Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modern Human Origins and the Evolution of Behavior in the Later Pleistocene Record of South Asia1

The archaeological record of Later Pleistocene South Asia has a crucial role to play in our understanding of the evolution of modern human behavior and the dispersal of anatomically modern humans around the Old World. Later Pleistocene records of South Asia are here summarized and placed in the context of the modernhumanorigins debate. Aspects of the South Asian record share familiar traits with other regions of the Old World, but South Asia also appears to have its own adaptive features and material culture developments. The fluctuating environment during the Later Pleistocene would have influenced the adaptations of anatomically modern and archaic humans, affecting population size, movement, and the usefulness of cultural innovations. On the basis of prevailing genetic, archaeological, and biogeographic information, it is hypothesized that Homo sapiens colonized South Asia as part of an early southern dispersal from Africa. The effect of demographic processes on the rate and direction of cultural change is proposed as an explanation for the lack of a symbolic revolution signaling the arrival of anatomically modern humans on the Indian subcontinent. Instead, the Late Paleolithic represents a diversification of adaptive behaviors that may be traced to the Middle Paleolithic.
The mediation of in-group identification between collectivism and knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing has been highlighted as a desirable behavior in organizations since it contributes significantly to firms’ innovation and competitive advantage. One important way to promote knowledge sharing in organizations is through promoting employees’ collectivism, or collectivist orientation, as it is shown that employees’ collectivist orientation has positive effect on knowledge sharing through the partial mediating role of in-group identification. In this study, we want to follow on this cultural perspective on knowledge sharing by investigating how precisely collectivism affects knowledge sharing at the various dimensions that are known to constitute collectivism. Drawing on empirical data from a questionnaire survey with 512 knowledge sensitive Chinese employees, we have several findings. First, we highlight that collectivism affects knowledge sharing at its different dimensions. Secondly, we find that at different dimensions of collectivism in-group identification plays different mediating roles. Thirdly, we also find that at certain dimensions of collectivism, collectivism’s effect on the sharing of common and key knowledge is also different. Overall, our study enriches the cultural perspective on knowledge sharing by articulating in details how collectivism affects knowledge sharing through in-group identification.
Les conditions monétaires d'un développement local soutenable : des systèmes d'échange complémentaire aux monnaies subsidiaires

Cette these a pour objet d’evaluer les potentialites et les impacts des monnaies locales, sociales et complementaires au regard des enjeux poses par le developpement soutenable. La these adopte une approche socioeconomique et institutionnaliste, alimentee principalement par deux etudes de terrain sur les dispositifs du SOL Alpin (France) et de l’Accorderie (Quebec) pour obtenir des donnees quantitatives et qualitatives. Dans une approche bioeconomique et socioeconomique, un double enchâssement de l’economie dans le social et du social dans l’environnement est postule. A partir des resultats des enquetes et de l’analyse theorique, un schema monetaire a meme de favoriser le developpement local soutenable sera presente. Cet agencement propose, dans un depassement de l’approche en termes de complementarite, de poser les jalons d’une perspective relative a la subsidiarite monetaire c'est-a-dire un agencement monetaire relatif a chaque niveau d’action sur le territoire.
Autophagy Contributes to Nighttime Energy Availability for Growth in Arabidopsis1[W][OA]

Autophagic recycling of proteins supplies nighttime energy sources such as amino acids under conditions of limited sugar availability. Autophagy is an intracellular process leading to the vacuolar degradation of cytoplasmic components. Autophagic degradation of chloroplasts is particularly activated in leaves under conditions of low sugar availability. Here, we investigated the importance of autophagy in the energy availability and growth of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). autophagy-deficient (atg) mutants showed reduced growth under short-day conditions. This growth inhibition was largely relieved under continuous light or under short-day conditions combined with feeding of exogenous sucrose, suggesting that autophagy is involved in energy production at night for growth. Arabidopsis accumulates starch during the day and degrades it for respiration at night. Nighttime energy availability is perturbed in starchless mutants, in which a lack of starch accumulation causes a transient sugar deficit at night. We generated starchless and atg double mutants and grew them under different photoperiods. The double mutants showed more severe phenotypes than did atg or starchless single mutants: reduced growth and early cell death in leaves were observed when plants were grown under 10-h photoperiods. Transcript analysis of dark-inducible genes revealed that the sugar starvation symptoms observed in starchless mutants became more severe in starchless atg double mutants. The contents of free amino acids (AAs) increased, and transcript levels of several genes involved in AA catabolism were elevated in starchless mutant leaves. The increases in branched-chain AA and aromatic AA contents were partially compromised in starchless atg double mutants. We conclude that autophagy can contribute to energy availability at night by providing a supply of alternative energy sources such as AAs.
Capacity bounds for power- and band-limited optical intensity channels corrupted by Gaussian noise

We determine upper and lower bounds on the channel capacity of power- and bandwidth-constrained optical intensity channels corrupted by white Gaussian noise. These bounds are shown to converge asymptotically at high optical signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Unlike previous investigations on low-intensity Poisson photon counting channels, such as some fiber optic links, this channel model is realistic for indoor free space optical channels corrupted by intense ambient light. An upper bound on the capacity is found through a sphere-packing argument while a lower bound is computed through the maxentropic source distribution. The role of bandwidth is expressed by way of the effective dimension of the set of signals and, together with an average optical power constraint, is used to determine bounds on the spectral efficiency of time-disjoint optical intensity signaling schemes. The bounds show that, at high optical SNRs, pulse sets based on raised-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and prolate spheroidal wave functions have larger achievable maximum spectral efficiencies than traditional rectangular pulse basis sets. This result can be considered as an extension of previous work on photon counting channels which closely model low optical intensity channels with rectangular pulse shapes.
THE EFFECT OF THE CONTEXT OF LEARNING ON THE USE OF COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES BY LEARNERS OF SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

This study investigates the effect of the context of learning—“at home” (AH) classroom versus study abroad (SA)—on the number and types of communication strategies (CSs) used by learners of Spanish as a second language. Oral data from 46 learners—20 AH and 26 SA—were analyzed before and after the treatment period, to discern the effect of various factors on the learners' levels and choice of CS usage: type of CS category (L1 or L2 based, direct or interactional, and problem-orientedness [resource deficit, other performance, and self-performance]) and measures of language use. Posttest results showed a significant effect for context for CS categories and language use: Students in the SA context consistently used fewer CSs than their classroom counterparts, and their CS use correlated negatively with higher use of Spanish outside the classroom and with the host family. It is posited that the pragmatic exigencies of the AH and SA contexts may account for these findings.This research would not have been possible without the support of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), which sponsored this team project, headed by Barbara F. Freed and Norman Segalowitz, to study the effects of the SA experience on L2 learners. I am very grateful to the members of the CIEE project team: Joe Collentine, Barbara Freed, Norman Segalowitz, and Manuel Díaz-Campos, for their insightful commentary on earlier versions of this work. Special appreciation also goes to Nicole Lazar for her expert assistance with the methodology and data analysis sections of this paper. My sincere appreciation also goes to Julie Sykes, Rosalind Freeman, and Sharma Martineau, graduate students in Spanish SLA and applied linguistics at Arizona State University, for their assistance with the partial transcription and the coding of the CS data.
Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Repair in Selected Eukaryotic Aging Model Systems

Knowledge about the different mechanisms underlying the aging process has increased exponentially in the last decades. The fact that the basic mechanisms involved in the aging process are believed to be universal allows the use of different model systems, from the simplest eukaryotic cells such as fungi to the most complex organisms such as mice or human. As our knowledge on the aging mechanisms in those model systems increases, our understanding of human aging and the potential interventions that we could approach rise significantly. Among the different mechanisms that have been implicated in the aging process, DNA repair is one of the processes which have been suggested to play an important role. Here, we review the latest investigations supporting the role of these mechanisms in the aging process, stressing how beneficial the use of different model systems is. We discuss how human genetic studies as well as several investigations on mammalian models and simpler eukaryotic organisms have contributed to a better understanding of the involvement of DNA repair mechanisms in aging.
A novel angiotensin receptor subtype in rat mesangium. Coupling to adenylyl cyclase.

The diversity of angiotensin II (Ang II) actions implies multiple receptor subtypes. To characterize these subtypes in rat mesangial cells, we used the angiotensin subtype 1A (AT1A) antagonist losartan (DuP 753), the subtype 2/1B (AT2/AT1B) antagonist PD 123319, and the AT2 antagonist CGP 42112A in radioreceptor and adenylyl cyclase assays. In radioligand binding competition experiments, approximately 25% of the specific binding sites labeled by 125I-[Sar1]Ang II were inhibited by low concentrations of PD 123319 (0.1 to 10 nM), whereas the AT2 antagonist CGP 42112A was inactive at concentrations less than 0.1 microM. Conversely, losartan inhibited 75% of the binding at low concentrations (0.1 nM to 0.1 microM), but higher concentrations (up to 10 microM) were required to inhibit the second component of 125I-[Sar1]Ang II binding. The effects of the different antagonists on the inhibition by Ang II of forskolin-stimulated cyclic AMP production were also analyzed. Ang II inhibited forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase in a concentration-dependent fashion (IC50, 35 +/- 7 nM), and the maximal inhibition of adenylyl cyclase was 44 +/- 2%. In the radioligand binding experiments, both losartan and PD 123319 antagonized the inhibition of adenylyl cyclase elicited by 0.1 microM Ang II (IC50, 0.5 +/- 0.2 and 1.2 +/- 0.4 microM, respectively), whereas CGP 42112A was less potent (IC50, 5.7 +/- 1.6 microM). Comparison of binding affinities at AT1B receptor sites with antagonist potencies in the adenylyl cyclase assay show good agreement for losartan and CGP 42112A, whereas PD 123319 is less potent than expected from membrane binding assays, possibly because of partial agonist properties. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Penile prosthetic surgery for the management of Peyronie’s disease

With the increased prevalence of Peyronie’s disease (PD) among men, there is also an up-rise of associated erectile dysfunction (ED) which can be devastating psychologically and sexually to most men. A wide range of therapies including medical and surgical procedures are available to satisfactorily address this condition. However when ED coexists, the gold standard treatment is penile prosthetic prosthesis (PP) with or without additional straightening procedures. We herein systematically review the contemporary literature addressing the role of the PP in the management of PD with concomitant ED with particular emphasis on patient’s satisfaction, outcomes and safety.
Buufis amongst Somalis in Dadaab: the Transnational and Historical Logics behind Resettlement Dreams

The Somali wordbuufis is commonly used in the Kenyan refugee camps of Dadaab, referring to a person’s dream of resettlement. It is an ambiguous phenomenon, bringing hope and remittances into the camps but also removing investments from the region and, when the dream cannot be reached, sometimes having adverse psychological effects. Buufis is triggered by the fact that, due to transnational flows of remittances and information, refugees in remote camps like Dadaab can compare their lives in the camps to those of others elsewhere. This illustrates how the opportunities, constraints, hopes and dreams that refugees experience locally are often determined by transnational factors. Whereas the resettlement dreams analysed in this article are thus likely to occur in other contexts as well, it is argued that they are more intense and elaborate amongst refugee communities with a strong culture of migration, like the Somalis.
Murine Antithymocyte Globulin Therapy Alters Disease Progression in NOD Mice by a Time-Dependent Induction of Immunoregulation

OBJECTIVE—Antilymphocyte serum can reverse overt type 1 diabetes in NOD mice; yet, the therapeutic parameters and immunological mechanisms underlying the ability for this agent to modulate autoimmune responses against β-cells are unclear, forming the rationale for this investigation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A form of antilymphocyte serum, rabbit anti-mouse thymocyte globulin (mATG), was utilized in a variety of in vivo and in vitro settings, each for the purpose of defining the physiological, immunological, and metabolic activities of this agent, with particular focus on actions influencing development of type 1 diabetes. RESULTS—We observed that mATG attenuates type 1 diabetes development in an age-dependent fashion, only proving efficacious at disease onset or in the late pre-diabetic phase (12 weeks of age). When provided at 12 weeks of age, mATG reversed pancreatic insulitis, improved metabolic responses to glucose challenge, and rapidly increased frequency of antigen-presenting cells in spleen and pancreatic lymph nodes. Surprisingly, mATG therapy dramatically increased, in an age-dependent fashion, the frequency and the functional activity of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cells. Adoptive transfer/cotransfer studies of type 1 diabetes also support the concept that mATG treatment induces a stable and transferable immunomodulatory repertoire in vivo. CONCLUSIONS—These findings indicate that an induction of immunoregulation, rather than simple lymphocyte depletion, contributes to the therapeutic efficacy of antithymocyte globulin and suggest that time-dependent windows for the ability to delay or reverse type 1 diabetes exist based on the capacity to enhance the functional activity of regulatory T-cells.
Enhancement of Endotoxicity and Reactivity with Carbocyanine Dye by Sonication of Lipopolysaccharide

The specificity of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) in the carbocyanine dye reaction was investigated, and then a stoichiometric study of the dye‐LPS interaction was conducted with attention to the relationship of biological activities of LPS to the reactivity with the dye. Absorption maxima of some bacterial components in the dye reaction were as follows; LPS from both Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and lipid A from E. coli LPS, 465 nm; Shigella flexneri LPS, 460 nm; Salmonella minnesota R595 glycolipid, 470 nm; polysaccharide from E. coli LPS, 650 nm; yeast RNA, 620 nm; streptococcal M protein and pyrogenic exotoxin, 610 nm; and free fatty acids, 445–450 nm. The absorbance at 465 nm was increased approximately threefold by sonicating LPS for 1–3 min, which roughly paralleled the decrease in turbidity of the LPS aqueous solution. The Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) gelation activity of LPS increased 10‐fold when LPS was sonicated for 0.5–5 min, but it decreased to the control level after further treatment. This decrease, however, was overcome by sonication in the presence of 5 mmol of L‐ascorbic acid used as an antioxidant. The LAL gelation activity of LPS was inactivated in parallel with an increase in the ratio (w/w) of dye to LPS from 1.73 to 6.90 in the dye‐LPS mixture. Pyrogenicity of LPS was also clearly inactivated when the ratio was over 1.73. The ratios of the height of the β band at 465 nm (dye‐LPS complex) to that of the α band at 510 nm (free dye) were increased by sonicating LPS, indicating that the binding character, or stacking tendency, was increased by sonicating LPS.
Hepatitis E virus coinfection with hepatotropic viruses in Egyptian children.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Major hepatotropic viruses continue to be important causes of acute viral hepatitis in developing countries. This work was carried out to detect the seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) markers in children with acute viral hepatitis due to hepatotropic viruses (A, B and C) and non-A, non-B, non-C acute hepatitis, and to ascertain the influence of HEV superinfection in individuals infected with hepatitis viruses (A, B and C). METHODS We studied prospectively 162 children with sporadic acute hepatitis who reported to our hospital. Thirteen healthy controls were also included in the study. Laboratory investigations were performed, including complete liver function tests. Complete serological profiles for hepatitis viruses A, B, C and E were evaluated. RESULTS HEV immunoglobulin G was detected with highest percentage among patients with hepatitis B (56.7%), followed by patients with hepatitis C virus (52.0%), hepatitis A virus (34.1%) and combined hepatitis B and C viruses (30.0%). The detection rate among patients with non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis was 7.1%. HEV immunoglobulin M was found in 4.5% of hepatitis A virus patients and in 3.3% of hepatitis B patients. The prevalence of HEV immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M correlated with the levels of hepatic aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in patients with dual markers of infection with hepatitis E and other viruses compared to patients with acute hepatitis due to A and C viruses. CONCLUSIONS HEV serological markers are common among children with acute viral hepatitis, especially from hepatitis C and B viruses. There may be increased sensitivity to HEV coinfection in association with hepatitis B and C infections. Dual infection with HEV and other hepatotropic viruses was associated with greater elevation of aspartate and alanine aminotransferases.
Adolescent depression and school social support: a multilevel analysis of a Finnish sample

This study invokes the ecological approach to social support by examining how school social support relates to moderate or severe adolescent depression. School is seen as not only a place for supportive individual-level relationships, but also as a source of community support created by teachers and other students. The main purpose of the study is to examine whether school-level social support is related to adolescent depression and, if so, how much of the school-level differences in moderate or severe adolescent depression can be explained by school social support? The study is based on data included in the Finnish School Health Promotion Survey, which covers about 70% of Finnish 14- to 16-year-old adolescents. The data were collected in 2002–2003 and the analysis was conducted by employing multilevel logistic regression analysis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Human Kernel

Bayesian nonparametric models, such as Gaussian processes, provide a compelling framework for automatic statistical modelling: these models have a high degree of flexibility, and automatically calibrated complexity. However, automating human expertise remains elusive; for example, Gaussian processes with standard kernels struggle on function extrapolation problems that are trivial for human learners. In this paper, we create function extrapolation problems and acquire human responses, and then design a kernel learning framework to reverse engineer the inductive biases of human learners across a set of behavioral experiments. We use the learned kernels to gain psychological insights and to extrapolate in human-like ways that go beyond traditional stationary and polynomial kernels. Finally, we investigate Occam's razor in human and Gaussian process based function learning.
Explaining the IPV Arrest Decision: Incident, Agency, and Community Factors

Over the last half century in the United States, we have seen the criminal system become increasingly aggressive in its response to violence against intimate partners. Although policies have been implemented to encourage arrest, police continue to maintain discretion over whether or whom to arrest in cases of intimate partner violence (IPV). Using data from three national data sets, we examined the contributions of incident, agency, and community factors on the police arrest decisions, independently considering atypical cases of women arrested and dual arrest. The findings from this study reveal that incident factors account for the majority of the variance in arrest for single arrest cases, more so than factors associated with the particular police agency or the community in which the alleged crime occurred. The frequency of dual arrest is affected more by community factors. The findings from this study can be used to guide police training and local policies as well as to inform legislation designed to prevent variance in arrest based on sociodemographic and other extralegal factors.
Linking complex problem solving and general mental ability to career advancement: Does a transversal skill reveal incremental predictive validity?

Transversal skills, such as complex problem solving (CPS) are viewed as central twenty-first-century skills. Recent empirical findings have already supported the importance of CPS for early academic advancement. We wanted to determine whether CPS could also contribute to the understanding of career advancement later in life. Towards this end, we conducted a study (n = 245) at a large German automobile company in which we predicted career advancement and related criteria with CPS in addition to general mental ability (GMA). A computer-based assessment served as a measure of CPS. The dependent variables were the participants’ job level in accordance with the international standard classification for occupations (ISCO-08) and the number of professional training days as a proxy for lifelong learning efforts. The data were analysed using a structural equation modelling approach. CPS and GMA showed correlations (from .18 to .26, p < .01) with indicators of career advancement. All regression models showed good fit and indicated that CPS explained incremental variance in one of two indicators (β was .14 for trainings, p < .05). Our findings suggest an increment of CPS for predicting career advancement beyond GMA. Hence, CPS could complement GMA in methodologies for the study of professional development.