Spatial and hydrological analysis of the water supply system in as-Sila'/Sela (Tafila, Jordan) based on a 3D model

The research described below proposes a spatial analysis of the hydraulic infrastructure, and settlement remains, as well as a topographic analysis of the site of as-Sila'/Sela on the southern Transjordan plateau. The authors designed Sela's first photogrammetric model from aerial photographs provided by the "Aerial Photographic Archive for Archaeology in the Middle East (APAAME)" project. This modelling has enabled the research team to locate new hydraulic structures, settlement remains, marks on vertical facing, and elevated or levelling platforms hitherto unidentified by a pedestrian survey; it was also possible to obtain more detailed direct and indirect relationships between these features. The 3D model has provided a reference for locating the various elements and correlating their surface with the topographic coordinates recorded by the total station during fieldwork. Additionally, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was derived from the 3D model to depict the flow direction of run-off. Through our analysis, we identified spaces for accessing, managing, and utilising available water resources, including settlement density and flooding zones. The hydrological analysis revealed potential run-off and flood-prone areas, guiding the location of hydraulic structures to prevent water contamination. This study highlights the importance of Sela's water supply systems and the technical expertise of ancient communities in their construction and management. The applicability and feasibility of the applied methodology emphasise its use as a powerful and indispensable tool to obtain a complete overview of the site. The results yield a comprehensive site mapping with a broader scope than previous research and provide a basis for further research, as well as for understanding the site's water supply and settlement patterns. Thus, this study enhances the hydro-technological investigation of Sela's water management and culture and contributes to its holistic analysis. Future studies can use the data to propose effective water management strategies and shed light on the social structures involved in water supply practices

Self-Association and Stereoselectivity in a Chiral Liquid-Crystal Colesteric Polymer Formed under Achiral Conditions

A cholesteric, chiral, liquid-crystal polyester PTOBEE [C26H20O8]n, synthesized from the racemic mixture of their starting materials, showed an unexpected stereoselective separation of polymer units which incorporate a higher excess of one enantiomer at the expenses of the other when the polycondensation reaction products are decanted into a large excess of toluene. An NMR diffusion study of PTOBEE obtained for a sample with 67% enantiomeric excess (ee) showed the formation of a complex by self-association of several polymer units with an unexpected higher tendency of the complex to be formed when the sample is further diluted. Cross saturation transferred NMR experiments showed the high stability of this complex and provided evidence of slow exchange equilibrium with the single polymer unit. The results suggest that both effects, the enantiomeric excess obtained after decantation in toluene, which was higher in the second fraction of the precipitate, and the high tendency of the complex formation in diluted samples of this polymer could be related. Polymer units incorporating a certain excess of one of the enantiomers could result in a privileged spatial geometry of the substituents which favors its self- aggregation, resulting in its precipitation during the synthetic process at two different kinetic rates.Peer reviewe

Diagnosis of economic and financial risks in the enterprises activity

Polymer electrolytes containing poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) and lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) can serve as model electrolytes for electrochromic devices. Such electrolytes were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, conductivity, and viscosity measurements. The glass transition temperature (T-g) and viscosity of the PEI-LiTESI electrolytes have minima at a [N]:[Li] ratio of 100:1. Both T-g and viscosity increased at high salt concentrations. The temperature dependences of ionic conductivity and viscosity followed an Arrhenius equation with parameters depending only weakly on the salt concentration. The fluid behavior of the electrolytes could be reconciled with the Bingham plastic model with parameters being functions of salt concentration

III Jornada de Joves Investigadors de l’IdRA

Coordinadors: Roser Marsal Aguilera i Albert Santasusagna Ri

IV Jornada de Joves Investigadors de l’IdRA

La IV Jornada de Joves Investigadors suposa la consolidació de la iniciativa duta a terme entre 2016 i 2018 amb les tres primeres jornades. Com aleshores, es tracta de fer aflorar i donar visibilitat a la recerca dels més joves, planter de les futures generacions de l’IdRA. La pròpia tasca organitzativa i científica de l’Albert Santasusagna Riu, la Roser Marsal Aguilera i el Ruben A. Garcia Artigas constitueix un bon exponent de la qualitat científica i del dinamisme dels investigadors més joves de l’IdRA. La Dra. Roser Rubio i el Dr. Jordi Serra han aportat, així mateix, la seva experiència i, amb l’Albert, la Roser i el Ruben, han estat l’exemple de la perfecta integració de dues generacions diferents unides pel seu compromís amb la ciència

Adsorption of Polyethyleneimine on Silver Nanoparticles and Its Interaction with a Plasmid DNA: A Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Study

Raman spectroscopy is applied in this work to study the adsorption of poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) on Ag nanoparticles obtained by reduction with citrate, as well as to the study of the interaction between PEI and a plasmid. The surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) affords important information about the interaction and orientation of the polymer on the particles. In particular we have found that this polymer interacts with the surface through their amino groups in an interaction which also involves a change in the protonation state of amino groups as well as an increase of the chain order. This interaction implies a charge-transfer effect as deduced from the strong resonant effect in Raman spectra obtained at different excitation wavelengths. The complex formed by PEI and a plasmid, obtained by encoding the HBV (hepatitis B virus) genome inside the EcoRI restriction site of pGEM vector, was also studied by SERS. The interaction between both polymers leads to a conformational change affecting both macromolecules that can be detected by Raman at different excitation wavelengths. PEI undergoes a change to a more disordered structure as well as an increase of the number of protonated amino groups. The plasmid undergoes a structural change from A-DNA structure to B-DNA, along with a change in the superhelicity resulting in a more lineal structure when the plasmid interacts with PEI.Peer reviewe

El Mirador cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain): a whole perspective

The archaeological site of El Mirador is located in the southern slope of the Sierra de Atapuerca. The work developed at the site is providing a substantial set of data from the Upper Palaeolithic and Early Neolithic to the Middle Bronze Age. Throughout at least about 4000 years of occupation, the cave was used for various activities, among which, burial, habitation and animal stalling. The practices related with this last use is, at the moment, the main origin of the archaeological deposits, which are mainly composed by burnt animal dung with vegetal residues, potsherds, lithics and faunal remains. In addition, it is characterized by high sedimentation rates that have enabled an individual and clear record of different episodes, providing high resolution chronological data. Due to these particularities, specific excavation methodology and interdisciplinary studies of the archaeological data have been developed in order to understand the genesis of this archaeological sequence and, at the same time, to provide information about the introduction and development of the production economy in the Submeseta Norte region.The Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (N_CGL2009-12703-C03-02/BTE; HAR200801984/HIST) and the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (CGL2012-38434-C0303; HAR2013-41197-P) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2014SGR900; 2014SGR899) supported this research. Funding for the fieldwork came from the Consejería de Cultura y Turismo of the Junta de Castilla y León and the Atapuerca Foundation. Á. Carrancho research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) with projects CGL2012-32149 and CGL2012-3848

Early water management systems on the southern Transjordan plateau

The efficient management of water resources to supply the needs of societies in territories where water is a scarce and limited resource has been essential throughout time. The site of Sela on the southern Transjordan plateau is unique for understanding water management in this semi-arid area. The analysis of hydraulic installations has allowed us to characterise its hydro technology and spatial distribution in the settlement. To this end, the hydraulic facilities have been identified, documented, and analysed in detail through two archaeological surveys (2015 and 2016). Spatial analysis has been carried out by preparing extensive 2D planimetry and 3D reconstructions. The results obtained have made it possible to reconstruct the water supply system necessary for the subsistence of the societies that inhabited Sela over time. The system consists of canals, cisterns, and sedimentation basins for the collection, conduction, storage, and preservation of water, mainly from rain. Some of Sela's hydraulic structures may have originated in the Bronze Age (mid-late 2nd mill. BCE), but more secure dating is needed to substantiate this possibility

Early water management systems on the southern Transjordan plateau

The efficient management of water resources to supply the needs of societies in territories where water is a scarce and limited resource has been essential throughout time. The site of Sela on the southern Transjordan plateau is unique for understanding water management in this semi-arid area. The analysis of hydraulic installations has allowed us to characterise its hydro technology and spatial distribution in the settlement. To this end, the hy-draulic facilities have been identified, documented, and analysed in detail through two archaeological surveys (2015 and 2016). Spatial analysis has been carried out by preparing extensive 2D planimetry and 3D re-constructions. The results obtained have made it possible to reconstruct the water supply system necessary for the subsistence of the societies that inhabited Sela over time. The system consists of canals, cisterns, and sedi-mentation basins for the collection, conduction, storage, and preservation of water, mainly from rain. Some of Sela's hydraulic structures may have originated in the Bronze Age (mid-late 2nd mill. BCE), but more secure dating is needed to substantiate this possibility