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The Illyrians were an Indo-European group of people who once inhabited a large expanse of the western Balkans. As interactions with the Greeks and, later, the Romans increased, the traditional way of life and sociopolitical organization of the Illyrians were undoubtedly altered. This thesis takes a geospatial approach in order to address how interactions with other groups of people influenced Illyrian settlement patterns. Specifically, how Greek colonization followed by Roman incorporation affected Illyrian settlement patterns in Albania? Due to its peripheral location in the Mediterranean, Albania provides a unique case study for investigating colonization, integration, and interaction between different cultures.

Blood is one of the most common and important types of physical evidence present at a crime scene. When liquid blood is acted upon by external physical forces, that blood is often distributed through the air in the form of droplets, with bloodstains and bloodstain patterns deposited on adjacent surfaces. Using the mathematical relationship that exists between the blood droplet and resultant bloodstain’s length and width ratio, the angle at which the blood droplet impacted the receiving surface can be determined. Using this relationship, it becomes possible for Bloodstain Pattern Analysts to determine the three dimensional Region of Origin for the blood source from which the bloodstains under examination have originated. A Bloodstain Pattern Analyst performs angle of impact calculations from bloodstains for the purpose of making a three dimensional determination of blood source Region of Origin. The reliability of that determination is based on an assumption that one of the most important biological properties of blood; the amount of red blood cells or hematocrit value, has no influence over the length to width ratio of a bloodstain. As a consequence the Impact angle = arcsine [width/length] calculation has been assumed accurate regardless of the 'unknown' hematrocrit value. This thesis investigated the effect of the hematocrit value on the angle of impact calculation and thus the ability to determine the three dimensional blood source Region of Origin. Bloodstains were created by releasing a series of 18µL droplets, with ten different hematocrit values, onto a ceramic tile at four different angles. The resultant bloodstain length and width was measured and impact angle calculated. Evaluation of the research data shows that the hematocrit value significantly affects the bloodstains length and width. However, it is apparent that there is close agreement between the known and calculated impact angles irrespective of the hematocrit value.

In order to support efficient transportation planning decisions, household travel survey data with high levels of accuracy are essential. Due to a number of issues associated with conventional household travel surveys, including high cost, low response rate, trip misreporting, and respondents’ self-reporting bias, government and private agencies are desperately searching for alternative data collection methods. Recent advancements in smart phones and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies present new opportunities to track travelers’ trips. Considering the high penetration rate of smartphones, it seems reasonable to use smartphone data as a reliable source of individual travel diary. Many studies have applied GPS-Based data in planning and demand analysis but mobile phone GPS data has not received much attention. The Google Location History (GLH) data provide an opportunity to explore the potential of these data. This research presents a study using GLH data, including the data processing algorithm in deriving travel information and the potential applications in understanding travel patterns. The main goal of this study is to explore the potential of using cell phone GPS data to advance the understanding in mobility and travel behavior. The objectives of the study include: a) assessing the technical feasibility of using smartphones in transportation planning as a substitute of traditional household survey b) develop algorithms and procedures to derive travel information from smartphones; and c) identify applications in mobility and travel behavior studies that could take advantage of these smartphones GPS data, which would not have been possible with conventional data collection methods. This research aims to demonstrate how accurate travel information can be collected and analyzed with lower cost using smartphone GPS data and what analysis applications can be made possible with this new data source. Moreover, the framework developed in this study can provide valuable insights for others who are interested in using cell phone data. GLH data are obtained from 45 participants in a two-month period for the study. The results show great promise of using GLH data as a supplement or complement to conventional travel diary data. It shows that GLH provides sufficient high resolution data that can be used to study people’s movement without respondent burden, and potentially it can be applied to a large scale study easily. The developed algorithms in this study work well with the data. This study supports that transportation data can be collected with smartphones less expensively and more accurately than by traditional household travel survey. These data provide the opportunity to facilitate the investigation of various issues, such as less frequent long-distance travel, hourly variations in travel behavior, and daily variations in travel behavior.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Geographic Information Science (GIS) technologies have helped to further the research of archaeologists almost since the inception of the field. Archaeologists have long made observations rooted in what would become GIS, but it wasn’t until the early 21st century that science was able to back up these observations. From the seemingly simple task of organizing and storing spatial data to more robust statistical and spatial calculations, GIS has quickly become a valuable tool used by archeologists to better understand past populations. This research applied GIS to help understand the regional distribution of settlement locations from the Mississippian Period (AD 1050-1450) in the central Illinois River Valley (CIRV) of west-central Illinois. Settlement distribution was examined in two contexts, first in the context of larger, more “metropolitan” site placement in relation to smaller, more transitory sites. Secondly, site distribution was examined to see what, if any, pattern existed between site placement and a set of ecological factors. The results found that while smaller sites were prevalent around many of the larger sites, a few metropolitan sites did have a larger number of smaller sites surrounding them, supporting the idea of certain Mississippian sites serving as hubs. Additionally, it was demonstrated that several different types of GIS based analyses were particularly effective in helping to identify these patterns, thus solidifying and improving the role of GIS in the field of archaeology.

Analyzing dune parameters such as dune width and spacing can be useful in determining the reaction of dunes to changes in atmospheric and sedimentary conditions currently and in the recent geologic past. Dune parameters, dune width and spacing, were measured for linear dunes in regions across Saturn's moon Titan from images T21, 23, 28, 44 and 48 collected by Synthetic Aperture RADAR aboard the Cassini spacecraft in order to reconstruct the surface history of Titan. Dunes in the five study swaths are all linear in form, but lack superimposed or flanking dunes. They have a mean width of 1.3 km and mean crest spacing of 2.7 km, wider and farther apart on average than similar terrestrial dunes in the Namib and Agneitir Sand Seas though larger linear dunes exist on Earth. Because of the lack of superimposed and flanking dunes and their size, Titan's dunes are classified as very large simple linear dunes. The large size, spacing and uniform morphology are all indicators that Titan's dunes are very mature and long-lived features. The ratio of dune width to spacing for Titan's dunes is similar to that found in terrestrial dunes in that dune spacing tends to be twice dune width. In addition to being similar in size, this is further evidence that terrestrial dunes can be used as analogues for Titan's dunes and vice versa and that the essential dune-forming processes are the same on both bodies. Dune width and spacing decrease northward, which is attributed to, but not limited to, increased maturity of dune fields to the south or increased sediment stabilization to the north. Sediment stabilization may be caused by Titan's asymmetric seasons and a net transport of moisture from south to north. The majority of dunes have spacings consistent with an upper limit of 2 to 4 km established by the atmospheric boundary layer, further evidence they are mature. Dunes are more widely spaced in the south are evidence they have been growing toward a steady state for a longer period of time than those in the north. Titan's large linear dunes have long reconstitution times. This is in part due to the fact that winds sufficient for saltation are reached only near the Titan equinox every 14 Earth years. Based on rates for similar terrestrial dunes the reconstitution time for Titan's dune is 600,000 Earth years or more, and therefore substantial changes in dune form should not be observable over Cassini's lifetime. Cumulative probability plots of dune parameters measured at different locations across Titan indicate there is a single population of dunes on Titan. This suggests that, unlike analogous dunes in the Namib and Agneitir Sand Seas, dune-forming conditions that currently exist on Titan are either the only dune-friendly conditions in the moon's history, or the current conditions have been stable and active long enough to erase any evidence of past conditions.

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis is a rapidly growing area of research in the forensic science field. It is not uncommon for blood to be present on surfaces such as clothing, furniture, carpet, and more, during the commission of a crime. . Research of how blood interacts with different porous surfaces, such as textiles and fabrics, is relatively unexplored in the field of forensic science. Prior to a bloodshed event in which blood may be deposited onto clothing, the fabric may have been laundered in a variety of ways. In this research, swatches of a 100% nylon, water resistant fabric were subjected to seventeen different laundering and soiling processes. The laundering products used included Tide® Liquid Laundry Detergent, Downy® Fabric Softener, Downy® Unstoppables In-Wash Scent Boosters, Bounce® Dryer Sheets, Clorox® Zero Splash Bleach Packs, and OxiClean™ Max Force Laundry Stain Remover. Soiling included wearing swatches of fabric and leaving them in direct sunlight. Whole human blood was inverted, vortexed, then transferred using a disposable transfer pipette. The sample was held 36 in./3 ft. above each sample at a 90-degree angle, using an apparatus made from a flat edge and a protractor to ensure consistency. Blood drops were deposited onto each swatch of fabric, photographed, and microscopically examined. The drip stains were measured and characteristics of the blood, fabric, and the interaction of the two were recorded. Results showed some trends, such as an increased breakdown of fabric structure when bleach was used, and an increase in wicking when treated with scent boosters. Overall, the results were varied in all comparisons.

No description available.

Cluster analysis has been used fairly extensively as a means of grouping objects or subjects on the basis of their similarity over a number of variables. Almost all of the work to this point has been for the purpose of classifying an extant collection of similar objects into clusters or types. However, there often arises a need for methods of identifying additional objects as members of clusters that have already been established. Discriminant function analysis has been used for this purpose even though its underlying assumptions often cannot be met. This study explored a different approach to the problem, namely, the use of distance functions as a means of identifying subjects as members of types which had been established by hierarchical pattern analysis. A sample of subjects was drawn randomly from a population; these subjects were assigned to the types that appeared in other samples that were drawn from the same population. Each type was defined by the vector of mean scores on selected variables for the subjects in that cluster. A new subject was identified as a member of a type if the distance function described by the assignment rule was a minimum for that type. Various criteria were established for judging the adequacy of the assignments. Five distance functions were identified as being potential ways of assigning new subjects to types. Recommendations were not made for immediate practical application. However, the results were generally positive, and successful applications should be possible with the suggested methodological refinement. / Ph. D.

Un des principaux résultats de l'étude scientifique de la conscience concerne l'existence de deux phases distinctes du traitement visuel. La première est caractérisée par une propagation antérograde de l'activité évoquée par le cortex visuel primaire et n'est pas typiquement associée à une perception consciente. La seconde, en revanche, est souvent citée comme un corrélat neuronal de la conscience, et implique une réactivation du cortex visuel précoce par le cortex parieto-frontal. Cette dichotomie soulève plusieurs questions : premièrement, quelle est l'origine de ce phénomène de feedback, et deuxièmement, qu'est-ce qui distingue un stimulus ayant subi ce traitement supplémentaire du stimulus n'ayant pas provoqué une telle réactivation ? Au jour d'aujourd'hui, deux grandes théories ont été proposées. La première, que nous appelons la théorie "précoce et locale" pose l'hypothèse que l'accès conscient émerge lorsque la boucle de réactivation sensorielle est établie. Ceci implique que seuls les stimuli présentant une qualité hautement saillante dès leur apparition peuvent accéder à un traitement conscient, et de ce fait, que le rapport subjectif d'un stimulus dépend uniquement de l'activité locale du cortex sensoriel. La théorie "tardive et globale", par contraste, propose que la perception consciente est le résultat d'un routage informationnel à travers un réseau cortico-cortical distribué appelé le Global Neuronal Workspace (GNW). Cette théorie suggère que l'information sensorielle provenant de diverses régions corticales accède à cette infrastructure de routage par le biais d'un processus sélectif : l'attention. En 2013, Sergent et collègues ont testé l'une des prédictions dérivées de cette seconde théorie : en principe, un stimulus dont l'observateur n'a pas pris conscience peut néanmoins accéder au GNW suite à un amorçage attentionnel. Afin de tester cette prédiction, des participants humains ont visionné un stimulus placé au seuil perceptif ainsi qu'une amorce attentionnelle qui pouvait soit attirer l'attention vers la position de la cible, soit du coté opposé. Ces participants discriminaient plus finement les caractéristiques de la cible au sein des essais pour lesquels l'amorce dirigeait l'attention vers la position préalable de la cible, ce qui suggère que l'intervention rétrospective de l'attention déclenche un accès conscient pour des faibles traces mnésiques qui ne seraient normalement pas traitées par le GNW. Nous présentons des données de modélisation psychophysique ainsi que des données d'imagerie fonctionnelle qui suggèrent que l'attention joue un rôle causal dans l'émergence d'un percept conscient, et qui offrent des indices quand à la structure des représentations perceptuelles au sein du cortex sensoriel primaire. / A major finding in the scientific study of conscious perception has been the existence of two temporally-distinct phases of visual processing. The first, characterized by the feed-forward propagation of evoked activity in early visual cortex, is not typically associated with conscious perception. The second phase involves a reactivation of early sensory cortex by downstream regions and is often cited as a correlate -- if not a proximal cause -- of consciousness. This raises a few crucial questions: firstly, what causes this feedback process to emerge, and secondly, what distinguishes a stimulus representation that has undergone such feedback processing from one that has not ? At the time of writing, two competing theories have been proposed. The first theory, hitherto referred to as "early-and-local", posits that conscious access emerges from the very emergence of a feedback loop between high-level sensory cortex and its primary counterpart, and that this cortical resonance is driven entirely by upstream activations along the feed-forward chain. This implies that only those stimuli that exhibit high salience from the onset can become conscious, and by extension, that the stimulus' reportability is governed entirely by early evoked activity in primary sensory cortex. "Late-and-global" theory, by contrast, posits that conscious perception is the direct result of routing of information through a distributed cortico-cortical network called the Global Neuronal Workspace (hereafter GNW). By this account, visual information in various local cortical regions is given access to routing infrastructure by some selective process, namely attention. In 2013, Sergent and colleagues tested a prediction derived from this second model: that an arbitrary sensory representation that has initially failed to become conscious can be hooked into the GNW by means of an attentional manipulation. To do this, a low threshold target Gabor patch was presented, followed by an extrinsic cue either at the location in which the Gabor had been presented, or on the opposite side of the screen. Subjects were better at discriminating the orientation of the Gabor in trials where the cue had been presented on the same side as the target, and also reported seeing the target more clearly, suggesting that the retrospective intervention of attention was enabling a weak signal to gain access to the global neuronal workspace. We present data from psychophysical modeling and functional magnetic resonance imaging that point to a causal role for attention in the emergence of a conscious percept, with implications for the structure of perceptual representations in early sensory cortex.