Lemonade from Lemons: The Taphonomic Effect of Lawn Mowers on Skeletal Remains

Journal of Forensic Sciences
Volume 58, Issue 5, pages 1273–1278, September 2013
Issue published online: 4 Sep 2013

DC Martin M.A., Gretchen R. Dabbs Ph.D. and Lindsey G. Roberts B.S.

Department of Anthropology
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
1000 Faner Drive
Mail Code 4502
Carbondale, IL 62901

Abstract

This study provides a descriptive analysis of the taphonomic changes produced by passing over skeletonized remains (n = 4, Sus scrofa) with three common lawn mowers. Two skeletons were mowed over with a riding lawn mower set at multiple blade heights (10.16, 7.62, 5.08 cm) and one each with a rotary mower (9.53, 6.35 cm) and a mulching mower (6.35 cm). Results show that different types of common lawn mowers will produce different patterns of bone dispersal and fragmentation rates. Overall, skeletal elements projecting upward from the surface frequently exhibited a sheared morphology characterized by a smooth, flat, cut surface (7.0–7.6% of elements). The push mowers yielded a higher frequency of undamaged bone than the riding mower (54.8–61.2% vs. 17.7%), and the riding mower created more catastrophic damage to skeletal elements. Additionally, each mower produced a distinct dispersal pattern of skeletal fragments. The dispersal patterns have been identified as “bull's-eye” (riding), circular (mulching), and discontinuous rectangle (rotary).

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1556-4029.12177/abstract

Where are you? Location talk in mobile phone conversations

Mobile Media & Communication
September 2013 vol. 1 no. 3 314-334
doi: 10.1177/2050157913493773

Ditte Laursen
State Media Archive
State and University Library
Viktor Albecksvej 1
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark

Margaret H. Szymanski
Work Practice & Technology
Xerox Innovation Group
USA

Abstract

Conversational studies have shown that location cannot be considered as an external framework that shapes interaction; rather it is to be analyzed as a resource and an achievement in interaction (Schegloff, 1972). Building on a corpus of 93 recorded mobile phone conversations from the United States and Denmark, this article adds to current interaction research by investigating how location is produced, understood and socially accomplished via mobile phones. More specifically, we investigate how location talk operates in the opening sequences of the call. We find that location is an opening-relevant topic: speakers introduce it as the reason for the call and topicalize it following initial engagement. When referring to location, speakers predominately use two variations: inquiries (where are you), and reports of their whereabouts (I just got home). Further, speakers formulate their locations in two ways: location specific (I’m sitting on a train) or status of transit (we are on our way). In addition to open format where-are-you elicitations, location talk can take the form of a candidate (are you at Union street); candidate formulations show how speakers orient to the collaborative work of meeting up with one another and display knowledge about each other’s activities. Finally, we treat the case of reciprocal location inquiries and reports, where both caller and callee state their whereabouts, showing how location talk is sequence organized.

http://mmc.sagepub.com/content/1/3/314.abstract

Technical note: Evaluation of odor from vaginal discharge of cows in the first 10 days after calving by olfactory cognition and an electronic device

Journal of Dairy Science
Volume 96, Issue 9, Pages 5773-5779, September 2013
http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-6813

I. Sannmann *, O. Burfeind *, V. Suthar *, A. Bos †, M. Bruins †, W. Heuwieser *

* Clinic for Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Königsweg 65, 14163 Berlin, Germany
† C-it, 7201 JB Zutphen, the Netherlands

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine test characteristics (i.e., intra- and interobserver variability, intraassay variability, sensitivity, and specificity) of an evaluation of odor from vaginal discharge (VD) of cows in the first 10 d postpartum conducted by olfactory cognition and an electronic device, respectively.

In experiment 1, 16 investigators (9 veterinary students and 7 licensed veterinarians) evaluated 5 VD samples each on 10 different days. The kappa test revealed an agreement between investigators (interobserver) of κ = 0.43 with a Fleiss adjusted standard error of 0.0061. The overall agreement was the same for students (κ = 0.28) and veterinarians (κ = 0.28). Mean agreement within observers (intraobserver) was κ = 0.52 for all observers, and 0.49 and 0.62 for students and veterinarians, respectively.

In experiment 2, the repeatability of an electronic device (DiagNose; C-it, Zutphen, the Netherlands) was tested. Therefore, 5 samples of VD from 5 cows were evaluated 10 times each. The repeatability was 0.97, determined by Cronbach’s α.

In experiment 3, 20 samples collected from healthy cows and 20 of cows with acute puerperal metritis were evaluated by the 16 investigators and the DiagNose using a dichotomous scale (1 = cow with acute puerperal metritis; 0 = healthy cow). Sensitivity and specificity of olfactory evaluation was 75.0 and 60.1% compared with 92.0 and 100%, respectively, for the electronic nose device.

The study revealed a considerable subjectivity of the human nose concerning the classification into healthy and sick animals based on the assessment of vaginal discharge. The repeatability of the electronic nose was higher. In conclusion, the DiagNose system, although imperfect, is a reasonable tool to improve odor assessment of VD. The current system, however, is not suitable as a screening tool in the field. Further research is warranted to adapt such electronic devices to practical on-farm screening tools.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030213004694

http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302%2813%2900469-4/abstract