The exploitation of animal resources in Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2) settlement (Romania)

The aim of this paper is to present an interesting archaeological assemblage discovered during archaeological research at the settlement of Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2) (Romania). So far, this is the only example of a Turdaș culture osseous assemblage published. It is numerically representative, with 901 pieces, of which 796 are bone, 94 antler, 8 tooth and 3 valve. Among the bone pieces, a high standardisation in the selection of blanks is noticeable, with Bos taurus ribs being prevalent. At the same time, the techniques and procedures vary only a little within the groups, which allows for the identification of typological series. The recovery of all the products and sub-products resulting from the operational sequences of raw material transformation and the analysis of the wear and technological traces led us to try to reconstruct a behavioural model of the ways raw material was acquired, processing techniques and activities developed with them, or in other words to outline the economic and cultural features of the Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2) community.Namen članka je predstaviti zanimiv arheološki zbir, ki smo ga odkrili pri arheološkem raziskovanju naselbine Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2) v Romuniji. To je edini primer objavljenega kostnega zbira kulture Turdaș. Zbir sestavlja 901 kosov, od tega 796 kosti, 94 ostankov rogovja, 8 zob in 3 lupine školjk. Pri izbiri kosti prepoznamo visoko stopnjo standardizacije, prevladujejo pa rebra vrsta Bos taurus. Poleg tega je le malo variacij znotraj skupin pri izbiri tehnike in postopkih izdelave orodij, kar omogoča prepoznavanje tipoloških serij. S pomočjo analize vseh izdelkov in pod-izdelkov iz analize operacijske sekvence spremembe naravnih surovin in analize uporabe ter tehnoloških sledov lahko poskušamo rekonstruirati načine, kako so v preteklosti pridobivali surovine, kakšne so bile tehnike izdelave in druge aktivnosti povezane z obdelavo kosti; z drugimi besedami, lažje zaobjamemo gospodarske in kulturne značilnosti skupnosti na najdišču Șoimuș-La Avicola (Ferma 2)

Restitution of Sculptural Groups Using 3D Scanners

Imagine for a moment that you have to solve a 3D jigsaw of which you have lost several pieces. You have also lost the original box-top showing the final picture, and as if that were not enough, some of the pieces you do have may belong to some other jigsaw. This is in essence the sort of challenge that we faced in the novel project that we shall be describing in this paper. The final aim of the project was, with the help of 3D scanners, to digitalize and reconstruct multi-piece classical sculptures. Particularly, we tackle the restitution of the so-called “Aeneas Group”, a famous iconographic reference during the Roman Empire. We have undertaken this ambitious project in collaboration with the research department of the Spanish National Museum of Roman Art (MNAR). This paper summarizes the real problems that arose and had to be solved, the innovations, and the main results of the work that we have carried out over these recent years

Characterization of a reproducible model of fracture healing in mice using an open femoral osteotomy

Purpose: The classic fracture model, described by Bonnarens and Einhorn in 1984, enlists a blunt guillotine to generate a closed fracture in a pre-stabilized rodent femur. However, in less experienced hands, this technique yields considerable variability in fracture pattern and requires highly-specialized equipment. This study describes a reproducible and low-cost model of mouse fracture healing using an open femoral osteotomy. Methods: Femur fractures were produced in skeletally mature male and female mice using an open femoral osteotomy after intramedullary stabilization. Mice were recovered for up to 28 days prior to analysis with microradiographs, histomorphometry, a novel μCT methodology, and biomechanical torsion testing at weekly intervals. Results: Eight mice were excluded due to complications (8/193, 4.1%), including unacceptable fracture pattern (2/193, 1.0%). Microradiographs showed progression of the fracture site to mineralized callus by 14 days and remodelling 28 days after surgery. Histomorphometry from 14 to 28 days revealed decreased cartilage area and maintained bone area. μCT analysis demonstrated a reduction in mineral surface from 14 to 28 days, stable mineral volume, decreased strut number, and increased strut thickness. Torsion testing at 21 days showed that fractured femurs had 61% of the ultimate torque, 63% of the stiffness, and similar twist to failure when compared to unfractured contralateral femurs. Conclusions: The fracture model described herein, an open femoral osteotomy, demonstrated healing comparable to that reported using closed techniques. This simple model could be used in future research with improved reliability and reduced costs compared to the current options

Fracture Detection in Traumatic Pelvic CT Images

Fracture detection in pelvic bones is vital for patient diagnostic decisions and treatment planning in traumatic pelvic injuries. Manual detection of bone fracture from computed tomography (CT) images is very challenging due to low resolution of the images and the complex pelvic structures. Automated fracture detection from segmented bones can significantly help physicians analyze pelvic CT images and detect the severity of injuries in a very short period. This paper presents an automated hierarchical algorithm for bone fracture detection in pelvic CT scans using adaptive windowing, boundary tracing, and wavelet transform while incorporating anatomical information. Fracture detection is performed on the basis of the results of prior pelvic bone segmentation via our registered active shape model (RASM). The results are promising and show that the method is capable of detecting fractures accurately

De-constructing terracotta female figurines: A chalcolithic case-study

We report the results of detailed imaging studies of the inner structure of a terracotta female figurine dated to the 6th millennium BC, most probably from the Lakes region of Turkey, now kept at the Nati- onal Museum of Oriental Art \u201cGiuseppe Tucci\u201d, Rome. The figurine was investigated with advanced CT scanning, recording 966 transversal sections. Each section was stratigraphically interpreted and digitized, reconstructing in three dimensions the form and mode of application of each lump or slab under the potter\u2019s fingers. A review of the available information on the techniques of construction of prehistoric terracotta figurines in Eurasia reveals at least two diverging technical templates, here named core and dual forming processes. The structure of the investigated figurine and its operational sequence reveals a version of the dual technical template, confirming the presence and influence, at a cognitive level, of organic analogies and a possible map of the female body in the modelling process

Estimating the number of pure chemical components in a mixture by maximum likelihood

This paper addresses the problem of determining the number of pure chemical components in a mixture by applying the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of intrinsic dimension. The application here is to Raman spectroscopy data, although the method is general and can be applied to any type of data from a chemical mixture. We show that the MLE produces superior results compared to other methods on both simulated and real chemical mixtures, and is accurate even when minor components are present. Even if the signal-to-noise (SN) ratio is very low, accurate estimates can still be obtained by smoothing the data before applying the estimator, this approach is illustrated on two real datasets with high noise levels. Since the MLE is computed locally at every data point, we also show how the local estimates can be used for other applications, such as segmenting the specimen into homogeneous regions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56074/1/1027_ftp.pd

Misconceptions of culture in cross cultural business and management studies

In this paper, I critique the cliched representations of culture in the general context of cross-cultural business and management studies. My primary objective is to demonstrate how a lack of conceptualisation of culture has resulted in the proliferation of misconceptions and cultural stereotypes. I identify some possible causes for the creation and acceleration of these cliches. Then, using the example of 'global culture', I seek to question some of the underpinning assumptions about the very essence of culture. I intend to create awareness about the potential risks of oversimplification of certain terms and concepts and call for more in depth treatment of culture in the broad area of business and management context

Permeability Structure of the Lava-Dike Transition of 15 My Old Oceanic Crust Formed at the East Pacific Rise

The permeability structure of oceanic crust controls both the spatial and temporal extent of hydrothermal circulation, but the detailed geometry of fractures in seafloor rocks is not well known. We apply an equivalent channel model to veins, joints, faults, and breccias preserved in recovered cores from ODP-IODP Hole 1256D to calculate paleo-permeability. In the ~250 m transition between dikes and lavas, paleo-permeability is 10-13~10-14 m2 with narrow zones of >10-9 m2 that presumably act as conduits for the largest volume of fluids. Most of these high permeability zones are oriented vertically as a result of diking events into a significant thickness of lavas outside of the neovolcanic zone. After an increase in permeability due to off-axis diking events, fluid temperatures drop, pathways are sealed, and the permeability of the upper oceanic crust drops significantly