3D photogrammetry as a tool for studying erosive processes at a Roman coastal site: the case of the Roman fish-salting plant at Sobreira (Vigo, Spain)

Rising sea levels, along with other biological and human factors, have increased erosion rates at a number of important sites located along the Atlantic coastline. Project GaltFish implemented a series of contingency measures to record some of these sites before they degraded further or totally disappeared. This process involved detailed photogrammetric recording of some of the sites under threat over a set period of time. One of the sites selected for this project was Sobreira (Vigo, Galicia): a Roman fish-salting factory which was partially destroyed by building activity in the 1980s and the remains of which are under threat from marine erosion and human action. In order to study the site, two photogrammetric models were created to examine the effect of erosive processes across the course of one year. The results illustrate that photogrammetry is an efficient tool for recording and analysing the issue of erosion. The data compiled helped in designing additional action in the factory, which was subject to a rescue excavation to record and help protect the site from further damage. This paper presents the results of this project, as well as the methodology used to produce the models, the data generated and their analysis. It is argued that the methodology can be used to collect and analyse data from other sites, and that this data could inform the political/administrative decision-making processes which concern the future management and preservation of archaeological sites under threat.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. RYC2018-024131-

Evaluation of the Variables that Influence Mercury Capture in Solid Sorbents

Newly obtained results on mercury retention in fly ashes and activated carbons during coal combustion are compared with previous findings. The influence of different variables on mercury capture, including the composition and nature of the sorbents, the composition of the flue gas and the mercury species in gas phase is investigated. Coal-fired utility boilers are currently the largest single-known source of mercury emissions. According to the USEPA’s Information Collection Request (ICR), on average, only 40% of the mercury entering a coal-fired power plant is captured, while 60% is emitted into the atmosphere. Several solid materials, including activated carbons, are considered to be effective sorbents for Hg control in flue gases from coal combustion. However, more economical alternatives to retain mercury such as the optimization of conditions for improving mercury capture in fly ashes in the installation also need to be studied. In this work, the mercury retention capacity of different fly ashes was compared with retention by commercial activated carbons in different experimental conditions. As might be expected, the results obtained indicate that the quantity of mercury captured depends on the characteristics of the fly ashes and on the mode of occurrence of mercury in gas phase. The retention of elemental mercury in the fly ashes, unlike activate carbons, was greatly influenced by the gas composition. Although the efficiency of the mercury retention was higher in activated carbons than in fly ashes, some activated carbon showed a lower retention capacity for elemental mercury than some fly ashes in the simulated flue gas

Mercury and selenium retention in fly ashes: Influence of unburned particle content

7 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables.-- Printed version published Sep 2007.-- Issue title: "The 6th European Conference on Coal Research and its Applications".Mercury and selenium are present as trace elements in coal and may be emitted to the environment in gas phase during coal conversion processes or be partially retained on the fly ashes. The present work explores the possibility that selenium may contribute to mercury capture in fly ashes in two different situations: firstly the power station itself, in order to evaluate the influence of typical working conditions, and secondly in a fixed bed of fly ashes enriched with Se, in order to study the capture of mercury in more severe conditions. It was found that the presence of selenium in fly ashes may improve their capacity to capture mercury. However, in the four fly ashes of different origin studied, selenium is not the most important component for mercury retention. In fact, the presence of selenium in fly ash samples enriched in unburned carbon does not have any significant effect on mercury retention.The results of this work were obtained as part of the projects PPQ2001-2359-C02-02 and CTM2004-04252.CO2-02/TECNO.Peer reviewe

The influence of carbon particle type in fly ashes on mercury adsorption

Recent research has shown that certain fly ash materials produced in coal combustion for power generation have an affinity for the mercury compounds present in flue gases. However, the exact nature of Hg–fly ash interactions is still unknown and the different variables that influence mercury adsorption need to be identified. In this work the microscopic components of fly ashes derived from the combustion of different types of feed blends of different coal rank and mercury adsorption were investigated. The aim of this research was to establish relationships between Hg retention and the type of unburned carbons present in various fly ashes. The fly ashes and fly ash fractions studied were used as sorbent beds for high mercury concentrations, conditions in which mercury retention is highly favored. From the results obtained it was confirmed that the role of the unburned carbon components in mercury capture may depend, among other factors, on the type of unburned carbon. Fly ashes capture different species of mercury depending on their nature and the type of anisotropic particles.The results of this work were obtained as part of the projects PPQ2001-2359-C02-02 and CTM2004-04252.CO2-02/TECNO.Peer reviewe

La “cristianización” de los enterramientos en la Galicia tardoantigua. Una comparación entre las necrópolis de Lugo y Vigo (siglos IV-VI)

En el presente artículo se realiza una revisión y comparación del registro arqueológico correspondiente a necrópolis y enterramientos de dos de los núcleos mejor estudiados de Gallaecia en el período de auge del priscilianismo: Lugo (Lucus Augusti) y Vigo. Nuestro objetivo en primer lugar es detectar semejanzas y diferencias en cuanto a la distribución, tipología y materialidad vinculada a estos enterramientos y establecer una primera síntesis de los comportamientos funerarios extrapolable al marco regional de Gallaecia entre los siglos IV y VI. Pero, además, esta base nos permitirá plantear algunas reflexiones sobre el papel de los enterramientos como marcadores de los profundos cambios sociales y mentales que operan en el noroeste peninsular durante este período

Caracterización de morteros de junta y pavimentos del sitio romano de A Ciadella (NO de España)

[Abstract] The results of the mineralogical and textural characterization of joint mortars and pavement samples collected at the Roman site of A Ciadella (Galicia, NW Spain) are presented. The results indicate that these are earth mortars whose most likely origin could be sub-surface horizons from nearby soils, considering the mineralogical similarity between the inherited minerals detected in the mortars and the mineralogy of the rocks in the area. No lime has been detected in any mortar. The textural analysis confirms a poor pre-treatment of the soil samples used as raw material. In the pavement samples analysed, the existence of a kaolinite-rich surface layer, probably applied deliberately on the surface, stands out.[Resumen] Se presentan los resultados de la caracterización mineralógica y textural de morteros de juntas y muestras de pavimentos recogidas en el yacimiento romano de A Ciadella (Galicia, NW Spain). Los resultados indican que se trata de morteros de tierra cuyo origen más probable podrían ser horizontes subsuperficiales de suelos cercanos, considerando la similitud mineralógica entre los minerales heredados detectados en los morteros y la mineralogía de las rocas de la zona. No se ha detectado cal en ningún mortero. El análisis textural confirma un pretratamiento muy básico de las muestras de suelo utilizadas como materia prima. En las muestras de pavimento

La factoría de salazón romana de Praia do Naso (Illa de Arousa, Pontevedra)

En el presente trabajo presentamos los resultados de la intervención realizada por la Universidad de Vigo en el yacimiento de Praia do Naso (Illa de Arousa), catalogado como una posible factoría de salazón de época romana. Esta excavación forma parte del proyecto Marie-Slodowska Curie “Galtfish: Salt and fish salting in Ancient Gallaecia. Looking for the origins of the Galician canned fish industry” en el marco del cual se han llevado a cabo varias intervenciones arqueológicas buscando definir y documentar estructuras relacionadas con la industria salazonera. Se han realizado dos sondeos que han permitido localizar muros y niveles de uso de la parte interior del edificio –las piletas se habrían perdido por la acción erosiva del mar–, así como materiales que han permitido acotar la cronología de la factoría entre los siglos I y III d.C.In this paper, we present the results of intervention carried out by University of Vigo in Praia do Naso site (Illa de Arousa), catalogued as a possible Roman fish salting factory. This excavation was part of the Marie-Slodowska Curie project “Galtfish: Salt and fish salting in Ancient Gallaecia. Looking for the origins of the Galician canned fish industry” in the framework of which several archaeological excavations has been made, seeking to define and document structures related with the salting industry. Two soundings have been made. We located walls and usage levels from the interior part of the building –vats would have been lost due to the erosive action of the sea–, as well as objects that dated the factory between 1st and 3rd centuries A.

Comparison of Mercury Retention by Fly Ashes Using Different Experimental Devices

To study mercury (Hg) retention in solid sorbents, researchers generally employ similar laboratory-scale devices. However, despite their similarities, these devices are generally used under different experimental conditions. The Hg concentration in the gas phase, gas flow, and sorbent-bed characteristics are variables that influence the contact time, mass transfer, and kinetics and may greatly modify the quantities of Hg retained when the same sorbents are compared. These differences in the experimental conditions do not impede an evaluation of the sorbents as long as the results obtained points toward the same qualitative conclusions. However, the extent of variation needs to be defined to avoid misinterpretation. To illustrate the range of interpretations, the results of a preliminary approach using four experimental devices in two laboratories have been compared in this work. All the experiments were carried out under a nitrogen atmosphere and Hg0 in the gas phase. The same sorbents were employed in all the devices. These were fly ashes obtained from the combustion of coals of different rank and with different unburned carbon contents. From the results obtained it can be inferred that it is necessary to strictly control the influence of the experimental variables to infer a correct interpretation of the results.The financial support for this work was provided by project CTM2004-04252.CO2- 02/TECNO, by the Royal Society with provided a mobility grant for researchers and by the DTI Cleaner Coal Technology R&D Programme (project 408).Peer reviewe

Los asentamientos rurales de época romana en el contexto del Baixo Miño: el yacimiento de Currás, Tomiño

The archaeological site of Currás (Tomiño), excavated in 1972, has been subject to new studies forty years on. New archaeological activities and the discovery of new graphical, oral and material documentation, have given us a new perception of this Roman and medieval settlement and necropolis. In this article we will present the main results of this research, which provide new data about this type of rural setting at the Baixo Miño territory, and consequently at the NW of the Iberian Peninsula.El yacimiento arqueológico de Currás (Tomiño), descubierto en el año 1972, ha sido objeto de nuevos estudios 40 años después. Gracias al proyecto de investigación llevado a cabo entre los años 2013 y 2015, se ha recuperado material gráfico y arqueológico inédito de la primera intervención, y se han documentado en detalle las principales características de este yacimiento, lo que ha permitido obtener una percepción más completa de este asentamiento romano y de su necrópolis tardorromana y altomedieval. En este artículo presentamos los principales resultados de esta investigación que aporta nuevos datos sobre los asentamientos rurales en el territorio del Baixo Miño y consecuentemente en el Noroeste de la Península Ibérica. [gl] O xacemento arqueolóxico de Currás (Tomiño), descuberto no ano 1972, voltou a ser obxecto de estudio 40 anos despois. Grazas a un proxecto de investigación levado a cabo entre os anos 2013 e 2015 recuperouse material gráfico e arqueolóxico inédito do momento da descuberta, así como se documentaron en detalle as principais características deste xacemento romano e da súa necrópole tardorromana e altomedieval. Neste artigo presentamos os principais resultados deste estudo que aporta novas consideracións sobre este tipo de asentamentos rurais no territorio do Baixo Miño e consecuentemente no Noroeste da Península Ibérica

The coagulation system helps control infection caused by the ciliate parasite Philasterides dicentrarchi in the turbot Scophthalmus maximus (L.)

This is the accepted manuscript of the following article: Blanco-Abad, V., Noia, M., Valle, A., Fontenla, F., Folgueira, I., & De Felipe, A. et al. (2018). The coagulation system helps control infection caused by the ciliate parasite Philasterides dicentrarchi in the turbot Scophthalmus maximus (L.). Developmental & Comparative Immunology, 87, 147-156. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.06.001Many studies have shown that coagulation systems play an important role in the defence against pathogens in invertebrates and vertebrates. In vertebrates, particularly in mammals, it has been established that the coagulation system participates in the entrapment of pathogens and activation of the early immune response. However, functional studies investigating the importance of the fish coagulation system in host defence against pathogens are scarce. In the present study, injection of turbot (Scopthalamus maximus) with the pathogenic ciliate Philasterides dicentrarchi led to the formation of macroscopic intraperitoneal clots in the fish. The clots contained abundant, immobilized ciliates, many of which were lysed. We demonstrated that the plasma clots immobilize and kill the ciliates in vitro. To test the importance of plasma clotting in ciliate killing, we inhibited the process by adding a tetrapeptide known to inhibit fibrinogen/thrombin clotting in mammals. Plasma tended to kill P. dicentrarchi slightly faster when clotting was inhibited by the tetrapeptide, although the total mortality of ciliates was similar. We also found that kaolin, a particulate activator of the intrinsic pathway in mammals, accelerates plasma clotting in turbot. In addition, PMA-stimulated neutrophils, living ciliates and several ciliate components such as cilia, proteases and DNA also displayed procoagulant activity in vitro. Injection of fish with the ciliates generated the massive release of neutrophils to the peritoneal cavity, with formation of large aggregates in those fish with live ciliates in the peritoneum. We observed, by SEM, numerous fibrin-like fibres in the peritoneal exudate, many of which were associated with peritoneal leukocytes and ciliates. Expression of the CD18/CD11b gene, an integrin associated with cell adhesion and the induction of fibrin formation, was upregulated in the peritoneal leukocytes. In conclusion, the findings of the present study show that P. dicentrarchi induces the formation of plasma clots and that the fish coagulation system may play an important role in immobilizing and killing this parasiteThis work was financially supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 634429 (PARAFISHCONTROL), by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) under grant agreement AGL2014-57125-R and by grant GPC2014/069 from the Xunta de Galicia (Spain)S