The Interface of Geophysical and Geochemical Survey: Towards an Understanding of Geophysical Data Quality in Challenging Scottish Archaeological Sites

Geophysical and geochemical techniques have been widely applied to detect and investigate archaeological sites. Integrated geophysical survey plays a major role in the discovery and exploration of archaeological sites. Geochemical survey also provides valuable information on the location of sites, but it also has the potential of determining source and spatial extent of past human activities and in investigating the use of space in archaeological sites. Both approaches have tended to operate independently of each other but their interface can be of great help in order to understand the capacities and limits in detection of different near-surface geophysical techniques for archaeological prospection. This poster will introduce an on-going NERC PhD research project which explores this interface by characterising the geophysical response of common archaeological features in terms of chemical signatures and soil properties to comprehend why that geophysical response varies in quality. This should allow a more confident prediction of the most appropriate survey strategy to be used at archaeological sites lying in challenging soil environments. The research is focussed on archaeological sites in Scotland which lie in contrasting drift soils and have existing data records (geophysical and/or geochemical surveys, aerial photography, excavation records). Integrated geophysical surveys and geochemical sampling are currently being undertaken. The different geophysical responses will be determined with respect to soil moisture content, texture, conductivity and geochemical composition to evaluate the performance of the different geophysical techniques used

A 3D Reconstruction Algorithm for the Location of Foundations in Demolished Buildings

The location of foundations in a demolished building can be accomplished by undertaking a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey and then to use the GPR data to generate 3D isosurfaces of what was beneath the soil surface using image reconstruction. The SIMCA ('SIMulated Correlation Algorithm') algorithm is a technique based on a comparison between the trace that would be returned by an ideal point reflector in the soil conditions at the site and the actual trace. During an initialization phase, SIMCA carries out radar simulation using the design parameters of the radar and the soil properties. The trace which would be returned by a target under these conditions is then used to form a kernel. Then SIMCA takes the raw data as the radar is scanned over the ground and removes clutter using a clutter removal technique. The system correlates the kernel with the data by carrying out volume correlation and produces 3D images of the surface of subterranean objects detected. The 3D isosurfaces are generated using MATLAB software. The validation of the algorithm has been accomplished by comparing the 3D isosurfaces produced by the SIMCA algorithm, Scheers algorithm and REFLEXW commercial software. Then the depth and the position in the x and y directions as obtained using MATLAB software for each of the cases are compared with the corresponding values approximately obtained from original Architect's drawings of the buildings

Esyllt T. Lawrence: una gal·lesa a Catalunya (Una antologia de textos)

Esyllt Thomas Lawrence (1917-1995) se'ns presenta, d'entrada, amb una trajectòria força singular: una dona que naix a Gal·les, s'educa universitàriament a Anglaterra, viu casada amb un diplomàtic a EUA en plena Segona Guerra Mundial, recomença una nova vida a Mèxic enlluernada per un soldat republicà exiliat català, i acaba vivint sota una dictadura en una altra nació sense estat com Gal·les i amb una nova llengua: el català. Finalment retorna al seu país nadiu amb estades periòdiques a Catalunya on s'implica en la política nacionalista i la llengua i cultures gal·leses fins els darrers dies

Lime burning in clamp kilns in Scotland's Western Central Belt: primitive industry or simple but perfectly adequate technology?

Lime is a fundamental component in many industrial, agricultural and chemical processes, and is itself produced by an industrial process, namely, the heating in kilns (calcining, or more colloquially ‘burning’) of calcium carbonate rock or other carbonate material. Research and literature on lime burning in Scotland, based largely on lime production in Scotland's eastern Central Belt, are dominated by the view that lime burning in draw kilns is the paradigm for Scottish lime production. Other parts of Scotland, however, largely or completely ignored, draw kilns in favour of simpler clamp kilns, even in major industrial sites of lime production. This paper reports our map- and field-based surveys in Scotland's western Central Belt, which clearly point to the enduring importance and almost exclusive use of clamp kilns in that area's historical lime-burning industry

Theory of mind in two generation of deaf children

Recoge una comparación entre teoría de la mente centrándose en sujetos sordos de dos generaciones: aquellos que no utilizaban tecnologías audioprotésicas y los que sí.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

From the Air to the Atomic Level of a Ditch: Integrating Geophysical and Geochemical Survey Methods at the Prehistoric Cropmark Complex of Forteviot (Perthshire, Scotland)

It is generally appreciated that the detection of archaeological features through geophysical survey can vary depending on local geological and soil conditions; however, the influence of these variables has rarely been explained satisfactorily. Presented here are the results of a comparative analysis exploring the relationship between soil chemistry and the detection of archaeological features by routine geophysical survey techniques over a cropmark site in Perthshire, Scotland. The results not only provide a nuanced understanding of the character of the archaeological features surveyed, but also begin to develop a better understanding of how the setting of a site may affect geophysical and geochemical datasets. This case study forms part of a NERC PhD project that investigates the integration of geophysical and geochemical methods at five contrasting archaeological sites in Scotland

Determinants of Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Pain Among Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital in Spain

Background: All nurses should receive training and education regarding pain as part of their pre-graduate stage, as its assessment and appropriate management when treating patients largely depends on them. With the right knowledge it is possible to reduce its high prevalence, as well as the serious consequences it can lead to. Aim: To determine the level of knowledge and attitudes towards pain of final-year nursing students in Spain. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study using a convenience sample of five Spanish universities during the academic year 2020-2021. The Spanish version of the Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) was used. In addition, socio-demographic variables such as age, sex, relationship status, employment status, and the number of dependants were collected. The specific palliative or oncology subjects of each university was also assessed. Results: A total of 224 questionnaires were collected. One of the nursing universities obtained the best score in the KASRP (59.75%) which was significant (p = .001). This university was the only one that offers specific subjects in palliative or oncologic care. A training deficit in aspects related to pain assessment and pharmacologic concepts was detected. We found no relationship between the KASRP and the different sociodemographic variables. Conclusions: Specific training in palliative care improves the students' knowledge regarding pain, although the results did not reach an acceptable minimum. The universities' training programs for Spanish students need to be adapted in order to achieve better results

Girls4STEM: gender diversity in STEM for a sustainable future

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are key disciplines towards tackling the challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals. However, evidence shows that women are enrolling in these disciplines in a smaller percentage than men, especially in Engineering related fields. As stated by the United Nations Women section, increasing the number of women studying and working in STEM fields is fundamental towards achieving better solutions to the global challenges, since the potential for innovation is larger. In this paper, we present the Girls4STEM project, which started in 2019 at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Enginyeria de la Universitat de València, Spain. This project works towards breaking the stereotypes linked to STEM fields, addressing both boys and girls aged from 6 to 18, but especially trying to open the range of career options for young girls through interaction with female STEM experts. The goal is to spark girls' interest in STEM disciplines from childhood, so that they become more self-confident in these areas. To achieve this goal, the project is built over three main actions: the Girls4STEM Family Talks, where students, families, and teachers participate; the Girls4STEM Professional Talks, where the target is a general audience; and the Initial Training Seminars for teachers. Short-term results are here presented, showing that aspects related to self-perception and perception from others (family, teachers) play a significant role. Moreover, these results also indicate that there may not be a general understanding of which disciplines are included in STEM

Competencia curricular del alumnado sordo en educación primaria en el área de matemáticas

ANALIZAR EL NIVEL DE COMPETENCIA CURRICULAR EN EL ÁREA DE MATEMÁTICAS DE ALUMNADO SORDO EN EDUCACIÓN PRIMARIA Y LA RELACIÓN ENTRE ESTA COMPETENCIA, SUS HABILIDADES COMUNICATIVAS Y LINGÜÍSTICAS EN LENGUA ORAL Y OTRAS VARIABLES VINCULADAS A LA SORDERA Y A SU ESCOLARIZACIÓN (EDAD DE PROTESIZACIÓN/IMPLANTACIÓN, EMPLEO DE FM EN EL AULA, PROFESORADO DE APOYO, ETC).EDU-2011 y P11-SEJ-0752

Human iPSC derived disease model of MERTK-associated retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) represents a genetically heterogeneous group of retinal dystrophies affecting mainly the rod photoreceptors and in some instances also the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells of the retina. Clinical symptoms and disease progression leading to moderate to severe loss of vision are well established and despite significant progress in the identification of causative genes, the disease pathology remains unclear. Lack of this understanding has so far hindered development of effective therapies. Here we report successful generation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from skin fibroblasts of a patient harboring a novel Ser331Cysfs*5 mutation in the MERTK gene. The patient was diagnosed with an early onset and severe form of autosomal recessive RP (arRP). Upon differentiation of these iPSC towards RPE, patient-specific RPE cells exhibited defective phagocytosis, a characteristic phenotype of MERTK deficiency observed in human patients and animal models. Thus we have created a faithful cellular model of arRP incorporating the human genetic background which will allow us to investigate in detail the disease mechanism, explore screening of a variety of therapeutic compounds/reagents and design either combined cell and gene- based therapies or independent approaches.This work was supported by Andalusian Health Council (PI-0324-2013), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI13/01331), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness-FEDER BFU2012-36845, Instituto de Salud Carlos III RETICS RD12/0034/0010 and Academy of Finland (218050; 272808)