Christianity and burial in late Iron Age Scotland, AD 400-650

This work studies religious change through the archaeology of death and burial. In the period after the fall of Rome and before the Vikings, Scotland became a Christian society, but there are few historical documents to help understand how this happened. The process of conversion to Christianity in Scotland has long been a contentious issue, but until recent years, there was simply not enough reliable archaeological evidence to test the accepted narrative of conversion by missionaries from Ireland and Gaul. A number of key excavations over the last two decades have created the opportunity to reassess the evidence and test existing models. The earliest inhumation cemeteries in Scotland emerge in the period c. AD 400-650, and a large number of radiocarbon dates from these sites now provide a sturdy chronological framework for studying the effects of the conversion to Christianity. This is the first full-length study of the early medieval burial evidence from Scotland, and the first comprehensive revision of the archaeological evidence for early Christianity since the work of Charles Thomas in 1971. A review of the latest historical research suggests that Christianity arrived in Scotland from at least the 5th century AD, which coincides with the emergence of inhumation cemeteries. In order to contextualise this material, a database of all burial evidence from Scotland in the first millennium AD was constructed to trace changes in ritual practice over the long term. A multiscalar analysis of this data – from individual graves, to ‘family plots’, to entire cemeteries – revealed new insights into funerary rituals and significant corrections of previous studies. Covering all of Scotland but keeping this in its wider northwestern European context, the theoretical framework adopted here follows the latest research on Anglo-Saxon England and early medieval Ireland, and analyses the material for what it can tell us about people’s memories, hopes and fears rather than the usual political and economic narratives. The Scottish burial evidence takes on a wide variety of forms, from long cists and log coffins to square barrows and cairns, generally placed away from settlement. New radiocarbon dates show conclusively that these burial rites predate Christianity in Scotland, and this study includes a crucial new review of pre-Christian funerary practices. Sequences of radiocarbon-dated burials from early Christian sites of the 5-7th centuries provide new evidence for what can and cannot be construed as a ‘Christian’ burial. Throughout the radical changes taking place in this period, including the origins of the Picts, Scots and Anglo-Saxons, funerary rituals helped create new social relationships, and mediated the tensions these could create, during times of upheaval. Rather than reflecting the arrival of Christianity, this complex network of social practices reveals the way Christianity was accommodated within Iron Age societies, and the way it was continually reinvented throughout the early medieval period into the Viking Age. In adapting the new religion to existing lifeways, Christianity itself was ‘converted’, and this is the key to understanding changes in the archaeological record in Scotland and beyond. The Scottish evidence should now be seen as a crucial dataset for the study of the wider transformations of the post-Roman world. Recommendations for further research were proposed, including the need to expand research beyond the modern Scottish border. To promote continuing research, the burial database will be made available online

Implicación del sistema glutamatergico y del GHB en la adicción a la morfina y a la cocaína

RESUMEN El Objetivo general de la presente Tesis Doctoral fue el de estudiar la participación de la neurotransmisión glutamatérgica y del GHB en la adicción a los opiáceos y a la cocaína. En primer lugar hemos pretendido observar la contribución de estos dos sistemas de neurotransmisión en los efectos que la morfina presenta sobre las conductas sociales. Nuestra hipótesis fue que la afectación del sistema glutamatérgico, concretamente bloqueando los receptores NMDA (utilizando Memantina y MK-801) así como la facilitación de la neurotransmisión GABAérgica, mediante la administración de GHB (ácido gammahidroxibutírico) podrían modificar los efectos que sobre las conductas sociales ejerce la morfina. Igualmente nos planteamos estudiar si tanto los síntomas físicos como los motivacionales, medidos mediante el Condicionamiento Aversivo de Lugar (CAL), observados en el síndrome de abstinencia a la morfina, podían verse modificados por las acciones anteriormente mencionadas sobre el sistema glutamatérgico o GABAérgico. También hemos observado el papel del de estos dos sistemas de neurotransmisión sobre las acciones reforzantes de la cocaína. Hemos estudiado el papel sistema glutamatérgico y del GHB sobre los efectos reforzantes de la cocaína, la adquisición, la expresión y el restablecimiento (recaída) mediante el condicionamiento de la preferencia de lugar (CPL) inducido por esta droga. Mediante esta serie de estudios tratamos de explorar el papel de estos sistemas de neurotransmisión tanto en los efectos reforzantes, como en la recaída en el consumo de cocaína. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________The main aim of the present Doctoral Thesis was to study the participation of the glutamatergic neurotransmission and GHB in the addiction to opiates and cocaine. Firstly, we observed the contribution of these two systems of neurotransmission to the effects that morphine presents on social behaviours. Our hypothesis was that the impairment of the glutamatergic system by blocking the NMDA receptors (using Memantine and MK-801) as well as the facilitation of the GABAergic neurotransmission, by GHB administration (gamma-hydroxybutyric acid) could modify the effects that morphine exerts on social behaviours. Likewise, we studied whether the physical as well as the motivational symptoms, measured by means of Conditioned Place Aversion (CPA), observed in the morphine wtihdrawal syndrome, could be modified by the previously mentioned actions on the glutamatergic or GABAergic systems. We have also studied the role of these two neurotransmission systems in the rewarding actions of cocaine. We examined the influence of the glutamatergic system and GHB on the acquisition, expression and reinstatement (relapse) of the cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). With these studies we explored the role of these neurotransmission systems in the cocaine-rewarding effects and the relapse to cocaine consumption. Our results show that memantine administration significantly increased motor activity without modifiying the antiaggressive effect of morphine. Memantine blocked the physical and motivational symptoms of the morphine withdrawal, whereas MK-801 was more effective in blocking only the motivational symptoms of this withdrawal syndrome evaluated by the CPA procedure. On the other hand, we could observe that GHB potentiates morphine-induced effects on social behaviours, counteracting the hyperactivity induced by this opiate, and ameliorating the physical as well as motivational aspects of the morphine withdrawal syndrome. In addition, we have observed that GHB has no synergic action on the rewarding effects of cocaine, evaluated by the CPP procedure, It blocked the cocaine-seeking behaviour (relapse) when it was administered during the acquisition or the expression of the conditioning or with a priming dose of cocaine. Also we have observed that NMDA and AMPA receptors blockaded by memantine and CNQX administration prevented the acquisition and expression of cocaine-induced CPP but did not show the ability to block the relapse induced by priming administration of this same drug. The present study indicates that glutamatergic neurotransmission plays an important role in the establishment of morphine dependency, as is observed by the reduction of the physical and motivational signs in the morphine withdrawal after the administration of NMDA receptor blockers. Our results also indicate a clear interaction between the opiate and GABAergic systems, since GHB (a GABA metabolite) interacts with morphine, having an additive effect on morphine-affected social behaviours but counteracting morphine-induced increases in motor activity. We have confirmed that GHB is a useful tool capable of ameliorating both the physical as well as motivational aspects of opiate witdrawal. Also we verified that the relapse in cocaine-seeking behaviour could be blocked by GHB when administered during the acquisition of the conditioning procedure, the expression, or even, jointly with a priming dose of cocaine. Finally, the glutamatergic system also plays a role in the acquisition and expression of the cocaine-induced CPP, but not so in the reinstatement of this preference by a priming dose of cocaine. Our results can help to better understand the underlying neurobiological phenomena in the drugs addictive behaviour and the possible use of memantine and GHB in the treatment of addiction, suggesting their importance as therapeutic tools in the addiction to opiates and psychoestimulants (cocaine)

Psychological characteristics of developing excellence in mixed martial arts athletes

8th IMACSSS International Conference Abstracts, Viseu (Portugal), October 10-12, 2019 Type: Oral communicationThe aim of this study was to describe the perception of sports talent and excellence development in a sample of MMA fighters, and compare the obtained results with those of previous studies. A total of 42 adult (male and female) MMA athletes of several levels (amateur, semi-professional and professional) participated in the study. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire – PCDEQ were used for collecting data. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and student’s t-test for means comparison. In general, MMA athletes obtained higher scores than those reported by samples of other sports in previous studies, and more specifically in factors I - Support for long-term success, II - Imagery use during practice and competition, and IV - Ability to organise and engage in quality practice. This can be explained due to the higher average age of our sample and the professional or semi-professional level already achieved by many of the MMA fighters. The study also revealed that MMA fighters may need specific psychological training related to factor III - Coping with performance and developmental pressures

Christianity and burial in late Iron Age Scotland, AD 400-650

This work studies religious change through the archaeology of death and burial. In the period after the fall of Rome and before the Vikings, Scotland became a Christian society, but there are few historical documents to help understand how this happened. The process of conversion to Christianity in Scotland has long been a contentious issue, but until recent years, there was simply not enough reliable archaeological evidence to test the accepted narrative of conversion by missionaries from Ireland and Gaul. A number of key excavations over the last two decades have created the opportunity to reassess the evidence and test existing models. The earliest inhumation cemeteries in Scotland emerge in the period c. AD 400-650, and a large number of radiocarbon dates from these sites now provide a sturdy chronological framework for studying the effects of the conversion to Christianity. This is the first full-length study of the early medieval burial evidence from Scotland, and the first comprehensive revision of the archaeological evidence for early Christianity since the work of Charles Thomas in 1971. A review of the latest historical research suggests that Christianity arrived in Scotland from at least the 5th century AD, which coincides with the emergence of inhumation cemeteries. In order to contextualise this material, a database of all burial evidence from Scotland in the first millennium AD was constructed to trace changes in ritual practice over the long term. A multiscalar analysis of this data – from individual graves, to ‘family plots’, to entire cemeteries – revealed new insights into funerary rituals and significant corrections of previous studies. Covering all of Scotland but keeping this in its wider northwestern European context, the theoretical framework adopted here follows the latest research on Anglo-Saxon England and early medieval Ireland, and analyses the material for what it can tell us about people’s memories, hopes and fears rather than the usual political and economic narratives. The Scottish burial evidence takes on a wide variety of forms, from long cists and log coffins to square barrows and cairns, generally placed away from settlement. New radiocarbon dates show conclusively that these burial rites predate Christianity in Scotland, and this study includes a crucial new review of pre-Christian funerary practices. Sequences of radiocarbon-dated burials from early Christian sites of the 5-7th centuries provide new evidence for what can and cannot be construed as a ‘Christian’ burial. Throughout the radical changes taking place in this period, including the origins of the Picts, Scots and Anglo-Saxons, funerary rituals helped create new social relationships, and mediated the tensions these could create, during times of upheaval. Rather than reflecting the arrival of Christianity, this complex network of social practices reveals the way Christianity was accommodated within Iron Age societies, and the way it was continually reinvented throughout the early medieval period into the Viking Age. In adapting the new religion to existing lifeways, Christianity itself was ‘converted’, and this is the key to understanding changes in the archaeological record in Scotland and beyond. The Scottish evidence should now be seen as a crucial dataset for the study of the wider transformations of the post-Roman world. Recommendations for further research were proposed, including the need to expand research beyond the modern Scottish border. To promote continuing research, the burial database will be made available online.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Colisión de dos órdenes políticos : el estado-territorio vs. la sociedad red

Esta es una tesis de análisis reflexivo-teórico, inspirada en una coyuntura en la que estamos inmersos y que al parecer nos va a llevar a una transformación radical, dadas las nuevas formas de comunicarnos y de estar juntos. Como trabajo de Investigación es un análisis acerca de la sociedad red, una descripción de las tensiones mutuas entre el Estado-territorio y la sociedad red en el marco histórico contemporáneo, descripción que contendrá jugadas de uno y otro lado, ataques y contraataques entre dos lógicas que, en principio, son excluyentes.Politólogo (a)Pregrad

Caracterización morfológica y del daño de Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) en plantas de importancia económica en Colombia

Los Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) son micropolillas cuyas larvas presentan hábito mesofilófago (minadores de hoja) y constituyen la familia con hábito minador de hojas más grande de Lepidoptera. Algunas especies causan pérdidas de rendimiento en los cultivos, afectan la calidad de frutos, generan limitaciones a la exportación de productos agrícolas, son polinizadores o son empleados como controladores biológicos de malezas. A pesar de la gran diversidad e importancia económica de este grupo de polillas, la mayoría de especies neotropicales se desconocen. Con el fin de contribuir al conocimiento de Gracillariidae Neotrópical, en el presente estudio se realizó una amplia revisión de literatura, enfatizando en los principales géneros neotropicales, los daños generados y recopilación de especies reportadas para Colombia. Así mismo, se analizó la morfología larval y de adulto, y se describieron el estado adulto, la larva y el daño generado por cuatro especies de Gracillariidae hospedantes en plantas de roble, casco de vaca y uva camarona. Se propuso, una clave para la identificación en campo de los Gracillariidae objeto de esta investigación, claves para larvas y adultos de los géneros reportados en el Neotrópico. Se describe un posible nuevo género, dos nuevas especies y se redescribe la especie Caloptilia camaronae. Se reporta por primera vez el género Chrysaster en América y dos especies hospedantes del roble en Colombia.Abstract. The Gracillariidae (Lepidoptera) are micromoths whose larvae are of mesophyllophagic habits (leafminers) and comprise the biggest family with leafminer habit of Lepidoptera. Some species cause yield losses in crops, affecting the fruit quality, limit the export of agricultural products, others are pollinators or are used as biological control agents of weeds. Despite of the vast diversity and importance of this moth group, most neo-tropical species are unknown. In order to contribute to the knowledge of neo-tropical Gracillariidae in this study an extensive literature review, emphasizing on the main neo-tropical genera, on the damage caused by the diverse species and a compilation of the species reported for Colombia was made. Also, the larval and adult morphology was analyzed and the adult stage, the larva and the damage generated by four species of Gracillariidae hosted by oak, orchid tree and “uva camarona” was studied. A key for field identification of the Gracillariidae detected in this study was proposed, as well as keys for determining the larvae and the adults of the genera reported in the neo-tropics. A possible new genus and two new species were described and the species Caloptilia camaronae rediscribed. The genus Chrysaster is reported for the first time in America as well as two species hosted by oak in Colombia.Maestrí

Psychological characteristics of developing excellence in mixed martial arts athletes

[EN] The aim of this study was to describe the perception of sports talent and excellence development in a sample of MMA fighters, and compare the obtained results with those of previous studies. A total of 42 adult (male and female) MMA athletes of several levels (amateur, semi-professional and professional) participated in the study. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire – PCDEQ were used for collecting data. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and student’s t-test for means comparison. In general, MMA athletes obtained higher scores than those reported by samples of other sports in previous studies, and more specifically in factors I - Support for long-term success, II - Imagery use during practice and competition, and IV - Ability to organise and engage in quality practice. This can be explained due to the higher average age of our sample and the professional or semi-professional level already achieved by many of the MMA fighters. The study also revealed that MMA fighters may need specific psychological training related to factor III - Coping with performance and developmental pressures

Aplicación informática para asistir a niños y jóvenes con discapacidad visual

Nuestro grupo de trabajo se creó con la intensión de desarrollar una aplicación informática para ordenador enfocada a asistir en la educación de nivel inicial y educación general básica en personas con discapacidad visual. El proyecto finalizó en cinco meses gracias a la colaboración de la Unidad Educativa Especial “Claudio Neira Garzón”, permitiéndonos acceder a sus instalaciones para trabajar con sus estudiantes, los cuáles serán los beneficiarios primarios del proyecto