Wood from three archaeological sites in Croatia and its research potential

We have analyzed wood from three archaeological sites in Croatia. The samples of wood were in various conditions (charcoal, wet wood, and waterlogged wood). This paper presents the preparation of archaeological wood for identification and dendrochronological analysis and the results of wood identification. We identified 14 samples of fir (Abies alba Mill.), 4 samples of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and 10 samples of oak (Quercus sp.). We analyzed dendrochronologically 16 samples that contained more than 45 tree-rings and attempted to date them with the Slovenian reference chronologies. Dendrochronological dating was not successful, because there were not enough samples from individual sites and the samples had not enough tree-rings or were not well preserved. Dating without local chronologies, which have not been developed for Croatia yet, is less probable, especially if a small number of badly preserved samples is analyzed. This paper also presents instructions as how to collect, prepare and store samples of wood from archaeological and cultural-historical sites so as to provide optimal use of their research potential

Differencies in Morphologic Characteristics Between Top Level Gymnasts of Year 1933 and 2000

In 1933, at the 5th Regional Sokol Meeting in Ljubljana which was at the time a place in the Yugoslav Kingdom, [kerlj carried out the first measurements of 189 gymnasts, active competitors; in 2000, at the World Cup Meeting in Ljubljana, ^uk and associates carried out measurements of 40 top gymnasts. Our analysis of identical variables has shown that there is no difference in body height and weight of the gymnasts in 1933 and those in 2000, while there is a significant difference in the width of their shoulders and pelvis, the contemporary athletes being wider in their shoulders and narrower in their pelvis. The differences can be assigned to the new requirements in contemporary gymnastics as exercises are becoming more difficult, including more rotation around the vertical and horizontal axis

The oldest macroremains of Vitis from Slovenia

Abstract The oldest Vitis vinifera ssp. L. (grape) pips (seeds) from Slovenian archaeological sites were found at the late Neolithic (Copper Age) pile-dwelling settlement of Hočevarica on the Ljubljansko barje and date to the 37th/ 36th century B.C. Various biometric studies were carried out to establish whether the grapes were wild or cultivated. A comparison of several morphological characteristics of grape pip samples was performed. Neolithic pips from Hočevarica, Roman pips from Vrhnika (1st century A.D.) and recent Slovenian cultivated grape pips were included in the study. According to the standard indices, the Neolithic Vitis pips were wild. In the case of the Roman pips, it was impossible to determine whether they were wild or cultivated, although they had most probably been cultivated. Since the morphology of grape pips varies considerably (as it did in the Neolithic, as well), the attempted identification of the subspecies Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris/vinifera, based on morphological characteristics alone, was unsatisfactory. Therefore, an attempt was made to analyse the DNA, which could help to resolve this question. Initial experiments on extraction of archaeological DNA and amplification of the chloroplast region were performed, but further optimization steps are needed to achieve successful amplification

Waveforms of molecular oscillations reveal circadian timekeeping mechanisms

Circadian clocks play a pivotal role in orchestrating numerous physiological and developmental events. Waveform shapes of the oscillations of protein abundances can be informative about the underlying biochemical processes of circadian clocks. We derive a mathematical framework where waveforms do reveal hidden biochemical mechanisms of circadian timekeeping. We find that the cost of synthesizing proteins with particular waveforms can be substantially reduced by rhythmic protein half-lives over time, as supported by previous plant and mammalian data, as well as our own seedling experiment. We also find that previously-enigmatic, cyclic expression of positive arm components within the mammalian and insect clocks allows both a broad range of peak time differences between protein waveforms and the symmetries of the waveforms about the peak times. Such various peak-time differences may facilitate tissue-specific or developmental stage-specific multicellular processes. Our waveform-guided approach can be extended to various biological oscillators, including cell-cycle and synthetic genetic oscillators.Comment: Supplementary material is available at the journal websit

Investigations of wood from Resnikov prekop and radiocarbon dating

The contribution presents the results of investigations of wood collected at Resnikov prekop in 2002 and radiocarbon dating. The results illustrate some characteristics of the palaeoenvironment in the area of the Ljubljansko barje during the second quarter of the 5th millennium B.C

OPTIMIZATION OF LOGISTICAL COSTS IN GEAPRODUKT D.O.O.

V podjetju Geaprodukt d.o.o. se je potrebno v sklopu reorganizacije podjetja posvetiti tudi organizaciji skladišč. Trenutna organiziranost skladišča načeloma zadovoljuje potrebam in ciljem podjetja, vendar pa bi lahko podjetje z reorganizacijo skladišča zmanjšalo stroške, ter tako prispevalo še več k uspešnejšim rezultatom. V diplomski nalogi sem preučil trenutno stanje skladišča, upošteval cilje, poslanstvo, strategijo in organiziranost podjetja ter predlagal spremembe le-teh. Z vpeljavo sprememb bi sicer bilo nekaj negodovanja pri zaposlenih, zaradi prerazporeditev vendar bi z reorganizacijo občutno zmanjšali stroške skladišča ter povečali produktivnost skladišča, povečali vrednost izdelkom s tem pa tudi dobiček. Ne glede na to kako je skladišče organizirano in deluje popolno, vedno obstajajo rešitve, ki bi obstoječe stanje lahko izboljšale. A vodilni v podjetjih se ne odločajo vedno za reorganizacijo, saj je ta povezana z določenimi stroški. Ena delavka, ki je zaposlena na delovnem mestu blagovni referent in vnaša podatke pri izhodu sadja in zelenjave (blaga) iz skladišča, predstavlja odvečno delovno silo. Skladišču prinaša samo stroške. Poleg tega prihaja do zmede, ker podatke hkrati vnašata dva zaposlena — komisionar in blagovna referentka. Velikokrat pride do napak in nesporazumov, kar se največ odraža na izgubi časa. Čas pa je danes ena najvrednejših stvari na svetu. Že s samo opustitvijo delovnega mesta blagovni referent, bi pridobili na kakovosti podatkov pri izhodu blaga. Vendar podjetje Geaprodukt d.o.o. ni naravano v smer odpuščanja. Delavko bo potrebno prerazporediti na drugo delovno mesto, njeno delovno mesto pa ukiniti. Nato sledi nabava treh novih tehtnic, ki bi jih namestili v več prostorov, ki so namenjeni izdajanju blaga iz skladišča. Tako ne bo potrebno tehtati na vhodu v skladišče, kjer so nameščene sedanji dve večji tehtnici in dve manjši tehtnici v skladišču. Strošek nabave treh novih tehtnic ne bo zanemarljiv, vendar bomo veliko pridobili na času izdaje blaga in kakovosti storitev.In proces of reorganization of company Geapodukt d.o.o. it is best to reorganize the warehouse as well. In term of a reorganization in Geaprodukt ltd. the management needs to pay more attention to reorganization of the warehose. Current organization of the warehouse acheaves the company\u27s goals and needs but it could and should cut down the costs and by that gain more efficient operation. I studied the current conditions of the company in my assiment, considering goals, mission, strategy, organization and I suggested reorganization of those things in the company. We can expect a lot of bad mood, nonunderstanding and resisting behavior from the employees due to reorganization but the company will gain alot with realization of reorganizational findings. To name a few of the gains: cut down the costs, increase productivity, increase the value of the products etc.. Main problem at reorganizing the company are the costs of it. Most leaders are not deciding for reorganization due to high expences. One worker who works as a warehouseman and enters the exit fruit\u27s data in computer is a redundant worker. Beside that frequently comes to confusion and mixups becouse two workers enter that kind of data. Also there are extra expances, errors and loss of time due to this problem and are not wellcome in any company. We could discharge one of the employee but Geaprodukt is not adjusted to discharging employees. This redundant worker needs to be sent on a different task and will need to do a different job. Next on our reorganization list is purchasing extra three weighting machines, which will be installed in several places near warehouse\u27s exits. By that the warehoseman won\u27t need to do extra unnecessary milage from all smaller warehouse area to weighting machines. Expence of purchasing those weighting machines won\u27t be nagligible but it will bring the company many advantages and improvement

Monitoring of products of electrochemical degradation of benzotriazole

Benzotriazoli predstavljajo eno izmed skupin novih onesnaževal. Polarne spojine iz te skupine zaradi protikorozivnih lastnosti uporabljamo kot dodatke k različnim industrijskim tekočinam, pa tudi k detergentom za strojno pomivanje posode, ki jih uporabljamo v gospodinjstvu. Njihov glavni vir vnosa v okolje je odpadna voda iz čistilnih naprav, kjer se nepopolno odstranijo. Relativno stabilni so tudi v okolju, ker pa so vodotopni, nazadnje pritečejo iz naših pip. V okolju se nahajajo v koncentracijah reda velikosti od ng/L do μg/L. Toksični so predvsem za vodne organizme, predstavljajo pa tudi potencialne karcinogene spojine za človeka. Razvijanje terciarnih metod za njihovo odstranjevanje je zato zelo pomembno. Ena od metod za obdelavo odpadnih vod je elektrooksidacija (EO), ki pa je za razliko od te študije v literaturi preizkušena predvsem v kombinaciji z drugimi tehnikami. Spremljala sem razgradnjo 1H-benzotriazola (BTA) v vzorcih sintetičnih odpadnih vod z EO. Pomemben del priprave tovrstnih vzorcev je ekstrakcija na trdno fazo (SPE), ki sem jo tudi sama uporabljala. Prav zato sem raziskala tudi, kako na izkoristek ekstrakcije BTA iz vzorcev vplivajo različni parametri. pH sam po sebi ni vplival na izkoristek ekstrakcije, vendar pa so se razlike med izkoristki ekstrakcij pri različnih pH vrednostih pokazale ob prisotnosti pomožnih elektrolitov. Preizkusili smo štiri različne elektrolite: NaCl, H2SO4, Na2SO4 in Na2CO3. Vrsta pomožnega elektrolita je pomembno vplivala na izkoristek ekstrakcije, ki je segal od 59 % pri Na2SO4 do 86 % pri Na2CO3. Ugotovila sem še, da se izkoristki ekstrakcij znatno znižajo pri koncentracijah BTA, višjih od 20 mg/L. Pri monitoringu razgradnje BTA sem opazovala vpliv anodnega materiala, pomožnega elektrolita in gostote toka na EO ter primerjala hitrost razgradnje pri visokih in nizkih koncentracijah BTA. Razgradnja je bila hitrejša pri višjih gostotah toka in nižjih koncentracijah BTA. Med anodnimi materiali smo preizkusili elektrodo iz mešanih kovinskih oksidov (MMO) in iz z borom dopiranega diamanta (BDD), pri čemer je bila razgradnja z BDD anodo hitrejša in je povzročila manj pretvorbenih produktov. Razgradnje so bile pri vseh pomožnih elektrolitih psevdo prvega reda. Produkte razgradnje sem spremljala z LC-MS/MS in jih opazila pri uporabi NaCl, ki je povzročil nastanek toksičnih kloriranih organskih spojin, ter H2SO4, ki je povzročila nastanek različnih hidroksiliranih benzotriazolov. Razgradnja je bila najhitrejša z uporabo H2SO4 – po 2,5 h se je od približno 1 mM začetne koncentracije razgradilo 97 % BTA.Benzotriazoles are a group of emerging organic pollutants. Due to their anticorrosive properties, the polar ones are used as additives in various industrial liquids, as well as in dishwashing detergents that we use in our households. Their main source of entry into the environment is wastewater from wastewater treatment plants, where they are insufficiently removed. They are also relatively stable in the environment and in the end, due to their water solubility, travel to our faucets. In the environment, they are found in concentrations ranging from ng/L to μg/L. They are toxic for aquatic organisms but are also suspected human carcinogens. Development of tertiary methods for their removal is hence of great importance. One of the methods of wastewater treatment is electrooxidation (EO) which is, in contrast to the present study, mainly tested in combination with other techniques. I monitored the degradation of 1H-benzotriazole (BTA) in synthetic wastewater samples with EO. An important part of analysis is sample preparation by solid-phase extraction (SPE) which I also used within my work. Hence, I also researched the influence of different parameters on BTA recovery via SPE. pH value of samples did not directly influence the recoveries, however, differences among recoveries at different pH values arose when supporting electrolytes were present. We tested four different electrolytes: NaCl, H2SO4, Na2SO4 and Na2CO3. The type of electrolyte had a great influence on SPE recoveries which ranged from 59% with Na2SO4 to 86% with Na2CO3. I also found that SPE recoveries lowered notably at BTA concentrations higher than 20 mg/L. During BTA degradation monitoring, I observed the influence of anodic material, supporting electrolyte and current density on EO and compared the rate of degradation at high and low BTA concentrations. The rate of degradation was higher at higher current densities and lower BTA concentrations. Among anodic materials we tested mixed metal oxide (MMO) and boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes and found that the rate of degradation was higher and accompanied by fewer transformation products at BDD electrode. Degradations with all tested electrolytes gave pseudo-first order kinetics. Transformation products were monitored by LC-MS/MS and were noticed mainly with the use of NaCl, which caused the emergence of toxic chlorinated organic compounds, and with the use of H2SO4, which caused the emergence of various hydroxylated benzotriazoles. The degradation rate was the highest when H2SO4 was used – after 2.5 h, 97% BTA was degraded from approximately 1 mM initial concentration