Burn Marks Research Articles

Survival of young, dense Betula ermanii stands after wildfire at top soil removal sites

Abstract A forest fire in a cool-temperate broadleaved forest in northern Japan, from 26 May to 19 June 2019, provided an opportunity to examine the post-fire dynamics of young, dense birch (Betula ermanii Cham.) stands that had previously undergone top soil removal through soil scarification. To characterize the post-fire responses (survival and resprouting) of birch trees, we set up two plots, 6 months after the fire. We investigated the trunk diameter at breast height and burn marks on the trunks (scorch height and bole charring percentage) of all B. ermanii trees in both plots. Survival and resprouting of each tree were monitored over a 10-month period (6 and 16 months after the fire). To quantify post-fire vegetation recovery of the forest floor, we manually mapped the dominant understory plant, dwarf bamboo (i.e. Sasa kurilensis (Rupr.) Makino et Shibata), from orthomosaic images obtained using an unmanned aircraft vehicle, and estimated the recovery rate in the second year after the fire. Additionally, the seedlings of woody species were counted in both plots. A logistic generalized linear model revealed that the size-dependent survival rates of the plants in each plots were similar in the first year after fire. All B. ermanii trees died without resprouting in the second year after the fire, indicating the lethal effects of fire on young birch trees in top soil removal sites. Moreover, a high recovery rate of dwarf bamboo over 2 years in both plots and limited woody seedling establishment of woody plants suggest that the fire resulted in the regeneration failure of young stands in the top soil removal sites. Based on these findings, we suggest that the vulnerability of young trees can lead to the rapid change in vegetation from young forest to dense dwarf bamboo cover after a fire.

UBC Excavations of the Roman Villa at Gerace, Sicily: Results of the 2018 Season

A fifth season of excavation at the late Roman rural estate of Gerace (Enna province, Sicily) took place in 2018. A rectangular kiln of the fifth century ad, partially excavated in 2017, was confirmed as having internal walls of mud brick, hardened by successive firings. It was reduced in size in a secondary period. Investigation was conducted on another of the vertical shafts, extraordinarily hacked through the thickness of parts of the mud-brick walls of this kiln in the sixth century, in order to create rudimentary furnaces, but their function remains unknown. In the bath-house of ca. 380 ad, the rest of the frigidarium, partly investigated in 2017, was uncovered. The geometric mosaic floor has an inscription on all four sides, uniquely so in the Roman Empire; it names the estate as the praedia Philippianorum. Roundels on the mosaic include monograms of ‘Asclepiades’ and ‘Capitolini’, both also named in the inscription. The text of the inscription is discussed, and possible interpretations of what it might mean are offered. Excavation found that the walls of the cold room were never finished and a horseshoe-shaped cold pool on its north side was never installed, suggesting that the baths were left incomplete, although they were used. Further evidence was found of serious earthquake damage that occurred in the second half of the fifth century. It may have happened at night if burn marks on one part of the mosaic come from dislodged torches; they and a glass lamp suggest that night bathing was practised, in line with its increasing popularity elsewhere in late antiquity. An attempt was made to repair the baths after the earthquake, but this was aborted while still in full swing, and the baths were abandoned. A small part of the early Byzantine settlement which replaced the elite buildings on the estate soon afterwards, was excavated nearby; three phases were identified, belonging to the sixth and seventh centuries. Five appendices present evidence of kiln temperature, animal bones, carbonized seeds, and wood charcoal, as revealed during the 2018 season, as well as a selection of pottery from key deposits which aids the dating of individual phases.

Loading of stream wood following the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 Wildfire: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA

AbstractLarge wood drives physical and ecological processes in river systems, but the relative roles of continuous individual tree mortality versus episodes of mass mortality in wood recruitment are not well understood. Here, the 2016 Chimney Tops 2 wildfire, a rare severe wildfire in the eastern United States, was used as a case study for examining the role of mass tree mortality in wood loads of streams in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), Tennessee. Wood surveys were conducted on four reaches in two drainage systems affected by the fire to ascertain the total frequency and volume of burned and unburned wood pieces and jams. Relative to unburned wood, the Chimney Tops 2 fire resulted in a major influx of burned wood to the study reaches, with large percentages of individual pieces (average of 47% by frequency, 48% by volume) and jams (average of 72% by frequency, 93% by volume) exhibiting burn marks. Burned wood pieces had a larger diameter than unburned pieces (p = .065). Results suggest that rare mass‐mortality events like the Chimney Tops 2 wildfire could play a major role in wood dynamics of mountain streams in humid forested regions.

Fault Detection in aerial images of photovoltaic modules based on Deep learning

Operation and maintenance of photovoltaic (PV) modules are currently the prime concerns of the expanding photovoltaic industry. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are applied in the field of inspection and monitoring of faults that occur in a photovoltaic module (PVM). Such inspections can significantly reduce time and human interference to provide accurate classification results. Technological advancements and innovative techniques in the fast moving world expect instantaneous results. Fault diagnosis is one such technique that provides instantaneous results and assures enhanced lifetime of various critical components. This paper presents the fault detection in PVM based on deep learning with the help of aerial images acquired from UAVs. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) are adopted to extract high level features from the images which are classified using the softmax activation function. The feature extraction and fault classification is carried out by using a pre-trained VGG16 network. A total of six test conditions are considered in the study. Burn marks, delamination, discoloration, glass breakage, good panel and snail trail are the several test conditions considered. The classification result for the pre-trained CNN model is exhibited and performance of the model is evaluated.

A Jelly cyst - Keep your mind ticking.

Case An 8-year-old boy presented with diminution of vision in left eye (OS) following firecracker injury 3 days back. There were no previous ocular or systemic complaints. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/20 in right eye (OD) and 20/120 OS. On examination, OD was within normal limits while OS upper and lower lid revealed burn marks due to fire-cracker injury [Fig. 1a]. Anterior segment evaluation revealed ciliary congestion, 4+ cells, dispersed hyphema, and dilated pupil with multiple sphincter tears. The crystalline lens was transparent and in normal position. Dispersed vitreous bleed precluded the visualization of retina. Ultrasonography revealed mild to moderate amplitude spikes in the vitreous cavity. In addition, a cystic structure with central hyperechoic area was seen [Fig. 1b]. Though the clinical features were suggestive of traumatic vitreous hemorrhage, ultrasonography image indicated the possibility of a parasitic cyst.Figure 1: Burns on the left eyelids following fire cracker injury (a). Ultrasonography showing cyst with central hyper echoic spot in the vitreous cavity (b). Ultrawide field imaging showing pigmented vitreous cyst and resolving vitreous hemorrhage (c)What is Your Next Step? Observation Conservative management with topical steroids and cycloplegic. Computed tomography (CT) scan of orbit and brain Pars-plana vitrectomy Findings The patient was managed conservatively with topical steroids and cycloplegics (B). At 1 week, BCVA in OS had improved to 20/20. Hyphema, and anterior chamber reaction was resolving. Dilated fundus examination revealed a pigmented cystic structure freely floating in the vitreous cavity along with resolving vitreous hemorrhage [Fig. 1c]. No undulating movements of the cyst were noted. The retinal periphery was normal. The patient was advised tapering of topical medication with regular follow-up. Diagnosis Pigmented congenital vitreous cyst. Correct Answer B. Discussion Congenital vitreous cysts (CVC) are usually identified on incidental examination or following trauma. Approximately 15 cases of free-floating cyst are described in literature but very few presented in childhood. Vitreous cysts can be congenital or acquired. Acquired cyst can develop after trauma. While trauma can trigger formation of a new cyst, it may also displace an already formed one.[1] CVCs are usually asymptomatic and they originate from the pigment epithelium of ciliary body. These cysts can be confused with cysticercosis and with melanoma especially if they are in posterior vitreous.[23] Ultrasound in cysticercosis shows a cystic structure with hyperechoic scolex lining internal surface. A similar appearance in our case led to suspicion of cysticercosis. As vitreous hemorrhage resolved, the pigmented appearance without any undulating movement suggested the diagnosis of CVC. This case highlights that the possibility of CVC should be kept in mind in such a clinical scenario. Declaration of patient consent The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent forms. In the form the patient(s) has/have given his/her/their consent for his/her/their images and other clinical information to be reported in the journal. The patients understand that their names and initials will not be published and due efforts will be made to conceal their identity, but anonymity cannot be guaranteed. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Failure Mode Analysis of PV Modules in Different Climatic Conditions

Understanding the reliability of photovoltaic (PV) modules under field conditions is one of the primary areas to ensure prolonged operation. This article reported a study on assessing PV modules' reliability under different outdoor environments, using procedures available in the literature. We identified dominant failure modes of PV modules under different climatic conditions of India. Risk priority number (RPN) of different failure modes are estimated by analyzing the consequences of defects in performance and safety. Modules deployed under cold and sunny, hot and dry, warm and humid, and composite climates of India have more varieties of failure modes than those in cold and cloudy and moderate climatic conditions. The frequency of occurrences of benign or cosmetic defects of PV modules varies under different climatic zones. The biggest concerns in old PV systems were hot spots, internal circuitry discoloration, backsheet problems, and grounding wires' corrosion. In the hot zones, primary safety issues were frame grounding corrosion, backsheet problems, hot spots, and nonhot zones were backsheet burn marks, backsheet peeling, and grounding wire corrosion. The defects observed in different climatic zones were analyzed in terms of its possible defect generation route also.

UV laser cutting of beech plywood

This paper presents experimental and theoretical studies on the UV laser cutting of beech plywood. The multi-technological factors in the laser cutting process were determined using Taguchi’s parameter design approach. The study of the wood material after laser cutting, related to its microstructure, surface morphology, and surface energy, is included. Beech plywood components were cut using pulsed UV lasers with varying parameters to determine superior surface quality, based on SEM, gray level, water contact angle, and optical profiling. The results showed that the surface roughness, in Ra, of beech plywood components at different laser powers, with and without a gas flux control system, can be reduced from 17.3 to 11.1 μm. The burn marks of the laser cut samples were also characterized in terms of gray level estimation. The results indicated that the gray level of the samples was increased by about 16% with a gas flux control system, implying a lesser extent of the burn marks in the plywood. The proposed laser cutting approach was proven to be successful in controlling the surface finish quality of beech plywood components.

Experimental investigation on the performance of helical milling for hole processing in AZ31 magnesium alloy

A comparative evaluation of conventional drilling and helical milling to process holes in AZ31 Magnesium alloy is reported. The results highlight the advantages of helical hole milling over the mechanical drilling process in terms of lower machining forces. Besides, the process is successful in reducing the machining temperature and size of the burrs formed, in addition to improved surface finish. Further, analysis of the helical hole milling process demonstrated that the axial pitch has a dominating influence on the thrust force, whereas the feed value greatly influences the radial force. The spindle speed is found to influence the machining temperature significantly. The chip morphology is found to be dependent on feed and axial pitch, with the feed value influencing the chip segmentation and breakability. The absence of burn marks on the chip surface indicates a lower risk of fire hazard.

Tribo-Brake Characteristics between Brake Disc and Brake Shoe during Emergency Braking of Deep Coal Mine Hoist with the High Speed and Heavy Load

The friction wear and thermal fatigue cracking of the brake shoe and friction-induced self-excited vibration (frictional flutter) of the disc brake can easily occur during emergency braking of a deep coal mine hoist with at high speed and with a heavy load. Therefore, tribo-brake characteristics between the brake disc and brake shoe during emergency braking of a deep coal mine hoist are investigated in the present study. Scaled parameters of the disc brake of a deep coal mine hoist are determined by employing the similarity principle. Friction tests between friction disc and brake shoe are carried out to obtain the coefficient of friction in the case of high speed and large specific pressure between the friction disc and brake shoe. Coupled thermo-mechanical finite element analyses of the brake disc and brake shoe are established to investigate temperature and stress fields of the brake disc and brake shoe during emergency braking, which is validated by the engineering failure case. Effects of braking parameters on flutter characteristics between the brake disc and brake shoe are explored by employing a double-degrees-of-freedom vibration mechanism model. The results show that the maximum temperature, equivalent Von Mises stress and contact pressure are all located at the average friction radii of contact surfaces of the brake disc and brake shoe during emergency braking. The cage crashing accident in the case of high speed and heavy load in a typical coal mine shows crack marks and discontinuous burn marks at central locations of brake shoe and brake disc surfaces, respectively, which indicates frictional flutter characteristics between brake disc and brake shoe. During emergency braking, flutter time duration decreases with increasing initial braking speed and damping parameter; the flutter amplitude and frequency of the disc brake increases with increasing normal braking load and stiffness, respectively.

Histopathological Differentiation of Antemortem and Postmortem Electrical Burn Mark Produced by Low Voltage.

The study was undertaken to differentiate antemortem electrical (AME) and postmortem electrical (PME) burn marks with the help of histopathology. The electrical burn mark was produced on 25 dead bodies. Alongside 25 cases of electrocution deaths were included for comparison. Slides were prepared and stained with hematoxylin-eosin stains. Intraepidermal and subepidermal separation; coagulative necrosis of the epidermis; nuclear elongation and hyperchromasia of epidermal cells; homogenization of the dermis; nuclear elongation and hyperchromasia of hair follicles, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and blood vessel endothelium were studied for histopathological changes and graded. The findings of the study suggest that the histopathological changes in electrical burn marks are due to the physical effect of heat produced by the electric current. The classical histopathological features of electrical burn mark cannot differentiate between AME and PME burn marks. However, careful evaluation of grading of the dermal changes can be helpful in differentiating AME and PME burn marks. Highest grade of dermal thickness homogenization and highest grade of nuclear elongation of dermal appendages were significantly more in the antemortem electrical burn marks than PME burn marks.

Amputation of Penis Due To Electrocution- A Case Report

Electricity is an integral part of modern society. Without electricity the existence of human life seems difficult, but it has the capacity to stand life and destroyed the life up to the death. The most fatalities caused due to electricity are accidental and result from passage of an electric current [both low & high voltage] through the body. Penile trauma presents a difficult physical and psychological problem and is rare. The causes of penile trauma are varied; it can be iatrogenic or caused by traffic accidents, thermal and electric burns, ritual circumcision, animal bites, gunshots or self?mutilation. The type and extent of penile trauma varies from mild to severe injuries, sometimes even with total amputation. In the present case, a 24 year old young male from Palwal (Haryana) sustained electric burn injuries while he was standing in the balcony and came in contact with high voltage electric wires passing in front of the balcony. He was admitted in Safdarjung hospital, Delhi and expired on the same day. During autopsy electric contact burn marks were present on unusual sites of the body like head, neck, abdomen, pubic region and root of penis with amputation of penis. Electric flash burns were also present on different parts of the body along with fracture of cervical vertebra.

Unusual internal injuries induced by fatal low-voltage electrocution: About two cases report

Summary Electrical injuries consist mainly in external burn marks. Internal injuries are rarely observed especially in low-voltage electrocution. In this context, we report two fatal cases due to electrocution by low voltage current (220 volts), with a special emphasis on pathological internal changes. Case no. 1 A 30-year-old male construction worker died after a low-voltage electrocution in the workplace. A medico-legal autopsy was required by judicial authorities. An external examination of the body showed marked facial cyanosis and electrical burn marks on the chest. The autopsy findings showed necrotic lesions of the heart, the thoracic aorta and pulmonary artery. The ischemic lesions were confirmed by histological tests. Case 2 A 20-year-old male was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit for pneumothorax after an accidental low-voltage electrocution. Despite cardiopulmonary reanimation, he died two hours later. An external examination of the corpse showed an electrical burn mark on the right hand. The autopsy findings revealed mainly a right pneumothorax as well as some necrotic lesions in the inferior lobe of the right lung and the anterior face of the liver, which were confirmed microscopically. Discussion-conclusion Death during electrocution by a low-voltage current is uncommon. Visceral necrosis is rarely described in this situation.

Perioada celei de-a doua epoci a fierului la Olteni – Cariera de nisip (jud. Covasna) în oglinda studiilor arheozoologice / Second Iron Age period at Olteni – Cariera de Nisip (Covasna County) in the light of archaeozoological studies

A settlement and a necropolis from the 4th-3rd centuries BC, with typical North-Thracian materials, were discovered at Olteni – Cariera de Nisip/The Sand Quarry in northern Covasna county. The few animal remains analysed in the present study were found in 3 pits of this settlement. The faunal material is not necessary very representative but completes the picture of the already published archaeological and anthropological reports concerning the assemble of discoveries at Olteni which depict a local North-Thracian community in all its life aspects, funerary and domestic. There are only 12 bone fragments from which only 8 could be determined in species. These come from 3 different domestic species (cattle, sheep/goat, pig). Four bones showed burn marks, while a whole metatarsus offered the possibility to identify a very short cow, with the wither’s height of only 97 cm.

Prevention of Defects in Injection Molding Process in the Manufacturing of Ballpoint Pen

Injection molding is one of the major manufacturing processes for thermoplastic polymers. In injection molding machine, process variables play a very important role in generating defects in products. In the present paper manufacturing of ball point pen is taken up to investigate the prevention of defects through design and controlling various process parameters. Two molds are designed and fabricated specially for this experimental work. The analysis showed that the defect occurrence has close relation with pressure, speed and the temperature of the injection molding machine in addition to the basic design of the mold. The paper suggests preventive actions for the defects like flash, burn marks, short shot, shrinkage, weld line, warpage and sink mark. The preventive actions were successfully implemented in manufacturing the ball point pen.

Burning the Breadboard: A New Approach to The Optimist's Daughter

Burning the Breadboard:A New Approach to The Optimist's Daughter Peter Schmidt In one of Eudora Welty's The Optimist's Daughter's most vivid scenes, when Laurel McKelva Hand confronts her stepmother Fay during the novel's climax, Laurel uses a wooden breadboard made by her dead husband Philip to stand for all that she values and Fay trashes. Laurel even weaponizes Philip Hand's handmade creation: "Laurel held the board tightly" as she threatens to smack Fay with it. "[F]or a moment it seemed to be what supported her, a raft in the waters, to keep her from slipping down deep, where the others had gone before her" (991). Defending her family against Fay's invasion, holding up a board that Fay has burnt, scarred, and ruined, Laurel boasts that it represents the "whole story, Fay. The whole solid past," to which Fay replies, "The past isn't a thing to me. I belong to the future, didn't you know that?" (991). Such a vision of the past as a solid, well-made life raft to be remembered and defended against vandals is a frequent theme in Welty's final novel, voiced particularly by Laurel herself but also by her mother, Becky McKelva. This vision is fitted into the novel's structure as carefully as Philip joined the wood pieces to make the breadboard. In a different medium, but with similar loving and meticulous craftsmanship, Welty pinned together snippets of text when she revised and assembled her manuscripts: just as Phil "planed—fitted—glued—clamped—it's made on the true" (OD 989). Remembering Phil, Laurel admits that she has taken their love (and all of their unrealized possibilities together) and by force of memory "sealed [it] away into its perfection," "undisturbed and undisturbing," following her old urge for "self-protection" and thinking of love as "shelter" (997, 997, 980, 980). This essay takes several angles of approach towards more deeply understanding these central tensions in The Optimist's Daughter. Goaded by Fay, Laurel, the novel's protagonist, struggles between her need to control and defend a past she feels is under attack and her intimation that her family's life and values can't truly be honored by such methods. The narrator also tells us that Laurel seeks to be "pardoned and freed"—but why, and from what (992)? Welty's text explicitly connects the possibility of pardon with [End Page 103] Laurel forgiving her parents. How might we understand this tie in The Optimist's Daughter between forgiving others and being pardoned oneself? Key tropes involving burning, binding, and release figure centrally in this discussion. In Welty's short story "The Burning," burning marks an invasion, something to be defended against. Miss Myra and Miss Theo try to stop the looting and torching of their home, yet Welty's one story about the Civil War, published in 1955, departs sharply from standard narratives stressing southern whites' victimization by Yankees (the most famous of which is Scarlett's and Melanie's defense of Tara in Gone With the Wind). The Optimist's Daughter also features a home invasion, and it too has a twist. Laurel reacts with disgust at how Fay has left cigarette burn marks and gouges on Becky McKelva's favorite breadboard (987). Yet, burning other possessions dear to Laurel's mother and father (Judge McKelva) is shown to be a necessary act of release and forgiveness for Welty's protagonist, as she learns that the past—her parents' possessions and best selves—cannot be defended or honored by using the methods she first tries, which involve blockage, denial, and a self-satisfied sense of her own superiority. References to binding and release in The Optimist's Daughter are another way to map Laurel's story arc. Becky McKelva's impassioned recitation on her deathbed of Robert Southey's poem "The Cataract of Lodore" was her plea to be released from death's trial and imprisonment, and from what she took to be her family's willful misunderstanding of her crisis: "With her voice [Becky] was saying that the more she could call back of 'The Cataract of Lodore,' the better she...

Comparison between Dry, MQL, and Cryogenic Cooling Technique on Surface Integrity of Burnished Surface

Environmental concerns has contributed towards higher demands for green products. Therefore, various machining conditions, such as dry and near dry machining have been introduced to resolve the cutting fluid problem. However, the application of cryogenic cooling still not well understood especially for burnishing process. It is essential to initiate a study on the effect of cryogenic cooling technique to substitute other techniques to improvement burnishing process. Carbon dioxide is used as the cryogenic gas under supercritical state, and compare with dry and minimal quantity lubricant. Solid carbide burnishing tool is used with a diameter and corner radius of 16 mm and 1 mm, respectively. The result shows that burnishing process under cryogenic condition recorded less burn mark and better tool wear than dry and MQL conditions. In addition, cryogenic condition exhibits significant grain refinement and surface hardness. In conclusion, the performance of carbon dioxide gas under supercritical state outperformed other coolant conditions.

Optimization of Semiconductor Device Packaging Singulation Process

With the advancement of semiconductor technology, the assembly process of semiconductor packaging is driving the devices to become smaller and smaller in size. One of the critical processes in backend assembly is the product’s singulation to separate bulk processed products into individual unit. Before the sawing process kick-off, saw blade preparation (blade dressing) has to be performed. Blade dressing is the process of sharpening the saw blade surface to expose the diamond grits to the blade surface that are covered by the blade bonding material (Nickel-based). Inappropriate blade preparation technique induces burn mark defect to semiconductor devices. This research presented the dressing process optimization on critical factors using Silicon carbide (SiC) as part of the effort to enhance the product quality. The 2k Full Factorial Design of Experiment (DOE) methodology, with consideration of three factors namely Blade Revolution Per Minute (RPM), Feedspeed and Dress Pass. The overall singulation process yields performance improvement by reducing the burn mark to < 0.1% with optimum saw blade preparation technique. Besides, the optimized process complementarily contributes to less kerf deformation and dressing wear.

“The Stigmata of Jesus” in Paul’s Body. An Examination of Gal 6:17

At the end of the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul writes: “From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry in my body the marks (stigmata) of Jesus”. According to most scholars, Paul refers here to scars caused by the wounds he suffered during his apostolic ministry. By calling them the stigmata of Jesus, according to many, Paul was metaphorically thinking about a tattoo or a burn mark – a sign of belonging to Jesus. However, a philological and contextual analysis suggests that by the stigmata of Jesus Paul metaphorically had in mind the wounds of crucifixion, whereas the words “I carry in my body” should not be understood literally.

Five-Year Review of Patients Presenting with Non-Accidental Injury to a Children’s Emergency Unit in Singapore

There is an increasing trend of physical child abuse cases reported in Singapore. Children presenting to the Emergency Department with injuries require a high index of suspicion for clinicians to distinguish those that are abusive in nature. A retrospective study of children with diagnosis of NAI presenting to KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) from June 2011 to May 2016 was conducted. There were 1917 cases reported from 1730 subjects, of which: 8.8% of subjects had repeat visits; 55.2% of cases were male; and mean age was 7.69 years. Racial demographics were: Chinese 45.5%, Malay 33.4%, Indian 15.4% and Others 5.9%. The most frequent injuries sustained were head and neck (50.8%), limbs (32.2%), and chest (5.7%). Of the type of injuries, 55% had contusions, 21% had cane marks, 16% had lacerations, 4.4% had burn marks and 1% sustained fractures. Males were more likely to be caned (P <0.001); 54.9% of cases were admitted and 38.9% were discharged. Cases that presented without a parent (P <0.001), were known to Child Protective Service (P <0.001), or had a history of parental substance abuse (P = 0.038), mental illness in caregiver (P = 0.021), or domestic violence (P <0.001) were more likely to require admission. Analysing these factors provide a better understanding of the presentation of NAI cases, including 'red flags' and vulnerable groups who should have better protection.

The rodent fauna from the Neolithic human settlement of Tepecik-Çiftlik (Niğde, Turkey)

AbstractThe primary aim of this study was to establish for the very first time the results on the rodent fauna gathered from the ongoing Neolithic excavations at the Tepecik-Çiftlik site in southern Cappadocia (Niğde, Turkey). So far, the fauna being study is represented by species of arvicolines (Microtuscf.arvalisandArvicolacf.amphibius), murines (Muscf.musculus), sousliks (Spermophilus xanthoprymnus), hamsters (Mesocricetus brandti) and mole-rats (Spalax xanthodon), and their remains are described in detail. Paleoenvironmental assumption based on common preferences of the fauna elements indicates, at first sight, a rather dry steppe environment with sparse plant cover or perennial short grasses. On the other hand, the presence ofArvicolacf.amphibiuspoints out streams and marsh-like vegetation cover with bodies of water . The predation or burn marks observed on some specimens and the presence of subterraneous rodents raise questions concerning their taphonomy.