Ancient DNA analysis of 8000 B.C. near eastern farmers supports an early neolithic pioneer maritime colonization of Mainland Europe through Cyprus and the Aegean Islands

The genetic impact associated to the Neolithic spread in Europe has been widely debated over the last 20 years. Within this context, ancient DNA studies have provided a more reliable picture by directly analyzing the protagonist populations at different regions in Europe. However, the lack of available data from the original Near Eastern farmers has limited the achieved conclusions, preventing the formulation of continental models of Neolithic expansion. Here we address this issue by presenting mitochondrial DNA data of the original Near-Eastern Neolithic communities with the aim of providing the adequate background for the interpretation of Neolithic genetic data from European samples. Sixty-three skeletons from the Pre Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) sites of Tell Halula, Tell Ramad and Dja'de El Mughara dating between 8,700-6,600 cal. B.C. were analyzed, and 15 validated mitochondrial DNA profiles were recovered. In order to estimate the demographic contribution of the first farmers to both Central European and Western Mediterranean Neolithic cultures, haplotype and haplogroup diversities in the PPNB sample were compared using phylogeographic and population genetic analyses to available ancient DNA data from human remains belonging to the Linearbandkeramik-Alföldi Vonaldiszes Kerámia and Cardial/Epicardial cultures. We also searched for possible signatures of the original Neolithic expansion over the modern Near Eastern and South European genetic pools, and tried to infer possible routes of expansion by comparing the obtained results to a database of 60 modern populations from both regions. Comparisons performed among the 3 ancient datasets allowed us to identify K and N-derived mitochondrial DNA haplogroups as potential markers of the Neolithic expansion, whose genetic signature would have reached both the Iberian coasts and the Central European plain. Moreover, the observed genetic affinities between the PPNB samples and the modern populations of Cyprus and Crete seem to suggest that the Neolithic was first introduced into Europe through pioneer seafaring colonization.

Tan cerca, tan lejos: Aldo Rossi y el Grupo 2C. Arquitectura, ideología y disidencias en la Barcelona de los 70 = So close, so far : Aldo Rossi and the 2C Group. Architecture, ideology and dissents in the Barcelona of the 70s

The Catalan reception of the 1966 manifestos by Robert Venturi and Aldo Rossi marks the scenario of a breakup: while North America debates about the architectural shape as a linguistic structure, Italy dips its roots in the Modern Movement tradition as an origin for a new temporal and ideological architectural dimension. The first contacts between Rossi and Spain verify this search and allow the Italian to construct common itineraries with some architects from Barcelona. From these exchanges the 2C group will be born, taking part on typical vanguardist mechanisms: they will publish the magazine, 2C. The construction of the city (1972-1985), they will attend the XV Triennale di Milano in 1973 with the Torres Clavé Plan (1971) and the Aldo Rossi + 21 Spanish architects exhibition (1975) while he will organize the three issues of the Seminarios Internacionales de Arquitectura Contemporánea (S.I.AC.) which took place in Santiago, Sevilla and Barcelona between 1976 and 1980. In front of the unfolding of the firsts, the American contacts of Federico Correa, Oriol Bohigas, Lluís Domènech and the PER studio or the teaching work of Rafael Moneo from Barcelona since 1971, allow to draw replica itineraries with the foundation of the magazine Arquitecturas Bis (1974-1985), the organization of the meetings between international publications such as Lotus and Oppositions in Cadaqués (1975) and New York (1977), while stablishing exchanges with members of the Five Architects. Replicas that in 1976 conduct the initial ideological affirmations between Rossi and the 2C group towards irreconcilable distancing. Verifying the itinerary of the journey that the Italian leads from the Italian resistance towards the American backing down is part of the aim of this article

ESTRO-HERO survey: Radiotherapy staffing in the European countries: Final results from the ESTRO-HERO survey

Background: The ESTRO Health Economics in Radiation Oncology (HERO) project has the overall aim to develop a knowledge base of the provision of radiotherapy in Europe and build a model for health economic evaluation of radiation treatments at the European level. The first milestone was to assess the availability of radiotherapy resources within Europe. This paper presents the personnel data collected in the ESTRO HERO database. Materials and methods: An 84-item questionnaire was sent out to European countries, through their national scientific and professional radiotherapy societies. The current report includes a detailed analysis of radiotherapy staffing (questionnaire items 4760), analysed in relation to the annual number of treatment courses and the socio-economic status of the countries. The analysis was conducted between February and July 2014, and is based on validated responses from 24 of the 40 European countries defined by the European Cancer Observatory (ECO). Results: A large variation between countries was found for most parameters studied. Averages and ranges for personnel numbers per million inhabitants are 12.8 (2.530.9) for radiation oncologists, 7.6 (019.7) for medical physicists, 3.5 (012.6) for dosimetrists, 26.6 (1.978) for RTTs and 14.8 (0.461.0) for radiotherapy nurses. The combined average for physicists and dosimetrists is 9.8 per million inhabitants and 36.9 for RTT and nurses. Radiation oncologists on average treat 208.9 courses per year (range: 99.9348.8), physicists and dosimetrists conjointly treat 303.3 courses (range: 85757.7) and RTT and nurses 76.8 (range: 25.7156.8). In countries with higher GNI per capita, all personnel categories treat fewer courses per annum than in less affluent countries. This relationship is most evident for RTTs and nurses. Different clusters of countries can be distinguished on the basis of available personnel resources and socio-economic status. Conclusions: The average personnel figures in Europe are now consistent with, or even more favourable than the QUARTS recommendations, probably reflecting a combination of better availability as such, in parallel with the current use of more complex treatments than a decade ago. A considerable variation in available personnel and delivered courses per year however persists among the highest and lowest staffing levels. This not only reflects the variation in cancer incidence and socio-economic determinants, but also the stage in technology adoption along with treatment complexity and the different professional roles and responsibilities within each country. Our data underpin the need for accurate prediction models and long-term education and training programmes

Utilisation of biomass for energy production in the North-West Russian forest industry

Traditionally, fossil fuels have always been the major sources of the modern energy production. However prices on these energy sources have been constantly increasing. The utilization of local biomass resources for energy production can substitute significant part of the required energy demand in different energy sectors. The introduction of the biomass usage can easily be started in the forest industry first as it possesses biomass in a large volume. The forest industry energy sector has the highest potential for the fast bioenergy development in the North-West Russia. Therefore, the question concerning rational and effective forest resources use is important today as well as the utilization of the forestry by-products. This work describes and analyzes the opportunities of utilising biomass, mainly, in the form of the wood by-products, for energy production processes in general, as well as for the northwest Russian forest industry conditions. The study also covers basic forest industry processes and technologies, so, the reader can get familiar with the information about the specific character of the biomass utilization. The work gives a comprehensive view on the northwest forest industry situation from the biomass utilisation point of view. By presenting existing large-scale sawmills and pulp and paper mills the work provides information for the evaluation of the future development of CHP investments in the northwest Russian forest industry.

The pre-history of cryoscopy: what was done before raoult?

Cryoscopy is considered one of the foundations of the modern theory of solutions and of physical chemistry. This paper shows in order the first regularities pointed out by several scientists on the subject, in the first chapter of its birth as a scientific discipline. The study is focused on the identification of the different steps that helped, first qualitatively and then quantitatively, to adjust the different classes of possible solutions, including those that formed hydrates, to a basic formulation that the French scientist François-Marie Raoult would later generalize in the law that bears his name.

Political philosophy, ethnology, and time: a study of the notion of historical handicap

This article starts by identifying the crucial importance of the notion of historical handicap for the present-day social sciences of Latin America. Such notion is not an original invention made by Latinamericanists. On the contrary, I demonstrate that the genealogy of the notion of historical handicap must be sought in the tradition of Western political philosophy. Such genealogy must take into account the way it was integrated into ethnological descriptions. When and how did the Other become the backward, the primitive? While this relation was secondary for ancient Greek thought, theories of historical development became the main source of ethnological categories in the modern era. Interestingly enough, this modern synthesis suited the practical purpose of justifying two successive waves of European imperialistic: the era of discoveries, and 19th century colonialism. The article concludes by raising questions about the present role and application of the social sciences.

Consistency from the perspective of an experimental systems approach to the sciences and their epistemic objects

It is generally accepted that the development of the modern sciences is rooted in experiment. Yet for a long time, experimentation did not occupy a prominent role, neither in philosophy nor in history of science. With the 'practical turn' in studying the sciences and their history, this has begun to change. This paper is concerned with systems and cultures of experimentation and the consistencies that are generated within such systems and cultures. The first part of the paper exposes the forms of historical and structural coherence that characterize the experimental exploration of epistemic objects. In the second part, a particular experimental culture in the life sciences is briefly described as an example. A survey will be given of what it means and what it takes to analyze biological functions in the test tube.

The Possibilities and Dosimetric Limitations of MLC-Based Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Delivery and Optimization Techniques

The use of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has increased extensively in the modern radiotherapy (RT) treatments over the past two decades. Radiation dose distributions can be delivered with higher conformality with IMRT when compared to the conventional 3D-conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Higher conformality and target coverage increases the probability of tumour control and decreases the normal tissue complications. The primary goal of this work is to improve and evaluate the accuracy, efficiency and delivery techniques of RT treatments by using IMRT. This study evaluated the dosimetric limitations and possibilities of IMRT in small (treatments of head-and-neck, prostate and lung cancer) and large volumes (primitive neuroectodermal tumours). The dose coverage of target volumes and the sparing of critical organs were increased with IMRT when compared to 3D-CRT. The developed split field IMRT technique was found to be safe and accurate method in craniospinal irradiations. By using IMRT in simultaneous integrated boosting of biologically defined target volumes of localized prostate cancer high doses were achievable with only small increase in the treatment complexity. Biological plan optimization increased the probability of uncomplicated control on average by 28% when compared to standard IMRT delivery. Unfortunately IMRT carries also some drawbacks. In IMRT the beam modulation is realized by splitting a large radiation field to small apertures. The smaller the beam apertures are the larger the rebuild-up and rebuild-down effects are at the tissue interfaces. The limitations to use IMRT with small apertures in the treatments of small lung tumours were investigated with dosimetric film measurements. The results confirmed that the peripheral doses of the small lung tumours were decreased as the effective field size was decreased. The studied calculation algorithms were not able to model the dose deficiency of the tumours accurately. The use of small sliding window apertures of 2 mm and 4 mm decreased the tumour peripheral dose by 6% when compared to 3D-CRT treatment plan. A direct aperture based optimization (DABO) technique was examined as a solution to decrease the treatment complexity. The DABO IMRT technique was able to achieve treatment plans equivalent with the conventional IMRT fluence based optimization techniques in the concave head-and-neck target volumes. With DABO the effective field sizes were increased and the number of MUs was reduced with a factor of two. The optimality of a treatment plan and the therapeutic ratio can be further enhanced by using dose painting based on regional radiosensitivities imaged with functional imaging methods.

Winning time in land warfare : a reading of the classical strategists prior to the age of mechanization

We live in an age where rationalization and demands of efficiency taint every aspect of our lives both as individuals and as a society. Even warfare cannot escape the increased speed of human interaction. Time is a resource to be managed. It has to be optimized, saved and won in military affairs as well. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the dogmatic texts of military thought to search for answers what the classics of strategy saw in the interrelations of temporality and warfare and if their thoughts remain meaningful in the contemporary conjunction. Since the way a society functions is reflected in the way it conducts its wars, there naturally are differences between an agrarian, industrial and information society. Theorists of different eras emphasize things specific to their times, but warfare, like any human interaction, is always bounded by temporality. Not only is the pace of warfare dependent on the progress of the society, but time permeates warfare in all its aspects. This research paper focuses on two specific topics that arose from the texts themselves; how should time be managed and manipulated in warfare and how to economize and “win” it from the enemy. A method where lengthy quotations are used to illustrate the main point of the strategists has been chosen for this research paper. While Clausewitz is the most prominent source of quotations, thoughts from ancient India and China are represented as well to prove that the combination of right force in the right place at the right time is still the way of the victorious. Tactics change in the course of time but the principles of strategy remain unaltered and are only adapted to suit new situations. While ancient and pre-modern societies had their focus on finding auspicious moments for battle in the flow of kronos-time based on divinities, portents and auguries, we can trace elements of manipulation of time in warfare from the earliest surviving texts. While time as a fourth dimension of the battlespace emerged only in the modern era, all through the history of military thought it has had a profound meaning. In the past time could be squandered, today it always has to be won. This paper asks the question “why”.

The Dark Side of International Business? Stakeholder Approach to Human Trafficking in Finnish Construction and Service Sectors

Human trafficking is not a new phenomenon. It has existed in various forms for ages around the world. Some researchers have even compared it to slavery, calling it the modern form of slavery in the 21st century. This study is particularly interested in the role of work-related human trafficking in Finnish business. In order for something to be called work-related human trafficking, the concepts of forced labour and human trafficking have to overlap. From the economic point of view, human trafficking is governed by the laws of supply and demand. In many countries the global pressure on cutting costs has created two trends: the increased supply of migrant workers and the deregulation of labour markets. These competitive pressures can have an adverse impact on the conditions of employment and, in the worst cases, can lead to forced labour and trafficking. In fact, trafficking has become one of the most profitable illicit industries worldwide, generating tremendous profits due to its low costs and huge profits. Therefore, it is important to investigate the phenomenon from the business point of view. This study is a qualitative research conducted by using theme interviews as a research approach. Altogether 13 interviews have been conducted and some secondary data has been used in order to find out what the role of human trafficking is in Finnish business. The special sectors investigated are the Finnish construction and service sectors. The theory framework used in this study follows the stakeholder approach. The relevant stakeholder groups for this study are: ‘institutions and authorities’, ‘law enforcement’, ‘management’ and ‘employees – potential victims’ of trafficking. With the help of these stakeholder groups, a holistic picture of the phenomenon is formed. It can be concluded that the role of human trafficking is complicated but it does exist in Finnish business. It appears in low-cost business sectors where the demand for cheap labour is high. Thus, often the victims are foreigners who do not know the culture or the Finnish conditions of employment. Especially smaller Finnish companies are at risk of getting involved in human trafficking or related exploitation cases since monitoring is much more scarce in these firms than in larger companies. The risk of human trafficking and exploitation is also higher at the bottom of the complicated subcontracting chains or when using foreign recruitment agencies. Thus, the study believes that active and intensive collaboration between the company’s different stakeholder groups is needed in order to prevent work-related human trafficking from flourishing in Finland.

THE IMPACT OF GUANXI TO MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES BUSINESS PERFORMACE, CORPORATE REPUTATION, NEGOTIATIONS AND MANAGEMENT IN CHINA

The modern business development of China began during 1978 and during the last decades Chinese have created one of the most dynamic and strongest economies in the world. China is now second largest trading power calculated in dollars. The special characteristic of this economic development is that it is not copy of any existing economy, instead the developments have been strongly influenced by the Chinese cultural characteristics. One cultural characteristic, guanxi, which is a “network of services and counter- services” is argued to be major component of successful business in China where these changes of services happen between people but also between companies. Obtaining introductions and the guanxi when doing business in China will give attentive audience and security for companies business. Despite the evidenced importance of guanxi, China´s business environment is rapidly changing towards Western economies, which might then reduce the importance of guanxi. Therefore the current impact of guanxi is a important topic to study. The main purpose of this study is to explore the impact of guanxi for Western big and small sized multinational companies´ business processes when doing business in China. This study looks What is the impact of guanxi in contemporary Chinese business environment for foreign companies doing business in China. Sub-questions in this research focus on what is the impact of guanxi on corporate reputation, management and negotiations. Findings present a mixed view where the importance of guanxi is not anymore critical, especially among younger people in the cities, however guanxi was clearly important outside the cities and when dealing with government officials. Efficient use of guanxi can be extremely profitable especially during early stages of business operations and guanxi plays role when bargaining prices and ensuring product quality from the factories. Therefore guanxi should be considered as essential element for successful business in China.

The effects of welding heat input on the usability of high strength steels in welded structures

High strength steel (HSS) has been in use in workshops since the 1980s. At that time, the significance of the term HSS differed from the modern conception as the maximum yield strength of HSSs has increased nearly every year. There are three different ways to make HSS. The first and oldest method is QT (quenched and tempered) followed by the TMCP (thermomechanical controlled process) and DQ (direct quenching) methods. This thesis consists of two parts, the first of which part introduces the research topic and discusses welded HSS structures by characterizing the most important variables. In the second part of the thesis, the usability of welded HSS structures is examined through a set of laboratory tests. The results of this study explain the differences in the usability of the welded HSSs made by the three different methods. The results additionally indicate that usage of different HSSs in the welded structures presumes that manufacturers know what kind of HSS they are welding. As manufacturers use greater strength HSSs in welded structures, the demands for welding rise as well. Therefore, during the manufacturing process, factors such as heat input, cooling time, weld quality, and more must be under careful observation.

Konstruktiivisen mallin ja suunnittelumallin käyttö aikakauslehtialalla tapahtuvassa murroksessa

Aikakauslehtialalla on vallalla ollut jo useamman vuoden ajan median digitaalinen murros, jonka vuoksi lehtitalot ovat joutuneet muuttamaan käytössä olleita toimintatapojaan ja kehittämään uusiin jakelukanaviin sisältöä pysyäkseen kovassa kilpailussa mukana. Tässä pro gradussa esitetään innovatiivisen konstruktiivisen mallin ja perinteisemmän liiketoimintasuunnitelmaa korostavan suunnittelumallin yhtäläisyyksiä ja eroavuuksia. Tutkielman empiirisessä osassa vertaillaan mallien käytettävyyttä aikakauslehtialalla keskittymällä malleille ominaisiin neljään eri dimensioon ja dimensioista muodostettuihin teemoihin aikakauslehtialalle sovellettuina. Tutkielmassa esitellään mallien toimintalogiikoita sekä prosessikaaviot, jotka kuvaavat uuden idean kehitysprosessia yrityksessä. Tutkimusote on kvalitatiivinen ja haastatteluaineisto on toteutettu puolistrukturoidulla haastattelumenetelmällä. Tuloksien avulla voidaan todeta, että aikakauslehtialalla tapahtuva murros on jo muuttanut toimittajien arkipäiväistä työnkuvaa. Toimittajien oman ammattitaidon ja osaamisen jatkuva kehittäminen sekä uusiin jakelukanaviin tutustuminen ja sinne sisällön tuottaminen ovat haasteita, johon he joutuvat sopeutumaan jatkossa. Ammattitaidon ylläpitoa sekä oikeanlaisen asiakastutkimuksen hyödyntämistä voidaankin pitää malleja yhdistävinä tekijöinä. Malleja erottavia tekijöitä ovat vuorostaan innovatiivisten ideoiden läpivienti sekä riskinottokyky.

The Rebirth of Dinamo Riga: From the Glorious Soviet Past to the Kontinental Hockey League

Since the end of Cold War rivalries, the world of international hockey was deemed to becoming increasingly homogenized along western sportization patterns. The introduction of the Russian-sponsored Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) signified a new era in the global diffusion of modern sports. Its recent expansion in the post-Soviet space and European countries significantly reshuffled the landscape of international hockey, offering new prospects for the studies of the intersection of sports, history, geopolitics and nationalism in the age of globalization. The aim of this study is to conceptualize the KHL and illuminate the role of ice hockey in post-Soviet Latvia. I treat the creation of the KHL and the integration of a Latvian-based team, “Dinamo Riga,” into the KHL within the broader discussion on the globalization of sports and its effects on national communities. The research is based on a case study of the modern rebirth of “Dinamo Riga” and its participation in the KHL and is confined to the scholarly themes in sports research, such as the history of modern sports and globalization, sports and nationalism. The study pays special attention to unveiling the geopolitical links between the restart of Latvian-Russian relations after the EU’s eastern enlargement and the re-emerging Latvian-Russian contacts in ice hockey. The research concludes that with the creation of the KHL, European hockey received a new charismatic “zone of prestige” for sports interaction. The project of “Dinamo Riga” became the new global phenomenon in Latvian sports in terms of its capabilities to transcend the post-Soviet geopolitical stereotypes in relation to Russia and serve as a new national symbol in the promotion and celebration of Latvian sporting nationalism. Further sociological research would require the clarification of the impact of Latvian-Russian cooperation in hockey on the bilateral relations of both countries and the formation of a national community in Latvia.

Competitive advantage through proprietary erp implementation: analysis of the project Väinämö

In the market where companies similar in size and resources are competing, it is challenging to have any advantage over others. In order to stay afloat company needs to have capability to perform with fewer resources and yet provide better service. Hence development of efficient processes which can cut costs and improve performance is crucial. As business expands, processes become complicated and large amount of data needs to be managed and available on request. Different tools are used in companies to store and manage data, which facilitates better production and transactions. In the modern business world the most utilized tool for that purpose is ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning system. The focus of this research is to study how competitive advantage can be achieved by implementing proprietary ERP system in the company; ERP system that is in-house created, tailor made to match and align business needs and processes. Market is full of ERP software, but choosing the right one is a big challenge. Identifying the key features that need improvement in processes and data management, choosing the right ERP, implementing it and the follow-up is a long and expensive journey companies undergo. Some companies prefer to invest in a ready-made package bought from vendor and adjust it according to own business needs, while others focus on creating own system with in-house IT capabilities. In this research a case company is used and author tries to identify and analyze why organization in question decided to pursue the development of proprietary ERP system, how it has been implemented and whether it has been successful. Main conclusion and recommendation of this research is for companies to know core capabilities and constraints before choosing and implementing ERP system. Knowledge of factors that affect system change outcome is important, to make the right decisions on strategic level and implement on operational level. Duration of the project in the case company has lasted longer than anticipated. It has been reported that in cases of buying ready product from vendor, projects are delayed and completed over budget as well. In general, in case company implementation of proprietary ERP has been successful both from business performance figures and usability of system by employees. In terms of future research, conducting a study to calculate statistically ROI of both approaches; of buying ready product and creating own ERP will be beneficial.