Geoarheologija pleistocenskih i holocenskih pećinskih nalazišta istočne jadranske obale i zaleđa

The dissertation deals with the interpretation of the archaeological layers of five cave archaeological sites: Mujina Pećina near Kaštela, Velika pećina-Kličevica near Benkovac, Zemunica in Bisko, Zala near Ogulin and Romualdova Pećina near Rovinj. The study is based on geoarchaeological analyses that include a detailed description of the stratigraphic sequence at each site, sedimentological laboratory analyses and micromorphological analysis of sediments. The subjects of this study are prehistoric layers from the mentioned caves, from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age levels. The main goals of the geoarchaeological study were to understand the infilling and postdepositional processes of the five caves, and the environmental conditions that controlled them, as well as the use of the cave by humans and animals. The identified site formation processes are polygenetic in origin and can generally be divided in geogenic, non-human biogenic processes and processes derived by anthropogenic activities. The analyses confirmed the hypothesis of different cave use by Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age humans. The environmental data from the sediments do not show particular connection between climate and Neandertal presence in Romualdova and Velika Pećina-Kličevica. The data from Mujina Pećina differ in some extent. The human presence in the cave was more frequent during the earlier warmer phases and the rather arid event corresponding to loess deposition. The phase of more intense and continuous use of the cave by humans was during the deposition of unit E3C. The Upper Palaeolithic levels consist of domestic waste residues. The Mesolithic levels mostly comprise domestic waste deposits, including ash, bone fragments, and more or less crushed land snails. The Neolithic, Copper, and Bronze Age part of the sequences are characterised by continuous evidence of sheep/goat and probably cattle dung accumulations, and were used as pastoral sites.Arheologija se često definira kao znanost koja proučava prošle kulture na temelju materijalnih ostataka koje su one ostavile iza sebe. U te se ostatke ubrajaju razne konstrukcije, zatim alatke izrađene od raznolikih materijala, umjetnički predmeti, kosti te ostale rukotvorine i nalazi ljudskih aktivnosti. Svi su nam ti predmeti važni za proučavanje ljudskog ponašanja u prošlosti. Međutim, najveći dio materijala koji arheolozi iskopaju prilikom svojih istraživanja nisu samo ti objekti, već nadasve tlo ili sediment u kojem su se pronađeni objekti nalazili, odnosno njihov kontekst, koji se može također djelomično smatrati rukotvorinom, s obzirom da čovjek sudjeluje u njegovom formiranju putem raznolikih aktivnosti. U ovom doktorskom radu bit će riječ upravo o sedimentima i njihovoj važnosti pri interpretaciji arheoloških nalaza i nalazišta. Da bi razumijeli kontekst nalaza moramo razumijeti, između ostaloga, i procese koji su doveli do njihovog nastanka. Tema doktorskog rada je interpretacija arheoloških slojeva pet špiljskih arheoloških nalazišta: Mujine pećine kod Kaštela, Velike pećine u kanjonu Kličevice nedaleko Benkovca, Zemunice kod Biskog, Zale kod Ogulina i Romualdove špilje nedaleko Rovinja. Istraživanje se temelji na geoarheološkoj analizi koja uključuje detaljan opis stratigrafskog slijeda na pojedinom nalazištu, osnovne sedimentološke laboratorijske analize te mikromorfološke analize sedimenata. Predmet istraživanja jesu prapovijesni slojevi u navedenim špiljama, od srednjeg paleolitika do brončanoga doba. U radu je objašnjen međusobni utjecaj prapovijesnoga čovjeka i njegovog okoliša te razlike u upotrebi špiljskog prostora tijekom kasnoga pleistocena i holocena na prostoru istočnog Jadrana. Cilj geoarheološkog istraživanja pet navedenih špilja jest ustanoviti procese taloženja sedimenata, postdepozicijske procese te uvjete u okolišu koji su ih kontrolirali, kao i ljudske aktivnosti u špiljama. Identificirani procesi formiranje primjene su poligenetsku osnovu porijekla i općenito se može podijeliti u geogene, neljudskih biogenih procesima i procesima dobivenih ljudskim aktivnostima. Analize su potvrdili hipotezu o različitim korištenja špilje srednjeg paleolitika, gornji paleolitik, mezolitik, neolitika i brončanog doba ljudi. Podaci za zaštitu okoliša iz sedimenata ne pokazuju posebnu vezu između klime i neandertalca prisutnosti u Romualdova i Velike Pećina-Kličevica. Podaci iz Mujina Pećina razlikuju u određenoj mjeri. Ljudska prisutnost u njoj je češća tijekom ranijih toplijim fazama i prilično sušno slučaju odgovara lesnom taloženja. Faza intenzivniju i kontinuirano korištenje špilje ljudi je tijekom depozicije jedinice E3C. Razine gornjeg paleolitika sastoje od ostataka domaćih otpada. Mezolitika razine uglavnom obuhvaćaju domaće depozite otpada, uključujući i pepela, koštanih ulomaka, te više ili manje zdrobljenim kopnenih puževa. Neolitika, bakra, a brončano doba dio sekvence karakterizira kontinuirani dokaz ovaca / koza i vjerojatno stoke izmeta akumulacije, te su korišteni kao pastoralnih stranicama

Network Modeling of the Mental Lexicon: Phonological Links Within and Between Communities

Graph theory is a branch of mathematics that is used to study networks. Recently, graph theoretic techniques have been embraced by the cognitive sciences, and used to study the developing lexicon, semantic memory, and first and second language organization (Carlson,et al., 2011, Kennet et al., 2011, Wilks & Meara, 2002, Zareva, 2007) Graph theory can give valuable insight into the underlying phonological structure of language. Studying phonological networks contributes to our understanding of how the mental lexicon develops, and results of experimental studies on lexical processing can be used to test whether the proposed network structure is plausible. The goal of this dissertation was to examine the organization of a lexicon of words from a storybook corpus in terms of phonological properties. This goal was achieved by using graph theory techniques. Two networks were defined for graph theoretic analysis. Different metrics were used to define the edges for these two networks to model different organization of neighbors of the developing mental lexicon. Word types from storybooks frequently read to 2-4 year-old children were represented in both networks. Using graph theoretic techniques, degree centrality and betweenness centrality measures were calculated for both networks. Words that represented nodes of the network with high degree and high betweenness centrality were examined. Age of acquisition, word frequency, and measures of phonotactic probability were calculated for these prominent nodes in both networks. Comparisons of lexical and sublexical characteristics for words that represented high degree and high betweenness centrality nodes were made. Comparisons were also made between the general structures of both networks related to word categories (function and content) and morphological complexity. Results of this dissertation indicate that the words (nodes) that hold prominent positions in these two differently-defined networks are not identical, nor are their connections. Differences were also evident in lexical and sublexical characteristics of words that represent prominent nodes within each network. The two networks also revealed different features in overall connections between words (nodes) and word types. Implications regarding how this reflects child language development is discussed

Variation of the intraocular pressure in relation to time of death: Contribution to the determination of the true postmortem interval (PMI)

Introducción: La determinación del momento del fallecimiento, es un dato de singular importancia en Medicina Legal constituyendo por su complejidad en uno de los problemas que necesita evaluación objetiva en la Patología Forense. Material y Métodos: Se propone en el presente estudio utilizar un modelo vacuno para la toma de la presión intraocular sistematizada pre y post mortem y analizar su evolución en el tiempo como posible método incruento de aproximación al Verdadero Intervalo de Muerte (VIM). Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, observacional, descriptivo con 12 vacas. Para la toma de presión intraocular (PIO) se utilizó el tonómetro manual aplanático (Perkins) calibrado previamente para bovinos. Se midió la PIO a horas establecidas posmortem. Resultados: La PIO promedio a hora 0 en OD fue de 13,48 mm Hg y de 13,59 mm Hg en OS con mínima variación entre los diferentes casos y el promedio del valor final a las 30 hr fue de 6,41 y 6,45 mm Hg en OD y OS respectivamente. Se observa una disminución de la PIO según transcurre el tiempo de muerte, de manera regular, en todos los ojos. Discusión: El hecho de la uniformidad de la disminución de la PIO en función del tiempo permite que una PIO tomada horas después de la muerte se pueda extrapolar al momento de la muerte y poder considerar la toma de la Presión Intraocular como contribución a la aproximación del verdadero intervalo de muerte (VIM).Introduction: Postmortem Interval estiamtion is a measure of singular importance in Legal Medicine. Due to its complexity, it needs objective evaluation in Forensic Pathology. Methods: In this study we propose the use of a bovine model to sytematically measure premortem and postmortem Intra-Ocular Pressure (IOP) as well as analyze its evolution with time as a possible non-invasive method to estimate PMI. A prospective, descriptive, observational study was carried out, using 12 cows. For the determination of the IOP, the aplanatic manual Perkins tonometer calibrated for bovines was used. The measurement of the IOP was done at establisehd post-mortem intervals. Results: The mean IOP at hour 0 in OD was 13.48 mm Hg and 13.59 mm Hg in OS with minimal variation between groups; at hour 30 hr, the IOP was 6.41 and 6.45 mm Hg in OD and OS respectively. We observed a decrease of the IOP in al leyes, directly related to the elapsed time of death. Discussion. The uniformity of the IOP estimations in relation to postmortem interval allows us to consider it as a valuable parameter for postmortem interval even several hours after death.Fil: Gerometta, Rosana María del Rosario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Larroza, Gerardo Omar. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Pimpinella, Pascual. Universidad Nacional del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Genero, Sebastian. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Medicina; Argentin