Nonio 165.1 Merc.

Exegetical note on this passage of Nonius

Molekularna karakterizacija starog stabla masline Olea europea na Brijunima analizom SSR markera

Investigations were carried out on molecular characterization of a 1600 years old olive tree located on the Brijuni islands (Croatia) by SSR markers analysis. Measurements of fruits and leaves features were carried out on the old tree Brijunka and on the standard Istrian cultivar Buga (Buža). Measurement data on fruits and leaves were calculated statistically.Istraživanja obuhvaćaju molekularnu karakterizaciju 1600 godina starog stabla masline Olea europea na Brijunima analizom SSR markera. Provedene su izmjere svojstava ploda i lišća starog stabla masline Brijunke i standardne istarske sorte Buga (Buža). Rezultati istraživanja obrađeni su varijacijsko-statistički

Molekularna karakterizacija starog stabla masline Olea europea na Brijunima analizom SSR markera

Investigations were carried out on molecular characterization of a 1600 years old olive tree located on the Brijuni islands (Croatia) by SSR markers analysis. Measurements of fruits and leaves features were carried out on the old tree Brijunka and on the standard Istrian cultivar Buga (Buža). Measurement data on fruits and leaves were calculated statistically.Istraživanja obuhvaćaju molekularnu karakterizaciju 1600 godina starog stabla masline Olea europea na Brijunima analizom SSR markera. Provedene su izmjere svojstava ploda i lišća starog stabla masline Brijunke i standardne istarske sorte Buga (Buža). Rezultati istraživanja obrađeni su varijacijsko-statistički

Ancient oral microbiomes support gradual Neolithic dietary shifts towards agriculture

The human microbiome has recently become a valuable source of information about host life and health. To date little is known about how it may have evolved during key phases along our history, such as the Neolithic transition towards agriculture. Here, we shed light on the evolution experienced by the oral microbiome during this transition, comparing Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers with Neolithic and Copper Age farmers that populated a same restricted area in Italy. We integrate the analysis of 76 dental calculus oral microbiomes with the dietary information derived from the identification of embedded plant remains. We detect a stronger deviation from the hunter-gatherer microbiome composition in the last part of the Neolithic, while to a lesser extent in the early phases of the transition. Our findings demonstrate that the introduction of agriculture affected host microbiome, supporting the hypothesis of a gradual transition within the investigated populations

Simulation of viscous membranes

A simulação computacional de membranas biológicas, em particular membranas formadas por bicamadas lipídicas, é uma área de grande interesse na atualidade. Enquanto simulações moleculares são bastante populares, a simulação na escala de uma célula inteira requer modelos baseados na mecânica dos meios contínuos. Essas membranas apresentam um comportamento de fluido viscoso incompressível bidimensional. Além disso, as formas de equilíbrio são bem explicadas pela energia de Canham-Helfrich, que depende da curvatura da membrana. Neste trabalho, um novo método de simulação de membranas viscosas, baseado em elementos finitos, é apresentado. Ele se inspira no conceito de James Clerk Maxwell de elasticidade fugaz, o qual é usado para adaptar técnicas bem estabelecidas de simulação de membranas elásticas. Trata-se do primeiro método a levar em conta, de maneira rigorosa, o aspecto viscoso da membrana, que é dominante na escala de tamanho de uma célula biológica, além da sua característica de fluido incompressívelThe computational simulation of biological membranes, in particular of those made of lipid bilayers, is currently an area of great interest. While molecular simulations are quite popular, the simulation on the scale of a whole cell requires models based on continuum mechanics. Those membranes behave like a bidimensional incompressible viscous fluid. Furthermore, the equilibrium shapes are well explained by means of the Canham-Helfrich energy, which depends on the curvature of the membrane. In this work, a novel finite element based method for the simulation of viscous membranes is presented. It is inspired by James Clerk Maxwells concept of fugitive elasticity, which is used to adapt well established simulation techniques for elastic membranes. This is the first method to take into account, in a rigorous fashion, the viscous aspect of the membrane, which is dominant at the length scale of a biological cell, in addition to its characteristics as an incompressible flui

Simulation of viscous membranes

A simulação computacional de membranas biológicas, em particular membranas formadas por bicamadas lipídicas, é uma área de grande interesse na atualidade. Enquanto simulações moleculares são bastante populares, a simulação na escala de uma célula inteira requer modelos baseados na mecânica dos meios contínuos. Essas membranas apresentam um comportamento de fluido viscoso incompressível bidimensional. Além disso, as formas de equilíbrio são bem explicadas pela energia de Canham-Helfrich, que depende da curvatura da membrana. Neste trabalho, um novo método de simulação de membranas viscosas, baseado em elementos finitos, é apresentado. Ele se inspira no conceito de James Clerk Maxwell de elasticidade fugaz, o qual é usado para adaptar técnicas bem estabelecidas de simulação de membranas elásticas. Trata-se do primeiro método a levar em conta, de maneira rigorosa, o aspecto viscoso da membrana, que é dominante na escala de tamanho de uma célula biológica, além da sua característica de fluido incompressívelThe computational simulation of biological membranes, in particular of those made of lipid bilayers, is currently an area of great interest. While molecular simulations are quite popular, the simulation on the scale of a whole cell requires models based on continuum mechanics. Those membranes behave like a bidimensional incompressible viscous fluid. Furthermore, the equilibrium shapes are well explained by means of the Canham-Helfrich energy, which depends on the curvature of the membrane. In this work, a novel finite element based method for the simulation of viscous membranes is presented. It is inspired by James Clerk Maxwells concept of fugitive elasticity, which is used to adapt well established simulation techniques for elastic membranes. This is the first method to take into account, in a rigorous fashion, the viscous aspect of the membrane, which is dominant at the length scale of a biological cell, in addition to its characteristics as an incompressible flui

New insights into the funerary rituals of the Neolithic site of Passo di Corvo (Apulia, Italy): The study of the human remains

In the present study we analyse the human skeletal remains of 10 of the 12 inhumations brought to light in the Neolithic ditched village of Passo di Corvo (VI millennium B.C., Foggia, Apulia, Italy), excavated between 1966 and 1980. The burials were identified as primary inhumations during the excavations, but we observed intentional peri mortem lesions (cut, chop and scrape marks) on some of the bones, attesting practices of defleshing and possibly of dismemberment. These findings indicate that the funerary rituals of the Neolithic people of Passo di Corvo included cadaver treatment practices that were impossible to postulate without a careful observation of the bones. This study highlights the importance of anthropological analysis even in the case of apparently clear contexts

Histotaphonomic analysis of bone bioerosion reveals a regional framework of diverse deathways in the Neolithic of Southeast Italy

The wide diversity of Neolithic funerary practices is increasingly recognised. In Southeast Italy, recent studies have drawn attention to the co-existence of multiple ways of treating the dead within single sites and across the region. In this study, we address how such diverse deathways form a regional framework of ritual practice through histotaphonomic analysis of bone bioerosion. Samples were obtained from articulated, semi-articulated and disarticulated remains from four sites in Apulia which each presented different modes of treatment and disposal of the dead. Bone thin sections were analysed by light microscopy to characterise microstructural preservation through features including bacterial bioerosion, staining, inclusions, and Wedl tunnelling. We investigate the early post-mortem histories of individuals whose remains ended up in various states of dis/articulation and diverse depositional contexts. Disarticulated remains frequently displayed arrested or extensive bacterial bioerosion, which was also found in articulated and semi-articulated skeletons. Additionally, remains deposited in similar contexts, as well as articulated and disarticulated remains deposited together in the same context, often showed different histotaphonomic characteristics, suggesting diverse early post-mortem trajectories. As a result, we argue that Neolithic deathways in southeastern Italy incorporated a high level of diversity in the early post-mortem treatment of the body. A framework for funerary practices emerges, whereby disarticulated remains probably originated from bodies which had been buried previously and subjected to varying extents of shelter, exposure to invertebrates, and duration of burial. However, we acknowledge the ongoing research into the origins of bacterial bioerosion and the problem of equifinality, which leaves open the possibility for further scenarios of early post-mortem treatment