Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aurignacian lithic economy and early modern human mobility: new perspectives from classic sites in the Vézère valley of France.

During the past decade the chronology and hominin attributions of the Aurignacian have been revised or called into question. These controversies have coincided with an increased appreciation for the social complexity of Aurignacian culture in the realms of organic technologies and mobiliary and parietal manifestations of symbolic behavior. Lithic raw material procurement and reduction intensity evidence from Aurignacian occupations at the Vézère Valley sites of Abri Pataud, Le Facteur, and La Ferrassie may reflect complex group mobility strategies. The lithic components under consideration were always dominated by cherts available within a few kilometers radius. Assemblages associated with the early Aurignacian have elevated proportions of cherts from distant sources. Lithic retouch data indicate that some early Aurignacian assemblages reflect greater extent and/or intensity of marginal retouch compared with the later Aurignacian. Lithic reduction data, however, reveal evidence of greater core reduction intensity during the later Aurignacian. Flexible strategies of residential mobility, possibly in response to changes in the subsistence environment, may account for some of the variability between early and later Aurignacian assemblages. Similar shifts in raw material procurement were evidently associated with the Middle Paleolithic in southwestern France. However, Aurignacian populations may have acquired most lithic materials by movement directly to sources, while certain non-utilitarian materials were probably obtained via some form of indirect social exchange. This suggested coexistence of direct and indirect procurement mechanisms serves to distinguish Aurignacian assemblages from earlier Middle Paleolithic deposits and emphasizes that socially-directed intensification was one of the fundamental elements of the suite of cultural changes referred to as the Middle-Upper Paleolithic transition.
The Effects of Student Question-Generation with Online Prompts on Learning

The focus of this study was to investigate the effects of student-question generation with online prompts on student academic achievement, question-generation performance, learning satisfaction and learning anxiety. This study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. Two classes of eighth grade students (N = 64) from one middle school participated in weekly 45-minute online question-generation learning sessions for 6 consecutive weeks. Data analyzed using ANCOVA indicated statistically significant differences between the two groups in regard to academic performance and question-generation performance with students assigned to the online prompts group performing significantly better than their counterparts assigned to the without prompts group. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the areas of learning satisfaction and anxiety. Empirical and pedagogical significance of this study together with its implications for instructional implementation, system development, and future studies are provided.
Sex- and clock-controlled expression of the neuropeptide F gene in Drosophila

Drosophila neuropeptide F (NPF), a homolog of vertebrate neuropeptide Y, functions in feeding and coordination of behavioral changes in larvae and in modulation of alcohol sensitivity in adults, suggesting diverse roles for this peptide. To gain more insight into adult-specific NPF neuronal functions, we studied how npf expression is regulated in the adult brain. Here, we report that npf expression is regulated in both sex-nonspecific and male-specific manners. Our data show that male-specific npf (ms-npf) expression is controlled by the transformer (tra)-dependent sex-determination pathway. Furthermore, fruitless, one of the major genes functioning downstream of tra, is apparently an upstream regulator of ms-npf transcription. Males lacking ms-npf expression (through traF-mediated feminization) or npf-ablated male flies display significantly reduced male courtship activity, suggesting that one function of ms-npf neurons is to modulate fruitless-regulated sexual behavior. Interestingly, one of the ms-npf neuronal groups belongs to the previously defined clock-controlling dorsolateral neurons. Such ms-npf expression in the dorsolateral neurons is absent in arrhythmic ClockJrk and cycle02 mutants, suggesting that npf is under dual regulation by circadian and sex-determining factors. Based on these data, we propose that NPF also plays a role in clock-controlled sexual dimorphism in adult Drosophila.
Exploring Transformation Challenges: Limits to the Growth of Building Contractors in South Africa

Although there are many avenues for transformation, economic empowerment and growth is its cornerstone in the construction industry. The current structure and performance of the construction industry in South Africa is evident of the needed transformation in the sector. While a number of research projects have examined this issue through an objective lens, this paper is based on a phenomenology study. This approach shows that without basic skills, knowledge and capacity, there can be no growth that could change the industry to a high gross domestic product (GDP) contributor to the South African economy. The results of the study shows that although the firms are keen on business expansion, barriers related to capital, skilled labour, late payments, low profit margins, empowerment requirements, competition with larger firms and economic restraints, should be surmounted. It can therefore be concluded that until each firm is open to a new approach to skills acquisition, use of finance and business judgement / decisions, business expansion will be unattainable. Training, education and mentoring that would engender needed construction business skills among SME building contractors is recommended.
Impact of physical layer impairments in all-optical networks

We investigate the impact of different physical impairments in the performance of all-optical networks. The physical impairments considered are the gain saturation and amplified spontaneous emission noise depletion in amplifiers, homodyne crosstalk in optical switches, four wave mixing and polarization mode dispersion in the transmission fibers. Our simulation results are presented in terms of blocking probability of requested calls as a function of network device parameters.
Capacity Building and Succession Planning

School leaders can make a considerable difference to the quality of teaching and learning in their schools, and consequently student achievement, by influencing the motivations and capacities of teachers. If school leaders are to be leaders of learning, then they should take responsibility for ensuring the continual learning of both students and teachers, as well as maintaining their individual learning. This paper will analyse the role of succession planning and staff capacity building as essential components of a leadership for learning school.
Self-management of diabetes mellitus: a critical review.

Diabetes has no known cure and is a leading source of morbidity and mortality. Clinical management involves patients managing a complex and variable regimen. This article reviews the determinants of effective self-management and the methods of promoting better self-management. Trait variables (e.g., personality and demographics) have been presumed to affect self-management, but evidence suggests they have little impact. The important determinants of self-management are transient situational factors such as psychological stress and social pressure to eat. Interventions to promote better self-management have reported initial improvements in blood glucose control, but the long-term effects are unclear. We conclude that self-management has been inadequately assessed and that attempts to improve self-management have relied excessively on providing information. More research is needed to clarify determinants of self-management, and interventions to improve self-management will need to change these determinants.
Re-emergent tremor of Parkinson’s disease

OBJECTIVE To characterise postural tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Rest tremor is a well recognised cardinal symptom of Parkinson’s disease, but postural tremors associated with the disease may cause more disability than the more typical rest tremor. Postural tremor of Parkinson’s disease has been attributed to enhanced physiological tremor, clonus, or coexistent essential tremor. It is postulated that one type of postural tremor in Parkinson’s disease represents a rest tremor that re-emerges after a variable delay while maintaining posture, hence “re-emergent tremor”. METHODS Accelerometry, peak frequency, peak frequency amplitude, root mean square (RMS) amplitude, and latency were determined in 18 patients (mean age: 63.2 (SD 9.8) years) with Parkinson’s disease who had clinically evident postural tremor, 20 (mean age: 66.9 (SD 5.8) years) with typical essential tremor, and seven (mean age: 68.7 (SD 15.3) years) with the combination of pre-existing essential tremor and subsequent Parkinson’s disease (essential tremor/Parkinson’s disease). Latency, the time interval starting with the assumption of an outstretched posture and ending with the onset of postural tremor, was measured by marking the start time by a pulse produced from interrupting a beam to a photocell when the arm reached a horizontal position. RESULTS The latency for the re-emergent tremor (9.37 (SD 10.66) s), present in 12 of 18 patients with Parkinson’s disease, was significantly (p<0.0005) longer than the latency for postural tremor of essential tremor (1.29 s in one patient, absent in 19 others); five of seven essential tremor/Parkinson’s disease patients had an observed latency (6.57 (SD 8.23 s) which was also significantly (p<0.005) longer than that for essential tremor. There was no difference in the mean tremor frequency (∼5.5 Hz) between the re-emergent tremor and the more typical Parkinson’s disease rest tremor. The amplitudes were generally higher for the postural tremor associated with Parkinson’s disease compared with those of essential tremor. CONCLUSION These studies suggest that the re-emergent tremor of Parkinson’s disease can be differentiated from the postural tremor of essential tremor and that it may share pathophysiological mechanisms with the more typical rest tremor.
Estimating total heliospheric magnetic flux from single‐point in situ measurements

[1] A fraction of the total photospheric magnetic flux opens to the heliosphere to form the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind. While this open flux is critical to our understanding of the generation and evolution of the solar magnetic field, direct measurements are generally limited to single-point measurements taken in situ by heliospheric spacecraft. An observed latitude invariance in the radial component of the magnetic field suggests that extrapolation from such single-point measurements to total heliospheric magnetic flux is possible. In this study we test this assumption using estimates of total heliospheric flux from well-separated heliospheric spacecraft and conclude that single-point measurements are indeed adequate proxies for the total heliospheric magnetic flux, though care must be taken when comparing flux estimates from data collected at different heliocentric distances.
Challenges of transforming a Business Model to a Sustainable Business Model - A case study based on IKEA and Tetra Pak

Climate change, poverty, inequality and the increase of strict regulations - these are just a few of the factors contributing to the rise of sustainability in today’s corporate environment. As society and the worldwide population are affected by these omnipresent changes, it becomes inevitable for companies to transform their business models in order to respond to demands concerning sustainability. However, this process implies challenges that have so far not been further examined by literature - neither have the actions that companies need to implement to overcome them. Thus, this research aims at providing deeper insights into the emerging field of Sustainable Business Models. In particular, the following thesis envisions to contribute in terms of gaining understandings about the challenges of this process and to provide insights about how companies can overcome them. In order to reach this aim, a qualitative approach was selected and a multiple case study based on Tetra Pak and IKEA was conducted. To provide a theoretical background about the most relevant topics, a traditional literature review was conducted. Subsequently, these were confronted with the results collected from interviews and secondary data. Our findings suggest that challenges may arise in every element of the SBM while others may affect the whole system. In addition, actions to overcome these challenges require profound consideration regarding different factors such as the type of business and the ownership structure of the company.
Mechanism of the synergistic end-product regulation of Bacillus subtilis glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase by nucleotides.

De novo purine nucleotide synthesis is regulated, at least in part, by end-product inhibition of glutamine PRPP amidotransferase. An important feature of this inhibition is the fact that certain synergistic nucleotide pairs give more than additive inhibition. The physiological importance of synergism is in amplifying regulation by the adenine and guanine nucleotide end products of de novo synthesis. Using a new method to quantitate synergism, ADP plus GMP were confirmed [Meyer, E. , and Switzer, R. L. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 5397-5402] to give strong synergistic inhibition of Bacillus subtilis glutamine PRPP amidotransferase. An X-ray structure of the ternary enzyme.ADP. GMP complex established that ADP binds to the allosteric A site and GMP to the catalytic C site. GMP increased the binding affinity of ADP for the A site by approximately 20-fold. Synergism results from a specific nucleotide-nucleotide interaction that is dependent upon a nucleoside diphosphate in the A site and a nucleoside monophosphate in the C site. Furthermore, synergism is enhanced by the competition between nucleotide inhibitor and PRPP substrate for the C site. Purine base specificity results from a backbone carbonyl interaction of Lys305' with the 6-NH2 group of adenine in the A site and a Ser347 Ogamma interaction with the 2-NH2 group of guanine in the C site. Steric considerations favor binding of the nucleoside diphosphate to the A site. Site-directed replacements of key residues increased the nucleotide concentrations needed for 50% inhibition and in some cases perturbed synergism. Mutations in either of the nucleotide sites perturbed function at both sites, supporting the important role of synergism.
Impact of the Amount of Liquid Intake on the Dose Rate of Patients Treated with Radioiodine

Purpose: Despite therapeutic effects of radioiodine in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, there are some disadvantages due to harmful radiation to other tissues. According to the current guidelines, patients are recommended to drink lots of water and frequent voiding to reduce the amount of 131I in the body. This study was designed to assess the impact of the amount of liquid intake on reduction of the measured dose rate of radioiodine-treated patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 42 patients with differentiated thyroid cancer without metastasis who had undergone total thyroidectomy and had been treated with radioiodine were selected. The patients were divided into two groups according to the amount of their fluid intake which was measured during the first 48 h after 131I administration. In all patients, the dose rate was measured immediately and 48 h after iodine administration. Results: Each group included 21 patients. Dose rate ratio (the ratio of the second dose rate to the first dose rate) and dose rate difference ratio (the ratio of the difference between the two measured dose rates to the first dose rate) were calculated for each patient. Despite the significant difference in the amount of the liquid drunk, no statistically significant difference was seen between the different groups in parameters of dose-rate ratio and dose-rate difference ratio. Conclusion: Higher fluid intake (>60 ml/h in our study) alone would not effectively reduce the patient's radiation dose rate at least not more than a well-hydrated state. It seems that other interfering factors in the thyroidectomized patients may also have some impacts on this physiologic process.
Efficient colour image segmentation using exponential particle swarm optimization

Image colour classification and Image segmentation using comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization (CLPSO) technique was developed by Parag Puranik, Dr. P.R. Baja, Prof. P.M. Palsodkar [1], the aim was to produce a fuzzy system for colour classification and image segmentation with least number of rules and minimum error rate. In this paper we propose exponential particle swarm optimization (EPSO). EPSO has a great impact on global and local exploration it is supposed to bring out the search behaviour quickly and intelligently as it avoid the particles from stagnation of local optima by varying inertia weight exponentially, so that the movement of the particles will be faster and distant from each other. The EPSO is used to find optimal fuzzy rules and membership functions. The best fuzzy rule is selected for image segmentation.EPSO give best rule set than standard PSO.
Doing Business in Finland as a Sole Proprietor in the Philippines : The implications involved in exporting coconut oil

Author(s) Title Number of Pages Date Sheila Jane Surban Doing Business in Finland as a Sole Proprietor in the Philippines: The implications involved in exporting coconut oil 49 pages 2 February 2018 Degree Bachelor of Business Administration Degree Programme International Business and Logistics Specialisation option Marketing Instructor(s) Rosli Kamarul-Baharin, Lecturer The growing demand of coconut oil throughout the world has open new opportunities and possibilities for coconut farmers who have the advantage of producing coconut crops. Despite the fact that the Philippines is one of the top coconut exporters worldwide, entering a competitive market with major players dominating the market share has its implications and challenges especially operating a business as a sole proprietor. Before considering internationalisation, the aspiring coconut farmers should be aware of the internal and external factors affecting its business to be able to find a better strategy to capitalize on its existing advantages while minimising its risks. The purpose of this research is to present an analytical review based on the available literature and secondary sources to answer the following questions: how sole proprietorship may operate as a supplier of coconut oil in the Philippines, what are the issues relevant in internationalising coconut oil from the Philippines to Finland, and how suitable is the sole proprietorship as a corporate structure in coconut oil internationalisation to Finland. The significance of the research is to provide a clear overview and the possibilities of entering the Finnish market through the European Union for aspiring coconut oil farmers who intend to operate a business as a sole proprietor in the Philippines by examining the factors of coconut oil market in the Philippines, the positive and negative aspects of doing business across borders while exploring the possible mode of entry to Finland. In addition to relevant sources collected by the author, analytic business methods were conducted to gain insights of the advantages and the risks pertaining to operating business as a sole proprietor while attempting to do business across borders. As a result, the author concluded that the recommended strategy for internationalisation is through indirect exporting based upon the Uppsala internationalisation model analysis to mitigate any risks involved in entering a highly competitive market.
Consolidation theories and push-down accounting: achieving global convergence

This paper examines the parent, entity, and traditional theories of consolidation with a focus on the relevance and representational faithfulness of the information each provides to decision makers. In addition, push-down accounting procedures are examined to determine if they can be used to eliminate the complexity of the consolidation process. Finally, FAS 141R, FAS 160, and International Financial Reporting Standards for business combinations are evaluated and revisions recommended to achieve global convergence in this area.
Cell type‐ and stimulus‐specific mechanisms for post‐transcriptional control of neutrophil chemokine gene expression

mRNAs encoding inflammatory chemokines that recruit neutrophils frequently exhibit short half‐lives that serve to limit their expression under inappropriate conditions but are often prolonged to ensure adequate levels during inflammatory response. Extracellular stimuli that modulate the stability of such mRNAs may be the same as the transcriptional activator, as is the case with TLR ligands, or may cooperate with independent transcriptional stimuli, as with IL‐17, which extends the half‐life of TNF‐induced transcripts. These different stimuli engage independent signaling pathways that target different instability mechanisms distinguished by dependence on different regulatory nucleotide sequence motifs within the 3′UTRs, which involve that action of different mRNA‐binding proteins. The selective use of these pathways by different stimuli and in distinct cell populations provides the potential for tailoring of chemokine expression patterns to meet specific needs in different pathophysiologic circumstances.
Application of polymerase chain reaction to differentiate herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 serotypes in culture negative intraocular aspirates.

PURPOSE To standardize and apply a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the glycoprotein D gene to differentiate Herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 & 2 serotypes in culture negative intraocular specimens. METHODS Twenty-one intraocular fluids collected from 19 patients were subjected to cultures for HSV and uniplex PCR (uPCR) for DNA polymerase gene. To differentiate HSV serotypes, as 1 & 2, a seminested PCR (snPCR) targeting the glycoprotein D gene was standardised and applied onto 21 intraocular fluids. The specificity of the snPCR was verified by application onto ATCC strains of HSV 1 and 2, clinical isolates and DNA sequencing of the amplified products. All specimens were also tested for the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) by nucleic acid amplification methods. RESULTS Four of the 21 intraocular fluids were positive for HSV by uPCR. snPCR detected HSV in three additional specimens (total of seven specimens), and identified three as HSV 1 and four as HSV 2. DNA sequencing of PCR products showed 100% homology with the standard strains of HSV 1 and 2 respectively. None of the samples were positive in culture. Among the other patients, CMV DNA was detected in two and VZV DNA in five others. CONCLUSIONS The standardized snPCR can be applied directly onto the culture negative specimens for rapid differentiation of HSV serotypes.