The past 15 years of archaeological work on Roman and Byzantine Crete

This article aims to overview the last 15 years of archaeological work on Crete (2007–2022) for the Roman and Byzantine periods. It is a resource that can provide the first step in the research process for those looking to investigate these time periods in Crete. It not only communicates recent discoveries and research, but also directs scholars to earlier key publications – which this article follows on from – and to an extensive bibliography of recently published research. After covering the main publications of the last 15 years and the workshops, congresses, and conferences that have taken place, it organizes the recent archaeological discoveries by site type. It begins by covering surveys of both the landscape and those conducted underwater that have been extensive across and around Crete. It then covers public buildings and infrastructure, domestic architecture, production and craft, and cemeteries. While it is not a complete listing of all finds, it summarizes the key discoveries, publications, and events in order to demonstrate the major developments for study of these time periods in Crete

The past 15 years of archaeological work on Roman and Byzantine Crete

This article aims to overview the last 15 years of archaeological work on Crete (2007–2022) for the Roman and Byzantine periods. It is a resource that can provide the first step in the research process for those looking to investigate these time periods in Crete. It not only communicates recent discoveries and research, but also directs scholars to earlier key publications – which this article follows on from – and to an extensive bibliography of recently published research. After covering the main publications of the last 15 years and the workshops, congresses, and conferences that have taken place, it organizes the recent archaeological discoveries by site type. It begins by covering surveys of both the landscape and those conducted underwater that have been extensive across and around Crete. It then covers public buildings and infrastructure, domestic architecture, production and craft, and cemeteries. While it is not a complete listing of all finds, it summarizes the key discoveries, publications, and events in order to demonstrate the major developments for study of these time periods in Crete

Dental disease reflects differential diets and changes in consumption over time at Knossos

Knossos was an important city on Crete and within Mediterranean networks during the Hellenistic, Roman, and Late Antique periods. However, there were significant social, cultural, and economic shifts that appear to have caused changes to daily lifeways, including diet. This paper sets out to explore dietary changes across these time periods by looking at dental caries, with reference also to antemortem tooth loss, calculus, and stable isotope data. This study also looks to contextualize these results using archaeological and textual information relating to diet. It presents a thorough methodological approach to the investigation and interpretation of caries and discusses some of the shortcomings of using a fragmentary and commingled skeletal assemblage. The Roman diet was more cariogenic than in the Hellenistic or Late Antique periods. The caries-zone analysis of the teeth suggests that there may have been a greater addition of sugars to the diet in the Roman period, though the increased caries could also be due to improved preparation techniques and technologies producing a more refined and sticky carbohydrate diet. Such changes could be due to either increased connectivity making certain foods more readily available, the cultural changes in food consumption or dental hygiene due to the influx of merchants, colonists, migrants, and other newcomers to the Colonia Iulia Nobilis Cnosus that was Roman Knossos, or increased prosperity at the site in this period. There was a significant difference detected between females and males for caries indicating differential dietary practices between the sexes, which was most notable for the Roman period

Sobre les competències autonòmiques i locals en la governança del desplegament d’infraestructures de telefonia mòbil a Catalunya

El present article pretén analitzar les possibilitats competencials a nivell autonòmic i local en el procés de desplegament de les antenes de telefonia mòbil a Catalunya atès que aquestes infraestructures tenen enorme rellevància per les afectacions urbanístiques, ambientals i de salut pública que impliquen;afectacions que poden permetre l’exercici de potestats administratives de planificació i de policia administrativa que contribueixin a un desplegament eficient tot evitant la fractura digital. El marc competencial de l’ordenació de les telecomunicacions a l’Estat espanyol, tot i atribuir-ne la competència exclusiva a l’Estat, permet que, en el cas de Catalunya, la Generalitat i els ens locals puguin tenir-hi una incidència indirecta mitjançant la regulació d’àmbits competencials connexos, com ara l’ordenació del territori, la salut pública o la qualitat ambiental. És, per tant,en exercici d’aquestes competències exposades que les administracions públiques de Catalunya poden bastir un model de governança en relació amb el desplegament de les infraestructures de telefonia mòbil que permeti superar la conflictivitat derivada d’una construcció social dels riscos associats ales immissions que generen i evitar el supòsit de fractura digital territorial per manca de cobertura de servei.This article seeks to analyze the options for distribution of authority at the regional and local level over the process of deploying mobile telephone antennas in Catalonia, given that these infrastructures have a tremendous impact on town planning, the environment, and public health; and given that such impact can allow the exercise of administrative planning and oversight powers to promote efficient deployment while preventing a digital divide. Although Spain’s regulatory framework for telecommunications grants the Spanish government sole authority in this field, it also allows Catalonia’s regional government and local bodies to have indirect influence through their regulation of related issues within their purview, such as land use, public health, and the environment. It is therefore through the exercise of these powers that Catalan government agencies can build a model of governance for the deployment of mobile telephone infrastructures that can overcome disputes generated by a social construction of risks from their transmissions, and avoid a digital divide caused by potential gaps in coverage areas.El presente artículo pretende analizar las posibilidades competenciales a nivel autonómico y local en el proceso de despliegue de las antenas de telefonía móvil en Cataluña, dado que estas infraestructuras tienen una enorme relevancia por las afectaciones urbanísticas, ambientales y de salud pública que implican; afectaciones que pueden permitir el ejercicio de potestades administrativas de planificación y de policía administrativa que contribuyan a un despliegue eficiente y eviten la fractura digital. El marco competencial de la ordenación de las telecomunicaciones en el Estado español, a pesar de atribuir su competencia exclusiva al Estado, permite que, en el caso de Cataluña, la Generalitat y los entes locales puedan tener una incidencia indirecta mediante la regulación de ámbitos competenciales conexos, como la ordenación del territorio, la salud pública o la calidad ambiental. Es, por lo tanto, en el ejercicio de estas competencias expuestas que las administraciones públicas de Cataluña pueden construir un modelo de gobernanza en relación con el despliegue de las infraestructuras de telefonía móvil que permitía superar la conflictividad derivada de una construcción social de los riesgos asociados a las inmisiones que generan y evitar el supuesto de fractura digital territorial por falta de cobertura de servicio

The fluvial forests in Andorra: characterisation, mapping and conservation state

Entre els anys 1999 i 2001 vàrem dur a terme un estudi exhaustiu de la flora i vegetació de les riberes d’Andorra. L’objectiu principal del projecte era conèixer el seu estat de conservació i quines eren les zones de major interès, tant des del punt de vista florístic com ecològic. Per això vàrem cartografiar les comunitats i formacions vegetals a una escala detallada, apta per a la gestió del territori. A partir de 24 codis bàsics de vegetació vàrem obtenir un mapa amb 345 combinacions de codis diferents, a cadascuna de les quals es va assignar un nivell de qualitat o estat de conservació. Totes les dades es van integrar en un Sistema d’Informació Geogràfica. Entre els resultats destaca la detecció d’onze tàxons nous per a la flora andorrana, que són: Bromus ramosus Huds subsp. ramosus, Crepis paludosa (L) Moench, Humulus lupulus L, Impatiens balfourii Hook, Luzula sylvatica (Huds) Gaud subsp. sylvatica, Lysimachia nemorum L, L. ephemerum L, Mentha suaveolens Ehrh, Sanicula europaea L, Silene dioica (L) Clairv i Thalictrum flavum L. En canvi, des del punt de vista de les comunitats vegetals existeix una bona correspondència amb aquelles descrites per a contrades pirinenques veïnes. Les formacions vegetals més singulars són les salzedes amb megafòrbies (Veratro-Salicetum bicoloris) i els poblaments altimontans de Salix cinerea i Betula sp. pl.. La vegetació de ribera actual ocupa una superfície corresponent només a un 28,5 % del seu domini potencial, mentre que un 57 % de trams fluvials presenten un nivell d’alteració important. El corredor ripari del fons de les valls principals ha perdut la continuïtat, mentre que als cursos d’aigua secundaris els boscos de ribera mantenen encara una gran naturalitat. Aquesta situació compromet de forma notable importants funcions ecològiques de les riberes, com ara la connectivitat ecològica o la laminació d’avingudes. Per garantir la conservació de la biodiversitat i ecologia dels rius andorrans és necessari emprendre mesures de protecció i gestió de les riberes, les quals han de tenir en compte l’existència de trams fluvials d’especial interès.Between 1999 and 2001 an exhaustive study of the flora and vegetation of fluvial habitats in Andorra was carried out. The principal aim of the survey was to analyse the state of conservation of these habitats and to identify areas of greatest interest, from both a floristic and an ecological standpoint. Thus, plant communities and formations were mapped in detail for use as a tool in territorial management. Using 24 basic vegetation codes, a map was produced with 345 combinations of different codes, and a degree of quality or state of conservation was assigned to each of which. All the data was integrated into a Geographical Information System. Worth highlighting are the 11 taxa detected for the first time in Andorra: Bromus ramosus Huds subsp. ramosus, Crepis paludosa (L) Moench, Humulus lupulus L, Impatiens balfourii Hook, Luzula sylvatica (Huds) Gaud subsp. sylvatica, Lysimachia nemorum L, L. ephemerum L, Mentha suaveolens Ehrh, Sanicula europaea L, Silene dioica (L) Clairv. and Thalictrum flavum L. In general, however, in terms of the plant communities identified, we found a good correspondence with those described in neighbouring Pyrenean regions. The most singular plant formations were the mountain willow communities with forbs (Veratro-Salicetum bicoloris) and the high mountain populations of Salix cinerea and Betula sp. pl.. We calculated that fluvial vegetation only occupies 28.5 % of its potential surface area, whilst 57 % of rivers and streams showed important degrees of disturbance. The fluvial corridors of the valley bottoms are now very discontinuous, although those of secondary water courses are still largely intact. This situation affects the important ecological functions of riparian habitats, notably those concerning ecological connectivity and flood lamination. In order to guarantee the conservation of the biodiversity and ecology of the water courses of Andorra measures must be undertaken to protect and manage fluvial habitats, taking into account the stretches of water-courses of greatest interest

Stable isotopes reveal dietary shifts associated with social change in Hellenistic, Roman and Late Antique Knossos

Knossos was an important city on Crete and within Mediterranean networks in terms of trade and political status, though its status differed throughout the Hellenistic, Roman and Late Antique periods. This paper uses stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to consider whether people at Knossos had differential diets due to the social, political, cultural, and economic changes across this time frame, factoring in age, sex and social status. Samples of human bone were selected to represent this range of time periods and variables. In this initial study, a small but insignificant increase in δ13C values was observed between the Hellenistic and Roman periods and there was a significant increase in δ15N values for the Late Antique period. No relationship between δ13C or δ15N and age was observed and while the female and male means were similar, the females had wider ranging values. No significant differences were detected by social status as represented by tomb type but there were small sample sizes for several of the tomb types. The results indicated a C3 terrestrial diet with meat or other animal products included for most individuals. The slight increase in δ13C values in the Roman period may represent either the introduction of a small amount of C4 plant or marine food, or very low trophic level marine foods into some Roman diets. The higher δ13C and, in particular, δ15N values observed in the Late Antique samples, suggests an increased consumption of seafood, potentially linked to Christian dietary practices or advances in fishing technologies and preservation techniques. The wider spread values of females compared to males, indicating a more varied diet, could have resulted from differential participation in religious institutions connected to food or may have been caused by greater nutritional stress in females in relation to pregnancy and reproductive issues. This study does not show a pattern of higher animal protein consumption in times of economic and cultural growth and prosperity but differences were detected between the different time periods in connection with the concurrent socio-economic changes

Reconsiderando la gestión de riesgos en entornos sociotécnicos

La revolución de las comunicaciones ha afectado profundamente a la estructura social de las sociedades contemporáneas avanzadas. Enzarzadas éstas en contextos de naturaleza marcadamente sociotécnica, es decir, de intrincadas interrelaciones sociales e inciertos avances tecnológicos, la gestión de riesgos deviene una práctica altamente compleja. En efecto, los entornos sociotécnicos resultantes de las tecnologías emergentes sitúan a la gestión del riesgo potencial como prioridad de los individuos, en particular, en los beneficios asumidos mediante la ciencia y la tecnología. Fruto de las dinámicas cambiantes que originan las tecnologías en la sociedad, así como de las respuestas sociales hacia aquéllas, se erigen nuevos frentes que demandan ser atendidos mediante el uso de instrumentos y la aplicación de ciertos procedimientos que se adapten a esta realidad que se impone, a lo sumo, multidimensional. Si los riesgos asociados a ciertas tecnologías se caracterizan, hoy, por la incertidumbre científica que les rodea, y ciertas prácticas reguladoras no satisfacen la confianza de los individuos, quizás debamos reflexionar y replantearnos una nueva forma de dar paso a la participación como camino hacia la creación de un consenso social.The communications revolution has profoundly affected the social structure of contemporary, advanced societies. Entangled in contexts of a markedly socio-technical nature, that is, intricate social interrelations and uncertain technological advances, the management of risk becomes a highly complex practice. In effect, socio-technical spheres, resulting from emerging technologies, situate the management of potential risk as a priority of individuals, in particular the benefits of science and technology. Fruit of the changing dynamics that originate from technologies in society, as well as from the social responses to these changes, new fronts are established, that demand the use of instruments and the application of certain procedures, adapted to this multidimensional reality. Risks associated with certain technologies are characterised today, by scientific incertainty (with which they are surrounded) and certain regulatory practices do not satisfy the trust of individuals. We should therefore, at the same time rethink and rework a new form of management which includes participation, as a path to enable the creation of social consensus

Metodologia per a la generació de consens social en el desplegament d'infraestructures de telefonia mòbil

Aquest document de treball es centra específicament en el desenvolupament de la infraestructura de telefonia mòbil a Catalunya com a exemple de tecnologia amb profundes implicacions socials. Esdevé un intent inicial de definir les principals línies de recerca en aquest tema. El projecte que el sosté és emmarcat en el programa de recerca Negrisc, centrat a examinar la negociació del risc en les tecnologies de la informació i de la comunicació. Parteix d'una aproximació que reconeix la natura multidisciplinària del risc i que, per tant, exigeix una aproximació interdisciplinària al seu estudi i a la gestió subsegüent. Aquesta perspectiva emfatitza la necessitat d'integrar els punts de vista dels diferents stakeholders, incloent-hi el públic, en la gestió d'una tecnologia socialment controvertida. Aquest és un pas necessari per a permetre la generació d'algun tipus de consens en el cas del desenvolupament de la infraestructura de telefonia mòbil a Catalunya.Este documento de trabajo se encuentra específicamente centrado en el desarrollo de la infraestructura de telefonía móvil en Cataluña como ejemplo de tecnología con profundas implicaciones sociales. Es un intento inicial de definir las principales líneas de investigación en este tema. El proyecto que lo sostiene se encuentra enmarcado en el programa de investigación Negrisc, centrado en examinar la negociación del riesgo en las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación. Parte de una aproximación que reconoce la naturaleza multidisciplinaria del riesgo y que, por lo tanto, exige una aproximación interdisciplinaria a su estudio y a la subsiguiente gestión. Esta perspectiva enfatiza la necesidad de integrar los puntos de vista de los stakeholders, incluyendo al público, en la gestión de una tecnología socialmente controvertida. Éste es un paso necesario para permitir la generación de algún tipo de consenso en el caso del desarrollo de la infraestructura de telefonía móvil en Cataluña.This working paper is specifically concerned with the development of the mobile telephone infrastructure in Catalonia as an example of a technology with profound social implications. It is an initial attempt to define certain lines of research related to the topic. This project is operating within the broader Negrisc research programme, which examines the negotiation of risk in the field of information and communication technologies. It sets out from an approach which recognises the multidisciplinary nature of risk and which therefore demands an interdisciplinary approach to its study and subsequent management. This perspective stresses the necessity of integrating viewpoints of the different stakeholders, including the public, in the management of a socially controversial technology. This is seen as a necessary step to enable the generation of some sort of social consensus in the case of the rollout of the mobile phone infrastructure in Catalonia

Cysteine cathepsins control hepatic NF-κB-dependent inflammation via sirtuin-1 regulation

Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) regulates hepatic metabolism but its contribution to NF-κB-dependent inflammation has been overlooked. Cysteine cathepsins (Cathepsin B or S, CTSB/S) execute specific functions in physiological processes, such as protein degradation, having SIRT1 as a substrate. We investigated the roles of CTSB/S and SIRT1 in the regulation of hepatic inflammation using primary parenchymal and non-parenchymal hepatic cell types and cell lines. In all cells analyzed, CTSB/S inhibition reduces nuclear p65-NF-κB and κB-dependent gene expression after LPS or TNF through enhanced SIRT1 expression. Accordingly, SIRT1 silencing was sufficient to enhance inflammatory gene expression. Importantly, in a dietary mouse model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or in healthy and fibrotic mice after LPS challenge, cathepsins as well as NF-κB-dependent gene expression are activated. Consistent with the prominent role of cathepsin/SIRT1, cysteine cathepsin inhibition limits NF-κB-dependent hepatic inflammation through the regulation of SIRT1 in all in vivo settings, providing a novel anti-inflammatory therapeutic target in liver disease.This study was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI13/00374 to MM), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (SAF2015-69944-R to JFC, SAF2013-47246-R to AC, SAF2015-66515-R to AM) and co-funded by FEDER (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, Unión Europea. “Una manera de hacer Europa”); center grant P50-AA-11999 from Research Center for Liver and Pancreatic Diseases (US-NIAAA to JFC); and by CIBERehd. AT is a recipient of a FPU fellowship recipient from the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte.Peer Reviewe