Terrestrial Routes Research Articles

Degradation of pharmaceutical pollutants in different soils by photocatalytic treatment under solar irradiation

Pharmaceutical compounds are chemicals widely applied for the treatment and prevention of human/animal diseases. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are identified as one of their main transfer pathways to aquatic environment since traditional wastewater treatments do not completely remove them. Agricultural irrigation with reclaimed water from WWTP effluents is a growing strategy in areas where water scarcity is a limiting issue. However, the residual presence of these compounds in wastewaters facilitates a new terrestrial route of environmental exposure, increasing the risks of soil pollution and giving rise to dangerous situations for human health and the environment. In this study we have evaluated the effectivity of TiO2 photocatalysis using solar irradiation for the degradation of four contaminants (diclofenac, ibuprofen, ketoprofen and sulfadiazine) in different soil matrices. Influential parameters of photocatalytic process (TiO2 dosage and soil moisture content) were optimized at laboratory scale using UV-LED lamps as light source. Solar remediation trial was performed exposing polluted soils to different treatments (in presence and absence of photocatalyst) during August 2023. After 50 h of solar exposure degradations of these pharmaceuticals reached 97.8–99.5 %, 99.7–100 % and 83.2–97.5 % for soils S1, S2 and S3 respectively. For all compounds, removal followed the order S2 > S1 > S3, in coincidence with the lesser organic matter content of soils. Results suggest that TiO2 photocatalysis under sunlight irradiation could be a useful tool for remediating soils polluted with pharmaceutical residues.

Short Sea Shipping: Evidence from Campania, Southern Italy

Background: The urban transport systems of coastal cities are conditioned by the limitations placed by their coastal position on the expansion of radial networks. However, while the water around them compresses terrestrial routes, it simultaneously creates space for alternative transport systems to support urban and metropolitan mobility. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of establishing new navigation lines to support certain coastal locations in the gulfs of Naples and Salerno in Campania (Italy) which, due to their nature, are particularly suitable for the movement of the huge tourist flows that affect the area under analysis. Methods: This study expands upon specific previous and ongoing experiences, clarifying their strengths and weaknesses, identifying the basic characteristics of hypothesized fast maritime lines, and drawing conclusions about their technical and economic feasibility. Results: Based on the level of detail available to the present study, the hypothesized service does not seem to offer complete economic-financial sustainability. The primary shortcoming lies in the resources needed to adapt technical structures and to support businesses during the initial phase of the project. Conclusions: The feasibility of new transport services depends on the extent to which existing traffic can be subtracted the modes of transport already in operation. In the absence of public subsidies, the speed, frequency, regularity and safety of such transport are crucial.

Estimating crossing success of human agents across sea straits out of Africa in the Late Pleistocene

According to the Out-of-Africa theory, humans originated in Africa and from there expanded into Eurasia. Besides entering Eurasia via a terrestrial route, humans may have used sea straits. These routes would have shaped the subsequent expansions in Eurasia. Sea straits, in particular, are an additional option for entering Eurasia. However, the chances of sea crossings into Eurasia have not yet been quantified. Here, we apply an agent-based model for human water crossing to quantify the crossing success for the Gibraltar Strait, the Sicily Strait, and the Bab-al-Mandab Strait during the Late Pleistocene. The environment of the model consists of geographic explicit reconstructions of the sea straits, including water temperature, current speed and direction, along with terrestrial data of resource distribution and topography. We tested five behavioral scenarios of water movement skills of Late Pleistocene modern humans in a cold phase, represented by the Last Glacial Maximum, and a warm phase, represented by the Last Interglacial. We quantified the impact of water movement skills and climate on the crossing success by the crossing success rate (CSR). Our results show that Africa could be left via the Bab-al-Mandab Strait without specific rafting technology. At low sea level, even passive drifting was sufficient to cross the strait. In contrast, the Gibraltar- and Sicily Strait were barriers to humans without rafting technology.

Signatures of natural to anthropogenic transition in lake sediments from the Central Himalaya using stable isotopes

Stable isotopic compositions of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in lake sediments have the potential to decipher natural and anthropogenic influences in a region, which has undergone significant cultural changes in the recent past. In this study, using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic compositions of organic matter along with C isotopic ratio of black carbon (δ13CBC) in sediments collected from a lake in the Lesser Himalaya, an attempt has been made to decipher the biogeochemical changes in the lake under natural and anthropogenic stresses along with fire history of the region. The sediment core, dated using 210Pb and 137Cs, went back to 1949 AD, where isotopic compositions and elemental ratios (TOC/TN) suggested that the lake biogeochemistry was largely controlled by in-lake primary productivity. A noticeable change in isotopic compositions and elemental ratios was observed in the early 1970s, possibly due to increased input of soil organic matter from the catchment, which coincided with the urbanization and other human interventions in the region. At the same time, a consistent increase in differences between the measured and Suess effect corrected δ13C of organic matter from the early 1970s to 2016 AD indicated towards the increased utilization of fossil fuel-induced atmospheric CO2 by the lake biota. Also, a sudden shift in δ13CBC in the early 1970s showed an increase in fossil fuel-induced black C in the region during that time. Overall, a comparison of the current study with other lakes in the region revealed the effect of land use change and population growth on the lake biogeochemistry, which was clearly recorded in elemental contents and stable isotopic composition of different components of lake sediments. However, the response of each lake depended on the location (i.e., distance from the city) and size of the catchment. The larger lakes in the region appeared to have suffered the anthropogenic stress through both atmospheric and terrestrial routes, whereas the smaller and secluded lake, as in the present study, was largely influenced via atmospheric factors.

Insular networks: An exploration of material distribution, insularity and island identity on the edge of Europe in the Shetland Neolithic

Shortly after arriving in the Shetland archipelago early in the 4th millennium BC, communities began to quarry and make stone tools from riebeckite felsite, quarried from the Northmavine region of North Mainland. The effort expended traveling to the quarry sites, extracting, making and crafting tools was considerable indicating the importance of felsite to Neolithic communities. Results from the North Roe Felsite Project are presented in this paper. The quarrying and distribution of felsite in Shetland can tell us much about insularity, choice, and island identities on a wider scale. The geospatial distribution of 416 felsite tools from across the archipelago was explored. Felsite is used to make tools for utilitarian and ceremonial purposes and, with two exceptions compromising 0.33% of the total dataset, no tools can be securely provenanced outside of Shetland. At a time of increasing communications elsewhere in the Neolithic world, communities in Shetland appear to become focused on the archipelago. This insularity is also evident in contemporary material culture including pottery and funerary structures which do not follow mainland or Orcadian styles, strongly suggesting an island-focused society during this period. Recent radiocarbon dates suggest that these dynamics were established in the Early Neolithic, before 3500 BC. Felsite, therefore, allows us to explore the otherwise elusive early prehistory of the islands. The distribution network of tools from the quarry complex around the archipelago strongly indicates a preference for maritime travel and transportation, even where terrestrial routes are available. The patterns also suggest settlement and activity across Shetland with important foci at previously understudied locations across North and West Mainland. The study has considerable implications for understanding movement, choice, and identity in past island societies and their relationship to material culture.

The scale of biodiversity impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the largest infrastructure development in human history. Given its scale of influence and infrastructure undertakings, it is set to bring far-reaching environmental impacts to regions such as Southeast Asia, one of the biologically richest and most diverse regions in the world. Knowing where and what biodiversity BRI will potentially affect is crucial to plan and address its negative impacts. Using BRI transport infrastructure spatial data, we conducted a GIS analysis of the potential BRI impacts in Southeast Asia on terrestrial and marine biodiversity indicators, including protected areas (PAs), Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), terrestrial ecoregions, forest cover, threatened species, and fragile ecosystems such as seagrasses, mangroves, and coral reefs. We assessed the potential impacts across four key distance thresholds (1, 5, 25, and 50 km “impact zones”) on either side of the routes. For the terrestrial routes we assessed impacts for five different types of linear rail and road infrastructure development. Within 1 km of all routes 32 PAs, 40 KBAs and 29 ecoregions are intersected. While, 142 threatened species including 26 critically endangered species are within 5 km from new rail, which are also commonly found in frontier landscapes. In marine ecosystems 20 marine PAs and 16 KBAs are intersected by BRI marine routes. We conclude by discussing ways BRI could minimise its environmental impacts and utilise its political weight to advance conservation efforts in host nations.

The maternal origin of indigenous domestic chicken from the Middle East, the north and the horn of Africa

BackgroundIndigenous domestic chicken represents a major source of protein for agricultural communities around the world. In the Middle East and Africa, they are adapted to hot dry and semi-dry areas, in contrast to their wild ancestor, the Red junglefowl, which lives in humid and sub-humid tropical areas. Indigenous populations are declining following increased demand for poultry meat and eggs, favouring the more productive exotic commercial breeds. In this paper, using the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA as a maternally inherited genetic marker, we address the question of the origin and dispersal routes of domestic chicken of the Middle East (Iraq and Saudi Arabia), the northern part of the African continent (Algeria and Libya) and the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia).ResultsThe analysis of the mtDNA D-loop of 706 chicken samples from Iraq (n = 107), Saudi Arabia (n = 185), Algeria (n = 88), Libya (n = 23), Ethiopia (n = 211) and Pakistan (n = 92) show the presence of five haplogroups (A, B, C, D and E), suggesting more than one maternal origin for the studied populations. Haplogroup E, which occurred in 625 samples, was the most frequent in all countries. This haplogroup most likely originates from the Indian subcontinent and probably migrated following a terrestrial route to these different countries. Haplotypes belonging to haplogroup D were present in all countries except Algeria and Libya, it is likely a legacy of the Indian Ocean maritime trading network. Haplogroup A was present in all countries and may be of commercial origin. Haplogroup B was found only in Ethiopia. Haplogroup C was only detected in the South-Western region of Saudi Arabia and in Ethiopia.ConclusionThe results support a major influence of the Indian subcontinent on the maternal diversity of the today’s chicken populations examined here. Most of the diversity occurs within rather than between populations. This lack of phylogeographic signal agrees with both ancient and more recent trading networks having shaped the modern-day diversity of indigenous chicken across populations and countries.

The Relationship between Air-Mass Trajectories and the Abundance of Dust-Borne Prokaryotes at the SE Mediterranean Sea

Airborne prokaryotes are transported along with dust/aerosols, yet very little attention is given to their temporal variability above the oceans and the factors that govern their abundance. We analyzed the abundance of autotrophic (cyanobacteria) and heterotopic airborne microbes in 34 sampling events between 2015–2018 at a coastal site in the SE Mediterranean Sea. We show that airborne autotrophic (0.2–7.6 cells × 103 m−3) and heterotrophic (0.2–30.6 cells × 103 m−3) abundances were affected by the origin and air mass trajectory, and the concentration of dust/aerosols in the air, while seasonality was not coherent. The averaged ratio between heterotrophic and autotrophic prokaryotes in marine-dominated trajectories was ~1.7 ± 0.6, significantly lower than for terrestrial routes (6.8 ± 6.1). Airborne prokaryotic abundances were linearly and positively correlated to the concentrations of total aerosol, while negatively correlated with the aerosol’s anthropogenic fraction (using Pb/Al or Cu/Al ratios as proxies). While aerosols may play a major role in dispersing terrestrial and marine airborne microbes in the SE Mediterranean Sea, the mechanisms involved in the dispersal and diversity of airborne microorganisms remain to be studied and should include standardization in collection and analysis protocols.

Modelling terrestrial route networks to understand inter-polity interactions (southern Etruria, 950-500 BC)

Ancient regional routes were vital for interactions between settlements and deeply influenced the development of past societies and their “complexification”. At the same time, since any transportation infrastructure needs some level of inter-settlement cooperation to be established, they can also be regarded as an epiphenomenon of social interactions at the regional scale. Here, we propose to analyze ancient pathway networks to understand the organization of cities and villages located in a certain territory, attempting to clarify whether such organization existed and if so, how it functioned. To address such a question, we chose a quantitative approach. Adopting network science as a general framework, by means of formal models, we try to identify how the collective effort that produced the terrestrial infrastructure was directed and organized. We selected a paradigmatic case study: Iron Age southern Etruria, a very well-studied context, with detailed archaeological information about settlement patterns and an established tradition of studies on terrestrial transportation routes, perfectly suitable for testing new techniques. The results of the modelling suggest that a balanced coordinated decision-making process was shaping the route network in Etruria, a scenario which correlates well with the picture elaborated by different scholars using a more traditional technique.

Proceso de globalización en germen: modo de producción americano: rutas de comercio del oro el maíz, la turquesa y otros artefactos culturales

El artículo indaga una de las vías de reflexión que se han seguido para comprender la migración que ya existía desde el sur de América hasta norte y que explica la difusión del maíz, de la turquesa, oro, plata, y productos cuyo valor estribaba en su uso ritual (Concha Spondylus), para poner unos cuantos ejemplos. Esta preocupación ha rondado por mi cabeza por muchos años. Para mi ha sido una ventana apasionante a través de la cual he visto la migración desde una perspectiva histórica. Enfaticé las rutas marítimas dado que las terrestres han sido mucho más trabajadas.

Neolithic to modern period palaeogeographic transformations in southern Danube delta and their impact on human settlements in the Enisala-Babadag region

Archaeological data provide evidence of human inhabitation in the Danube Delta since the Early Neolithic with once flourishing human settlements such is the case of Enisala and Babadag settlements. Their remains dating back from Eneolithic (Enisala) or Iron Age (Babadag) or from their revivals in Antiquity and Medieval Age have been found on higher grounds (i.e. hillslope terrace) in the immediate vicinity of Babadag and Razelm lakes and of the reedmarsh developed in-between the lakes. The settlements benefited from their strategical position defined by the intersection of the terrestrial routes linking the northern and southern Dobrudja with the navigation ways to the Black Sea via a shallow but open lagoon prior to Antiquity and later, post 7th c. BC, via Dunavăț branch of the Danube that extended the southern delta by successive open-coast deltaic lobes formation (2600-1300 yrs BP).This study documents the landscape transformation of the region since Early Neolithic to the present, based on sedimentological, chronostratigraphic, mineralogical, geochemical, magnetometric, macro- and microfauna analyses which altogether led to the identification of main stages: i) high floodplain (before 8000 BP), ii) wetlands (8000-7500 yrs BP), iii) shallow marine bay (7500–6000/5500 yrs BP), iv) lagoon (5500-460 yrs BP) and v) reedmarsh (460 yrs BP – present). Each type of landscape that succeeded in the Enisala-Babadag region is described in relation with shoreline position, (ground)water depth and Danube Delta development. Additionally, the tectonic subsidence of the studied wetlands (0.5–0.8 mm/yr) was assessed and its effects on the landscape changes and long-term morphodynamics are discussed.

Spatial and simultaneous seroepidemiology of anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies in dog owners and their dogs from randomly selected households in a major city of southern Brazil

Although leishmaniasis has been described as a classic example of a zoonosis requiring a comprehensive approach for control, to date, no study has been conducted on the spatial distribution of simultaneous Leishmania spp. seroprevalence in dog owners and dogs from randomly selected households in urban settings. Accordingly, the present study aimed to simultaneously identify the seroprevalence, spatial distribution and associated factors of infection with Leishmania spp. in dog owners and their dogs in the city of Londrina, a county seat in southern Brazil with a population of half a million people and ranked 18th in population and 145th in the human development index (HDI) out of 5570 Brazilian cities. Overall, 564 households were surveyed and included 597 homeowners and their 729 dogs. Anti-Leishmania spp. antibodies were detected by ELISA in 9/597 (1.50%) dog owners and in 32/729 (4.38%) dogs, with significantly higher prevalence (p = 0.0042) in dogs. Spatial analysis revealed associations between seropositive dogs and households located up to 500 m from the local railway. No clusters were found for either owner or dog case distributions. In summary, the seroepidemiological and spatial results collectively show a lack of association of the factors for infection, and the results demonstrated higher exposure for dogs than their owners. However, railway areas may provide favorable conditions for the maintenance of infected phlebotomines, thereby causing infection in nearby domiciled dogs. In such an urban scenario, local sanitary barriers should be focused on the terrestrial routes of people and surrounding areas, particularly railways, via continuous vector surveillance and identification of phlebotomines infected by Leishmania spp.

Coordinated Decisions and Unbalanced Power. How Latin Cities Shaped Their Terrestrial Transportation Network

The period between the beginning of the Early Iron Age and the end of the Archaic Period is a time of changes and developments in the Italian Peninsula, which led to the creation of regional ethnic and political groups and to the formation of the first city-states in Western Europe. In the present study, we focus on the evolution of terrestrial route network in the Tyrrhenian region of Latium vetus as it has been hypothesised by scholars from the archaeological evidence. Our main goal is to investigate the mechanisms linking decision making processes and the structure of transportation networks. We first attempted to replicate some of its features applying three models previously elaborated for the neighboring region of Southern Etruria. Since it was not possible to attain entirely satisfactory results, we modified the model that performed better in the Etruscan region by including a tunable amount of rich-get-richer bias which improved considerably its performance. Our results suggest that coordinated decision making with a slightly unbalanced power was responsible for the peculiar characteristics of the route network topology of Latium vetus. Moreover, the mechanism implemented by this model implies that places located at favourable positions can build on their initial advantage and get more and more powerful. This fits very well with the picture elaborated by different scholars on the nature of power balance and dynamics in this region.

Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene fishing strategies at Quebrada Jaguay and the Ring Site, southern Perú

Much of the discussion regarding the peopling of the Americas during the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene is focussed on advocating either a terrestrial route through an ice-free corridor or a coastal route along the Pacific rim. Central to this question is the potential of marine resources to sustain human endeavours. A growing body of archaeological data from the eastern Pacific rim shows that people did use marine resources as they moved south through the hemisphere and that they took advantage of the opportunities and challenges of coastal life in a wide range of different habitats. This is particularly evident in the vertebrate remains recovered from two shell deposits on the southern coast of Perú: Quebrada Jaguay and the Ring Site. Jaguay is one of the earliest known Terminal Pleistocene coastal sites in the hemisphere and the Ring Site was occupied during the Early Holocene. The sites are located within ca. 120km of one another. Together, they document both the antiquity and the persistence of maritime strategies in southern Perú. At Jaguay the focus was on two fishes from a relatively high trophic level. The catch at the Ring Site was richer, more diverse, and drawn from a broader range of trophic levels. These data join a growing body of evidence demonstrating that discussions about the peopling of the Americas that presume marine resources were inferior to terrestrial ones, that propose simple models assuming a uniform, homogeneous “coastal” strategy prevailed, or that evaluate data in terms of stark dichotomies such as hunting versus fishing, simple versus complex, inland versus coastal, and mobility versus sedentism, fail to capture the richness of human solutions to life on this, or any, coast.

Identifying the Ethiopian origin of the obsidian found in Upper Egypt (Naqada period) and the most likely exchange routes*

The absence of obsidian sources in Egypt implies that obsidian excavated in fourth-millennium bc Upper Egyptian sites arrived in Egypt over long distances. This article develops an obsidian provenance study, based on chemical composition that permits to determine that obsidian found in Egypt came from neither Anatolia nor the Arabian Peninsula. Egyptian obsidian has a compositions similar to that from the Porc Epic cave in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Considering the evolution of East African Paleolithic and Neolithic source-site distances, the most likely sources were less than 250 km away from the Porc Epic cave. The results of the study permit to suggest that terrestrial and/or Nilotic exchange routes were more likely than maritime routes involving the Red Sea and the coasts of Eritrea and the Arabian Peninsula. The ‘down-the-line’ exchange model would incorporate the Gash Delta and the Nubian A-Group.

COSTUMBRES LÚDICAS EN ESPAÑA: EL JUEGO DE BOLOS EN LA ETAPA FINAL DEL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

O estudo procurou identificar e analisar as práticas lúdicas dos habitantes do noroeste da Espanha e a relação que se estabelece com as diferentes vias deslumbrantes do Caminho de Santiago que penetram a Galiza. Os dados foram obtidos através de uma metodologia qualitativa, utilizando a entrevista semiestruturada e a revisão da literatura. Constatou-se um grande paralelo entre rotas de entrada do Caminho de Santiago na Galiza e os municípios onde atualmente jogando bowling, verificando as influências de peregrinos a Caminho de Santiago para fins espirituais, movendo seus costumes e tradições ainda existentes.

Changes in the Danube delta according to remote sensing data by Landsat satellite

General tendencies of changes in the Danube delta landscapes as a result of economic activity were revealed due to comparative analyses of remote sensing data carried out by Landsat satellites. A spatial and temporal differentiation of abrasion, accumulation, waterlogging or flooding processes was investigated on 7 key areas of the delta according to satellite images of Landsat-5 for the years 1986–2011. For the images interpretation the results of the terrestrial route into the Ukrainian part of the delta were used.

Air-vegetation-soil partitioning of toxic chemicals in environmental simulation modeling

Accumulation of airborne pollutants in vegetation is an important initial step in the uptake process of the terrestrial food web, providing direct and indirect routes by which biota and, eventually, humans are exposed to chemicals. A set of algorithms for estimating atmospheric pollutant interactions in soilvegetation- air systems is developed and tested. The model incorporates significant transport pathways with appropriate parameterization and requires a relatively limited number of meteorological input data and pollutant characteristics and vegetation parameters. Testing applications include model comparison to field data in the cases of cadmium in grass and six polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in maple leaves. Results indicate that the model provides a reasonable compromise between model complexity and the ability to obtain realistic data characterizing model parameters. It is well suited for screening-level assessments; and it can also be used as a component of a management-oriented and multimedia-based environmental assessment of atmospheric pollutants. On-going work is incorporating the model algorithms into a multimedia simulation framework to provide better capabilities.

Assessment of the state of urban ecosystems on the basis of remote sensing data

The results of the soil-ecological monitoring of the Novovladykino (Moscow) key site are presented. The monitoring included the interpretation of aerospace information collected in 2000 and 2010, terrestrial route observations, and mapping of the key site. The data obtained confirm the possibility to use the remote sensing information in the investigation of urban ecosystems and to recognize the arboreal vegetation, shrubs, and lawn grass in images. The approximate identification of the tree species; the assessment of the state of the green belts and the natural, anthropogenic, and technogenic soils and their complexes; the identification of the overcompacted, mechanically destroyed, and sealed soils under the waterproof and permeable surface horizons are also possible. The determination of the species composition of the trees in small groups, the poor state of the individual trees and small groves, and the causes of the changes in the state of the green belts and polluted areas turned out to be impossible. Additional field and laboratory investigations were performed in order to verify and refine information obtained from the satellite images.

Human dispersal across diverse environments of Asia during the Upper Pleistocene

The initial out of Africa dispersal of Homo sapiens, which saw anatomically modern humans reach the Levant in Marine Isotope Stage 5, is generally regarded as a ‘failed dispersal’. Fossil, archaeological and genetic findings are seen to converge around a consensus view that a single population of H. sapiens exited Africa sometime around 60 thousand years ago (ka), and rapidly reached Australia by following a coastal dispersal corridor. We challenge the notion that current evidence supports this straightforward model. We argue that the fossil and archaeological records are too incomplete, the coastal route too problematic, and recent genomic evidence too incompatible for researchers not to remain fully open to other hypotheses. We specifically explore the possibility of a sustained exit by anatomically modern humans, drawing in particular upon palaeoenvironmental data across southern Asia to demonstrate its feasibility. Current archaeological, genetic and fossil data are not incompatible with the model presented, and appear to increasingly favour a more complex out of Africa scenario involving multiple exits, varying terrestrial routes, a sub-divided African source population, slower progress to Australia, and a degree of interbreeding with archaic varieties of Homo.