Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A pragmatic approach to the functional analysis of chipped stone tools.

The analysis of stone tool function has been an important and growing area of research since the 1960's and the publication of Semenov's research in English (Semenov 1964). Most research has recently concentrated on the "High Power" method of microwear analysis developed by Keeley, which concentrates on the microscopic polishes that develop on tools during use. It is assumed that these polishes have a high correlation with individual worked materials (Keeley 1980) It was initially hoped that these polishes could be studied using image processing techniques. However, it was discovered that individual materials did not have a satisfactorily high correlation with polish "types" to justify the expense of such a technique. This was established by a theoretical analysis of the formation of wear traces, by the experimental programme undertaken and by the analysis of "blind test" results. This result was supported by other analysts conducting similar research at the same time (cf Grace 1989). In addition the small samples analysed by the "High Power" method were seen as inadequate for the generalised questions being asked by functional analysts. A new method of analysis was developed that concentrated on accuracy rather than the high precision of the "High Power" method. It was considered that this method, although not producing such specific interpretations for individual tools, produced more reliable information that was suited to the the types of question that functional analyses should be able to answer. It also allowed the analysis of a number of tool materials that were too coarse and irregular for detailed polish analysis. Several case studies were conducted. Most of the material examined was from Mesolithic sites in Scotland. It is shown that the functional technique provides useful information, indeed that without the functional evidence it is hard to make full sense of the lithic data. At the same time it is shown that the functional aspect is only a part of the lithic evidence, and that all parts have to be used in combination. The evidence is considered in this way to present a working hypothesis for Mesolithic socio-economics in Scotland. The two case studies from beyond Scotland are both more limited pieces of analysis. They both demonstrate how functional analysis can be used as a technique to test specific theories, and both demonstrate how a simplistic use of conventional typology involves dangerous assumptions concerning function.
Prioritising road-rail level crossings for grade separation using a multi-criteria approach

There are 177 at-grade rail road level crossings within Melbourne's metropolitan rail network. Each crossing represents a conflict point between trains and road traffic including cars, buses, trams, cyclists and pedestrians. Whilst the desire to eliminate level crossings is often based on safety needs, in the Melbourne context congestion is a major driver for grade separation. In particular it is the interaction between the crossings and neighbouring signalled junctions that is a significant contributor to congestion and a barrier to the efficient performance of the transport network. This conflict will be exacerbated by increasing train volumes: some crossings are forecast to carry nearly 40 trains per hour at peak times by 2021. This paper considers the assessment criteria available to prioritise metropolitan level crossings for grade separation. These include conventional economic, social and environmental measures as well as Melbourne specific 'strategic fit' criteria that reflect the relative importance of different roads to the transport network overall. In particular the paper discusses the challenges of data constraints, the weighting of quantitative versus qualitative indicators and the difficulties of accurately estimating the potential delay benefits from grade separations for a large range of sites.
Using biographical narrative interviewing methodology to research adults’ experiences of disclosing childhood sexual abuse

Disclosure of sexual abuse can be a process rife with barriers, setbacks and trauma. Those who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood tend to delay disclosure, possibly until adulthood, and can be silenced by structural, societal and personal barriers. Those who do disclose are often referred to as the ‘tip of the iceberg’, highlighting the potentially large hidden population who never come forward. This paper is drawn from a wider study which presented narratives of adults who have disclosed their experiences of childhood sexual abuse to social work services in the Republic of Ireland. In Irish child protection policy such disclosures are called ‘retrospective disclosures’. Recent reports by Irish State bodies have shown that those who have reported their childhood experiences to child protection authorities have not always received the response they would have hoped for (Office of the Ombudsman, 2017; Health Information and Quality Authority, 2016). Since the ‘narrative turn’ in social work research a rich body of work has been produced which explores the use of narrative approaches to address pertinent issues affecting social work practice. Biographical Narrative Interviewing Methodology (BNIM) is one such approach to narrative research and focuses on the presentation of voice and life experience. This paper presents the BNIM data collection process as it was used in the wider study and justifies the rationale for using such a methodology as a means of conducting research on a sensitive topic with a population that are too often silenced. This paper presents how an awareness of the socially constructed environment, the dynamics of abuse and the use of appropriate methodologies can bring such silenced and marginalised voices to the fore.
The Vibroseis source

Introduction. The Wavefield of a Surface Source in a Horizontally Layered Elastic Medium. Configuration. Basic relations. Decomposition into upgoing and downgoing wavefields. The local reflection of the wavefield at a layer interface. The propagation of the wavefield within a single layer. The global reflection response. The particle velocity and traction components at an arbitrary point in the medium. The transformation to the space domain. The elastic halfspace. The horizontally layered acoustic medium. Far field relations. The Seismic Vibrator. Mechanics of the land vibrator. The vibrator signal. The baseplate behaviour. The Combined Earth-Vibrator Model. The earth model. The combined earth-vibrator model. The numerical procedure. Numerical results. Test of the Theory By Experiment. The data set. The earth model. The vibrator model. The feedback signal on the seismic vibrator. The Marine Vibrator Source. Configuration. Vibroseis: land and marine. The earth model. The mechanical model of the marine vibrator. The combined earth-vibrator model. The numerical procedure. The distribution of pressure and displacement at the surface of the vibrator. The average power factor. Far field relations. Test of the theory by experiment. Processing of Vibroseis data. Description of the data set. Conventional processing. Proposed processing sequence. Concluding remarks. Appendices: Determination of Green's Matrices for Acoustic and Elastic Media. Solution of the Differential Equation Describing the Plate Bending. The Numerical Procedure for the Combined Earth-Vibrator Model. References. Author Index. Subject Index.
Higher Bank Capital Requirements and Mortgage Pricing: Evidence from the Counter-Cyclical Capital Buffer*

We identify the effects of the Basel III macroprudential tool Counter-Cyclical Capital Buffer on mortgage lending. Using the first dataset on responses from multiple banks to each household, we find no evidence of explicit rationing. But as the CCyB applied only to mortgages, banks with higher mortgage specialization or lower capital cushions raise prices by an extra eight basis points. Bank level data then show that this allows them to slow their mortgage growth and rebuild capital cushions. While market-wide mortgage growth did not slow down significantly, the composition of mortgage suppliers thus moved to previously less exposed banks.
Changes in the Number of Preantral Follicles and Hormone Concentrations in the Bovine Fetus

The present study aimed to determine the relationship among changes in the number of primordial and primary follicles, ovarian weight and concentrations of androstenedione (A), estradiol-17 β (E2), progesterone (P4), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in the bovine fetus between day-90 and -150 of gestation. Fetal ovaries were obtained from 25 pregnant cows. Histological sections of the ovaries were examined to determine the number of preantral follicles. The hormone concentrations were determined by enzyme immunoassay. Ovarian weight increased in parallel with fetal age. No clear changes in the number of primordial follicles were observed in this period. Primary follicles were observed in ovarian sections at day-100 and the number of primary follicles increased in parallel with fetal age between day-90 and -120, and afterwards it significantly increased (p<0.05) at day-130. Around day-120, the number of primary follicles increased with the serum concentrations of A and E2. However, no relationships among number of primary follicles and concentrations of FSH and LH were observed in this period. These results indicate that the number of primary follicles markedly increases around day-130 of gestation, the increase in the number of primary follicles is associated with an increase in the concentrations of A and E2 in the fetal serum, and the growth and differentiation of primordial and primary follicles are independent of FSH and LH.
Sources of black carbon at residential and traffic environments obtained by two source apportionment methods

Abstract. This study investigated the sources of black carbon (BC) at two contrasting urban environments in Helsinki, Finland: residential area and street canyon. The measurement campaign in the residential area was conducted in winter–spring 2019, whereas in the street canyon the measurements were carried out in autumn 2015. The sources of BC were explored by using positive matrix factorization (PMF) for the organic and refractory black carbon (rBC) mass spectra collected with a soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). Based on the PMF analysis, two sites had different local BC sources; the largest fraction of BC originated from biomass burning at the residential site (38 %) and from the vehicular emissions in the street canyon (57 %). Also, the mass size distribution of BC diverged at the sites as BC from traffic was found at the particle size of ∼100–150 nm whereas BC from biomass combustion was detected at ∼300 nm. At both sites, a large fraction of BC was associated with urban background or long-range-transported BC indicated by the high oxidation state of organics related to those PMF factors. The results from the PMF analysis were compared with the source apportionment from the Aethalometer model calculated with two pairs of absorption Ångström values. It was found that several PMF factors can be attributed to wood combustion and fossil fuel fraction of BC provided by the Aethalometer model. In general, the Aethalometer model showed less variation between the sources within a day than PMF, indicating that it was less responsive to the fast changes in the BC sources at the site, or it could not distinguish between as many sources as PMF due to the similar optical properties of the BC sources. The results of this study increase understanding of the limitations and validity of the BC source apportionment methods in different environments. Moreover, this study advances the current knowledge of BC sources and especially the contribution of residential combustion in urban areas.
Prediction of postprandial blood glucose under intra-patient variability and uncertainty and its use in the design of insulin dosing strategies for type 1 diabetic patients

In this thesis I propose a novel method to estimate the dose and injection-to-meal time for low-risk intensive insulin therapy. This dosage-aid system uses an optimization algorithm to determine the insulin dose and injection-to-meal time that minimizes the risk of postprandial hyper- and hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetic patients. To this end, the algorithm applies a methodology that quantifies the risk of experiencing different grades of hypo- or hyperglycaemia in the postprandial state induced by insulin therapy according to an individual patient’s parameters. This methodology is based on modal interval analysis (MIA). Applying MIA, the postprandial glucose level is predicted with consideration of intra-patient variability and other sources of uncertainty. A worst-case approach is then used to calculate the risk index. In this way, a safer prediction of possible hyper- and hypoglycaemic episodes induced by the insulin therapy tested can be calculated in terms of these uncertainties.
Digital Literacy and Utilization of ICT Resources for Teaching and Learning amongst Secondary School Teachers in Anambra State, Nigeria: Implications amidst Covid-19 Pandemic

The importance of digital learning was made abundantly clear when schools across the world transited from the traditional classroom learning to on-line learning as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic showed the world that we were not as prepared for digital learning as we thought. Teachers were not familiar with the issues brought on by digital learning and many students did not know how to properly employ available technology . This research, assess the level of digital literacy and use of ICT resources by secondary school teachers in Awka South, Anambra State. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to find out if the teachers in the secondary schools in Awka South LGA are digital literate, the extent of teacher’s awareness of ICT resources, find out if the teachers utilize ICT resources in curriculum delivery and examine the various problems encountered by the teachers in the use of e-learning resources, and as well explore what problems this poses to teaching and learning in the time of Covid-19. The study adopted a survey method. A total of two hundred and forty (240) senior class teachers were selected from nineteen (19) public secondary schools in Awka South. A formal questionnaire was constructed and used to collect data from a target group of 240 respondents as adopted. Descriptive analytical techniques such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were applied to analyze and interpret the data. The outcomes of such analysis are presented on tables. The result of the study showed that a number of the teachers are not digitally literate and are not aware of ICT and e-learning resource, which led to the disruption of teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. A major factor which contributed to inadequate awareness of ICT among teachers is lack of teacher’s professional development on ICT awareness and limited support and motivation from school leaders and the government. The few who are digital literate and could access ICT resources are confronted with problems such as lack of internet facilities, poor electricity, poor network, poor management and high cost of ICT facilities and internet data bundles. The study recommended provision of ICT facilities in secondary schools, the installation of internet facilities in secondary schools, subsidized data bundles, provision of e-libraries and creation of awareness about e-learning resources and ICT and Digital literacy training for teachers.
Do collaterals visualized on coronary angiography impact left ventricle ejection fraction among Asian Indians presenting with acute coronary syndrome? The Deucalion Study

Background The coronary collaterals have been ascribed as a potential alternative source of myocardial perfusion to the extent that some suggest it as a “natural bypass”! We proposed to evaluate the impact of the extent of collaterals on left ventricle ejection fraction among Asian Indians presenting with acute coronary syndrome. Methods This was a retrospective, all-comers study performed on consecutive 3614 patients presenting with the acute coronary syndrome. Angiograms were evaluated for collaterals graded according to Rentrop’s classification among group A (grades 0 and 1) and group B (grades 2 and 3) collaterals. Results Patients were matched for traditional cardiovascular risk factors in groups A and B as well as for ST elevation myocardial infarction and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction subgroups in both the groups. Grades 2 and 3 collaterals were significantly (P = 0.04) higher in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction—266/1319 (20.17%), as compared to ST elevation myocardial infarction—group 400/2295 (17.43%). Left ventricle ejection fraction on presentation was better preserved in group A as compared to group B in those with double-vessel disease and triple-vessel disease patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, whereas it was better in single-vessel disease and triple-vessel disease patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction. The inverse correlation (r = −0.111, P = 0.000) existed between left ventricle ejection fraction and grades of collaterals. Conclusion Patients with the single-vessel disease were more likely to have poor coronary collateral as compared to double-vessel disease/triple-vessel disease. Despite higher grade coronary collateral among Asian Indians presenting with acute coronary syndrome, both non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and ST elevation myocardial infarction patients with triple-vessel disease had significantly lower left ventricle ejection fraction. This paradoxically brings out worse left ventricle ejection fraction on presentation in those with double-vessel disease and triple-vessel disease with ST elevation myocardial infarction and single-vessel disease and triple-vessel disease with ST elevation myocardial infarction despite higher grade of coronary collateral representing as “Asian Indian Paradox” in our cohort.
Annual Research Review: Shifting from ‘normal science’ to neurodiversity in autism science

Since its initial description, the concept of autism has been firmly rooted within the conventional medical paradigm of child psychiatry. Increasingly, there have been calls from the autistic community and, more recently, nonautistic researchers, to rethink the way in which autism science is framed and conducted. Neurodiversity, where autism is seen as one form of variation within a diversity of minds, has been proposed as a potential alternative paradigm. In this review, we concentrate on three major challenges to the conventional medical paradigm – an overfocus on deficits, an emphasis on the individual as opposed to their broader context and a narrowness of perspective – each of which necessarily constrains what we can know about autism and how we are able to know it. We then outline the ways in which fundamental elements of the neurodiversity paradigm can potentially help researchers respond to the medical model’s limitations. We conclude by considering the implications of a shift towards the neurodiversity paradigm for autism science.
Host‐modifying drugs against COVID‐19: some successes, but not yet the breakthrough

Summary After reviewing antiviral drugs (Brüssow Environmental Microbiology 2021) the present review summarizes the results of clinical trials with host‐modifying drugs in COVID‐19 patients. Clinical benefits were observed with different immunomodulators. The variable outcomes of trials with the interleukin 6 receptor inhibitor tocilizumab demonstrated that treatment benefits might only be present in specific subgroups of patients or in specific infection stages. A meta‐analysis of trials with the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist anakinra showed a survival benefit only in patients with hyperinflammation. The Janus kinase inhibitor baricitinib is an anti‐inflammatory treatment that showed a clinical benefit in hospitalized patients who do not yet need supplementary oxygen. In contrast, the corticosteroid dexamethasone showed mortality reducing effects that were limited to patients on ventilation or in need of supplementary oxygen. Therapeutic dose of anticoagulation met the criteria for inferiority in severe cases, but showed a small survival benefit in non‐severe COVID‐19 patients. Large trials with colchicine showed a small or no survival benefit. Azithromycin, an antibiotic with immunomodulatory activity, showed no effects in numerous clinical trials. The trials showed a clear need for new drugs instead of repurposed drugs and drugs that specifically target the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus or the pathology developing in COVID‐19 patients.
Development and Validation of a Syndrome Definition for Suspected Nonfatal Unintentional/Undetermined Intent Stimulant-Involved Overdoses

Objectives To monitor stimulant-involved overdose (SOD) trends, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed and evaluated the validity of a syndromic surveillance definition for suspected nonfatal, unintentional/undetermined intent stimulant-involved overdose (UUSOD). Methods We analyzed all emergency department (ED) visits in CDC’s surveillance system that met the UUSOD syndrome definition (January 2018–December 2019). We classified visits as true positive, possible, or not UUSODs after reviewing diagnosis codes and chief complaints. We first assessed whether visits were acute SODs, subsequently classifying acute SODs by intent. The percentage of true-positive UUSODs did not include intentional or possibly intentional visits. We considered all visits with UUSOD diagnosis codes to be acute SODs and reviewed them for intent. We manually reviewed and double-coded a 10% random sample of visits without UUSOD diagnosis codes using decision rules based on signs and symptoms. The overall percentage of true-positive UUSODs was a weighted average of the percentage of true-positive UUSODs based on diagnosis codes and the percentage of true-positive UUSODs determined by manually reviewing visits without codes. Results During 2018-2019, 40 045 ED visits met the syndrome definition for UUSOD. Approximately half (n = 18 793; 46.9%) of 40 045 visits had UUSOD diagnosis codes, indicating acute SOD; of these, 98.6% (n = 18 534) were true-positive UUSODs. Of 2125 manually reviewed visits without UUSOD diagnosis codes, 32.6% (n = 693) were true-positive UUSODs, 54.2% (n = 1151) were possible UUSODs, and 13.2% (n = 281) were not UUSODs. Overall, 63.6% of visits were true-positive UUSODs, 29.3% were possible UUSODs, and 7.1% were not UUSODs. Practice Implications CDC’s UUSOD definition may assist in surveillance efforts with further refinement to capture data on SOD clusters and trends.