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We present the serendipitous discovery of (1) a large double radio relic associated with the galaxy cluster PSZ2 G277.93 + 12.34 and (2) a new odd radio circle, ORC J1027–4422, both found in the same deep MeerKAT 1.3 GHz wide-band radio continuum image. The angular separation of the two arc-shaped cluster relics is ∼16 arcmin or ∼2.6 Mpc for a cluster redshift of z ≈ 0.158. The thin southern relic, which shows several ridges/shocks including one possibly moving inwards, has a linear extent of ∼1.64 Mpc. In contrast, the northern relic is about twice as wide, twice as bright, but only has a largest linear size of ∼0.66 Mpc. Complementary SRG/eROSITA X-ray images reveal extended emission from hot intracluster gas between the two relics and around the narrow-angle tail (NAT) radio galaxy PMN J1033–4335 (z ≈ 0.153) located just east of the northern relic. The radio morphologies of the NAT galaxy and the northern relic, which are also detected with the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) at 888 MHz, suggest both are moving in the same outward direction. The discovery of ORC J1027–4422 in a different part of the same MeerKAT image makes it the fourth known single ORC. It has a diameter of ∼90 arcsec corresponding to 400 kpc at a tentative redshift of z ≈ 0.3 and remains undetected in X-ray emission. Supported by simulations, we discuss similarities between outward moving galaxy and cluster merger shocks as the formation mechanisms for ORCs and radio relics, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines two shoe soles cut from a Torah scroll which British historian and collector of Judaica Cecil Roth collected in Greece in 1946. As Holocaust relics, the Torah scroll shoe soles are, in turn, sacred and sacrilegious, texts and objects, Greek Jewish and non-Jewish Greek artifacts. Roth's recovery of the shoe soles is compromised by occurring under the auspices of the British Army during the Greek Civil War and in the controversial climate of collecting Judaica displaced by the Holocaust. I discuss the ongoing story of the shoe soles: their separation, their use, and their best location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The INSPIRE project has built the largest sample of ultra-compact massive galaxies (UCMGs) at 0.1 < z < 0.4 and obtained their star formation histories (SFHs). Due to their preserved very old stellar populations, relics are the perfect systems to constrain the earliest epochs of mass assembly in the Universe and the formation of massive early-type galaxies. The goal of this work is to investigate whether a correlation exists between the degree of relicness (DoR), quantifying the fraction of stellar mass formed at z > 2, and the other stellar population parameters. We use the Full-Index-Fitting method to fit the INSPIRE spectra to single stellar population (SSP) models. This allows us to measure, for the first time, the slope of the IMF, as well as stellar metallicity [M/H], [Mg/Fe], [Ti/Fe], and [Na/Fe] ratios, and study correlations between them and the DoR. Similarly to normal-sized galaxies, UCMGs with larger stellar masses have overall higher metallicities. We found a correlation between the IMF slope and the DoR, that, however, breaks down for systems with a more extended SFH. An even stronger dependency is found between the IMF and the fraction of mass formed at high- z. At equal velocity dispersion and metallicity, galaxies with a higher DoR have a larger dwarf-to-giant ratio, i.e. a bottom heavy IMF, than that of low-DoR counterparts. This might indicate that the cosmic epoch and therefore different formation scenarios influence the fragmentation of the star formation cloud and hence might be the explanation for IMF variations detected in massive ETGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gypsification is a common problem in weathered calcareous relics. In previous studies, the solutions of barium hydroxide in water and methanol were used as protectants for gypsification calcareous relics and showed significant differences in permeability. In this study, the underlying reasons for permeability differences between these two solutions were investigated using optical microscopy, ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry, X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the phenolphthalein test and physical property characterizations. The results indicated that the permeability differences were primarily caused by the solutions' reactivity. Specifically, owing to the high reactivity of barium hydroxide in water, it reacted rapidly with atmospheric CO2 and gypsum (the weathering product) to generate barium carbonate, barium sulfate and calcium hydroxide precipitates. These precipitates hindered the penetration of solution into weathered relics. In contrast, barium hydroxide in methanol did not react with atmospheric CO2 or weathered relics, which also kept the solution in a liquid state during the infiltration process. Therefore, the solution of barium hydroxide in methanol exhibited high permeability. Based on the above findings, this study is meaningful for applying barium protectants in the conservation of gypsification calcareous relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient glass products have suffered from the baptism of time and experienced changes in the burial environment and weathering, resulting in a change in the proportions of their chemical composition and interfering with their accurate identification by later generations. In this paper, the chemical composition of ancient glass products is predicted and identified. First, the multivariate statistical ANOVA test is applied to explore the relationship between whether the cultural relics samples are weathered or not and the glass type, decoration, and color to derive a law of chemical composition of the cultural relics and to analyze the correlation and difference among the four factors. Second, compared with the relevant data of the existing glass products, the missing values are processed by using the method of filling in the plurality. The weathering condition of the sampling points of the samples whose surfaces are not weathered is judged by the "distance discrimination method." Combined with the characteristics of the lead-barium glass and the high-potassium glass, the law of the chemical composition content on the surface of the samples, weathered or not, is explored. The modeling of the gray prediction method was applied again to predict the chemical composition content before weathering. Finally, the generalized Shapley function of fuzzy measurement was used to analyze the correlation between indicators and the chemical compositions and their differences. The scheme proposed in this paper can solve the difficult problem of category judgment in archeology, which is of great significance in promoting the smooth progress of archaeological work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt efflorescence is one of the critical problems for the preservation of immovable silicate relics. Salt efflorescence mainly comes from continuous cycles of crystallization/dissolution or hydration/dehydration of salts in confined pores in silicate relics. Many protocols have been developed in attempts to alleviate possible salt damages with minor success because of endless water and salt feed from underground. In this study, we propose and design a novel technique for salt damage prevention and protection of immovable relics. Materials with higher water-absorbing ability than matrix are applied to control the water and salt migration direction in simulated sand samples. The distribution of moisture content on the surface of sand is followed by hyperspectral imaging. It appears that water and salt molecules will preferentially transport towards positions containing higher water-absorbing material. Both organic and inorganic high water-absorbing materials show effective in controlling the water and salt migration direction, which provides a new approach for the prevention and protection of salt efflorescence in silicate cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Paper-based artifacts hold significant cultural and social values. However, paper is intrinsically fragile to microorganisms, such as mold, due to its cellulose composition, which can serve as a microorganisms' nutrient source. Mold not only can damage papers' structural integrity and pose significant challenges to conservation works but also may subject individuals attending the contaminated artifacts to health risks. Current approaches for strain identification usually require extensive training, prolonged time for analysis, expensive operation costs, and higher risks of secondary damage due to sampling. Thus, in current conservation practices with mold-contaminated artifacts, little pre-screening or strain identification was performed before mold removal, and the cleaning techniques are usually broad-spectrum rather than strain-specific. With deep learning showing promising applications across various domains, this study investigated the feasibility of using a convolutional neural network (CNN) for fast in-situ recognition and classification of mold on paper. Methods: Molds were first non-invasively sampled from ancient Xuan Paper-based Chinese books from the Qing and Ming dynasties. Strains were identified using molecular biology methods and the four most prevalent strains were inoculated on Xuan paper to create mockups for image collection. Microscopic images of the molds as well as their stains situated on paper were collected using a compound microscope and commercial microscope lens for cell phone cameras, which were then used for training CNN models with a transfer learning scheme to perform the classification of mold. To enable involvement and contribution from the research community, a web interface that actuates the process while providing interactive features for users to learn about the information of the classified strain was constructed. Moreover, a feedback functionality in the web interface was embedded for catching potential classification errors, adding additional training images, or introducing new strains, all to refine the generalizability and robustness of the model. Results & Conclusion: In the study, we have constructed a suite of high-confidence classification CNN models for the diagnostic process for mold contamination in conservation. At the same time, a web interface was constructed that allows recurrently refining the model with human feedback through engaging the research community. Overall, the proposed framework opens new avenues for effective and timely identification of mold, thus enabling proactive and targeted mold remediation strategies in conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes an English miracle narrative in which a portion of the Holy Cross is implanted within a knight's body in the Holy Land and is translated to Cornwall. The text raises important questions about what implantation means for the relic and human matters so conjoined and their respective agencies. Drawing on ideas about prostheticized bodies developed in disability studies can help scholars better understand the ontological questions raised by the melding of human and nonhuman matters, the profound vulnerability this entails for the devout human subject, and the ways in which this fusion of relic and human matter is socially transformative for the broader community. The article thus outlines some of the complex negotiations of matter and agency that could be imagined as part of the affective world of late medieval and early modern Passion relic veneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1519, soil from the Campo Santo Teutonico next to St. Peter's in Rome — a burial place thought to contain earth from Jerusalem — was spread over the extramural cemetery in the Saxon town of Annaberg. This article asks how the reception of the soil from Rome was shaped by the local community and its landscape at a time of religious change. It demonstrates the potential for both positive and negative views on the part of Annaberg's citizens, arguing that these were informed not only by traditional religiosity and reform ideas, but also by the distinctive visual and material culture of a silver mining community. In this way, the article offers new perspectives on the transalpine connections of the Campo Santo Teutonico, the role of the substance of the landscape in creating and criticizing links with the Roman Church at the start of the Reformation, and the relationship between materialities of religion and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to : -Introducing the supplications and their virtues . -Knowing the innovated supplications and their ruling . -Clarifying the religious implications of the supplications . -Explaining the negative effects of neglecting to recite supplications . Research method: inductive, deductive and deductive . Dhikr is one of the greatest and easiest acts of worship for a Muslim, yet people often neglect it. Remembrance has many virtues, benefits, and good effects, and this research dealt with the religious effects of remembrance (in its general meaning) and also dealt with the negative effects of neglecting them. Among the most prominent results reached by the researcher : -Allah has legislated remembrance for His servants for many interests, and because of its effects on the individual and the group . -The remembrance of Allah Almighty strengthens faith in Allah Almighty, his glorification, and his monotheism, and makes the Muslim steadfast in his religion, and through remembrance one attains association with Allah Almighty . -The remembrance of Allah Almighty strengthens the believer’s faith in the angels. Whoever looks at their deeds, this will prompt him to be keen on attending dhikr gatherings and to recite the prescribed dhikr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New insight on the journey of "Byzantine gems" from the East to the West of the Empire. • The gems of the relic of St. John the Baptist and its reliquary are analyzed for the first time. • The presence of a rare and exquisite example of Balas ruby was identified in the relic. • The investigation improves knowledge on ancient gems traveling across Europe. Gems, especially from remote areas, were highly demanded and valued in Byzantine times, often used for sacred Imperial purposes. Because of their imperishable nature, they were often re-used over time and many of them passed, one way or another, from East to Western Europe. The history of the gems set in Byzantine relics that survived in medieval Europe is often impossible to reconstruct. The exceptional opening of the relics of St. John the Baptist in Siena, 200 years after the last inspection, has made it possible to study the magnificent gems that adorn it. Spinels, rubies, sapphires and other gems from oriental geographies, along with high quality glasses used together regardless of their monetary value, were identified in the relic and its reliquary case through gemological analysis and portable Raman spectroscopy, once again demonstrating the vital contribution of the trans-disciplinary approach in the study of ancient art goldworkings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hariulf’s History of St Riquier is usually consulted for detail on liturgical, architectural and political history, but is rarely considered in its entirety. It was written in the changing and competitive world of the late eleventh century, when there were challenges for established communities, both in terms of innovative approaches to monasticism and the emergence of new political entities and potential patrons. In the past that Hariulf creates St Riquier had been the focal point of Ponthieu for generations and had stood the test of time as the conduit of royal patronage and liberality, symbolised by its great Carolingian church built by Abbot Angilbert. It remained, in Hariulf’s view, a centre of monastic excellence, whose abbots responded to and practised contemporary spirituality, and it had adopted strategies to strengthen its position, including care for its patrimony, securing new relics and memorialising its past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) is the most commonly used silicon-based reinforcement agent for conserving art relics due to its cost-effectiveness and commercial maturity. However, the resulting silica gel phase is prone to developing cracks as the gel shrinks during the sol–gel process, potentially causing severe damage to the objects being treated. In this study, dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS) was introduced into TEOS to minimize this shrinkage by adding elastic long chains to weaken the capillary forces. The gel formed from the DTMS/TEOS hybrid material was transparent and crack-free, featuring a dense microstructure without mesopores or micropores. It exhibited excellent thermal stability, with a glass transition temperature of up to 109.64 °C. Evaluation experiments were conducted on artificially aged, handmade bamboo paper. The TEOS-based hybrid material effectively combined with the paper fibers through the sol–gel process, polymerizing into a network structure that enveloped the paper surface or penetrated between the fibers. The surface of the treated paper displayed excellent hydrophobic properties, with no significant changes in appearance, color, or air permeability. The mechanical properties of the treated bamboo paper improved significantly, with longitudinal and transverse tensile strengths increasing by up to 36.63% and 44.25%, respectively. These research findings demonstrate the promising potential for the application of DTMS/TEOS hybrid materials in reinforcing paper relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in sea levels, driven by global climate change, poses a significant threat to cultural heritage in coastal regions. Traditional risk assessment methods, focusing on direct inundation, often fail to consider the crucial impact of socio-economic factors, which are significantly vulnerable to sea level rise. To bridge this gap, this study introduces an innovative Sea Level Rise Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Model (SLR-CHIA Model), a novel approach that integrates both land inundation and socio-economic aspects. This comprehensive model evaluates potential risks to various types of cultural heritage in coastal China, including intangible cultural heritage, relics, and traditional villages. The study's findings are striking: (1) About 7.79% of coastal villages, 53.94% of relics, and 2.53% of intangible cultural heritage are potentially at high risk in a 100-year sea level rise event; (2) Relics in the Eastern coast and villages in the Southern coast are most vulnerable; (3) Different types of cultural heritage rely on diverse principal factors for protection, resulting in varied risk levels under sea level rise conditions. The SLR-CHIA Model provides a vital methodological framework for evaluating cultural heritage risks in other global regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the acquisition process of 3D cultural relics, it is common to encounter noise. To facilitate the generation of high-quality 3D models, we propose an approach based on graph signal processing that combines color and geometric features to denoise the point cloud. We divide the 3D point cloud into patches based on self-similarity theory and create an appropriate underlying graph with a Markov property. The features of the vertices in the graph are represented using 3D coordinates, normal vectors, and color. We formulate the point cloud denoising problem as a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation problem and use a graph Laplacian regularization (GLR) prior to identifying the most probable noise-free point cloud. In the denoising process, we moderately simplify the 3D point to reduce the running time of the denoising algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach outperforms five competing methods in both subjective and objective assessments. It requires fewer iterations and exhibits strong robustness, effectively removing noise from the surface of cultural relic point clouds while preserving fine-scale 3D features such as texture and ornamentation. This results in more realistic 3D representations of cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant variations in climate exist between the northern and southern regions of China, resulting in varying degrees of decay observed in wooden relics unearthed from different areas. The preservation of wooden cultural artifacts in humid environments is influenced by numerous factors including regional environmental conditions (such as temperature, humidity, and biological mold), and site structural characteristics, among others, making the conservation efforts more specialized and intricate. This study utilizes the example of the unearthed wet outer coffin wooden cultural relics from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng to demonstrate a method involving the use of polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) composite material for the reinforcement and protection of such artifacts. Through a comprehensive analysis of various analytical techniques including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), density increase rate, wood compression strength along the grain, hydrophobic property, and other micro and macro properties, it was determined that: The combination of PVAc and shellac as a reinforcement agent has been shown to enhance the mechanical properties of wooden cultural relics while also maintaining minimal color variation, increased biocompatibility, and durability. This method is particularly well-suited for fortifying and preserving damp wooden cultural relics that exhibit varying degrees of decay. The findings offer significant insights and potential avenues for further research on the preservation methods for large wooden cultural artifacts discovered in the middle and lower regions of the Yangtze River dating back to the Warring States Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compact massive relic galaxies are a class of galaxies that exhibit characteristics suggesting they have remained largely unchanged since their initial formation, making them 'relics' of the early Universe. These galaxies represent a distinct class characterized by strongly peaked high-velocity dispersion profiles with large rotational velocities. This study investigates the formation of such galaxies within the framework of Milgromian dynamics (MOND), offering a unique perspective on their origin without invoking the presence of cold or warm dark matter. Our analysis focuses on the collapse dynamics of isolated non-rotating post-big bang gas clouds, revealing kinematic and density profiles comparable to observed compact massive relic galaxies like NGC 1277, Mrk 1216, and PGC 032873. The findings underscore the natural emergence of compact massive relic galaxies within a MOND-based Universe, providing valuable insights into the interplay between gravitational dynamics and galaxy formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Laser and photochemistry were first used in restoring and transformation of PbS on painted cultural relics. • Targeted fast realization of restoring and transformation of PbS, and without damage to the base color. • Laser catalysis restoration has wide applicability to papers, the silks and other organic materials. Lead white darkening is a common disease in all kinds of painted cultural relics. In this study, a combination of laser and photodynamic technology was used to achieve controlled restoration of lead sulfide at the lead darkening site on the painted layer of cultural relics by laser catalysis with porphyrin to produce singlet oxygen. The chromatic change, micromorphology and chemical composition were systematically studied for a simulated sample with the lead darkening part of the painted layer. The results show that laser catalytic treatment can repair the color darkening that occurs by the PbS formation, while no obvious changes to the pore and microparticle structure of the painted layer and the base. In this study, the pollutant of lead sulfide was proved to be converted into lead sulfate by oxidation, and then was converted to lead white by precipitation, which was the original composition of the pigment. It is also found that the laser catalytic treatment method can effectively avoid basic layer damages of cultural relics, especially for the papers, the silks and other organic materials. This technology not only provides a new approach for the restoration and transformation of PbS on painted cultural relics, but also makes available new applications for the laser and photodynamic technology in the field of cultural relics protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a pedagogical approach to introducing undergraduate students to hagiology by comparing medieval sanctity to modern celebrity. The bodies of saints and celebrities are important loci for the transmission of sanctity or celebrity from a person to the public and for the continuity of identity. Examples include St. Faith, St. Cuthbert, Kim Kardashian, and Marilyn Monroe. Using a comparative method allows students who are non-religious to better apprehend the unfamiliar practices and beliefs around the cult of saints and relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop an environment‐friendly detergent for textile relics adsorbing soil/rust stains, the relationship between surfactant types and concentrations, the nature of additives and the type of textile (e.g., cotton, linen, silk or wool) were systematically investigated. Results showed that the detergent formulations of sodium montmorillonite (5 g/L) as additives were overall the best options for soil stains removal on textile relics. Specifically, the most suitable surfactant for cotton, linen, silk and wool textiles relics adsorbing soil stains was rhamnolipid (8 g/L), tea saponin (6 g/L), tea saponin (8 g/L), alkyl glycosides (10 g/L), respectively. The detergent formulations of ascorbic acid (5 g/L) as additives were more beneficial for rust stains peeling‐off from the surface of the textile relics regardless of the type of surfactant and textile relics. But the optimal surfactants for different textiles relics were different. In detail, the most suitable surfactants for cotton, linen, silk and wool textiles relics adsorbing rust stains were separately rhamnolipid (10 g/L), Tea saponin (8 g/L), Tea saponin (6 g/L), Alkyl glycosides (6 g/L). This indicated that the washing effect of detergent formulation was related to the types of stains and textile relics' fiber. These findings not only demonstrated the necessity for developing detergent formulations for different textile relics, but also illustrated the complexity and diversity of the textile relics' stain‐washing work. Moreover, this work also assists understanding of the washing mechanism of textile relics and help the department of textile relics protection to properly wash textile relics and extend the life of textile relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relic galaxies are massive, compact, and quiescent objects observed in the local Universe that have not experienced any significant interaction episodes or merger events since about z  = 2, remaining relatively unaltered since their formation. On the other hand, massive and compact early-type galaxies (cETGs) in the local Universe appear to show similar properties to Relic galaxies, despite having substantial accretion history. Relic galaxies, with frozen history, can provide important clues about the intrinsic processes related to the evolutionary pathways of ETGs and the role that mergers play in their evolution. Using the high-resolution cosmological simulation TNG50-1 from IllustrisTNG project, we investigate the assembly history of a sample of massive, compact, old, and quiescent subhaloes split by satellite accretion fraction. We compare the evolutionary pathways at three cosmic epochs: z  = 2, z  = 1.5, and z  = 0, using the orbital decomposition numerical method to investigate the stellar dynamics of each galactic kinematical component and their environmental correlations. Our results point to a steady pathway across time that is not strongly dependent on the mergers or the environment. Relics and cETGs do not show a clear preference for high- or low-density environments within the volume explored at z  = 0, as they are found in both scenarios. However, the progenitors of Relic galaxies have consistently resided in high-density environments since z  = 2, while cETGs were shifted to such environments at a later stage. The merger history can be recovered from the stellar kinematics imprints in the local Universe. Relics and cETGs show consistently dynamical similarities at z  = 2 and differences at z  = 0 to disc, bulge, and hot inner stellar halo. In the current scenario, the mergers that drive the growth of cETGs do not give rise to a new and distinct evolutionary pathway when compared to Relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a radio relic in the north-eastern periphery of the galaxy cluster Abell 2108 (A2108). A2108 is part of the uGMRT LOw-MAss Galaxy Cluster Survey (GLOMACS), where our main aim is to search for diffuse radio emission signatures in very sparsely explored low-mass galaxy clusters using uGMRT band-3 (central frequency 400 MHz). We used our uGMRT band-3 observations along with the existing archival band-3 uGMRT data to improve image sensitivity. Along with the previously reported south-western relic, the discovery of the new relic makes A2108 one of the few low-mass clusters hosting a double relic. The new relic spans over a region of 610 kpc × 310 kpc and, interestingly, differs considerably in size and morphology from the other relic. Using XMM–Newton science archive data, we also report the tentative detection of a mildly supersonic shock of Mach number |$\mathcal {M}_\mathrm{SB}=1.42$| and |$\mathcal {M}_\mathrm{T} = 1.43$| from the surface brightness and temperature discontinuities, respectively, near this newly found relic. Both the relics in A2108 are found to be significantly under-luminous compared with other double-relic systems in the mass–luminosity plane. Moreover, the north-eastern relic is remarkably under-luminous in the size–luminosity plane. Although mild supersonic shocks resulting from an off-axis merger could have influenced the origin of both relics, we hypothesize that local environments have played a crucial role in shaping their morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heavy military attack and colonial domination during the successive Japanese invasion wars hit the Chinese traditional culture and people the hardest and wreaked havoc on cultural relics, causing a catastrophic and irremediable loss to society. The topic of restitution of looted Chinese cultural relics during these wars arose owing to the long-pending historical issues between China and Japan. However, this issue has never attracted significant attention from the international community. Applying empirical analysis and drawing on the case study, this paper primarily focuses on two typical representative cases of the recovery of looted Chinese cultural relics from Japan, which triggered three significant issues to be addressed: the legal analysis of two recovery cases through litigation and non-litigation relief; proving the legality concerning different ownership rights of the Chinese government and individuals seeking to recover state-owned and privately-owned cultural relics; exploring the legal grounds for recovering state-owned and privately-owned cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What sacred objects did the Lusignan kings of Cyprus treasure in their collection of holy items? Certainly, they had fragments of the Holy Cross and saints' skulls, but what about Passion relics such as the titulus placed above the crucified Christ, or the white rock to which the cross was affixed? This study explores overlooked fourteenth-century Franciscan apocryphal stories about the life of Christ and didactic narratives which, among other things, cite Passion relics and their respective proprietors. In the following essay, I will turn attention to relics which, according to these texts, were in the safe-keeping of the kings of Cyprus. In addition to evaluating the reliability of such evidence, I will discuss the nature of the relics, identify the mysterious relic-hoarder king, and seek to uncover a representation of such a relic in the 'Royal Chapel' at Pyrga, Larnaca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the trend of people choosing relic and museum tourism during their vacation and leisure time is growing day by day, mainly because it touches people's feelings about historical relics and cultural heritage. The development of relic and museum tourism products is not only the inheritance of culture and the protection of cultural relics, but also the promotion of tourism consumption under the background of cultural tourism integration, which has promoted the development of regional economy. With the relic and museum tourism resources in Shandong Province as the research object, through the analysis of its resources, market and products, this paper put forward three applicable modes of relic and museum tourism product development, including independent development, joint development, and art authorization, and proposed specific suggestions around the three modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global climate change, it is of great interest to assess the adaptive capabilities of the glacial relics of Ranunculus kamtschaticus DC. of the Urals and the prospects for their conservation has a high degree of ecological specialization for high mountain conditions and extremely low plasticity. It is preserved in the midlands of the Urals on individual peaks. The life form of R. kamtschaticus in the Ural fragment of its range is a brush-rooted non-turf polycarpic grass with erect assimilating shoots of a non-succulent type. The variability of the development of its shoots and shoot systems under the influence of climatic and weather conditions is shown, the preferential development of shoots with an incomplete development cycle is noted. Irregular fruiting, a long period of germination, and rapid loss of seed germination reduce the competitiveness of R. kamtschaticus in the Urals and its ability to colonize new territories. Threat assessment according to IUCN criteria showed that populations of the species in the Komi Republic and Sverdlovsk oblast are in critical condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the book "American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory" by Matthew Dennis. The book explores the history of collecting and displaying relics in the United States, tracing the connections between human remains, eyewitness objects, and personal possessions held at museums and historical sites. It raises questions about the sacred status of material objects in the US and how relics have been mishandled, appropriated, and stolen. The book is organized into three sections, covering major periods in the creation of public memory through objects, and highlights the inextricability of relics from the process of creating myths and narratives about the nation. [Extracted from the article]

This paper presents the third data release of the INvestigating Stellar Population In RElics (INSPIRE) project, comprising 52 ultra-compact massive galaxies (UCMGs) observed with the X-Shooter spectrograph. We measure integrated stellar velocity dispersion, [Mg/Fe] abundances, ages, and metallicities for all the INSPIRE objects. We thus infer star formation histories and confirm the existence of a degree of relicness (DoR), defined in terms of the fraction of stellar mass formed by z  = 2, the time at which a galaxy has assembled 75 per cent of its mass, and the final assembly time. Objects with a high DoR assembled their stellar mass at early epochs, while low-DoR objects show a non-negligible fraction of later formed populations and hence a spread in ages and metallicities. A higher DoR correlates with larger [Mg/Fe], supersolar metallicity, and larger velocity dispersion values. The 52 UMCGs span a large range of DoR from 0.83 to 0.06, with 38 of them having formed more than 75  per cent of their mass by z  = 2. Of these, nine are extreme relics (DoR>0.7), since they formed the totality (⁠|$\gt 99~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠) of their stellar mass by redshift z  = 2. The remaining 14 UCMGs cannot be considered relics, as they are characterized by more extended star formation histories. With INSPIRE  we built the first sizeable sample of relics outside the local Universe, up to z ∼ 0.4, increasing the number of confirmed relics by a factor of >10, and opening up an important window to explain the mass assembly of massive galaxies in the high- z Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cathedral of Valencia, Spain, has preserved the so-called Holy Chalice of the Last Supper since 1437. It consists of a foot, a gold stem, and an upper cup carved in agate stone. Based on a pious tradition, this cup is supposed to be the one used by Jesus of Nazareth to institute the Eucharist. According to an archeological study published in 1960, this agate bowl was crafted around the 2nd–1st centuries BC, but people visiting this famous relic often wonder about its authenticity and about the evidence supporting it as a Hellenistic–Roman cup. Attempting to clarify this concern, a photographical characterization of the agate cup is presented and discussed. The main conclusions are the following: (i) The typology of the bowl is common to classical tableware, but the wall thickness, shape of the rim, and foot are typical of gemstone cups from the Hellenistic–Roman period. (ii) This cup would have been extremely valuable, which agrees with the location of the Cenacle in the aristocratic neighborhood of Jerusalem. This case study highlights the importance of further investigating the dating of historical objects as a key issue to support their authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A joint hadronic model is shown to quantitatively explain the observations of diffuse radio emission from galaxy clusters in the form of minihaloes, giant haloes, relics, and their hybrid, transitional stages. Cosmic-ray diffusion of order D ∼ 1031–32 cm2 s−1, inferred independently from relic energies, the spatial variability of giant-halo spectra, and the spectral evolution of relics, reproduces the observed spatio-spectral distributions, explains the recently discovered mega-haloes as enhanced peripheral magnetization, and quenches electron (re)acceleration by weak shocks or turbulence. For instance, the hard-to-soft evolution along secondary-electron diffusion explains both the soft spectra in most halo peripheries and relic downstreams, and the hard spectra in most halo centres and relic edges, where the photon index can reach α ≃ −0.5 regardless of the Mach number |$\mathcal {M}$| of the coincident shock. Such spatio-spectral modelling, recent γ-ray observations, and additional accumulated evidence are thus shown to support a 2010 claim that the seamless transitions among minihaloes, giant haloes, and relics, their similar energetics, integrated spectra, and delineating discontinuities, the inconsistent |$\mathcal {M}$| inferred from radio versus X-rays in leptonic models, and additional observations, all indicate that these diffuse radio phenomena are manifestations of the same cosmic-ray ion population, with no need to invoke less natural alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a longstanding tradition of studies in Sanskrit compounds, a description that enables comparisons in cross-linguistic perspective has not yet been worked out. The present article follows classificatory criteria introduced by Bisetto & Scalise (2005, 2009) and sketches a typology of compounds in the most archaic variety of Sanskrit, Early Vedic, as transmitted by the RigVeda. Analyzing compounds on the basis of the grammatical relations holding between their constituents provides a classification into coordinate, subordinate, and attributive compounds, with the endocentric/exocentric divide cutting across all classes. In order to identify the position of Early Vedic compounds on the syntax-morphology continuum, the article investigates the degree of cohesiveness at the level of morphology, prosody, syntax, and semantics. With this respect, the RigVeda offers a varied picture where relics of archaic, less cohesive forms occur side-to-side with more productive and word-like ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the Notre-Dame de Paris restoration site, objects and materials are the focus of contrasting attentions. While thedebris of the framework and the vault are examined and preserved as vestiges, the materials destined for Notre-Dame are prepared to be invested with the sacredness of the building. These different ways of thinking about the materiality of the monument and of putting it into memorial and narrative frames contribute to craft the exceptionality of Notre-Dame. They organize an ongoing investigation, based on a collaborative and visual ethnography, questioning the co-construction of authenticity, between patrimonial and religion practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-exposed relics within an air–soil system often have earthworks partially buried, leading to moisture migration and substantial salt accumulation. Salt accumulation threatens relic preservation, but destructive sampling is hindered by conservation concerns. We conducted a case study on salt enrichment at K9901 Armour Pit of Emperor Qinshihuang 's Mausoleum Site Museum. Environmental factors and soil salt characteristics were assessed through sampling and monitoring. A relic-soil coupling system was established with a soil column device containing burned bricks. Using 5-TE sensors, water and salinity movement was tracked, and X-ray diffraction analyzed relic salt crystals. The soil column experiment effectively simulated water-salt migration in relics. Salts, like Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, and Mg2+, concentrated on the soil surface during evaporation. Simulation linked specific salt species to relic ailments. Salt solution from soil migrated to bricks, forming CaSO4 crystals. Results highlight coupling's role in salt-related deterioration and the need to protect it for optimal relic preservation. Findings impact semi-exposed relic conservation, revealing salt accumulation processes and their impact on historical artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the reading of the whole criticism that has been focused on the Eça de Queiroz’s work since the twentieth century, it is possible to verify that, in general, not much time has been devoted to the analysis of his self-denigrating works, namely The Mandarin (1880) and The Relic (1887). The reasons for the discredit of these works may be various and old, of which some will be analyzed here. Once this is done, this study aims to present and rescue the various analyzes of the main Queirosian critics about the author’s autodiegetic work and present the new critical perspectives that have sought to position these works by Eça de Queirós in the list of Queirozian works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic relationship that exists between a religious rite and its territory is interpreted and analysed by religious anthropology as a form of protection, offered by the sacred to the place in which it resides. According to this interpretation, passage through the territory of what is reputed to be sacred or even its very presence as a sanctuary, drives evil away and is believed to perform a generally stable protective function. Within such a dynamic, the rite that actually creates this sacred passage, i.e., the procession of relics, lays the foundations for an analysis of the two specific variables that are, in actual fact, intwined: on the one side is the rite, and on the other, the territory. Such a relationship appears all the more problematic due to the progressive rationalisation of the religious dimension, extensively dealt with by Max Weber (Weber 1920) and accepted by contemporary sociology on religion, as it is now a supernatural phenomenon that is only considered to have a representational dimension. The internal secularization at the festival of Saint Rosalia happened in 2023, with the landing of the triumphal cart in New York. The rite moves to another new territory and transforms it. The cart of Saint Rosalia, preserved in the Columbus Citizens Foundation in New York, represents the identity of Sicilian immigrants but also a new form of ritualization on a new territory through an "ancient" ritual. When the sacred is located within the institutional dimension of a salvation religion presided over by an institution, it appears separate from any purely mechanical (and therefore magical) dimension, while the territory becomes a variable in which a multiplicity of factors are contained. These factors not only give importance to the very aspects of the ritual itself, boosting its civil and secular parts, but also to the religious programme, which undergoes unexpected transformations introduced by the presiding institution. The main object of this analysis is, therefore, to establish an interactive path whereby, on the one hand, the territory, through its various cultural components (both secular and religious), shapes the religious rite and how it places restrictions on those protective functions, while on the other, how the rite places its own constraints on the cultural transformations that take place in the fabric of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Main galaxy cluster in the Abell 781 system is undergoing a significant merger and accretion process with peripheral emission to the north and south-eastern flanks of the merging structure. Here we present a full polarimetric study of this field, using radio interferometric data taken at 21 and 92 cm with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT), to a sensitivity better than any 21 cm (L band) observation to date. We detect evidence of extended low-level emission of 1.9 mJy associated with the Main cluster at 21 cm, although this detection necessitates further follow-up by modern instruments due to the limited resolution of the WSRT. Our polarimetric study indicates that, most likely, the peripheral emission associated with this cluster is not a radio relic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radio relics are giant sources of diffuse synchrotron radio emission in the outskirts of galaxy clusters that are associated with shocks in the intracluster medium. Still, the origin of relativistic particles that make up relics is not fully understood. For most relics, diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) of thermal electrons is not efficient enough to explain observed radio fluxes. In this paper, we use a magnetohydrodynamic simulation of galaxy clusters in combination with Lagrangian tracers to simulate the formation of radio relics. Using a Fokker–Planck solver to compute the energy spectra of relativistic electrons, we determine the synchrotron emission of the relic. We find that re-acceleration of fossil electrons plays a major role in explaining the synchrotron emission of radio relics. Particles that pass through multiple shocks contribute significantly to the overall luminosity of a radio relic and greatly boost the effective acceleration efficiency. Furthermore, we find that the assumption that the luminosity of a radio relic can be explained with DSA of thermal electrons leads to an overestimate of the acceleration efficiency by a factor of more than 103. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial property of core-shell silver nanoparticles (Ag@mSiO 2) is better than that of yolk-shell silver nanoparticles (Ag@YSiO 2), which plays a protective role in silk cultural relics without interference. [Display omitted] Silver nanoparticles coated with organic-inorganic hybrid silica or inorganic silica have antimicrobial ability, and the coating can also effectively improve the dispersion and stability of the particles. The slow release of silver ions (Ag+) can improve the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles are light yellow, which does not affect the look and feel of the silk cultural relics and meets the requirements of the principle of minimum interference. Two kinds of silver-based nanoparticles were synthesized: silver core-shell nanoparticle (Ag@mSiO 2) and silver yolk-shell nanoparticle (Ag@YSiO 2). The morphology, surface properties and Ag+ release efficiency of two nanoparticles were characterized. The antimicrobial effects of two nanoparticles on Aspergillus niger (A. niger) and Penicillium citrinum (P. citrinum) were compared. Both of Ag@mSiO 2 and Ag@YSiO 2 had uniform size and good stability. Two nanoparticles had pore structure and silver nanocore, which provided the basis for the dissolution and exchange of Ag+. Because more silver ions were released, Ag@mSiO 2 had higher antimicrobial activity than Ag@YSiO 2 for A. niger and P. citrinum. For various silk samples, Ag@mSiO 2 exhibited excellent antimicrobial properties. Meanwhile, there was little change in the color and tearing strength of Ag@mSiO 2 coated silk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater cultural relics are considered to be a scarce and valuable cultural resource. The significance of partially buried underwater cultural relics, which represents a distinct category of underwater cultural relics, has been largely overlooked in previous research. The Laoniu reef shipwreck No. 2, as an example of a partially buried shipwreck, was discovered through the utilization of side-scan sonar, multibeam echosounder and diver verification. In the investigation, multiangle surveys provided evidence to effectively discover this unique site. Beam-focusing technology and high-frequency side-scan sonar with proper distance and angular parameters can help to verify this site further. Given the potential significance of this particular site in relation to environmental transformations and human interventions, it is imperative to consider the insights derived from this case when reevaluating the methodology employed in underwater cultural relic surveys conducted in prospective regions. Consequently, this investigation holds the potential to unveil novel underwater cultural relic sites, thereby presenting a promising avenue for future discoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Piluo site, located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, underwent excavation and systematic survey from April to November 2021. The work was a joint effort between the Sichuan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and the School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University. The excavation revealed seven cultural strata that had been deposited continuously since the late Middle Pleistocene. Tens of thousands of lithics, including typical hand axes, were discovered, along with many remains of Paleolithic Age cultural activities such as residential floors created by prehistoric populations. These findings provide valuable data for investigating issues such as early human evolution in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as well as the distribution, origin, and development of East Asian hand axes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and other institutions excavated the tomb of Murong Zhi, the King Xi of Tuyuhun, located at Chashan Village, Qilian Town, Tianzhu County. A comprehensive archaeological survey of the Binggou and Dashui river valleys in Qilian Town in 2020 revealed the existence of 23 Tuyuhun royal tombs across four areas. Three tombs at the Changling-Machangtan area in Qilian Town, excavated in 2021, are identified as a probable section of the Tuyuhun Pengzi clan's family cemetery during the Tang dynasty. Through ongoing archaeological work, three large mausoleum areas have been confirmed in Wuwei's Nanshan district: Yanghui Valley, Great Khan Mausoleum, and Baiyang Mountain. The tomb distribution is characterized by being widely dispersed but mutually connected. Excavations also confirm that Tuyuhun tombs were constructed without aboveground mounds. Additionally, rare Tang artifacts were discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated southeast of the Chuwangcheng (City of the Chu kings) site, Zhengjiahu cemetery is a significant burial ground occupied throughout the Warring States and Qin-Han periods. Excavation in Area C was conducted in 2021. During the excavation, two noteworthy Qin culture tombs were uncovered—tombs M274 and M234. These tombs yielded a wooden gu-rod with extensive text and painted burial containers. The wooden gu-rod, remarkable in its form and abundant in content, is important for the study of the social history and ideology of the late Warring States period. Additionally, the discovery of painted burial containers bridges a gap in our current understanding of Qin and Han painting media and genres. These artifacts offer indispensable data for researching burial customs and rituals, along with the religious thought of the Qin migrants from Guanzhong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of Internet of Things and fuzzy control theory, there are new opportunities for the conservation and utilization of museum artifacts. The traditional way of heritage restoration lacks the overall harmony of heritage restoration, which leads to the stagnation of heritage restoration level. At the same time, traditional heritage conservation is also limited to manual management, which seriously hinders the development of the overall level of museums. Artifacts are of great commemorative and research value and are objects that have been handed down to mankind for thousands of years and have been subjected to the natural environment for a long time before being excavated. Heritage conservation requires not only restoring artifacts to the greatest extent possible, but also securing the environment in which they are displayed and stored to ensure that they can be preserved for as long as possible. But the following problems exist in the conservation of cultural relics (1) the lack of strict standards for the environment in which cultural relics are stored. (2) the professional competence of the staff is not strong. (3) The lack of a strict management system (4) heritage conservation technology is backward. To solve these problems our team constructed a fuzzy control method based on fuzzy control theory to assist in the restoration of cultural relics. The model constructed by fuzzy control theory solves this problem. The fuzzy control theory constructs a model for restoration of cultural relics, taking into account the overall harmony of the relics and the accuracy of the points, which is of great significance for the restoration of museum relics. At the same time through the Internet of Things technology to build a library heritage protection system, the main content of the system is (1) the use of Internet of Things technology to build a security protection system for cultural relics (2) the use of Internet of Things technology to detect the storage environment of cultural relics (3) the use of Internet of Things technology to optimize the management process of cultural relics (4) the use of Internet of Things technology to achieve real-time monitoring of the flow of information on cultural relics. And based on this, suggestions are made to (1) improve the museum heritage protection and utilization system (2) improve the infrastructure of museum heritage protection and build a good environment for heritage storage (3) improve the quality of heritage managers. The model constructed in the article has been tested in practice and is feasible, with certain practical and theoretical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As an important part of cultural heritage, immovable cultural relics are facing increasing risks of rainstorm and flood disaster. In order to improve the capabilities of prevention on rainstorm and flood disaster for immovable cultural relics, we proposed a risk assessment method based on the theory of natural disaster risk assessment considering the seasonal variation of rainstorm and flood disaster, and took 24 national ancient sites in 18 counties in Fujian Province as an example. Methods: The regional L-moments method was used to acquire the rainfall values of various return periods in different season, and analyze the characteristics of seasonal rainstorm and flood risk. We estimated the risk from three aspects: Hazard factors, disaster formative environment and hazard bearing body of cultural heritages. The coefficient of variation method, entropy weight method and Delphi method were adopted to calculate the weight of those three aspects. Results: The results show that the seasonal difference of risk assessment results is obvious, which indicates that the assessment method is feasible. The risk of rainstorm and flood was the highest in the second quarter, followed by the first and the third quarters, and the spatial distribution of risk in different seasons was significantly different. In the first and the second quarters, the risk of rainstorm and flood was high in coastal and northern counties, and low in central counties. The risks in the third and the fourth quarters were high in the coastal areas and low in the inland areas. Conclusions: The proposed model for immovable cultural relics can well reflect the seasonal difference of rainstorm and flood risk, and is suitable for regions with large seasonal difference of rainstorm and flood disaster. The results of seasonal differences can provide scientific reference for disaster prevention and mitigation planning for immovable cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines three of the most iconic sites associated with Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, in Ottoman Hungary. These are three mausoleums located in Buda, Pécs, and Turbék, near Zigetvár. The first two are the final resting places of the Sufi mystics known as Gül Baba and Idris Baba. The third is Sultan Süleyman's mausoleum next to a Sufi dervish lodge, the foundations of which were uncovered during recent excavations. The research sheds light on the (embodied) material practices associated with these sites, as well as their sensory engagement and synaesthetic experiences. The bodies of the spiritual leaders, presented in the first two cases, serve as living sites of mystical experiences, both through self-destructive acts graphically represented on their bodies, and through bodily miracles such as hypercorporeality, multilocality, and dream visions. The third case concerns the body of a secular and a spiritual leader, the temporary burial of his disemboweled and embalmed body in the mausoleum at Turbék, and the tradition that his heart and entrails were kept in a reliquary-like vessel at the site, which interestingly paralleled contemporary Habsburg customs. Building on Thomas Csordas (1990) and Manuel Vásquez (2011), I explore the role of human and non-human "supernatural" actors interacting in these mystical networks, focusing on the role of their embodiment and materiality, their movement and their physically fragmented bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initiation and evolution of marginal seas, especially those developing under a convergent setting, is one of the more enigmatic aspects of plate tectonics. Here, we report the presence of slab relics in the mid-mantle of the Woodlark rift in the southwestern Pacific based on a new map of the topography of the mantle discontinuities from a receiver function analysis and evidence from body-wave tomography. The widespread mantle transition-zone thickening rules out active mantle upwelling, and the revealed slab relics in both the upper and middle mantle may hydrate the upper mantle, which can be expected to further weaken the overlying lithosphere. Such a process can then promote initial continental rifting when this lithosphere is exposed to tensional stress like slab-pull stretching originating from the nearby active subduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential impact of vibration from nearby construction on four ancient stone statues in the Qingdao Museum was studied. Simulated but full-scale drilling, excavation and impact breaking were conducted to gather ground motion data which were used to prepare incremental dynamic time histories. The four stone statues were modeled numerically and the models were used to estimate the statues' maximum tensile stress, maximum strain and maximum shear stress in response to the time histories. The most vulnerable parts of the statue are thus identified, and vibration limits were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits of India are known for their diverse sauropod fauna, while little is known from the Middle and Late Jurassic. Here we report the first ever remains of a dicraeosaurid sauropod from India, Tharosaurus indicus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Jurassic (early–middle Bathonian) strata of Jaisalmer Basin, western India. Known from elements of the axial skeleton, the new taxon is phylogenetically among the earlier-diverging dicraeosaurids, and its stratigraphic age makes it the earliest known diplodocoid globally. Palaeobiogeographic considerations of Tharosaurus, seen in conjunction with the other Indian Jurassic sauropods, suggest that the new Indian taxon is a relic of a lineage that originated in India and underwent rapid dispersal across the rest of Pangaea. Here we emphasize the importance of Gondwanan India in tracing the origin and early evolutionary history of neosauropod dinosaurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cathedral of Valencia has kept an important relic since 1437: the Holy Chalice of the Last Supper. It consists of an agate cup, a gold stem, and a gemstone foot. According to a pious tradition, this cup is the one used by Jesus of Nazareth to institute the Eucharist. Tourists visiting Valencia Cathedral often doubt its authenticity. There are certain queries that pilgrims wonder about, some of which have not been studied in depth. For example: What is known about the family who owned the chalice? Why would Jesus use a gemstone cup instead of one made of glass, silver, or gold? Aimed at clarifying these concerns, the research methodology was essentially centered on a review of the literature. The main conclusions are the following: (i) The Cenacle belonged to a rich disciple of Jesus, who would have lent him a valuable cup of blessing. Quite likely, it was the family of Saint Mark, who had a close link with Saint Peter. (ii) It is unlikely that Jesus used a cup made of glass because this material was relatively affordable. By contrast, gemstone vessels were highly appreciated. This case study highlights the importance of promoting historic and scientific studies about Christian artworks as a pre-requisite to foster heritage tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a biomorphological analysis and occurrence of endemic and relict species of the Chechen Republic. Endemic species (taxa unique to a particular geographical area) are characteristic elements of local biodiversity. Narrow endemics occupy isolated habitats, often associated with limited ranges of ecological conditions or small common geographic ranges. The analysis is based on the processing of herbarium materials and field observations of the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]