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This work was supported by the Generalitat Valenciana Grant PROMETEO CIPROM/2022/21 (M.d.l.P.) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PID2021-125175OB-I00) (M. M.-G.). JLS was supported by Programa Propio para el fomento de la I+D+i en la Universidad de Alicante 2022 UAFPU22-11 grant and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Universities FPU FPU23/00226 grant.

In 12 BCE, Augustus undertook the responsibility for the calendar, which had gradually fallen out of alignment with the true dates of solstices and equinoxes. Augustus’ calendar reform, entailing the introduction of a leap day every four years, coincided with the erection of a grand meridian in the Campus Martius, known in Latin as Horologium Augusti. This device utilized the obelisk of Psamtik II (6° century BCE) as its gnomon that casted its shadow upon a travertine floor inscribed with bronze reference marks. Despite the discovery of the obelisk in 18th century and partial excavation of the floor in 1980, comprehending its geometric intricacies, regarding both dimensions and positioning, remained a challenge due to the complexities of conducting precise geomatic measurements in subterranean environments. Consequently, uncertainties persisted regarding its operational mechanics, particularly regarding whether the marks denoted days or ecliptic degrees. This study presents accurate measurements and statistically rigorous analyses that enable a precise repositioning of the meridian and a careful reconstruction of its geometry. The results suggest that the marks likely denoted specific days of the year, as recalled by Pliny the Elder. This provides support to the hypothesis that the monument functioned as an empirical validation of Augustus’ calendrical reform. In addition, the great accuracy achieved in positioning represents a fundamental aid in the desirable scenario to continue excavations of the meridian.

This paper presents a detailed study of a sunk-relief scene from the Temple of Khonsu at Karnak. This scene has not yet been presented in a detailed publication although references have been made to it in several publications. This study revealed the ambiguity of two main elements of the scene actioned in Karnak temples in the reign of Herihor; the first is the lost dedicated obelisk of Herihor and the second is evidence of a new cult of king Amenhotep I and its dating according to his figuration in the scene as \"Imn-htp n bnrt\".

In this study we present the fabrication of multilayer microneedles with circular obelisk and beveled-circular obelisk geometries, which have potential applications in implantable drug delivery devices. Micro-milling was adopted as an environmental-friendly and cost-effective way to fabricate primary metal microneedle masters. Polylactic acid (PLA) microneedles with sharp tips were then obtained by micromolding followed by oxygen plasma etching and used for preparing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microneedle molds. A spray deposition process was employed for microneedle fabrication to facilitate the formation of multilayer microneedles while helping in maintenance of drug stability. Multilayer microneedles were successfully formed by sequential spraying of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solutions into the mold. The fabricated PLGA-PVP multilayer microneedles penetrated the pig cadaver skin without breakage and released dyes in the skin at different rates, which reveals the potential for implantable microneedles enabling controlled release. Mechanical testing demonstrated that the obelisk-shaped microneedles were mechanically stronger than a pyramid-shaped microneedle and suggested that strong adhesion between PLGA and PVP layers was achieved as well. Structural stability and functionality of a model drug, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), upon spray deposition was examined using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and enzyme activity assay. HRP retained its secondary structure and activity in PVP, whereas HRP in PLGA showed structural changes and reduced activity. Combination of micro-milling and spray deposition would be an attractive way of fabricating drug-containing polymer microneedles with various geometries while reducing prototyping time and process-induced drug instability.

Epitaxial GaN nanostructures are developed, and the influence of the AlN buffer layer (temperature modulation) on material characteristics and optoelectronic device application is assessed. The AlN buffer layer was grown on a Si (111) substrate at varying temperatures (770–830 °C), followed by GaN growth using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The investigation revealed that the comparatively lower temperature AlN buffer layer was responsible for stress and lattice strain relaxation and was realized as the GaN nano-obelisk structures. Contrarily, the increased temperature of the AlN growth led to the formation of GaN nanopyramidal and nanowax/wane structures. These grown GaN/AlN/Si heterostructures were utilized to develop photodetectors in a metal–semiconductor–metal geometry format. The performance of these fabricated optoelectronic devices was examined under ultraviolet illumination (UVA), where the GaN nano-obelisks-based device attained the highest responsivity of 118 AW−1. Under UVA (325 nm) illumination, the designed device exhibited a high detectivity of 1 × 1010 Jones, noise equivalent power of 1 × 10−12 WHz−1/2, and external quantum efficiency of 45,000%. The analysis revealed that the quality of the AlN buffer layer significantly improved the optoelectronic performance of the device.

Xenolithic structures are considered to be natural defects in the igneous rocks that highly affect their physicochemical and mechanical properties. They are foreign rock fragments trapped in the magma or lava during the cooling process. They are totally unrelated to the igneous rocks, as they compose from different types of rock pieces that enclosed in the monumental granites during their emplacement. This paper aims to study and characterize the xenolith fragment trapped in the studied granitic obelisk. The analytical study was carried out using different techniques such as polarizing microscope, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, EDS elemental analysis and BET surface area. The results clarified that the studied xenolith fragment is classified as biotite schist xenolith. In addition, it was observed that the xenolith fragment not only affects the aesthetic appearance of the studied granitic obelisk but also it represents a serious weakness point in its structure.

This study reveals remarkable diversity in plant-associated subviral RNA populations, identifying 13 novel viroid-like RNAs alongside 16 known viroids. Notable discoveries include new hammerhead ribozyme-containing species-level ex-circRNAs from Cape gooseberry and grapevine, a symmetric twister ribozyme ex-circRNA in peach, and, surprisingly, ambi-like circular RNAs with RNA-dependent RNA polymerases. These findings significantly expand our understanding of the complexity and evolutionary diversity of plant-associated subviral RNAs.

Deposit f (nos. 15121–15567), found in the sanctuary of the Obelisk Temple at Byblos, remained – unexpectedly – rather underrated in Egyptological and Near East studies, lying in a ‘no-man’s-land’ straddling between Egypt and the Levant. Notwithstanding, it includes a high number of key objects over a total of 455 artefacts for understanding Middle Bronze Age I–II (1850–1650 BC) Egyptian material culture in contact. Three main questions remain open: the dating of this deposit; the type of deposit; and the material production of its objects, whether they were manufactured in Egypt and imported or locally produced. The deposit includes also a vast array of faience figurines (294) typically manufactured in the (late) Middle Kingdom Egypt. Through a preliminary analysis, mainly based on the published material, the paper aims at providing a more comprehensive picture of the archaeological context of the deposit, including the nature of the artefacts placed in it. In particular, the corpus of faience figurines seem to have been manufactured in Egypt and imported in the Levant as a result of the frequent relations between the two areas during the Middle Bronze Age.

Europe’s great colonial empires have long been a thing of the past, but the memories they generated are still all around us. They have left deep imprints on the different memory communities that were affected by the processes of establishing, running and dismantling these systems of imperial rule, and they are still vibrant and evocative today. This volume brings together a collection of innovative and fresh studies exploring different sites of imperial memory – those conceptual and real places where the memories of former colonial rulers and of former colonial subjects have crystallised into a lasting form. The volume explores how memory was built up, re-shaped and preserved across different empires, continents and centuries. It shows how it found concrete expression in stone and bronze, how it adhered to the stories that were told and retold about great individuals and how it was suppressed, denied and neglected.

Through an interdisciplinary study of the work of Jesuit Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680), the authors investigate the relationship between the cultural policies of the Roman Curia, the Jesuit order, religious diversity, and the aesthetic–spatial configuration of Rome during the early modern age. This paper shares in-depth observations of the recovery of ancient culture and its reworking in a post-reformist Christian age through architectural and spatial elements adopted to endorse the continuity of the ancient past and the Catholic reformistic universalistic aspirations. In this context, Kircher worked to decipher hieroglyphics on obelisks of the Imperial age but from Egyptian times. These defined a specific topography of space as a visual convergence of points: an urban geography of sacral and historical–political value and a connection with the memories of the Roman Empire and the most ancient religions of the ancient times.