Assessing the Authenticity of Individual Dynamic Binaural Synthesis

Binaural technology allows to capture sound fields by recording the sound pressure arriving at the listener’s ear canal entrances. If these signals are reconstructed for the same listener the simulation should be indistinguishable from the corresponding real sound field. A simulation fulfilling this premise could be termed as perceptually authentic. Authenticity has been assessed previously for static binaural resynthesis of sound sources in anechoic environments, i.e. for HRTF-based simulations not accounting for head movements of the listeners. Results indicated that simulations were still discernable from real sound fields, at least, if critical audio material was used. However, for dynamic binaural synthesis to our knowledge – and probably because this technology is even more demanding – no such study has been conducted so far. Thus, having developed a state-of-the-art system for individual dynamic auralization of anechoic and reverberant acoustical environments, we assessed its perceptual authenticity by letting subjects directly compare binaural simulations and real sound fields. To this end, individual binaural room impulses were acquired for two different source positions in a medium-sized recording studio, as well as individual headphone transfer functions. Listening tests were conducted for two different audio contents applying a most sensitive ABX test paradigm. Results showed that for speech signals many of the subjects failed to reliably detect the simulation. For pink noise pulses, however, all subjects could distinguish the simulation from reality. Results further provided evidence for future improvements.DFG, WE 4057/3-1, Simulation and Evaluation of Acoustical Environments (SEACEN

Botanical Origin and Quantity of Pollen Load on Satsuma Mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) Honey Bee Forage

Although Satsuma mandarin secretes large amounts of nectar and is considered as excellent honey bee plant species, its anthers are either sterile or produce very small amount of pollen. Therefore, honey bees collect pollen from other plant resources as well. The aim of this study was to determine the botanical origin of pollen loads collected with pollen trap during Satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.) honey bee forage, and to investigate relating foraging parameter (pollen collection time). The study was carried out on Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica Pollmann, 1879) colony during April in 2014 and May 2015 in Neretva Valley, Croatia. Pollen of 12 plant species was identified in analysed samples. Results have revealed that a total pollen mass was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the morning hours compared to the sampling carried out in the afternoon. The largest content of the pollen load in the morning originated from Crepis biennis L. and Citrus sinensis L., while the pollen grains of Cerastium glomeratum Thuill. and C. sinensis were the most dominant pollen components of investigated pollen loads in the afternoon. Although Neretva Valley has almost monocultural Satsuma mandarin orchards, a notable amount of pollen originating from other plant species and non-sterile Citrus were observed in analysed pollen loads

Neolithic and Copper Age settlement dynamics in the Western Carpathian Basin and Eastern Alps

The paper tackles the spatio-temporal patterns of Neolithic and Copper Age settlement dynamics in the Western Carpathian Basin and Eastern Alps with spatially explicit use of radiocarbon dates. It focuses on the spatial process of spread, movement, aggregation and segregation in the time frame between 8500 and 5000 cal BP. The distribution of Neolithic and Copper Age sites in the study area is clustered and patchy. The first Neolithic settlements appear as isolated islands or enclaves which then slowly expand to fill neighbouring regions. After 6300 cal BP the study area experienced a significant reduction in the extent of settlement systems, associated with the Late Neolithic to Copper Age transition.

Botaničko podrijetlo peludi na paši mandarine u dolini Neretve

Delta rijeke Neretve s gotovo monokulturnim nasadima mandarine unshiu (Citrus unshiu Marc.) je jedno od tri najsjevernija nasada u svijetu na kojem se komercijalno uzgajaju agrumi. Poznato je da je za normalan razvoj pčelinje zajednice potrebno osigurati dodatne količine peludi, međutim određene vrste agruma, a u koje spada mandarina unshiu imaju sterilne prašnike. Kako do sada u Hrvatskoj još nisu provedena istraživanja vezana za utvrđivanje botaničkog podrijetla peludnog tereta, stoga bi ono predstavljalo važan doprinos u utvrđivanju biljnih vrsta koje pčele pohađaju za vrijeme paše mandarine. Istraživanje je bilo provedeno tijekom paše mandarine unshiu u dolini Neretve na pčelinjoj zajednici sive pčele (Apis mellifera carnica Poll., 1879). Pelud je prikupljana vanjskim skupljačem dva puta dnevno i to u jutarnjim (8:00-13:00) i popodnevnim (13:00-18:00) satima tijekom 2014. i 2015. godine te jednom dnevno 2016. godine. U 2014. godini najveći udio peludnog tereta tijekom jutarnjih sati, odnosio se na dvogodišnji dimak (100,00 %), dok je u poslijepodnevnim satima prevladavao peludni teret klupčastog rošca (0,55 - 73,99 %), vlasnatog bušina (53,00 %) i česmine (19,35 – 48,52 %). U 2015. godini najveći se udio peludnog tereta tijekom jutarnjih sati odnosio na naranču (81,19 %), grejp (13,51 %) i pelud česmine (4,92% ), dok je u popodnevnim satima također najveći udio imao peludni teret naranče (99,62 %). U 2016. godini na lokaciji Ušće prevladavao je peludni teret naranče (33,54 – 71,81 %) , česmine (3,28 – 53,33 %) i grejpa (2,64 – 76,30 %), dok je na lokaciji Buk-Vlaka prevladavao peludni teret naranče (35,36 – 99,01 %), pastirske torbice (0,61 – 53,24 %) i klementine (0,60 – 35,12 %). Relativno niža prosječna temperatura zraka i viša prosječna relativna vlažnost zraka rezultirali su velikim udjelom peludnog tereta dvogodišnjeg dimka u 2014. godini. Iako dolina Neretve ima gotovo monokulturne nasade mandarine koja zbog sterilnih prašnika ne omogućuje pčelama prikupljanje peludi, pelud ostalih ne sterilnih agruma (naranča) bila je dosta zastupljena u prikupljenom peludnom teretu.The Neretva River Delta with almost monocultural Satsuma mandarin plantations (Citrus unshiu Marc.) is one of the three northernmost places in the world where commercially grown citrus. It is known that for the normal development of bee colonies is necesaary to secure additional quantities of pollen, however certain types of citrus fruits, and that includes unshiu mandarins have sterile stamens. Howewer so far in Croatia have not yet conducted research related to the determination of the botanical origin of pollen loads, therefore it would constitute an important contribution in determining plant species that bees attending during on mandarin forage. The research was conducted during Satsuma mandarin unshiu forage in the Neretva valley on honey bee colonies of Carniolan bees (Apis mellifera carnica Poll., 1879). Pollen is collected with pollen trap twice a day during the morning (8:00-13:00) and afternoon (13:00-18:00) hours during 2014 and 2015, and once a day in 2016. In 2014., the largest share of pollen loads during morning hours, was related to the Crepis biennis (100,00%), while the prevalent pollen loads in the afternoon hours were of Cerastium glomeratum (0,55 - 73,99%), Cistus incanus (53,00%) and Quercus ilex (19,35 - 48,52%). In 2015., the largest share of pollen loads during morning hours was related to Citrus sinensis (81,19%), Citrus paradisi (13,51%) and Quercus ilex pollen (4,92%), while the largest share of pollen loads in the afternoon hours was also of oranges (99,62%). In 2016., at location Ušće dominated Citrus sinensis (33,54 - 71,81%), Quercus ilex (3,28 - 53,33%) and Citrus paradisi (2.64 - 76.30%) pollen loads, while at location Buk-Vlaka the prevalent pollen loads were of Citrus sinensis (35,36 - 99.01%), Capsella bursa pastoris (0,61 - 53,24%) and Citrus clementina (0,60 - 35,12%). The relatively lower average air temperature and higher average relative humidity resulted in a large share of Crepis biennis pollen loads in 2014. Although the Neretva valley has almost monoculture Satsuma mandarin plantations which does not provide pollen forage to bees due to sterile stamens, the pollen of other non sterile citruses (orange) was quite present in the collected pollen loads

Evolucijska perspektiva darivanja

Darivanje je kao univerzalan društveni fenomen čest predmet proučavanja mnogih disciplina pa tako i evolucijske psihologije. Unutar samog obrasca darivanja utvrđene su brojne spolne razlike koje su se razvile kao adaptivni mehanizmi prema ostvarivanju boljeg reproduktivnog uspjeha. Osim toga, ustanovljeni su efekti genetske i socijalne povezanosti darivatelja i primaoca te efekt redoslijeda rođenja na vrijednost i brojnost darova. U ovom radu prikazani su nalazi nekoliko istraživanja koji su u skladu s temeljnim teorijskim okvirima evolucijske psihologije te osim što objašnjavaju adaptivnu svrhu darivanja, nude mogućnost objašnjenja motiva u njegovoj podlozi

Elektroničko nasilje među djecom i mladima

Pojava novih oblika tehnologije donijela je novi način zlostavljanja među djecom i mladima poznat kao elektroničko nasilje. U ovom radu prikazan je pregled istraživanja na temu elektroničkog vršnjačkog nasilja s fokusom na različite zaštitne i rizične čimbenike, posljedice te programe prevencije i intervencije. Radi se o relativno novoj pojavi koja je ušla u fokus istraživača tek u posljednjih 20- ak godina. Ono dijeli mnoge sličnosti s tradicionalnim vršnjačkim nasiljem zbog čega traje debata oko toga predstavlja li elektroničko nasilje zasebnu pojavu ili je tek podvrsta tradicionalnog vršnjačkog nasilja. Različiti faktori utječu na pojavnost elektroničkog nasilja, od individualnih poput dobi i roda, preko obiteljskih do okolinskih, no kao najbolji pretkazatelj pokazalo se sudjelovanje u tradicionalnom vršnjačkom nasilju. Posljedice su elektroničkog nasilja široke i utječu na mnoge aspekte života, od mentalnog zdravlja do školskog uspjeha. Programi prevencije trebaju se fokusirati na prepoznavanje rizičnih faktora nasilja, prije svega onih vezanih uz tradicionalno nasilje