Settlement Duration and Materiality:Formal Chronological Models for the Development of Barnhouse, a Grooved Ware Settlement in Orkney

Radiocarbon dating and Bayesian chronological modelling, undertaken as part of the investigation by the Times of Their Lives project into the development of Late Neolithic settlement and pottery in Orkney, has provided precise new dating for the Grooved Ware settlement of Barnhouse, excavated in 1985–91. Previous understandings of the site and its pottery are presented. A Bayesian model based on 70 measurements on 62 samples (of which 50 samples are thought to date accurately the deposits from which they were recovered) suggests that the settlement probably began in the later 32nd century cal bc (with Houses 2, 9, 3 and perhaps 5a), possibly as a planned foundation. Structure 8 – a large, monumental structure that differs in character from the houses – was probably built just after the turn of the millennium. Varied house durations and replacements are estimated. House 2 went out of use before the end of the settlement, and Structure 8 was probably the last element to be abandoned, probably during the earlier 29th century cal bc. The Grooved Ware pottery from the site is characterised by small, medium-sized, and large vessels with incised and impressed decoration, including a distinctive, false-relief, wavy-line cordon motif. A considerable degree of consistency is apparent in many aspects of ceramic design and manufacture over the use-life of the settlement, the principal change being the appearance, from c. 3025–2975 cal bc, of large coarse ware vessels with uneven surfaces and thick applied cordons, and of the use of applied dimpled circular pellets. The circumstances of new foundation of settlement in the western part of Mainland are discussed, as well as the maintenance and character of the site. The pottery from the site is among the earliest Grooved Ware so far dated. Its wider connections are noted, as well as the significant implications for our understanding of the timing and circumstances of the emergence of Grooved Ware, and the role of material culture in social strategies.

FRESH: A Food-service Sustainability Rating for Hospitality Sector Events

This report presents a metric called FRESH (for Foodservice Impact Rating for Environmentally Sustainable Hospitality Events). FRESH can be used to evaluate the performance of any foodservice meal period or event in the hospitality sector with regards to its sustainability, based on seven measurements. These measures are: a (post-consumer) food-waste indicator, a no-show indicator (when unexpectedly few people show up), an over-show measure (when too many people show up), a planning indicator (measuring intentional overproduction), a portion-size indicator (measuring per-guest consumption against expectations), an economies of scale indicator, and a post-event indicator (which depends on disposal approaches). FRESH can help managers, authorities, and potential guests evaluate the sustainability of food production in any establishment.

Strategies for Integrated Traffic Control.

This paper begins with a short review of the current state of integrated traffic control. This is followed by a summary of the main components for the Integrated Road Transport Environment (IRTE) and the role of the DRIVE II project HERMES, which aims at providing some of these components. The paper concludes with an outline of some scenarios for integrated traffic control operation.

Microstructures layering, mechanisms in the middle waters of the Persian Gulf

Layered structures, known as micro structures in marine environments are common features of which their formation mechanisms are first reviewed. Some methods of measuring such features based on the measurements and theories are presented for the Persian Gulf. This includes determination of layers with temperature inversion (TI) associated with double diffusive convection (DDC). The relevant associated parameters are estimated from ROPME CTD data for late winter and early summer of 1992. Only in certain parts temperature inversion and DDC are observed which seem to produce layered structures. Observations show that the places with TI and DDC are mainly confined to the frontal regions where the water entering the Persian Gulf and water exiting it meet, nearly along the axis of the Gulf. TI and DDC is mainly observer in the northern bound of the front. Typical density ratio for regions with TI and DDC is 0.7 to 0.2 and the mean depth is at about 37 ± 3 m for the Persian Gulf. TI and DDC are also found in the outflow from the Persian Gulf to the Oman Gulf which is found to be at a depth of about 250 m. Horizontal addiction and reduction of solar heating seem to be the main reasons in producing layers with TI and DDC. It is also found that the regime of DDC in the Persian Gulf is more diffusive and the flow associated with intrusion layers with TI is non-isopycnal (more unstable). However for the Oman sea both diffusive and finger regime are observed and the flow is inferred to be isopycnal (more stable statically). Typical heat and salt fluxes due to DDC are found to be 6 W/m2 and 0.36 W/m2 respectively. Effective salinity diffusivity, Ks and heat diffusivity, Kr have been estimated for the places with DDC in the Persian Gulf and Oman Gulf (Ks=1.1 *10-7 m2/s, KT= 1.88*10-6 m2/s). Their values are within the values obtained by others. The buoyancy frequency for the Persian Gulf with typical mean value of 0.05s-1 is much higher than these of the free Oceans. Such large values of N (typically 0.05 s-1) indicate that processes such as tide can produce strong internal waves which may be another factor in producing layered structures. This requires separate study.

In situ Lithium and Boron isotope determinations in mica, pyroxene, and serpentine by LA-MC-ICP-MS

Boron and Li are light, incompatible elements that preferentially partition into the liquid phase, whether melt or aqueous fluid, and thus are useful for tracking fluid-related processes in rocks. Most of the Li isotopic data presently available on subduction-related rocks are from whole-rock analyses; and the B isotopic analyses of subduction material have been carried out either on whole-rocks or in-situ on an accessory phase, such as tourmaline. The new method presented here couples an ESI New Wave UP-193-FX ArF* (193 nm) excimer laser-ablation microscope with a Neptune Plus (Thermo Scientific) MC-ICP-MS aiming to measure both Li and B isotopes in situ with good spatial resolution (metamorphic minerals are commonly chemically zoned, and whole-rock analyses lose this detail). The data thus obtained are compared with SIMS analyses on the same mineral samples for B, and with MC-ICP-MS analyses on whole-rock or mineral separates from the same sample for Li. Additionally, data acquired on tourmaline standards were compared to SIMS values. The results show that for B concentrations above 5 μg/g, the data obtained by LA-MC-ICP-MS and by SIMS are identical within error, for mica (phengitic muscovite), pyroxene (jadeite), serpentine (antigorite), and tourmaline. For Li concentrations above 10 μg/g, the data obtained by LA-MC-ICP-MS and by MC-ICP-MS are also identical, within error, for mica (phengitic muscovite), and pyroxene (jadeite). However, analyses of tourmaline standards have shown significant differences with reference values, so LA-MC-ICP-MS does not yet appear to be an appropriate method to analyze Li isotopes in tourmalines. Thus, LA-MC-ICP-MS is a suitable method to measure Li and B isotopes with good spatial resolution in major rock-forming silicates from subduction-related rocks where concentrations exceed 10 μg/g and 5 μg/g, respectively, with an error on individual measurements equal to or less than previously used methods, but obtainable in a significantly shorter amount of time. The external reproducibility is ± 2.88 to 3.31 ‰ for B and ± 1.50 to 1.75 for Li, which is lower than or equal to the variations encountered within a given chemically zoned sample (up to 10 ‰ of variation within a given natural sample).

Colonização de bermas de estradas do Sul de Portugal por Dittrichia viscosa L. e seus efeitos na diversidade florística das bermas

A distribuição da espécie D. viscosa, nativa em Portugal, foi avaliada ao longo da berma de duas estradas, do sul do país. A composição florística e a percentagem de cobertura do solo das diferentes espécies foram amostradas em áreas de berma com e sem a influência de D. viscosa, para avaliar o seu efeito nas comunidades das bermas. O efeito do corte dos arbustos foi também estudado. A espécie em estudo apresentou uma clara preferência pelas bermas, comparativamente com as áreas envolventes. Os resultados sugerem que a presença dos arbustos provoca uma diminuição na biodiversidade das bermas. As estradas estudadas devem, portanto, ser alvo de controlo da distribuição desta espécie, para impedir a sua invasão. Com base nos resultados, sugerimos que o controlo deve ser efectuado através de dois cortes, no meio da primavera para impedir a propagação de incêndios e no final do verão, para prevenir a dispersão das sementes. ABSTRACT; The distribution of the native species D. viscosa was evaluated along the road verges of two roads in southern Portugal. The plant species composition and cover were surveyed within the roadside habitats, in areas with and without D. viscosa, to evaluate its effect on road verge communities. The effect of mowing on D. viscosa shrubs was also assessed. Shrubs showed a clear preference to verges relative to the surroundings, indicating that D. viscosa seems to be invading the study road verges. Results also suggest that the presence of the shrubs decrease the plant diversity of road sides, with potential effects on animals as well. Therefore, the study roads should be considered as important targets of local and regional efforts to prevent invasions of this species. Based on our results, we suggest that to prevent D. viscosa invasion within roadside ecosystems, the control should be based on two mowings, in mid-spring to prevent fires and in late-summer to prevent seed dispersal.

Superlattice structures in twisted bilayers of folded graphene

The electronic properties of bilayer graphene strongly depend on relative orientation of the two atomic lattices. Whereas Bernal-stacked graphene is most commonly studied, a rotational mismatch between layers opens up a whole new field of rich physics, especially at small interlayer twist. Here we report on magnetotransport measurements on twisted graphene bilayers, prepared by folding of single layers. These reveal a strong dependence on the twist angle, which can be estimated by means of sample geometry. At small rotation, superlattices with a wavelength in the order of 10 nm arise and are observed by friction atomic force microscopy. Magnetotransport measurements in this small-angle regime show the formation of satellite Landau fans. These are attributed to additional Dirac singularities in the band structure and discussed with respect to the wide range of interlayer coupling models.

Control HSMC para regulación de glucosa sanguínea

Este artículo propone una nueva estrategia de control basada en medidas continuas de glucosa y un controlador por modo deslizante que se habitúa (HSMC). El HSMC es desarrollado, combinando la ley de control por modo deslizante y los principios de control por habituación. El HSMC aplicado a la regulación de glucosa sanguínea en la unidad de cuidados intensivos, incluye tanto entrada de glucosa, como de infusión de insulina intravasculares a fin de proveer el suministro de nutrición y mejorar el rechazo a la perturbación. El estudio basado en simulaciones (in silico), usando un modelo fisiológico de la dinámica glucosa-insulina, muestra que la estrategia de control propuesta funciona apropiadamente. Finalmente, se compara el desempeño del controlador propuesto con respecto a un controlador PID estándar.

Genetic Diversity of Oilseed Rape Fields and Feral Populations in the Context of Coexistence with GM Crops

Despite growing concern about transgenes escaping from fields, few studies have analysed the genetic diversity of crops in an agroecosystem over several years. Accurate information about the dynamics and relationship of the genetic diversity of crops in an agroecosystem is essential for risk assessment and policies concerning the containment of genetically modified crops and their coexistence with crops grown by conventional practices. Here, we analysed the genetic diversity of oilseed rape plants from fields and feral populations over 4 years in an agricultural landscape of 41 km2. We used exact compatibility and maximum likelihood assignment methods to assign these plants to cultivars. Even pure lines and hybrid cultivar seed lots contained several genotypes. The cultivar diversity in fields reflected the conventional view of agroecosystems quite well: that is, there was a succession of cultivars, some grown for longer than others because of their good performance, some used for one year and then abandoned, and others gradually adopted. Three types of field emerged: fields sown with a single cultivar, fields sown with two cultivars, and unassigned fields (too many cultivars or unassigned plants to reliably assign the field). Field plant diversity was higher than expected, indicating the persistence of cultivars that were grown for only one year. The cultivar composition of feral populations was similar to that of field plants, with an increasing number of cultivars each year. By using genetic tools, we found a link between the cultivars of field plants in a particular year and the cultivars of feral population plants in the following year. Feral populations on road verges were more diverse than those on path verges. All of these findings are discussed in terms of their consequences in the context of coexistence with genetically modified crops.

Desenvolvimento de bloco de vedação com barita na composição de partida para blindagem de radiação X

This work main objective is to study the use of bricks in barium X-rays rooms in order to contribute to the optimization of shielding rooms diagnosis. The work was based on experimental measurements of X-ray attenuation (40 to 150 kV), using ceramic seal bearing the incorporation of barium sulfat (BaSO4). Different formulations were studied in three different firing temperatures and evaluated for incorporation in the ceramic body. The composition of 20% of barite processed at a temperature of 950 ° C showed better physical and mechanical properties, is considered the most suitable for the purpose of this work. Were produced bricks sealing composition formulated based on that presented the best technological features. These blocks were tested physically as a building material and wall protective barrier. Properties such as visual, deviation from the square, face flatness, water absorption and compressive strength were evaluated for all the blocks produced. The behavior of this material as attenuator for X-rays was investigated by experimental results which take into account mortar manufacturers barium through the different strains and compared with the reference material (Pb). The simulation results indicated that the ceramic block barium shows excellent properties of attenuation equivalence lead taking into account the energy used in diagnostic X-ray

O papel das estruturas lineares, artificiais e naturais, como locais de refúgio de micromamíferos

Avaliámos a importância das bermas das estradas como áreas de refúgio para pequenos mamíferos, em paisagens Mediterrânicas intensivamente pastoreadas, e comparámos esta possível função das estradas como refúgio com o papel fundamental das galerias ripícolas como reservatórios de diversidade biológica. Para esse efeito, foram realizadas capturas de micromamíferos em dois segmentos de estrada e em duas ribeiras da região de Évora. Foram capturados 457 indivíduos de cinco espécies diferentes. Mus spretus foi a espécie mais capturada, seguida de Crocidura russula e Apodemus sylvaticus. M. spretus apresentou uma maior abundância nas bermas de estrada do que na vegetação ripicola, enquanto que a abundância de C. russula e A. sylvaticus era semelhante para ambos os habitats. O número de capturas das três espécies foi bastante superior dentro dos habitats lineares do que na matriz circundante. Os indivíduos de M. spretus eram maiores nas ribeiras, mas significativamente menores fora dos habitats lineares, e os indivíduos de C. russula apresentavam uma melhor condição corporal nas bermas das estradas. Tanto as estradas como as ribeiras exerceram um forte efeito de barreira aos movimentos dos micromamíferos. Concluímos então que as bermas das estradas actuam como habitat de refúgio em áreas sub-óptimas das paisagens Mediterrânicas. ABSTRACT: We assessed the importance of road verges as refuge areas for small mammals, in highly intensified grazed pastures on a Mediterranean landscape, and compared road function as refuge with the fundamental role of riparian galleries as reservoirs of biological diversity. For this purpose, a small mammal trapping study was undertaken on road verges and on small stream sides. We sampled two road segments and two streams in the vicinity of Évora, Portugal. We captured a total of 457 individuals of five different species. Mus spretus was the most common species captured, followed by Crocidura russula and Apodemus sylvaticus. M. spretus was more abundant on road verges than on riparian strips, whilst the abundance of C. russula and A. sylvaticus were similar in the two habitats. Captures of the three species were much higher inside both linear habitats than on the surrounding matrix. M. spretus were bigger on stream sites but significantly smaller outside the linear habitats and C. russula had better body conditions on roads. 8oth roads and streams exerted a strong barrier effect to small mammals' movements. We conclude that roadside verges act as refuge habitat in sub-optimal Mediterranean landscapes.

DESIGN OF EFFICIENT IN-NETWORK DATA PROCESSING AND DISSEMINATION FOR VANETS

By providing vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure wireless communications, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), also known as the “networks on wheels”, can greatly enhance traffic safety, traffic efficiency and driving experience for intelligent transportation system (ITS). However, the unique features of VANETs, such as high mobility and uneven distribution of vehicular nodes, impose critical challenges of high efficiency and reliability for the implementation of VANETs. This dissertation is motivated by the great application potentials of VANETs in the design of efficient in-network data processing and dissemination. Considering the significance of message aggregation, data dissemination and data collection, this dissertation research targets at enhancing the traffic safety and traffic efficiency, as well as developing novel commercial applications, based on VANETs, following four aspects: 1) accurate and efficient message aggregation to detect on-road safety relevant events, 2) reliable data dissemination to reliably notify remote vehicles, 3) efficient and reliable spatial data collection from vehicular sensors, and 4) novel promising applications to exploit the commercial potentials of VANETs. Specifically, to enable cooperative detection of safety relevant events on the roads, the structure-less message aggregation (SLMA) scheme is proposed to improve communication efficiency and message accuracy. The scheme of relative position based message dissemination (RPB-MD) is proposed to reliably and efficiently disseminate messages to all intended vehicles in the zone-of-relevance in varying traffic density. Due to numerous vehicular sensor data available based on VANETs, the scheme of compressive sampling based data collection (CS-DC) is proposed to efficiently collect the spatial relevance data in a large scale, especially in the dense traffic. In addition, with novel and efficient solutions proposed for the application specific issues of data dissemination and data collection, several appealing value-added applications for VANETs are developed to exploit the commercial potentials of VANETs, namely general purpose automatic survey (GPAS), VANET-based ambient ad dissemination (VAAD) and VANET based vehicle performance monitoring and analysis (VehicleView). Thus, by improving the efficiency and reliability in in-network data processing and dissemination, including message aggregation, data dissemination and data collection, together with the development of novel promising applications, this dissertation will help push VANETs further to the stage of massive deployment.

A Microdata Analysis Approach to Transport Infrastructure Maintenance

Maintenance of transport infrastructure assets is widely advocated as the key in minimizing current and future costs of the transportation network. While effective maintenance decisions are often a result of engineering skills and practical knowledge, efficient decisions must also account for the net result over an asset's life-cycle. One essential aspect in the long term perspective of transport infrastructure maintenance is to proactively estimate maintenance needs. In dealing with immediate maintenance actions, support tools that can prioritize potential maintenance candidates are important to obtain an efficient maintenance strategy. This dissertation consists of five individual research papers presenting a microdata analysis approach to transport infrastructure maintenance. Microdata analysis is a multidisciplinary field in which large quantities of data is collected, analyzed, and interpreted to improve decision-making. Increased access to transport infrastructure data enables a deeper understanding of causal effects and a possibility to make predictions of future outcomes. The microdata analysis approach covers the complete process from data collection to actual decisions and is therefore well suited for the task of improving efficiency in transport infrastructure maintenance. Statistical modeling was the selected analysis method in this dissertation and provided solutions to the different problems presented in each of the five papers. In Paper I, a time-to-event model was used to estimate remaining road pavement lifetimes in Sweden. In Paper II, an extension of the model in Paper I assessed the impact of latent variables on road lifetimes; displaying the sections in a road network that are weaker due to e.g. subsoil conditions or undetected heavy traffic. The study in Paper III incorporated a probabilistic parametric distribution as a representation of road lifetimes into an equation for the marginal cost of road wear. Differentiated road wear marginal costs for heavy and light vehicles are an important information basis for decisions regarding vehicle miles traveled (VMT) taxation policies. In Paper IV, a distribution based clustering method was used to distinguish between road segments that are deteriorating and road segments that have a stationary road condition. Within railway networks, temporary speed restrictions are often imposed because of maintenance and must be addressed in order to keep punctuality. The study in Paper V evaluated the empirical effect on running time of speed restrictions on a Norwegian railway line using a generalized linear mixed model.

GENERAL HIGHWAY SAFETY

This document offers driving safety tips, advice for driving on South Carolina roads, what to do in driving emergencies and tips on road assistance.

Caracterización nutricional mediante antropometría de los niños sanos menores de 5 años asistentes a una institución de salud en Puerto Inírida 2014

Introducción: Siendo la desnutrición infantil, un indicador trazador en el perfil de salud de una población y prioridad establecida por los objetivos de desarrollo del milenio y el plan decenal de salud pública en Colombia - PDSP en su dimensión de seguridad alimentaria y nutricional, mantiene gran prevalencia a nivel nacional a pesar de presentar subregistro en la información reportada, por ende, es prioridad la medición, notificación y tratamiento de la misma. La OMS estandarizó los parámetros de medición y el gobierno nacional los adoptó mediante la resolución 2121 de 2010. Sin embargo, para disminuir el indicador de desnutrición que al año 2015 debería estar reducido en un 50% según el PDSP, es necesario identificar el sub registro que hay en el diagnóstico de la misma. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio poblacional, descriptivo y transversal, en el cual se analizó la base de datos de los niños menores de 5 años asistentes a consulta de crecimiento y desarrollo en una institución de salud del municipio de Puerto Inírida, con el fin de realizar una caracterización nutricional basados en mediciones antropométricas y contrastándolas realizadas por los profesionales de salud con las encontradas utilizando los patrones establecidos por la OMS. La información se analizó con el Software WHO Anthro propiedad de la OMS. Resultados: Se encontró que el 33,6% de los menores de 5 años registrados presentan desnutrición crónica, el 7,6% desnutrición aguda, el 13,2% de desnutrición global y el 13,9% tiene obesidad. Al discriminarlo por edad se encontró mayor prevalencia de desnutrición crónica en ambos sexos, siendo mayor en población de sexo masculino (40,1% masculino – 27,6% femenino); al igual que al realizar la comparación por pertenencia puesto que se encuentra la misma prevalencia en desnutrición crónica (29,1% en población indígena y 29% en población no indígena). Según los estándares de la OMS, en la población estudiada 12 se identificaron 243 casos de malnutrición, mientras que en la consulta de crecimiento y desarrollo fueron diagnosticados como casos de malnutrición por los profesionales de salud solo 99. Discusión: La malnutrición es un problema estructural, por ende, se deben tener en cuenta factores tanto intrínsecos como extrínsecos de la persona. Las medidas antropométricas son sólo una manera de medir, que se debe contextualizar con el entorno y las condiciones socioeconómicas, patológicas y culturales en las que se encuentre la población. El estado nutricional de los menores asistentes a los controles de crecimiento y desarrollo de la población estudiada, se encuentra mal registrado, de la misma manera se encontró una gran prevalencia de desnutrición crónica que es un determinante en la calidad de vida. Es imperante la implementación de políticas públicas adecuadas que permitan profundizar en las causas de este flagelo y así mismo en su tratamiento.