quantifies different hemoglobin fractions. We identified a total of 128 variants, representing an incidence with respect to the study population of 0.19% (1.97‰). Most (69) were identified in the foreign population, and the most frequent variant identified was heterozygous S hemoglobinopathy. In six families, structural hemoglobinopathy was identified. Three patients with HbS/HbS were detected. Primary Health Centers were the origin of an important part of these variants (82). Our study describes a low incidence for structural variants compared with the estimated incidence in Spain. These variants can interfere with HbA1c testing. In these cases, glycated protein study is an appropriate alternative to monitor diabetic therapy. Las hemoglobinopatías son trastornos monogénicos de herencia autosómica recesiva. En Europa se están incrementando los flujos migratorios, con mayor frecuencia de estas alteraciones en regiones no endémicas. La determinación del valor HbA1c es útil para evaluar el estatus glucémico a largo plazo en pacientes diabéticos. Durante la evaluación de la HbA1c, se detectan otras fracciones de la hemoglobina, tales como las hemoglobinopatías estructurales. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue estudiar la incidencia de hemoglobinopatías estructurales en nuestra zona, así como su manejo. Se evaluó la monitorización glucémica en una población total de 65.000 pacientes utilizando el equipo HPLC (HPLC-ARKRAY® ADAMS, Menarini Diagnostics, Italia), el cual cuantifica diferentes fracciones de la hemoglobina. Identificamos un total de 128 variantes, que representan una incidencia con respecto a la población de estudio del 0,19% (1,97‰). La mayoría de ellas (69) fueron identificadas en la población extranjera, siendo el heterocigoto hemoglobina S la variante más frecuente. En 6 familias se identificaron hemoglobinopatías estructurales. Se detectaron 3 pacientes con HbS/HbS. Los centros de atención primaria fueron el origen de una parte importante de estas variantes (82). Nuestro estudio describe una baja incidencia de variantes estructurales, en comparación con la incidencia estimada en España. Dichas variantes pueden interferir en la determinación del valor de la HbA1c. En dichos casos el estudio de las proteínas glicosiladas es una alternativa adecuada para supervisar la terapia diabética.
European Welfare Network 

The project envisages the establishment of a network to exchange skills and knowledge concerning the professional figures in the field of
social services planning, implementation and management: operators and social workers within institutions and associations; central and decentralized public administration managers, and social economy enterprise operators. A social services decentralisation process based on a “mix” of different welfare systems will be also discussed in detail during a specific work session together with public administration operators and the bodies working in the civil society.
Distribuição e diversidade da flora vascular em cinco remanescentes naturais de Alagoas: síntese do conhecimento atual

&lt;p&gt;O Estado de Alagoas apresenta remanescentes naturais extremamente importantes e representativos quanto à biodiversidade. Entretanto, nota-se uma carência de levantamentos florísticos neste Estado, o que pode dificultar a elaboração de políticas de conservação. Diante disso, esse trabalho foi realizado com o intuito de listar as espécies de plantas vasculares ocorrentes em cinco áreas de remanescentes em Alagoas. Foram selecionadas cinco áreas: Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Placas, Parque Municipal de Maceió, Estação Ecológica (ESEC) de Murici, ESEC Curral do Meio e Fragmento Varrela. O inventário florístico foi compilado a partir de bibliografia, dados secundários e expedições botânicas. O relacionamento florístico entre os remanescentes foi avaliado a partir de análises de similaridade florística. Os resultados revelaram a existência de 501 espécies, das quais seis espécies estão ameaçadas de extinção. As famílias com o maior número de espécies foram Fabaceae (75 spp.), Rubiaceae (36 spp.) e Malvaceae e Myrtaceae (21 spp. cada). A maioria das espécies (73%) possui distribuição geográfica restrita, i.e., confinadas a um único remanescente. Foram observados valores baixos de similaridade florística (0.20), provavelmente explicados por heterogeneidade ambiental e distância geográfica. A presença de espécies ameaçadas de extinção e a singularidade florística observada reforçam a necessidade de conservação desses remanescentes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
TERRESTRIAL LASER SCANNING FOR COASTAL GEOMORPHOLOGIC RESEARCH IN WESTERN GREECE

Abstract. We used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) for (i) accurate volume estimations of dislocated boulders moved by high-energy impacts and for (ii) monitoring of annual coastal changes. In this contribution, we present three selected sites in Western Greece that were surveyed during a time span of four years (2008-2011). The Riegl LMS-Z420i laser scanner was used in combination with a precise DGPS system (Topcon HiPer Pro). Each scan position and a further target were recorded for georeferencing and merging of the point clouds. For the annual detection of changes, reference points for the base station of the DGPS system were marked. Our studies show that TLS is capable to accurately estimate volumes of boulders, which were dislocated and deposited inland from the littoral zone. The mass of each boulder was calculated from this 3D-reconstructed volume and according density data. The masses turned out to be considerably smaller than common estimated masses based on tape-measurements and according density approximations. The accurate mass data was incorporated into wave transport equations, which estimate wave velocities of high-energy impacts. As expected, these show smaller wave velocities, due to the incorporated smaller mass. Furthermore, TLS is capable to monitor annual changes on coastal areas. The changes are detected by comparing high resolution digital elevation models from every year. On a beach site, larger areas of sea-weed and sandy sediments are eroded. In contrast, bigger gravel with 30-50 cm diameter was accumulated. At the other area with bigger boulders and a different coastal configuration only slightly differences were detectable. In low-lying coastal areas and along recent beaches, post-processing of point clouds turned out to be more difficult, due to noise effects by water and shadowing effects. However, our studies show that the application of TLS in different littoral settings is an appropriate and promising tool. The combination of both instruments worked well and the annual positioning procedure with own survey point is precose for this purpose.
Challenges and Opportunities in Self-Managing Scientific Databases

Advances in observation instruments and abundance of computational power for simulations encourage scientists to gather and produce unprecedented amounts of increasingly complex data. Organizing data automatically to enable efficient and unobstructed access is pivotal for the scientists. Organizing these vast amounts of complex data, however, is particularly difficult for scientists who have little experience in data management; hence they spend considerable amounts of time dealing with data analysis and computing problems rather than answering scientific questions or developing new hypotheses. Therefore scientific experiments are in many ways ideal targets for research in self-managing database systems. In this paper, we describe challenges and opportunities for research in automating scientific data management. We first discuss the problems faced in particular scientific domains using concrete examples of large-scale applications from neuroscience and high-energy physics. As we will show, the scientific questions are evolving ever more rapidly while datasets size and complexity increases. Scientists struggle to organize a reorganize the data whenever their hypothesis change and therefore their queries & their data changes as well. We identify research challenges in large-scale scientific data management related to self-management. By addressing these research challenges we can relieve the burden of organizing the data off the scientists, thereby ensuring that they can access it in the most efficient way and ultimately enabling the scientists to focus on their science.
Construction and demolition waste recycling: an application for road construction

One of the applications of recycled aggregates from construction and demolition processes is the construction of embankments, subbases and foundations for roads where unbound materials are used in replacement for natural aggregates. This work focuses on studying the development of the stiffness of recycled materials during construction, as well as how it modifies over time. The study assessed also the correlation between testing systems. A purpose-built experimental embankment with four sections of different recycled materials was built and tested. Fields were made from two structural layers, forming a homogenous thickness of about 80 cm. The compaction and testing took place using the Continuous Compaction Control technique, obtaining bearing capacity records during the embankment construction phases. The structural performance of the embankment was also determined using different types of light-weight deflectometers. The results show that recycled aggregates perform well when properly compacted and may ...
Real-Time Precise Point Positioning (RTPPP) with raw observations and its application in real-time regional ionospheric VTEC modeling

Precise Point Positioning (PPP) is an absolute positioning technology mainly used in post data processing. With the continuously increasing demand for real-time high-precision applications in positioning, timing, retrieval of atmospheric parameters, etc., Real-Time PPP (RTPPP) and its applications have drawn more and more research attention in recent years. This study focuses on the models, algorithms and ionospheric applications of RTPPP on the basis of raw observations, in which high-precision slant ionospheric delays are estimated among others in real time. For this purpose, a robust processing strategy for multi-station RTPPP with raw observations has been proposed and realized, in which real-time data streams and State-Space-Representative (SSR) satellite orbit and clock corrections are used. With the RTPPP-derived slant ionospheric delays from a regional network, a real-time regional ionospheric Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) modeling method is proposed based on Adjusted Spherical Harmonic Functions and a Moving-Window Filter. SSR satellite orbit and clock corrections from different IGS analysis centers are evaluated. Ten globally distributed real-time stations are used to evaluate the positioning performances of the proposed RTPPP algorithms in both static and kinematic modes. RMS values of positioning errors in static/kinematic mode are 5.2/15.5, 4.7/17.4 and 12.8/46.6 mm, for north, east and up components, respectively. Real-time slant ionospheric delays from RTPPP are compared with those from the traditional Carrier-to-Code Leveling (CCL) method, in terms of function model, formal precision and between-receiver differences of short baseline. Results show that slant ionospheric delays from RTPPP are more precise and have a much better convergence performance than those from the CCL method in real-time processing. 30 real-time stations from the Asia-Pacific Reference Frame network are used to model the ionospheric VTECs over Australia in real time, with slant ionospheric delays from both RTPPP and CCL methods for comparison. RMS of the VTEC differences between RTPPP/CCL method and CODE final products is 0.91/1.09 TECU, and RMS of the VTEC differences between RTPPP and CCL methods is 0.67 TECU. Slant Total Electron Contents retrieved from different VTEC models are also validated with epoch-differenced Geometry-Free combinations of dual-frequency phase observations, and mean RMS values are 2.14, 2.33 and 2.07 TECU for RTPPP method, CCL method and CODE final products, respectively. This shows the superiority of RTPPP-derived slant ionospheric delays in real-time ionospheric VTEC modeling.
Semi-analytical and semi-numerical method for calculating the vibration characteristics of structure excited by turbulent boundary layer

A semi-analytical and semi-numerical method for calculating the vibration characteristic of structure excited by turbulent boundary layer based on random excitation theory is presented.The power spectra density expression of the excitation caused by turbulent boundary layer given by Corcos is dispersed into matrix form as input.Combined with the frequency response function matrix considering fluid-structure interaction calculated by FEM/BEM methods,the power spectral density of the structure velocity is calculated.The numeric method result is quite identical with the analytical method mentioned in references,proving the numeric one to be correct.Thus,this method is used to calculate the vibro-acoustic characteristic of single cylindrical shells excited by turbulent boundary layer.The result shows that this semi-analytical and semi-numerical method is quite suitable for solving practical engineer projects the structure of which has a simple and regular outer shape but has quite complicated inner structures such as machinery,pipe system and so on.
Linking Urban and Inner-Alpine Green Infrastructure - Multifunctional Ecosystem Services for more liveable territories

By recognising the pressures on Alpine ecosystems and the services they deliver to wider areas beyond mountain regions, the project aims to strengthen the link between mountain ecosystems and urban centres at the foot of the Alps, based on sound economic and social exchanges.
The project aims to recognise and valorise the joint benefits deriving from a GI network between mountain/rural and urban areas as well as their potential for sustainable economic development, based on natural capital and ecosystem services that participate in assuring higher quality of life & better urban environments to people living in urban centres.
Based on sound experience on ESS, GIs and town-networks, the project aims at:
a) making policy makers aware of alpine ecosystems, GIs & the services they deliver to urban areas;
b) identifying & assessing the economic, environmental and social benefits delivered by alpine ESS through GIs to urban centres and metropolitan areas;
c) developing business models to seize the market potential of conserving & enhancing rural ESS/GIs & mobilise financial resources (e.g. through public-private partnerships) in their support;
d) sharing on the transnational level knowledge on alpine/rural ecosystems/GIs & effective techniques for their maintenance & enhancement;
e) providing tools to match demand & supply of alpine ESS in regional, metropolitan & urban markets.
Results are achieved by running tests & implementing actions in pilot-regions in 6 Alpine countries, where different GIs linking urban to mountain/rural areas are addressed, by also considering GIs’ identity & cultural values
LUIGI aims to implement the EUSALP political declaration of Alpine States and Regions on “Alpine GIs” (2017) calling for setting up transnational pilot projects addressing EU-relevant GIs. LUIGI also aligns to the thematic actions of the Green Economy Action Plan of the Alpine Convention, adopted by the 15th Alpine Conference (2019).
Device to secure an electronic equipment box to a tray.

Dispositif assurant la tenue d'un boîtier d'équipements électroniques sur un plateau.La présente invention concerne un dispositif assurant la tenue d'un boîtier (1) d'équipements électroniques sur un plateau (10) constitué d'un fond (11), d'une plaque-arrière verticale (12) munie de la partie mâle (15) d'un connecteur, et de deux flancs latéraux (13), dispositif comportant au moins un verrou (20) situé à l'avant du plateau et relié mécaniquement à la face avant (2) du boîtier (1), caractérisé en ce qu'il comporte un moyen de blocage latéral du boîtier et/ou un moyen de blocage longitudinal.Application aux boîtiers d'équipements montés sur des plateaux d'avions.
Guinea pig neutrophil–macrophage interactions during infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

We examined the ability of recombinant guinea pig IL-8 (CXCL8) to activate neutrophils upon infection with virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Using a Transwell insert culture system, contact-independent cell cultures were studied in which rgpIL-8-treated neutrophils were infected with virulent M. tuberculosis in the upper well, and AM were cultured in the lower well. IL-1β and TNF-α mRNA expression was significantly upregulated by AM. Neutralizing anti-rgpTNF-α polyclonal antibody abrogated the response of AM to supernatants from the rgpIL-8-treated, infected neutrophils, while an anti-rgpIL-8 polyclonal antibody had no effect. This suggests that TNF-α produced by rgpIL-8 treated, infected neutrophils may play an important role in the activation of AM in the early response of the host against M. tuberculosis infection. Significant induction of apoptosis in M. tuberculosis-infected neutrophils was observed as compared to the uninfected neutrophils. Feeding of infected, apoptotic neutrophils to AM induced a significant up-regulation of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA compared to AM exposed to staurosporine-treated apoptotic neutrophils. Suppressed intracellular mycobacterial growth was also seen in AM fed with infected, apoptotic neutrophils as compared to the AM infected with M. tuberculosis H37Rv alone. Taken together, these data suggest that neutrophil-macrophage interactions may contribute to host defense against M. tuberculosis infection.
Imaging nucleic acid metabolism in cells

In this project I, Pawan Kumar, a Nucleic Acid Chemist seek to team up with a pioneer in Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Biology (Professor Tom Brown) to carry out a highly interdisciplinary study at the University of Oxford to obtain deeper insights into DNA and RNA synthesis and metabolism in living cells and its application to cancer research. I propose to detect and quantify nucleic acid synthesis in proliferating cells by fluorescence without the requirement for toxic metal ions or antibodies. Earlier known methods such as [3H]thymidine and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labelling are either slow and labour intensive or require the use of harsh conditions. Incorporation of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine into newly synthesized DNA  and its subsequent detection with an azide derivative of a fluorescent dye under copper catalyzed alkyne azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction conditions presents a better alternative. However, cytotoxicity of copper salts restricts its use for living cells. I will use the strain promoted alkyne azide cycloaddition reaction, Diels-Alder reaction, and inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction to study cellular DNA and RNA. None of these reactions require the use of toxic metal salts. I will develop the conditions under which both DNA and RNA will be stable, so that it will be possible to isolate intact fluorescent nucleic acids from cells for detailed analysis. I will prepare the modified nucleosides and use them to label newly synthesized DNA and RNA in cells enabling their detection by reaction with fluorophores by using metal free click ligation reactions. The study will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms regulating DNA replication and the interplay between transcription and DNA replication. In the project  I will develop techniques to provide information on the toxic effect of antimetabolites used commonly in anti-cancer therapies, and for identifying the mechanisms of viral replication and understanding the viral life cycle.