A new zooarchaeological application for geometric morphometric methods: Distinguishing Ovis aries morphotypes to address connectivity and mobility of prehistoric Central Asian pastoralists.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.Geometric morphometric methods (GMM), which were developed to characterize the shape and size of biological organisms, have been applied within zooarchaeology over the past decade to address animal domestication processes and to refine morphological criteria to differentiate between taxa. However, there has been limited utilization of these methods to discriminate between populations of the same taxa to challenge and refine other key archaeological issues, such as migration and connectivity in prehistory. Presented here is a novel application of a three-dimensional landmark based geometric morphometric approach to address the nature of long distance trade and connectivity on the prehistoric Silk Road. The similarity of Bronze and Iron Age archaeological cultures along this steppe route has encouraged characterisations of these people as nomads, with highly mobile, integrated, and connected human and animal populations. However, the interconnectedness of domestic animal populations, in particular sheep (Ovis aries), the foundation of this prehistoric pastoral economy, has never been examined. This study utilized geometric morphometric methods to quantify geometric morphometric variance of O. aries astragali between three geographically disparate settlement sites within a single Final Bronze age cultural and chronological context. Significant differences between morphotypes revealed that protracted mobility patterns were unlikely and that while animal exchange may have occurred, it was not pervasive enough to produce a uniform sheep morphotype across central and southeastern Kazakhstan. The result of this new application of geometric morphometric methods challenges models of uniform and undifferentiated long distance mobility and economic connectivity between the peoples of the Silk Road.Fulbright scholarshipFrances Mary Hazen fellowshi

Constrained Reductions of 2D dispersionless Toda Hierarchy, Hamiltonian Structure and Interface Dynamics

Finite-dimensional reductions of the 2D dispersionless Toda hierarchy, constrained by the ``string equation'' are studied. These include solutions determined by polynomial, rational or logarithmic functions, which are of interest in relation to the ``Laplacian growth'' problem governing interface dynamics. The consistency of such reductions is proved, and the Hamiltonian structure of the reduced dynamics is derived. The Poisson structure of the rationally reduced dispersionless Toda hierarchies is also derivedComment: 18 pages LaTex, accepted to J.Math.Phys, Significantly updated version of the previous submissio

The implementation of social dialogue in the institution of higher education in the development of social partnership

Increasing information awareness of the development of social partnership is a necessary and vital result of twenty years of development of social partnership in Russia. Conferences (roundtable discussions) of stakeholders of organizations, members of social partnership at the regional level can be the means of increasing information awareness. The staff of the University has a powerful resource in this area. The paper describes the project of the conference on exchange of experiences in research and development of social partnership in the region. Professional playground of the University is the best venue for such conference.Повышение информационной осведомленности о развитии социального партнерства является необходимым и насущным результатом двадцатилетнего развития социального партнерства в России. Средством повышения информационной осведомленности может быть конференция (круглый стол) стейкхолдеров организации, участников социального партнерства на региональном уровне. Персонал вуза обладает мощным информационным ресурсом в этой области. В статье описан проект конференции по обмену опытом исследования и развития социального партнерства в регионе. Профессиональная площадка вуза является оптимальным пространством для проведения такой конференции

SLE_k: correlation functions in the coefficient problem

We apply the method of correlation functions to the coefficient problem in stochastic geometry. In particular, we give a proof for some universal patterns conjectured by M. Zinsmeister for the second moments of the Taylor coefficients for special values of kappa in the whole-plane Schramm-Loewner evolution (SLE_kappa). We propose to use multi-point correlation functions for the study of higher moments in coefficient problem. Generalizations related to the Levy-type processes are also considered. The exact multifractal spectrum of considered version of the whole-plane SLE_kappa is discussed

Exceptional Askey-Wilson type polynomials through Darboux-Crum transformations

An alternative derivation is presented of the infinitely many exceptional Wilson and Askey-Wilson polynomials, which were introduced by the present authors in 2009. Darboux-Crum transformations intertwining the discrete quantum mechanical systems of the original and the exceptional polynomials play an important role. Infinitely many continuous Hahn polynomials are derived in the same manner. The present method provides a simple proof of the shape invariance of these systems as in the corresponding cases of the exceptional Laguerre and Jacobi polynomials.Comment: 24 pages. Comments and references added. To appear in J.Phys.

The formation of human populations in South and Central Asia

By sequencing 523 ancient humans, we show that the primary source of ancestry in modern South Asians is a prehistoric genetic gradient between people related to early hunter-gatherers of Iran and Southeast Asia. After the Indus Valley Civilization’s decline, its people mixed with individuals in the southeast to form one of the two main ancestral populations of South Asia, whose direct descendants live in southern India. Simultaneously, they mixed with descendants of Steppe pastoralists who, starting around 4000 years ago, spread via Central Asia to form the other main ancestral population. The Steppe ancestry in South Asia has the same profile as that in Bronze Age Eastern Europe, tracking a movement of people that affected both regions and that likely spread the distinctive features shared between Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic languages

Exactly and quasi-exactly solvable 'discrete' quantum mechanics.

A brief introduction to discrete quantum mechanics is given together with the main results on various exactly solvable systems. Namely, the intertwining relations, shape invariance, Heisenberg operator solutions, annihilation/creation operators and dynamical symmetry algebras, including the q-oscillator algebra and the Askey-Wilson algebra. A simple recipe to construct exactly and quasi-exactly solvable (QES) Hamiltonians in one-dimensional 'discrete' quantum mechanics is presented. It reproduces all the known Hamiltonians whose eigenfunctions consist of the Askey scheme of hypergeometric orthogonal polynomials of a continuous or a discrete variable. Several new exactly and QES Hamiltonians are constructed. The sinusoidal coordinate plays an essential role

Olmesartan: vasoprotective effects and reducing the risk of vascular accidents

Currently, arterial hypertension (AH) and atherosclerosis are the most significant risk factors for cerebral complications including ischemic stroke, which requires adequate therapeutic interventions for primary and secondary prevention [1]

Change of the Luminescence Decay Time for Lu2O3 : Eu Nanocrystals Embedded in Synthetic Opal

International audienc

Effect of the geometric shape of Lu2O3: Eu spherical nanocrystals on their spontaneous luminescence

International audienceMonodisperse red phosphor particles 100 nm in diameter with the Lu1.90Eu0.10O3 composition have been prepared using the developed technique for synthesizing spherical colloidal lutetium oxide particles with a size dispersion in the range 10-15%. The structure of spherical nanoparticles has been investigated, their excitation and photoluminescence spectra have been analyzed, and the lifetime of the (5) D (0) excited state of Eu3+ ions has been considered. It has been found that the luminescence decay time for spherical particles increases by a factor of 1.39 compared to that for a powdered phosphor Lu2O3: Eu (5 at %) prepared and treated under the same temperature conditions as the Lu2O3: Eu (5 at %) spherical particles. This effect has been associated with the change in the photonic local density of states in spherical optical cavities consisting of particles of the phosphor