Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aliso: a Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Rosaceous Chamaebatiaria-like Foliage from the Paleogene of Western North America Rosaceous Chamaebatiaria-like Foliage from the Paleogene of Western North America

Chamaebatiaria and Chamaebatia, two characteristic genera of the Californian floristic province, are traditionally placed in different subfamilies of Rosaceae , Spiraeoideae and Rosoideae, respect ively. Analysis of the foliar and reproductive characters of the extant species of these genera indicates that the two genera could be closely related and the assignment of Chamaebatia to Rosoideae invalid. Fossil leaves of lineages of both genera occur in the Paleogene montane floras of the Rocky Mountain region and provide evidence that the two lineages diverged from a common ancestor in the Eocene. The common ancestor probably was adapted to sunny habitats in mesic coniferous forest , and , during the post-Eocene, the two lineages were able to adapt to progressively drier climates. A third extant genus, the east Asian Sorbaria, also appears to be closely related to the California genera and to have been derived from the same common ancestor. New taxa and combinations proposed are: St onebergia columbiana. n. gen.
Eocene-Oligocene paleoceanographic changes in the stratotype section, Massignano, Italy: Clues from rock magnetism and stable isotopes

[1] We have conducted high-resolution paleomagnetic and rock magnetic studies, in addition to stable isotope analyses of the Massignano sedimentary section, which is the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. Our research builds upon the many past studies of the Massignano section in seeking to understand the timing and nature of the paleoenvironmental variations that occurred during the transition for the Earth's climate system from greenhouse to icehouse. The new paleomagnetic results provide a refined magnetostratigraphy of the section and new age for the Eocene-Oligocene boundary at 33.7 Ma. Abrupt and large alternations in magnetic, concentration, composition, and grain sizes that occur in the high-resolution rock magnetic record are interpreted to be the result of rapid bimodal shifts in deep-sea circulation that affect sediment sources or transport. We speculate that currents flowing through the gateway between the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans may have turned on and off as the gateway was progressively closing, resulting in the deposition of two different assemblages of magnetic minerals at Massignano. Finally, stable isotope (δ18O and δ13C) data collected on ostracod valves also suggest significant changes in sea bottom circulation in the Neo-Tethys Ocean at and about 2 m.y. before the Eocene-Oligocene boundary.
Instabilities of string vacua and cosmological spacetimes

Recent studies of gravitational low-energy effective theories have revealed that high-energy quantum gravity effects do not always decouple at low energies. This suggests that quantum gravity might have universal low-energy predictions. In this thesis, we study quantum gravity in the context of extremal black holes, anti-de Sitter space and de Sitter space. In particular, we investigate the consequences of these effects on low-energy effective theories. We find that quantum effects allow nonsupersymmetric extremal black holes to decay by emitting a charged state when the Weak Gravity Conjecture is satisfied. This implies that the near-horizon anti-de Sitter space can also decay with a probability that is set by the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of the extremal black hole. Next, we focus our attention on de Sitter space and argue that the quantum state that describes the expansion of our universe is given by a previously unexplored state: the Unruh-de Sitter state. We explicitly construct this state and show that it breaks some of the de Sitter isometries. As a result, backreaction effects put a fundamental bound on the lifetime of an expanding universe in the Unruh-de Sitter state given by the Gibbons-Hawking entropy. Finally, we study supersymmetry breaking in de Sitter space in the context of string theory. We show that in the KKLT scenario anti-D3-branes break supersymmetry spontaneously, which supports the claim that this construction gives rise to metastable de Sitter vacua.
In Situ Measurement of Glutamate Concentrations in the Periportal, Intermediate, and Pericentral Zones of Rat Liver

We developed a quantitative histochemical assay for measurement of local glutamate concentrations in cryostat sections of rat liver. Deamination of glutamate by glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was coupled to the production of formazan and formazan precipitation was used for colorimetric visualization. The method was tested and validated with gelatin model sections with known glutamate concentrations. Calibration graphs showed linear relationships with high correlation coefficients (>96%) between glutamate concentrations or section thickness and absorbance values. The method was reproducible, with a constant percentage of 60 ± 5% of glutamate being converted in gelatin model sections containing glutamate concentrations of 2 mM and higher. Glutamate concentrations were estimated in periportal, intermediate, and pericentral zones of liver lobules that contain low, intermediate, and high GDH activity, respectively. In fed adult male rat livers, periportal zones contained the highest concentrations of glutamate (∼14 mM) and intermediate and pericentral zones ∼13 and 9 mM, respectively. On starvation, glutamate concentrations increased only in the small rim of pericentral cells that express glutamine synthetae, to ∼15 mM. In livers of fetal and newborn rats, glutamate was homogeneously distributed, with a concentration of ∼5 mM. In suckling rat liver, distribution of glutamate was still homogeneous but the concentration was increased to ∼8 mM. These glutamate distribution patterns were in agreement with those detected immunohistochemically.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Instruction sequences expressing multiplication algorithms

For each function on bit strings, its restriction to bit strings of any given length can be computed by a ﬁnite instruction sequence that contains only instructions to set and get the content of Boolean registers, forward jump instructions, and a termination instruction. We describe instruction sequences of this kind that compute the function on bit strings that models multiplication on natural numbers less than 2 N with respect to their binary representation by bit strings of length N , for a ﬁxed but arbitrary N > 0, according to the long multiplication algorithm and the Karatsuba multiplication algorithm. One of the results obtained is that the instruction sequence expressing the former algorithm is longer than the one expressing the latter algorithm only if the length of the bit strings involved is greater than 2 8 . We also go into the use of an instruction sequence with backward jump instructions for expressing the long multiplication algorithm. This leads to an instruction sequence that it is shorter than the other two if the length of the bit strings involved is greater than 2.
THE IMPACT OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON TURNOVER , PRODUCTIVITY , AND CORPORATE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

This study comprehensively evaluated the links between systems of High Performance Work Practices and firm performance. Results based on a national sample of nearly one thousand firms indicate that these practices have an economically and statistically significant impact on both intermediate employee outcomes (turnover and productivity) and shortand long-term measures of corporate financial performance. Support for predictions that the impact of High Performance Work Practices on firm performance is in part contingent on their interrelationships and links with competitive strategy was limited.
A R T I C L E I N T R O D U C T I O N

TRPM2 belongs to the melastatin-related subfamily of transient receptor potential proteins (Nagamine et al., 1998) and forms a cation-selective ion channel, which is permeable to Na + , K + , and Ca 2+ (Perraud et al., 2001 ; Sano et al., 2001). It is abundantly expressed in the brain and in immune cells of the monocytic lineage and is activated under conditions of oxidative stress. TRPM2 activity plays important roles in the respiratory burst of neutrophil granulocytes and macrophages and in delayed neuronal cell death after ischemic stroke (for review see Nilius et al., 2007). The TRPM2 protein is 1,503 amino acids long (Nagamine et al., 1998) and forms homotetrameric channels (Maruyama et al., 2007). In addition to the canonical TRPM family sequences, TRPM2 contains a 270 – amino acid C-terminal NUDT9-H domain homologous to the ubiquitous mitochondrial NUDT9 enzyme that hydro-lyzes ADP ribose (ADPR) into AMP and ribose-5-phosphate (Perraud et al., 2001). TRPM2 channel currents are activated by intracellular ADPR and the isolated NUDT9-H domain is an active ADPR hydrolase (Perraud et al., 2001 , 2003). Many other adenine nucleotides Correspondence to L á szl ó Csan á dy: l a s z l o. c s a n a d y @ e o k. s o t e. h u Abbreviations used in this paper: have been implicated in channel regulation (Kolisek et al., 2005 ; Beck et al., 2006 ; Grubisha et al., 2006); and oxi-dative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) also leads to TRPM2 activation in intact, TRPM2-expressing cells, although it is still a matter of debate whether H 2 O 2 acts directly on TRPM2 or by perturbing adenine nucleotide metabolism (Wehage et al., 2002 ; Perraud et al., 2005 ; Buelow et al., 2008). Early work has shown that activation of TRPM2 by ADPR is strongly potentiated by Ca 2+ (Perraud et al., 2001). Biochemical studies have shown that calmodulin (CAM) binds to the TRPM2 protein; thus, CAM might be involved in the Ca 2+ regulation of channel activity (Tong et al., 2006). Both intra-and extracellular Ca 2+ enhance TRPM2 currents in whole-cell patch-clamp experiments, but intracellular Ca 2+ plays a more prominent role (McHugh et al., 2003). A recent extensive study on Ca 2+ dependence of TRPM2 whole-cell currents has led to the postulation of an extracellular Ca 2+-binding site on the channel that is involved in …
The Impact of Working Capital Management on Firm Profitability in Different Business Cycles: Evidence from Finland

The recent economic downturn of 2007–2008 has brought renewed focus on working capital policies. In this paper we examine the role of business cycles on the working capital–profitability relationship using a sample of Finnish listed companies over an 18-year period. We find the impact of business cycle on the working capital–profitability relationship is more pronounced in economic downturns relative to economic booms. We further show that the significance of efficient inventory management and accounts receivables conversion periods increase during periods of economic downturns. Our results demonstrate that active working capital management matters and, thus, should be included in firms’ financial planning.
The Impact of Working Capital Management upon Companies ’ Profitability : Evidence from European FEP WORKING

Companies can use working capital management as an approach to influence their profitability. This paper studies the impact of wor king capital management and its components upon the profitability of European compa nies. Cash Conversion Cycle is used as a comprehensive measure for working capital management and Gross Operating Profitability used as a measure for profitability. This study is based on a sample of 2,974 non financial companies listed in 11 Europe an Stock Exchanges for a period of 12 years: 1998 2009. The results of GLS and OLS r egression analysis found a significant negative relationship between Receivabl es Collection Period, Inventory Conversion Period, Payables Deferral Period, Cash C onversion Cycle and profitability. This suggests that companies can improve their prof itability by reducing the time span during which working capital is tied up within the company. An inverse relationship between liquidity measured by Current Ratio and profitability was also found and an additional analysis revealed that different levels of liquidity lead to differentiated impacts of the Cash Conversion Cy cle upon operating profitability.
Electric Power Consumption Prediction from Scarce Dataset with Entropy-Based Subset Selection Regression Tree (e-ss RT)

In this paper, the problem of predicting the electrical power consumption and deriving a monthly power consumption plan for a building from a scarce dataset is considered. To solve this problem, a novel prediction method is introduced based on the concept of entropy-based subset selection and the regression tree algorithm to generate a precise model for predicting the power consumption, provided that there are numerous missing data points in the dataset. An experimental setup has shown that the proposed algorithm can precisely predict the power consumption inside a real structure with an accuracy up to 92%. Furthermore, the algorithm can provide information whenever there is an indication of power waste inside the structure.
High-Temperature Granite Magmatism, Crust–Mantle Interaction and the Mesoproterozoic Intracontinental Evolution of the Musgrave Province, Central Australia

The Musgrave Province lies at the convergence of major structural trends formed during the Proterozoic amalgamation of the North, West and South Australian Cratons prior to c. 1290 Ma. The Musgrave Orogeny, one of three Mesoproterozoic orogenies to affect the province, produced the granites of the Pitjantjatjara Supersuite, which dominate the outcrop. This orogeny was an intracontinental and dominantly extensional event in which ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) conditions persisted from c. 1220 to c. 1120 Ma. The onset of UHT conditions is heralded by a change from low-Yb granites to voluminous Yb-enriched granites, reflecting a rapid decrease in crustal thickness. The Pitjantjatjara granites are ferroan, calc-alkalic to alkali-calcic rocks and include charnockites with an orthopyroxene-bearing primary mineralogy. They were emplaced at temperatures ≥1000°C from c. 1220 to c. 1150 Ma. Their geochemical and Nd and Hf isotopic homogeneity over a scale of >15 000 km 2 reflects a similarly homogeneous source. This source included an old enriched felsic crustal component. However, the bulk source was mafic to intermediate in composition. The long-lived UHT regime, and thermal limits on the amount of crust sustainable below the level of intrusion, indicates a significant (>50%) mantle-derived source component. However, a positive correlation between Mg-number and F suggests that many Pitjantjatjara granites formed through the breakdown of F-rich biotite in a crustal granulite. We suggest that under- and intraplated mafic magmas assimilated the limited available felsic crust into lower crustal MASH (melting, assimilation, storage, homogenization) domains. These partially cooled but were remobilized during subsequent under- and intra-plating events to produce the Pitjantjatjara granites. The duration of UHT conditions is inconsistent with a mantle plume. It reflects an intracontinental lithospheric architecture where the Musgrave Province was rigidly fixed at the nexus of three thick cratonic masses. This ensured that any asthenospheric upwelling was focused beneath the province, providing a constant supply of both heat and mantle-derived magma.
Preliminary soil-slip susceptibility maps, southwestern California

This data set maps the soil-slip susceptibility for several areas in southwestern California. Created using Environmental Systems Research Institute's ARC/INFO software, the data base consists of raster maps containing grid cells coded with soil- slip susceptibility values. In addition, the data set includes the following graphic and text products: (1) postscript graphic plot files containing the soil-slip susceptibility map, topography, cultural data, and a key of the colored map units, and (2) PDF and text files of the Readme (including the metadata file as an appendix) and accompanying text, and a PDF file of the plot files. Intense winter rains commonly generated debris flows in upland areas of southwestern California. These debris flows initiate as small landslides referred to as soil slips. Most of the soil slips mobilize into debris flows that travel down slope at varying speeds and distances. The debris flows can be a serious hazard to people and structures in their paths. The soil-slip susceptibility maps identify those natural slopes most likely to be the sites of soil slips during periods of intense winter rainfall. The maps were largely derived by extrapolation of debris-flow inventory data collected from selected areas of southwestern California. Based on spatial analyses of soil slips, three factors in addition to rainfall, were found to be most important in the origin of soil slips. These factors are geology, slope, and aspect. Geology, by far the most important factor, was derived from existing geologic maps. Slope and aspect data were obtained from 10-meter digital elevation models (DEM). Soil-slip susceptibility maps at a scale of 1:24,000 were derived from combining numerical values for geology, slope, and aspect on a 10-meter cell size for 128 7.5' quadrangles and assembled on 1:100,000-scale topographic maps. The resultant maps of relative soil-slip susceptibility represent the best estimate generated from available debris-flow inventory maps and DEM data.
Unity in diversity: morphological and genetic variability, integrative systematics, and phylogeography of the widespread nudibranch mollusc Onchidoris muricata

Onchidoris muricata (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia: Onchidorididae) is a well-known nudibranch species, which has a wide amphiboreal range confirmed by molecular data. However, O. muricata shows a high degree of variation in external morphology among distant populations, which may indicate the presence of cryptic diversity within this species. There are also two closely related species with an unconfirmed taxonomic status, which were recently described from the northwestern Pacific based on morphological data. In this paper we study the taxonomic status and population structure of O. muricata based on an integrative approach combining morphological and molecular data and using O. muricata as a model we explore issues of boreal marine fauna connectivity and glaciation-driven isolation. The external morphology, spicule composition, and features of the buccal armature and the reproductive system were studied using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and mCT scan technology. The molecular study included various population genetic analyses as well as divergence time estimation and ancestral area reconstruction analyses. Onchidoris muricata represents a true amphiboreal species, which shows a high degree of heterogeneity in morphological characters, especially in the radular morphology and in features of the reproductive system. Our new data question the validity of the North-West Pacific species O. macropompa and O. pavli as the morphology of both these species fall within the phenotypic diversity of O. muricata. Although our sampling does not include the type localities of these two species, the observed morphological variability in O. muricata and the lack of molecular data for the North Pacific species O. macropompa and O. pavli suggest the latter two species are in fact part of O. muricata morphological diversity. Phylogeographic analyses indicate a genetic separation of the North Pacific and North Atlantic-Arctic populations of O. muricata, suggesting restricted gene flow between these areas. We show that this divergence may be a result of glacial cycles during the late Pleistocene, which were a key factor in the reduction of gene flow across the Arctic Ocean. Our molecular results also suggest that the White Sea population experienced a bottleneck event during the last Glacial Maximum.
Repomys (Mammalia: Rodentia Gen. Nov.) from the Late Neogene of California and Nevada

ABSTRACT Repomys is a new genus of hypsodont cricetine from the late Neogene of California and Nevada. Three new species define its known temporal and geographic distribution: Repomys gustelyi n. sp. (type species), late Hemphillian, Mojave Desert, California; Repomys maxumi n. sp. , early Blancan, San Francisco Bay area, California; and Repomys panacaensis n. sp. , middle Blancan, southeastern Nevada. Repomys resembles the “wood rats” in development of hypsodonty, but this resemblance is the result of parallel evolution. The dental morphology of Repomys is much more similar to Nelsonia neotomodon Merriam from the living fauna of Mexico, and this similarity suggests an ancestor-descendant relationship.
Impact of Natural Disasters on Education Outcomes: Evidence from the 1987–89 Locust Plague in Mali

This paper estimates the long-run impact of a large income shock based on regional variations in the 1987–89 locust plague in Mali. We take comprehensive population census data to construct birth cohorts of individuals and compare those born and living in the years and villages affected by locust plagues with other cohorts. We find a clear, strong impact on the educational outcomes of children living in rural areas, but no impact at all on children living in urban areas. School enrolment by boys born or less than four at the time of shock is found to be affected. School enrolment by boys born in 1987–88, the main infestation years, is found to be hardest hit by the plagues. However, although the impact on school enrolment figures is greater for boys than girls, the educational attainments of girls attending school and living in rural areas are harder hit than the boys. Our controls for individuals' potentially selective migration behaviour and for differences in school infrastructures do nothing to change our results. Our findings are also robust to controls for age misreporting and variations in the cohort cut-off point.
The relationship between knowledge management strategic orientation and business strategic orientation among SMEs

Little is known about how Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) practise Knowledge Management (KM) from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. Some research has been conducted in this field but from a western cultural perspective. Research on KM and SMEs in developing countries such as Saudi Arabia is limited. The research reported in this paper investigated KM strategic orientations and business strategic orientations in Saudi Arabian SMEs. The research involved the development of a theoretical framework relating to KM strategies and business strategies. Three KM strategies were proposed: aggressive, conservative and balanced and were linked to Miles and Snow’s typology: prospectors, defenders and analysers respectively. The empirical research involved a survey of Saudi Arabian SMEs. A total of 143 SMEs, participated in the survey. The results indicate that the proposed classifications and relationships between KM strategic dimensions were valid. It further shows that there was an association between business strategy and KM strategy exists and the proposed linkage between: prospectors and aggressive KM strategy, defenders and conservative KM strategy and analysers and balanced KM strategy were mostly confirmed but with some inconsistency regarding knowledge breadth dimensions.