A newly discovered antler flint-knapping hammer and the question of their rarity in the Palaeolithic archaeological record: Reality or bias?

The use of soft (bone, antler, tooth and wood) hammers and retouchers is a key innovation in early stone tool technology, first appearing in the archaeological record with Lower Palaeolithic handaxe industries (e.g. Boxgrove, UK ~ 500 kya). Although organic knapping tools were undoubtedly a component of early human toolkits and are essential, for example, for the manufacture of finely-flaked handaxes, Mousterian scrapers and Upper Palaeolithic blades tools, such archaeological finds are exceptionally rare. In this study, we present qualitative and quantitative analyses (focus variation optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, micro-CT scanning and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), to characterise use-damage on an antler base from Laugerie-Haute West (France). This specimen was originally identified as a waste-product from splinter manufacture, and the use-damage appears to have been missed. The new analysis shows that prior to being used as a flint-knapping percussor, the red deer antler had been further modified to reduce the length of its beam and to remove the tines. Although minimally used, characteristic use-damage includes attrition (pits and scores), compression of the antler matrix and flint chips embedded within some of the percussion features on the base of the burr. An AMS radiocarbon date of 12385 ± 55 BP (12647 ± 335 BC calibrated) confirms a Magdelanian context for the hammer. The fact that the Laugerie Haute knapping hammer went unrecognised in a well-studied and accessible collection for almost 200 years since its discovery, suggests that antler hammers may be more common than generally assumed. Only further re-examination of prehistoric antlers in museum collections will confirm whether the apparent rarity of antler hammers during the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic is real phenomenon or the result of analytical biases

Transport and dispersion of atmospheric sulphur dioxide from an industrial coastal area during a sea-breeze event

International audienceExperimental and modelling results of the dynamics of a sea-breeze event and its effects on the three-dimensional (3-D) redistribution of the gaseous SO2 are presented within the framework of a particularly flat and industrialized coastal area of the North Sea. The measurements were carried out at ground level with the stations of the local air quality monitoring agency and with two optical remote sensing instruments. The remote sensing setup consisted of a lidar and a sodar whose measurements allowed us to determine the layers of the lower troposphere during a sea-breeze event up to 1400 m height. The experimental results and measurements of industrial SO2 in the atmosphere are compared to the numerical simulations of the 3-D atmospheric non-hydrostatic chemistry model Meso-NH-C. The transport and the dispersion of gaseous SO2 are studied above the neighbouring industrial and urban areas. We show how the evolution and the redistribution of the SO2 concentrations at ground level are related to the structure and the dynamics of the sea breeze. The gaseous SO2 is brought back inland as soon as the sea breeze commences, mixed inner the thermal internal boundary layer and transported inland by the gravity current up to the sea-breeze front, where gases and particles are uplifted. The elevation of the polluted air masses by the sea-breeze system favours the nucleation of the emitted compounds due to the increase of the relative humidity in the uplifted layer. We show how the dynamical conditions during and after the sea breeze lead to storage of SO2 near and above the emitting industrial coastal areas, and favour the formation of acidic aerosol particles

An ancient Turing-like patterning mechanism regulates skin denticle development in sharks

Vertebrates possess a vast array of epithelial appendages, including scales, feathers and hair. The developmental patterning of these diverse structures can be theoretically explained by Alan Turing’s reaction-diffusion (RD) system. However, the role of this system in epithelial appendage patterning of early diverging lineages (compared to tetrapods), such as the cartilaginous fishes, is poorly understood. We investigate patterning of the unique tooth-like skin denticles of sharks, which closely relates to their hydrodynamic and protective functions. We demonstrate through simulation models that a Turing-like mechanism can explain shark denticle patterning and verify this system using gene expression analysis and gene pathway inhibition experiments. This mechanism bears remarkable similarity to avian feather patterning, suggesting deep homology of the system. We propose that a diverse range of vertebrate appendages, from shark denticles to avian feathers and mammalian hair, utilize this ancient and conserved system, with slight genetic modulation accounting for broad variations in patterning

Massive radio channel sounder architecture for 5G mobility scenarios : MaMIMOSA

This paper presents a real-time 64 x 16 massive MIMO channel sounder based on space-frequency division multiplexing and antenna subarray switching, giving a large possibility of antenna allocation and frequency tone between 2 and 12 GHz. This channel sounder called Massive MIMOSA or MaMIMOSA belongs to the new generation of software radio design based systems. The architecture of the proposed approach was designed with the highest flexibility thus opening a wide range of applications depending upon the investigated scenarios. Currently, the system is being setup using a massive 10 x 10 antenna array operating around 6 GHz with 80 MHz bandwidth for SG V2X applications. The channel sounder can be powered with vehicle batteries to perform day long measurements when electrical outlets are not available. The output file gives the measured Massive MIMO matrix in a friendly compact binary format. It will be operational in early 2020

Summary report of the Standards, Options and Recommendations for the management of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma (2000)

SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Tiling Histone H3 Lysine 4 and 27 Methylation in Zebrafish Using High-Density Microarrays

BACKGROUND: Uncovering epigenetic states by chromatin immunoprecipitation and microarray hybridization (ChIP-chip) has significantly contributed to the understanding of gene regulation at the genome-scale level. Many studies have been carried out in mice and humans; however limited high-resolution information exists to date for non-mammalian vertebrate species. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We report a 2.1-million feature high-resolution Nimblegen tiling microarray for ChIP-chip interrogations of epigenetic states in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The array covers 251 megabases of the genome at 92 base-pair resolution. It includes ∼15 kb of upstream regulatory sequences encompassing all RefSeq promoters, and over 5 kb in the 5' end of coding regions. We identify with high reproducibility, in a fibroblast cell line, promoters enriched in H3K4me3, H3K27me3 or co-enriched in both modifications. ChIP-qPCR and sequential ChIP experiments validate the ChIP-chip data and support the co-enrichment of trimethylated H3K4 and H3K27 on a subset of genes. H3K4me3- and/or H3K27me3-enriched genes are associated with distinct transcriptional status and are linked to distinct functional categories. CONCLUSIONS: We have designed and validated for the scientific community a comprehensive high-resolution tiling microarray for investigations of epigenetic states in zebrafish, a widely used developmental and disease model organism