Biomolecular sensing using surface micromachined silicon plates

Micromachined sensors to detect surface stress changes associated with interactions between an immobilized chemically selective receptor and a target analyte are presented. The top isolated sensing surface of a free-standing silicon plate is prepared with a thin Au layer, followed by a covalent attachment of chemical or biomolecule forming a chemically-selective surface. Surface stress changes in air are measured capacitively due to the formation of an alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Detection of biomolecular binding in liquid samples is measured optically using the streptavidin-biotin complex and AM. tuberculosis antigen-antibody system used for clinical tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis

Editorial for special issue : 'Archaeological remote sensing in the 21st century : (re)defining practice and theory'

“Beg, borrow and steal”: in many ways, this is a strapline for archaeology as a discipline, and perhaps especially so for archaeological remote sensing [...

A semi-empirical index for estimating soil moisture from MIVIS data to identify subsurface archaeological sites

The possibilities offered by studying the tonal variations of the bare soil (damp-mark) are well known in archaeology: their existence in fact can be an indication of the presence in the subsoil of archaeological structures or ditches that inhibit or facilitate the absorption of rainwater and of the rising of humidity. The studying of the different degrees of water absorption of a soil becomes therefore particularly useful for the identification of buried archaeological sites in extra-urban context. In this work will be presented a Soil Index for hyperspectral MIVIS data that aims to constitute a support for the identification of traces over not-vegetated soil, emphasizing the wetness or the dryness of a portion of the ground

Stolen Heritage Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage in the EU and the MENA Region

It is a well-known fact that organised crime has developed into an international network including very diverse actors – ranging from the simple ‘grave diggers’ to powerful and wealthy white-collar professionals – that adopt illegal practices like money laundering, fraud and forgery. This criminal system, ultimately, damages and disintegrates our cultural identity and, in some cases, fosters political corruption, terrorism or civil unrest through the transnational and illicit trafficking of cultural property. The forms of ‘ownership’ of Cultural Heritage are often indistinct, and – depending on the national legislation of reference – the proprietorship and trade of historical and artistic assets of value may be legitimate or not. Casual collectors and criminals have always taken advantage from these ambiguities and managed to place on the market items obtained by destruction and looting of museums, monuments and archaeological areas. Thus, over the years, even the most renowned museum institutions might have - more or less consciously – displayed, hosted or lent cultural objects of illicit origin. Ransacking, thefts, clandestine exports and disputable transactions are crimes that primarily affect countries that are rich in artistic and archaeological assets, but such activities do not involve just some countries. This is an international border-crossing phenomenon that starts in given countries and expands to many others. Some are briefly passed through while a handful of powerful and rich ones are the actual destination marketplaces. Drawing from the experience of the conference Stolen Heritage (Venice, December 2019), held in the framework of the H2020 NETCHER (NETwork and digital platform for Cultural Heritage Enhancing and Rebuilding) project, this edited volume focuses on illicit trafficking in cultural property addressing the issue from a multidisciplinary perspective and featuring papers authored by international experts and professionals actively involved in Cultural Heritage protection. The articles included expand on such diverse topics as the European legislation regulating import, export, trade and restitution of cultural objects; ‘conflict antiquities’ and cultural heritage at risk in the Near and Middle East; looting activities and illicit excavations in Italy; the use of technologies to counter looting practices and the publication of unprovenanced items. This collection is meant as a valuable resource to disseminate new results of the research as well as to facilitate a better understanding of the international legislation related to the protection of Cultural Heritage

A view on Greater Angkor: a multi-scalar approach for investigating the Khmer forests

This paper will focus on the results of a joint international project (a partnership between the University of Sydney and the University of Venice) that develops and applies satellite remote sensing methodologies for finding and mapping unknown archaeological sites in the surroundings of Angkor, in Cambodia. Long famous for its temples, this World Heritage site is now increasingly recognized as a vast, low-density urban landscape. The project consists of using the spectral content of remotely sensed images to reveal the presence of buried sites and structures of the ancient Khmer landscape on the basis of the different spectral characteristics of the terrain and vegetation. By applying spectral analysis, the current research aims to scan vegetated and bare soil areas in order to clarify features that are ambiguous in existing maps and reveal features which would otherwise remain undetected

A review of glass corrosion: the unique contribution of studying ancient glass to validate glass alteration models

Glass has been used in widespread applications within several sectors since ancient times and it has been systematically studied under different perspectives. However, its thermodynamic properties and the variety of its compositions, several aspects related to its durability and its alteration mechanisms remain still open to debate. This literature review presents an overview of the most relevant studies on glass corrosion and the interaction between glass and the environment. The review aims to achieve two objectives. On one hand, it aims to highlight how far research on glass corrosion has come by studying model systems created in the laboratory to simulate different alteration conditions and glass compositions. On the other, it seeks to point out what are the critical aspects that still need to be investigated and how the study of ancient, altered glass can add to the results obtained in laboratory models. The review intends also to demonstrate how advanced analytical techniques commonly used to study modern and technical glass can be applied to investigate corrosion marks on ancient samples

Integrated archaeological investigations for the study of the Greater Aquileia area

A large number of technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Remote Sensing (RS), geophysical instruments, allows nowadays for fast and reliable automated capture, management and analysis of archaeological data. Beyond the City Walls (BCW) is a landscape archaeology project based in the countryside of the Roman municipium of Aquileia (Italy) that applies and integrates these technologies for the reconstruction of peripheral settlement dynamics in antiquity, trialling concurrently tools that operate as hubs for acquisition of disparate field data

Incorporating Consideration of Location, Compliance, and Reliability into Estimates of Brackish Resource Development Costs

An analysis is undertaken to evaluate the total costs of augmenting water supply through desalination of brackish water sources as compared to freshwater sources. Although membrane desalination is generally more expensive than conventional treatment, consideration should also be given to costs related to source location, regulatory compliance and supply reliability. Consideration of these additional factors has been largely unexplored in previous cost comparisons. This project involves the development of an approach which will enable communities to integrate such additional factors into their decision-making. Fresh water and brackish water sources are compared in terms of the "total cost of supply and treatment", which includes costs of acquisition, treatment to maintain regulatory compliance, and storage. The costs considered begin with the withdrawal of raw water at the source and end when the treated water enters the distribution system. Results show that the economic viability of utilizing brackish resources increases when the total costs of supply and development are compared, especially for smaller capacity plants. Conveyance costs associated with more distant sources can quickly reduce the cost gap between membrane desalination and conventional treatment when comparing a local brackish source with a more distant freshwater source. Additionally, many conventional systems will require upgrades and/or process additions to achieve compliance with new standards (e.g. disinfection byproducts, arsenic), whereas membrane desalination processes are often able to meet new and existing standards with little modification. Therefore, the consideration of regulatory compliance can further reduce the cost gap between brackish and freshwater sources. Finally, in many water scarce areas, brackish sources may be underdeveloped relative to freshwater supplies and thus are likely to provide more reliable yields, resulting in lower capital costs through a reduction in the capacity of required storage infrastructure. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to determine which factors have the greatest impact on the total supply and treatment costs. Through use of this approach, communities facing difficult decisions will be able to more comprehensively compare the costs of augmenting water supply through desalination with those of alternative supplies.Master of Science in Environmental Engineerin

High-speed and high-resolution 2D and 3D elemental imaging of corroded ancient glass by laser ablation-ICP-MS

In this work, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to investigate for the first time glass weathering mechanisms using high-resolution 2D and 3D elemental maps of altered layers of ancient glass. Roman archaeological glass shards, displaying several corrosion indicators, were studied using multiple raster-scanning ablation with high depth and lateral resolution. The concentration gradients of different elements were captured (in their variations from the surface to the bulk of pristine glass) by multiple ablations on degraded regions of interest to observe the dissolution of the glass network due to the hydration and leaching processes that occur during its alteration. The results indicated an enrichment of silicon and a depletion of alkaline/alkaline earth element concentration in the first few microns of depth under the surface area suggesting that a de-alkalinisation phenomenon occurs on the glass surface when ancient items have been buried under soil for extended timeframes. The layer-by-layer elemental distribution revealed also how the composition of the archaeological glass changes from the bulk to the surface, shedding light on the leaching behaviour of glass constituents during the alteration process

Consolidation and coating treatments for glass in the cultural heritage field: A review

Consolidation and coating treatments are two types of interventions that form part of the active con- servation actions developed for historical and archaeological glass over the years. While thermoplastic and thermosetting resins are widely adopted by conservators worldwide, issues related to the toxicity and the material compatibility of these products remains unsolved. To address these issues, effort s have been made to develop new formulations that can functionally replace or exhibit performance advantages with respect to these canonical polymeric materials. In this review, we discuss the main classes of ma- terials applied thus far for protection and consolidation aims in the cultural heritage glass field, starting from the beginning of the 19th century and continuing until present days. We also assess the potential of hybrid organic-inorganic materials and full inorganic materials as alternative solutions to the limita- tions of organic materials in application. Finally, we provide our perspectives on future directions for the development of consolidation products that meet the specific requirements of the cultural heritage field