Provenance, manufacturing and corrosion behavior of Ancient Hellenistic coins from Egypt

Some copper alloy coins of the Ptolemaic period from a private collection, providing valuable evidence for both archaeometric as well as materials science and corrosion studies, have been investigated. The coins were found in the ancient city of Bubastis, known as Tell Basta, in the Nile Delta, Egypt. The coins have been examined by optical microscopy for their metallurgical structure, analysed by X-ray fluorescence and Electron Dispersion Spectroscopy for their composition, and by X-ray diffraction for the characterisation of their corrosion products. An attempt has been made to remove part of their corrosion products by mild chemical cleaning procedures. In some areas the coins are heavily corroded by chlorides, however most of the inscriptions on the coins themselves are still decipherable. Assumptions are made on the coins provenance, the production period, the manufacturing technique and the burial environmental conditions

Preliminary impedance spectroscopy study for carious lesions detection

This preliminary study proposes the use of impedance spectroscopy as additional diagnostic method in clinical practice to assess carious lesions. The carious process leads to a characteristic loss of mineral and a subsequent increased porosity, which results in a higher liquid content than sound tissue. The absorbed liquid contains different ions coming from the oral environment which, together with the increased porosity, contribute to change the impedance of the tissue. Impedance measurement is able to detect such tissue modifications and, therefore, it can be a suitable approach for assessing the presence and the status of carious processes on teeth. Moreover, compared to other diagnostic techniques it is more promising, also for the development of in-vivo measurements, owing to its safety, reliability, simplicity, rapid response, cost-effective, robust, and adequate detection limit. This study compares impedance spectroscopy measurements collected by using two different types of probes for monitoring teeth with and without carious lesions. The authors used a Ni-Cr wire electrode with a diameter of 0.5 mm, and a hydrogel agar probe with a diameter of 5 mm. Impedance measurements were carried out in-vitro by means of the Ivium-n-Stat potentiostat with a two-electrode setup, on the occlusal surfaces of teeth with and without carious lesions; then, the impedance spectra were recorded and analyzed. The preliminary results highlight that both experimental probes allow detecting a shift in impedance phase spectra, which happens at different frequencies and can be correlated to healthy teeth and the carious lesions, respectively

Raman investigation of corrosion products on Roman copper-based artefacts

This paper illustrates a case study related to the characterisation of corrosion products present on recently excavated artefacts. The archaeological findings, from the Rakafot 54 site (Beer-Sheva, Israel), consist of 23 coins and a pendant, all dating back to the Roman period. Raman spectroscopy was used to identify the corrosion products that compose the patina covering the objects. To facilitate and support their identification, spectra were then processed using principal components analysis. This chemometric technique allowed the identification of two main compounds, classified as atacamite and clinoatacamite, which formed the main components of the patinas. The results of this investigation can help in assessing the conservation state of artefacts and defining the correct restoration strategy

Provenance study of the limestone used in the construction and restoration of the Batalha Monastery (Portugal)

To assess the provenance of the limestones used in the construction and restoration of the Batalha Monastery in central Portugal, stone samples collected from the monument and from five limestone quarries in the region surrounding the building were investigated by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF), powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Ca-Sr binary diagrams from the ED-XRF result indicated the source of the samples collected from different parts of the monastery. Thin-section observation supplemented the petrographic evidence for this identification. PXRD and TGA were also used to acquire information on the mineral and chemical composition of the stones. Preliminary results suggest that the monastery baluster was made of stone from the Valinho do Rei or Reguengo do Fetal quarries, whereas part of the church railing, the north-aisle eaves arch and Royal Cloister were made with stone from the Pidiogo or Cabeço do Roxo quarries

A combined petrographic and geochemical metrological approach to assess the provenance of the building limestone used in the Batalha Monastery (Portugal)

To verify the provenances of limestones that were used for construction and restoration of the Batalha Monastery, limestone quarries in central Portugal were investigated. Samples were collected from quarries and monastery in field investigation. The elements-alignment of calcium and strontium based on XRF result has suggested the source of fragments from different parts the monastery. Observation of the thin sections has supplemented petrographic evidence for this identification. XRD, TGA were also used for acquiring mineral information and chemical composition of the stones. This origin tracing result supplies foundation for further research of stone decay and reservation of the Batalha Monastery

Improvement of functional bloating by an enterovaccine: a preliminary study

Background: bloating is a fastidious symptom reported by many patients who also have other gastrointestinal functional dis orders. Bloating is more common in women, and it is often asso ciated with meals and improves or disappears overnight. No spe cific treatments are to date available for this disturbing symptom. Aims: to evaluate the effects of an oral enterovaccine (Colifag ina ® ) on bloating and other abdominal symptoms in patients with prevalent complaints of functional bloating. Patients and methods: one hundred and forty-eight patients with functional bloating according to Rome III criteria were re cruited. Questionnaires and a VAS scale on their symptoms were administered at baseline and after four weeks of therapy with Colifagina ® . Results: after treatment, a significant amelioration of bloating (p < 0.0001), abdominal pain (p < 0.0001) and flatus (p < 0.0001) was observed; nausea and vomiting scores were not sig nificantly different at the end of the treatment. Subjective wellbe ing was also generally improved (p < 0.001) in treated patients. Conclusion: treatment with an enterovaccine may help im prove symptoms in patients with functional bloating

Can yield gap analysis be used to inform R & D prioritisation?

The phrase “biggest bang for a buck” is associated with the policy making question that governments and development agencies face: “Where and which crops should receive highest priority for improving local and global food supply?”. A first step of prioritisation is to identify region x crop combinations for which high impact can be anticipated. We developed a new method for this prioritisation exercise and applied it to data from the Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas (GYGA). Our prioritisation distinguishes between two policy objectives (humanitarian and economic) and builds upon the relative yield gap and climate risk. Results of the prioritisation are presented and visualised in Google Earth

Non-invasive characterization of ancient Cu-based coins using Raman spectroscopy

Characterization of archaeological finds is a challenging case study for researchers, as the need of non-invasive measurements strongly affects the investigation strategies. Moreover, it is almost not possible to follow a fixed protocol, because the measurement conditions should be tailored to the samples under study. This paper presents a preliminary characterization of bronze coins coming from an archaeological site located in the south of Israel. The superficial corrosion layers have been analysed by means of Raman spectroscopy in order to investigate their composition and assess the conservation state of the finds. Reference samples of known composition have also been used to help peaks identification in the Raman spectra. Results coming from this study can help in defining the correct conservation strategies for the artefacts

Subjective ratings of fear are associated with frontal late positive potential asymmetry, but not with early brain activity over the occipital and centro-parietal cortices

The human frontal cortex is asymmetrically involved in motivational and affective processing. Several studies have shown that the left-frontal hemisphere is related to positive and approach-related affect, whereas the right-frontal hemisphere is related to negative and withdrawal-related affect. The present study aimed to investigate whether evolutionarily threatening stimuli modulate asymmetrical frontal activity. We examined hemispheric differences in frontal late positive potentials (f-LPP asymmetry) and frontal alpha power activation (frontal alpha asymmetry, FAA) in response to images depicting snakes, spiders, butterflies, and birds. Results showed that the late component of f-LPP asymmetry, but not FAA, was modulated by the category of stimuli. Specifically, threatening stimuli (snakes and spiders) evoked a relatively large late f-LPP over the right-frontal hemisphere than non-threatening stimuli (birds and butterflies). Moreover, this relatively great right-frontal activity was positively associated with the subjective ratings of fear. Importantly, the subjective ratings of fear were not associated with early brain activity over the occipital or centro-parietal cortices. These results suggest that late f-LPP asymmetry may reflect higher order affective processes, specifically the subjective appraisal of threatening stimuli and the subjective experience of fear, that are independent of the fast and automatic processing of evolutionarily significant and affectively arousing stimuli

Characterisation of Roman copper alloy artefacts and soil from Rakafot 54 (Beer Sheva, Israel)

The research presented in this paper focused on the preliminary non-destructive analysis of copper alloys, corrosion, and soil components from a Roman archaeological site in Israel. pXRF, XRD, and micromorphological analyses were carried out to gain a better understanding of the corrosion processes affecting the copper alloy artefacts, by characterising the alloy composition, soil environments, and corrosion products. Preliminary results indicate that the artefacts consist of copper-lead-tin alloys, covered by copper hydroxy-chlorides and lead sulphate phases with slight variations in their crystallisation. The multi-analytical approach revealed the presence of quartz, calcite, gypsum and feldspars in the sediments, while thin sections more specifically indicate loess soils with local micro-environments