Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cultivation and domestication had multiple origins: arguments against the core area hypothesis for the origins of agriculture in the Near East

Abstract This paper debates claims that plant domestication occurred rapidly in a single restricted sub-section of the Near Eastern Fertile Crescent. Instead we argue for numerous parallel processes of domestication across the region in the Early Holocene. While a previous generation of genetic results seemed to support a single ‘core area’, the accumulation of genetic evidence and refinements in methods undermine this, pointing increasingly towards multiple geographical origins. We stress that it is important to recognize that modern germplasm collections are an imperfect sample of the diversity of wild and cultivated populations of the past, which included some extinct lineages. We briefly synthesize the accumulated data from archaeobotany, defending the reliability of archaeological science to inform us about the past plant populations used by people. These data indicate an extended period of pre-domestication cultivation of at least a millennium and the slow evolution of morphological domestication adaptations in crop plants. The appearance of early cultivars and domesticates was spread piecemeal around the Near East, and a whole crop package is not evident. The ‘core area’ claimed by some authors has no better claim for primacy or completeness in comparison to other parts of the Near East. Evidence from zooarchaeology similarly points towards a diffuse appearance of various domesticated animals. The ‘non-centric’ appearance of domesticates from the Near East is therefore similar to the emerging evidence from many other regions of the world where plants were domesticated. We develop a hypothesis of why this should be expected given that anatomically modern human ancestors shared practices of vegetation management and planting, the necessary background knowledge for cultivation. Cultivation then was not a rare discovery but was a strategic and systematic shift in economies. The question then becomes why it was developed in the particular regions and periods where it appeared.
Gravity-driven flows in porous layers

The motion of instantaneous and maintained releases of buoyant fluid through shallow permeable layers of large horizontal extent is described by a nonlinear advection–diffusion equation. This equation admits similarity solutions which describe the release of one fluid into a horizontal porous layer initially saturated with a second immiscible fluid of different density. Asymptotically, a finite volume of fluid spreads as t1/3. On an inclined surface, in a layer of uniform permeability, a finite volume of fluid propagates steadily alongslope under gravity, and spreads diffusively owing to the gravitational acceleration normal to the boundary, as on a horizontal boundary. However, if the permeability varies in this cross-slope direction, then, in the moving frame, the spreading of the current eventually becomes dominated by the variation in speed with depth, and the current length increases as t1/2. Shocks develop either at the leading or trailing edge of the flows depending upon whether the permeability increases or decreases away from the sloping boundary. Finally we consider the transient and steady exchange of fluids of different densities between reservoirs connected by a shallow long porous channel. Similarity solutions in a steadily migrating frame describe the initial stages of the exchange process. In the final steady state, there is a continuum of possible solutions, which may include flow in either one or both layers of fluid. The maximal exchange flow between the reservoirs involves motion in one layer only. We confirm some of our analysis with analogue laboratory experiments using a Hele-Shaw cell.
The apparent optical indices of spongy nanoporous gold

Very thin spongy nanoporous gold films have a unique nanostructure and hence unusual properties. Our interest in these materials is also due to their wide range of potential applications [1,2]. An optical study for such nanostructured films is of fundamental interest for understanding how light interacts with such a spongy nanoporous structure. In general the gold either percolates or is very closely packed. Thus surface plasmons, and surface plasmon resonant effects, are expected to playa key role given the large surface area of metal and the metal backbone of the nanostructure. The topological complexity of the nano-void network is also expected to be a major influence. The optical response has, for a metal system, quite unusual dispersion relations for the effective complex refractive index components n*, k*. Once these are better understood, new optical engineering possibilities arise. We are not aware of any optical studies for spongy metal film nanostructures apart from a brief preliminary report of our own on one such film [3] whose nanostructure was different to the spongy nanoporous films presented here. We check the internal consistency and physical acceptability of the results with a Kramers-Kronig analysis of the spectrum of n*, k* values, because of their unusual spectral character.
Investigation of the Photoheterotrophic Hydrogen Production of Rhodobacter sphaeroides KCTC 1434 using Volatile Fatty Acids under Argon and Nitrogen Headspace

In this study, the photo fermentative H2 production of Rhodobacter sphaeroides KCTC 1434 was investigated using acetate, propionate and butyrate under argon and nitrogen headspace gases. The highest H2 yield and Substrate Conversion Efficiency (SCE) were observed from butyrate (8.84 mol H2/mol butyrate consumed, 88.42% SCE) and propionate (6.10 mol H2/mol propionate consumed, 87.16% SCE) under Ar headspace. Utilization of acetate was associated with low H2 evolution, high biomass yield and high final pH, which suggest that acetate uptake by the strain involves a biosynthetic pathway that competes with H2 production. The use of N2 in sparging resulted to a decreased H2 productivity in propionate (0.49 mol H2/mol propionate consumed, 7.01% SCE) and butyrate (1.22 mol H2/mol butyrate consumed, 1.04% SCE) and was accompanied with high biomass yield and radical pH increase in all acids. High H2 generation had shown to improve acid consumption rate. The use of the three acids in a mixed substrate resulted to a drastic pH rise and lower H2 generation. This suggests that a more refined culture condition such as additional control of pH during fermentation must be kept to enhance the H2 productivity. Overall, the study provided a background on the H2 production using R. sphaeroides KCTC 1434 which might be a good co-culture candidate because of its high SCE on butyrate and propionate.
The functions of speculation in economy: an investigation on the New York stock exchange crash (1929-39)

The importance of the role played by a stock market in the economic condition of a country is undeniable. An organized and stable stock market reflects an economic stability; progressive economic growth as well as reflecting the economic prosperity. In contrast, an unstable stock market indicates the vulnerable economical position of a country. The main aim of this article is to focus on the negative consequences of speculation and to discuss deeply on its role in financial crises. For this purpose, the crash of the New York Stock Exchange in 1929 will specifically be referred to because it was the world’s greatest economic crash. Consequently, an unstable stock market has caused economic crashes not only for the country in which it occurs but also affects other countries because of interdependent economies. The best example of this situation was the World Great Depression which threatened the world economy in the 1930s.
A homogeneous sample of sub-damped Lyman α systems — III. Total gas mass ΩH i+He ii at z > 2⋆

Absorbers seen in the spectrum of background quasars are a unique tool with which to select H I-rich galaxies at all redshifts. In turns, these galaxies allow us to determine the cosmologi- cal evolution of the H I gasH I+He II, which is a possible indicator of gas consumption as star formation proceeds. The damped Lyman α (Lyα) systems (DLAs with N H I 10 20.3 cm −2 ), in particular, are believed to contain a large fraction of the H I gas but there are also indica- tions that lower column-density systems, called 'sub-damped Lyα' systems, play a role at high redshift. Here we present the discovery of high-redshift sub-DLAs based on 17 z > 4 quasar spectra observed with the Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). This sample is composed of 21 new sub-DLAs which, together with another 10 systems from previous European Southern Observatory archive studies, make up a homo- geneous sample. The redshift evolution of the number density of several classes of absorbers is derived and shows that all systems seem to be evolving in the redshift range from z = 5 to z ∼ 3. These results are further used to estimate the redshift evolution of the characteristic radius of these classes of absorbers, assuming a Holmberg relation and one unique underlying parent population. DLAs are found to have R ∗ ∼ 20 h −1 kpc, while sub-DLAs have R ∗ ∼ 40 h −1 kpc. The redshift evolution of the column density distribution, f(N,z), down to N H I = 10 19 cm −2 is also presented. A departure from a power law due to a flattening of f(N,z) in the sub-DLA regime is present in the data. f(N,z) is further used to determine the H I gas mass contained in sub-DLAs at z > 2. The complete sample shows that sub-DLAs are important at all redshifts from z = 5t oz = 2. Finally, the possibility that sub-DLAs are less affected by the effects of dust obscuration than classical DLAs is discussed. Ke yw ords: galaxies: abundances - galaxies: high-redshift - quasars: absorption lines - quasars: general.
PROLINE LEVEL AND AMYLASE AND ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN THE GERMINATION OF Plantago ovata FORSK (PLANTAGINACEAE) SEEDS

The species Plantago ovata has great importance for the pharmaceutical industry due to the high mucilage level in its seeds. Thus, the present study aimed to verify proline level and amylase and ascorbate peroxidase activity in the germination of seeds subjected to stress, which was induced by using PEG, NaCl and CaCl2 solutions. Fifty seeds were placed into filter paper moistened with 15 mL of such solutions at the potentials 0,-0.2, -0.4, -0.6 and -0.8 MPa in the presence of light at 25oC. Proline levels decreased during Plantago ovata germination under water and salt stress, whereas the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and amylase was higher under PEG-induced stress, relative to those induced by NaCl and CaCl2.
In vitro dissolution of acidulated rock phosphate by phosphate solubilizing microorganisms

The low availability of phosphorus (P) in the soil and the high cost of P fertilization are factors that limit agricultural productivity. A biotechnological alternative for to handle this problem is to use soil microorganisms capable of dissolving rock phosphate (RP), thus improving its effectiveness as a P fertilizer. This study was carried out with the objective of determining the effectiveness of Aspergillus niger –As-, Penicillium sp. –Pn-, Bacillus sp –B-. and an unidentified actinomycete –At- in the in vitro dissolution of two partially acidulated rock phosphates. The treatments consisted of 2x16 factorial arrangement [2 levels of RP: either Boyaca RP or Norte de Santander RP; 16 levels of inoculum: an uninoculated control, individual inoculations (with As, Pn, B, At), dual inoculations (AsPn, AsB, AsAt, PnB, PnAt, BAt), triple inoculations (AsPnB, AsPnAt, AsBAt, PnBAt), and quadruple inoculation (AsPnBAt)]. Each treatment was replicated three times. Each treatment was replicated three times. It was found that the microbial effectiveness in the in vitro dissolution of RP depended on the type of RP, the composition of the inoculum used and the interaction of both factors. The best results were obtained with the Norte de Santander RP and A. niger used alone. When this fungus combined with the other microorganisms, its capacity to dissolve RP was significantly reduced. RESUMEN La baja disponibilidad de fosforo (P) en el suelo y el costo de la fertilizacion fosforica son limitantes para la productividad agricola. Una alternativa biotecnologica para manejar este problema es mediante el uso de microorganismos del suelo capaces de disolver rocas fosforicas (RP) y asi mejorar su efectividad como fertilizante fosforico. Con este fin se realizo un ensayo para determinar la efectividad microbial en la disolucion in vitro de dos RP (Norte de Santander y Boyaca) parcialmente aciduladas. Los tratamientos consistieron en un arreglo factorial 2x16 [2 niveles de RP: Boyaca o Norte de Santander; 16 niveles de inoculo: Un control no inoculado, inoculos individuales ( Aspergillus niger –As-, Penicillium sp. –Pn-, Bacillus sp. –B-, y un actinomiceto no identificado –At-), inoculos dobles (AsPn, AsB, AsAt, PnB, PnAt, BAt), inoculos triples (AsPnB, AsPnAt, AsBAt, PnBAt), e inoculos cuadruples (AsPnBAt)]. Cada tratamiento tuvo tres replicas. La efectividad en la disolucion in vitro de RP fue dependiente del tipo de RP, tipo de inoculo y la interaccion de ambos factores, teniendo mejores resultados con la RP del Norte de Santander y A. niger solo. Cuando este hongo se combino con otros microorganismos su capacidad para disolver RP se redujo significativamente.
Genetic Basis of Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome: A Review Study

The neuromuscular junction is a highly specialized cholinergic synapse, essential for initiating nerve-evoked muscle contractions by means of neuromuscular transmission. Loss or dysfunction of any component of this junction might affect synaptic performance. Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes (CMSs) are rare heterogeneous disorders of autosomal inheritance caused by genetic defects affecting neuromuscular transmission that results in skeletal muscle weakness and abnormal fatigability on exertion. The onset is usually from birth to childhood. CMSs are more uncommon than autoimmune myasthenia gravis. CMSs are classified based on their genetic and clinical presentations into presynaptic, synaptic basal lamina, and postsynaptic CMSs. To date, mutations in more than 25 genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of CMSs. In this review article, different CMSs diagnostic procedures are investigated, and the genetic, clinical, and molecular aspects of CMSs are outlined.
Design Considerations of MIMO Antennas for Mobile Phones

The paper presents a new modeling and design concept of antennas using polar- ization diversity of 2 £ 2 and 3 £ 3 Multiple Input Multiple Outputs (MIMO) system that is proposed for future mobile handsets. The channel capacity is investigated and discussed over Raleigh fading channel and compared to a linear/planner antenna array MIMO channel. The capacity is also discussed over three types of power azimuth spectrums. The results are compared to the constraints capacity limits in which the maximum capacity observed.
A Computational Geometry Based Facility Location Model for Healthcare Management System

: Facility location problem is an important problem in the field of optimization. Identification of existing locations, allocation of resources is long standing topics for research communities. This paper proposes a novel facility location identification and resource allocation model based on computational geometric tools namely Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi diagram. The proposed model has been applied in the field of Healthcare management system for suggesting locations of new hospitals as well as locations for deployment of mobile hospitals. The model is fully automated and computationally efficient and performs well in the existing setup.
Laboratory apparatus to evaluate microalgae production

The application of microalgae for energy purposes and CO2 biomitigation continues to present a number of challenges, including the optimization of culture conditions. The application of experimental designs for microalgae cultivation is difficult, since experiments involving such microorganisms generally last days or weeks. This work proposes a multipurpose laboratory apparatus for the optimization of microalgae experimental conditions that simultaneously enables the evaluation of variables such as temperature, irradiance, photoperiod and CO2 concentration in the aeration stream, as well as variables related to the concentration of culture media nutrients. A case study is also presented in which temperature, concentration of f/2 medium sodium nitrate and the effects of incident light intensity on Nannochloropsis oculata lipid content are evaluated. Experiments were carried out following central composite designs, in batch cultivation within an airlift photobioreactor apparatus. The best experimental result was obtained at 21 oC, 119 mg/L NaNO3 and 137 µE. m-2.s-1, corresponding to 41.8% lipids and 211.9 mg.L-1 final lipid concentrations.
STEWARDSHIP AS A NEW IMPORTANT STEP IN PR PROCESS:IMPLEMENTATIONS OF TURKISH COMPANIES

Halkla iliskilerin temel hedeflerinden biri karsilikli anlayis saglamaktir ve bu da simetrik iletisim temellerine dayanmaktadir. Kurumlarin bu yaklasimi iletisim stratejilerine yansitma bicimleri ise farklilasabilmektedir. Bu arastirmanin amaci, kurumlarin bu yaklasimi yansitma bicimlerini yonetim teorilerine dayanan bir kavram olan “hizmetkarlik” (stewardship) kavrami uzerinden cevaplamaktir. Kelly’nin (2001) sosyal paydaslarla surdurulebilir iliski gelistirmeye yardimci olan hizmetkarlik yonelimli halkla iliskiler uygulamalari kavrami, “Fortune Turkiye 500” listesindeki ilk 75 kurum uzerinden arastirilmistir
An Adaptive Control Scheme for Flexible Power Point Tracking in Photovoltaic Systems

One of the major concerns associated with the increasing penetration of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power plants is the operational challenges (e.g., overloading and overvoltage), imposed due to the variability of PV power generation. A flexible power point tracking (FPPT), which can limit the PV output power to a specific value, has thus been defined in grid-connection regulations to tackle some of the integration challenging issues. However, the conventional FPPT algorithm based on the perturb and observe method suffers from slow dynamics. In this paper, an adaptive FPPT algorithm is thus proposed, which features fast dynamics under rapidly changing environmental conditions (e.g., due to passing clouds), while maintaining low power oscillations in steady state. The proposed algorithm employs an extra measured sampling at each perturbation to observe the change in the operating condition (e.g., solar irradiance). Afterwards, the voltage-step is adaptively calculated following the observed condition (e.g., transient or steady state) in a way to improve the tracking performance. Experimental results on a 3-kVA grid-connected single-phase PV system validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in terms of fast dynamics and high accuracy under various operational conditions.
Mortality rates of juvenile starfish Acanthaster planci and Nardoa spp measured on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia and in Okinawa, Japan

Acanthaster planci (L.) and Nardoa novaecaladoniae (Perrier, 1875) are two coral reef asteroids having planktotrophic and lecithotrophic larval development, respectively. Comparative sizes at metamorphosis are 0.5 to 0.7 mm for A. planci and 1.2 to 1.6 mm for N. novaecaladonine. Mortality rates of small juveniles (one month old) of each species were measured experimentally in the field on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Mortality rates of N. novaecaladoniae were low (1.5 %.d(-1)) compared to 7.8 %. d(-1) for A. planci. Survival of the two species was similar between habitats. However, mortality rates of A. planci were highly variable both within-sites and between-sites within-habitats (fore reef 15 m depth, reef flat 2 m and back reef lagoon 12 m). There was no apparent effect of density of A. planci on mortality rates. Mortality is thought to be principally due to predation by infauna which are abundant in the coral reef rubble. A study of survival rates of newly metamorphosed Nardoa sp. (1.0 to 1.2 mm) in Okinawa, Japan, found very low mortality rates of just 0.2 %. d(-1). The abundance of potential predators among the rubble infauna was very low on the Okinawan reef compared to the Great Barrier Reef. These studies provide evidence of the importance of predation as a determinant of survival rates of small starfish and that a reproductive strategy providing for a large size at settlement facilitates greater survivorship.
Behind the Learning Curve: Linking Learning Activities to Waste Reduction

This exploratory research on a decade of Total Quality Management in one factory opens up the black box of the learning curve. Based on the organizational learning literature, we derive a quality learning curve that links different types of learning in quality improvement projects to the evolution of the factory's waste rate. Only 25% of the quality improvement projects--which acquired both know-why and know-how--accelerated waste reduction. The other 75% of the projects either impeded or did not affect waste reduction. In complex and dynamic production environments, locally acquired knowledge is difficult to disseminate. The combination of know-why and know-how facilitates its dissemination.
Polycentric Development to Combat Regional Disparities? the Relation Between Polycentricity and Regional Disparities in European Countries

Trends in regional disparities have been a major issue in regional science for many decades and knowledge of ways to overcome such disparities has great importance for regional policy-making. Strong initial differences between regions affect the capacity of each region to grow and their ability to respond to challenges imposed externally, for instance globalisation and growing international competition and trade (Cuadrado-Roura, 2001). Initial differences can relate to a wide variety of factors, for instance the availability of human resources, the accessibility of a region and the presence of advanced production services. A factor that gets increasing attention is the city system. Flourishing regions can often count on a large, well-accessible and internationally known city or regional clusters of cities. Concentration of support to dynamic growth poles would be an engine for growth of the whole country (or regions) through regional spillovers (Perroux 1955 and Kaldor 1970) Particularly also in regional and spatial policies addressing regional disparities attention is paid to the city system. It has been suggested that polycentric development can be instrumental to reducing regional disparities, see for instance in the European Spatial Development Perspective (CEC, 1999) and the Second Cohesion Report (CEC, 2001). In the Third Cohesion Report the main emphasis is territorial cohesion, which is placed on an equal footing as economic and social cohesion in the (unratified) Constitutional Treaty. Within the discussion on territorial cohesion polycentricity gets much emphasis (Faludi, 2005). Also many European countries pursue a polycentric development, often addressing the dominance of their prime city to diminish regional disparities. Apparently, policy makers assume a strong relationship between the urban system and the persistence of regional disparities. However, this assumption lacks empirical justification. The aim of this paper is to test the hypothesis that a polycentric city system leads to less regional disparities. The paper presents measures of the extent of polycentricity of the national urban systems of 26 European countries. This data is linked with calculations of regional disparities within these 26 countries. Are countries with a relatively polycentric urban system characterised by less regional disparities than more monocentric countries? And, what are the consequences of our findings for regional development policies?