Is there Initial Upper Palaeolithic in Western Tian Shan? Example of an open-air site Katta Sai 2 (Uzbekistan)

The paper presents the results of multidisciplinary studies on the open-air loess site Katta Sai 2 located in thewestern piedmonts of Tian Shan in Uzbekistan. Two archaeological horizons contain features associated with theInitial Upper Palaeolithic (IUP) - both Levallois and blade/bladelet volumetric technology, together with anUpper Palaeolithic toolkit. The cultural traits observed in Katta Sai 2 might have local roots dating back to MIS 5aand can be found in so-called Obirakhmatian technocomplex determined in several archaeological sites in theregion. Thus, the obtained results question the hypothesis of non-local origins of IUP complexes associated withthe early modern human migration from the Near East to Mongolia along the piedmonts of Pamir and Tian Shan.Until reliable anthropological and genetic data are obtained, it seems to be too early to conclude about therelationship between modern human migration and the appearance of IUP assemblages, at least across thewestern parts of Central Asia

Evolutionary Genomics of Genes Involved in Olfactory Behavior in the Drosophila melanogaster Species Group

Previous comparative genomic studies of genes involved in olfactory behavior in Drosophila focused only on particular gene families such as odorant receptor and/or odorant binding proteins. However, olfactory behavior has a complex genetic architecture that is orchestrated by many interacting genes. In this paper, we present a comparative genomic study of olfactory behavior in Drosophila including an extended set of genes known to affect olfactory behavior. We took advantage of the recent burst of whole genome sequences and the development of powerful statistical tools to analyze genomic data and test evolutionary and functional hypotheses of olfactory genes in the six species of the Drosophila melanogaster species group for which whole genome sequences are available. Our study reveals widespread purifying selection and limited incidence of positive selection on olfactory genes. We show that the pace of evolution of olfactory genes is mostly independent of the life cycle stage, and of the number of life cycle stages, in which they participate in olfaction. However, we detected a relationship between evolutionary rates and the position that the gene products occupy in the olfactory system, genes occupying central positions tend to be more constrained than peripheral genes. Finally, we demonstrate that specialization to one host does not seem to be associated with bursts of adaptive evolution in olfactory genes in D. sechellia and D. erecta, the two specialists species analyzed, but rather different lineages have idiosyncratic evolutionary histories in which both historical and ecological factors have been involved

Stepping on invisible land: on the importance of communicating the value of soils.

Soils play fundamental roles in the functioning of the Earth's ecosystems. Despite numerous initiatives to protect soils, it continues to be generally perceived as dirt or, at best, the surface we walk on. To better understand soil perception by the public, we conducted a survey with 99 participants from Poland and Brazil. We applied opportunity sampling and conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 respondents from Poland and 30 from Brazil, and 29 unstructured interviews in Brazil. Most of the respondents (53%) of the semi-structured interviews associated soil with the surface where plants grow, while 27% said that it is the ground we step on. When asked about pro-environmental campaigns, none of the respondents pointed to soil-related initiatives. Most of the respondents (99%) claimed that there is a need to increase their knowledge about the importance of soils, mostly through education (30%). The majority of the respondents of the unstructured interviews in Brazil indicated provision services provided by soils and pointed to the need for youth engagement in soil communication, corroborating the results from the semi-structured interviews. To address this, we present the results on artistic workshops as an experimental model for teaching and dissemination. We present two short documentary movies reporting the results from unstructured interviews and artistic workshops that can be used as data gathering tools, teaching tools and for dissemination purposes. This is a novel approach to communicating with the relevant stakeholders to promote more sustainable resource management

What Every Business Student Needs to Know About Information Systems

Whether Information Systems should or should not be part of the core business school curriculum is a recurring discussion in many universities. In this article, a task force of 40 prominent information systems scholars address the issue. They conclude that information systems is absolutely an essential body of knowledge for business school students to acquire as well as a key element of the business school\u27s long-run strategic positioning within the university. Originally prepared in response to draft accreditation guidelines prepared by AACSB International, the article includes a compilation of the concepts that the authors believe to be the core information systems knowledge that all business school students should be familiar with

Plant expression, lyophilisation and storage of HBV medium and large surface antigens for a prototype oral vaccine formulation

Current immunisation programmes against hepatitis B virus (HBV) increasingly often involve novel tri-component vaccines containing—together with the small (S-HBsAg)—also medium and large surface antigens of HBV (M- and L-HBsAg). Plants producing all HBsAg proteins can be a source of components for a potential oral ‘triple’ anti-HBV vaccine. The objective of the presented research was to study the potential of M/L-HBsAg expression in leaf tissue and conditions of its processing for a prototype oral vaccine. Tobacco and lettuce carrying M- or L-HBsAg genes and resistant to the herbicide glufosinate were engineered and integration of the transgenes was verified by PCR and Southern hybridizations. M- and L-HBsAg expression was confirmed by Western blot and assayed by ELISA at the level of micrograms per g of fresh weight. The antigens displayed a common S domain and characteristic domains preS2 and preS1 and were assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs). Leaf tissues containing M- and L-HBsAg were lyophilised to produce a starting material of an orally administered vaccine formula. The antigens were distinctly sensitive to freeze-drying conditions and storage temperature, in the aspect of stability of S and preS domains and formation of multimeric particles. Efficiency of lyophilisation and storage depended also on the initial antigen content in plant tissue, yet M-HBsAg appeared to be approximately 1.5–2 times more stable than L-HBsAg. The results of the study provide indications concerning the preparation of two other constituents, next to S-HBsAg, for a plant-derived prototype oral tri-component vaccine against hepatitis B

PRISMA for abstracts: best practice for reporting abstracts of systematic reviews in Endodontology

An abstract is a brief overview of a scientific, clinical or review manuscript as well as a stand‐alone summary of a conference abstract. Scientists, clinician–scientists and clinicians rely on the summary information provided in the abstracts of systematic reviews to assist in subsequent clinical decision‐making. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) for Abstracts checklist was developed to improve the quality, accuracy and completeness of abstracts associated with systematic reviews and meta‐analyses. The PRISMA for Abstracts checklist provides a framework for authors to follow, which helps them provide in the abstract the key information from the systematic review that is required by stakeholders. The PRISMA for Abstracts checklist contains 12 items (title, objectives, eligibility criteria, information sources, risk of bias, included studies, synthesis of results, description of the effect, strength and limitations, interpretation, funding and systematic review registration) under six sections (title, background, methods, results, discussion, other). The current article highlights the relevance and importance of the items in the PRISMA for Abstracts checklist to the specialty of Endodontology, while offering explanations and specific examples to assist authors when writing abstracts for systematic reviews when reported in manuscripts or submitted to conferences. Strict adherence to the PRISMA for Abstracts checklist by authors, reviewers and journal editors will result in the consistent publication of high‐quality abstracts within Endodontology