The Great Sea - A Human History of the Mediterranean - Ever the Twain Shall Meet, 1830–1900, The Greek and the unGreek, 1830–1920, Ottoman Exit, 1900–1918. (tran. Marko Perišić)

Izgradnja Sueskog kanala i razvoj parobroda potaknuli su transformaciju Mediterana u čvorište koje je intelektualno, ekonomski i politički povezalo Istok i Zapad. Devetnaesto stoljeće obilježeno je sve većim kulturnim i političkim zanimanjem Zapada za istočni Mediteran. Interes za antičku Grčku rezultirao je monumentalnim arheološkim otkrićima. U isto je vrijeme antička povijest utjecala na razvoj mnogih ideja grčkog nacionalizma, potaknuvši Grke u Osmanskom Carstvu na ujedinjenje s maticom. Početkom 20. stoljeća postalo je očito da se Osmansko Carstvo više ne može natjecati s presezanjima zapadnih kolonijalnih sila. Prvi svjetski rat zajamčit će kraj Osmanskog Carstva i uvesti nove tehnološke inovacije u ratovanju na Mediteranu.The construction of the Suez Canal and the development of the steamship induced a transformation of the Mediterranean into a junction which intellectually, economically, and politically connected the East and the West. The 19th century was marked by a growing cultural and political interest for the East Mediterranean in the West. Interest for the ancient Greece resulted in some monumental archaeological discoveries. At the same time, the classical history inspired many ideas of the Greek nationalism, encouraging Greeks in the Ottoman Empire to unite with the motherland. It became obvious at the beginning of the 20th century that the Ottoman Empire was no longer able to fight the colonial ambitions of the Western powers. The First World War ensured the end of the Ottoman Empire and ushered in new technological advancements in Mediterranean warfare

The commercial world and Catalan trade in the Middle Ages

Recorregut per les diverses rutes del comerç català, tant a la Mediterrània (Gènova, Pisa, Florència, Venècia), com al nord d’Àfrica, Europa (Anglaterra, França, Flandes) i l’Atlàntic. L’autor relaciona aquestes activitats en el context de la política europea (Anjou, Orient, països musulmans). Estudia les conseqüències econòmiques d’aquest comerç i de la política seguida pels monarques catalans en l’àmbit d’aquest mercat comú mediterrani en els darrers segles de l’edat mitjana i en els segles precedents.Paraules clau: Edat mitjana, comerç català, rutes mercantils, Itàlia, Europa, Mediterrani, Atlàntic.A journey along the different Catalan trading routes, both in the Mediterranean (Genoa, Pisa, Florence, Venice) and also North Africa, Europe (England, France, Flanders) and the Atlantic. The paper describes these activities within the context of European politics (Anjou, the East, Muslim countries), examining the economic consequences of this trade and of the policy employed by Catalan monarchs in the area of this Mediterranean common market in the last few centuries of the Middle Ages and the preceding centuries.Keywords: Middle Ages, Catalan trade, trade routes, Italy, Europe, Mediterranean,Atlantic

Executive functioning in cognitively normal middle-aged offspring of late-onset Alzheimer's disease patients

Episodic memory deficits are traditionally seen as the hallmark cognitive impairment during the prodromal continuum of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Previous studies identified early brain alterations in regions subserving executive functions in asymptomatic, middle-aged offspring of patients with LOAD (O-LOAD), suggesting that premature episodic memory deficits could be associated to executive dysfunction in this model. We hypothesized that O-LOAD would exhibit reduced executive performance evidenced by increased errors and decreased strategy use on an episodic memory task. We assessed 32 asymptomatic middle-aged O-LOAD and 28 age-equivalent control subjects (CS) with several tests that measure executive functions and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) to measure memory performance. All tests were scored using both traditional and process scores (quantification of errors and strategies underlying overall performance). T-tests were used to compare performance between both groups and Spearman correlations were implemented to measure associations between variables. O-LOAD participants exhibited decreased executive performance compared to CS as it relates to initiation time (Tower of London), mental switching (Trail Making Test B), and interference effects (Stroop Word-Color condition). Traditional RAVLT measures showed a poorer performance by O-LOAD and RAVLT process scores revealed increased interference effects on this group. Positive correlations (r s ) were found between the executive measures and several RAVLT measures for O-LOAD but not for CS. In conclusion, O-LOAD participants exhibited early subtle cognitive changes in executive processing. Observed memory difficulties may be associated in part to executive deficits suggesting an interplay between memory and executive functions. Process score impairments were observed earlier than clinical decline on neuropsychological scores in this at-risk cohort and might be useful cognitive markers of preclinical LOAD.Fil: Abulafia, Carolina Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Fiorentini, Leticia. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Loewenstein, David A.. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Curiel Cid, Rosie. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Nemeroff, Charles B.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados UnidosFil: Villarreal, Mirta Fabiana. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Vigo, Daniel Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; ArgentinaFil: Guinjoan, Salvador Martín. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Where myth and archaeology meet: Discovering the Gorgon Medusa's Lair.

Here we report the discovery of ceramic fragments that form part of a Gorgoneion, a ceramic image representation of the Gorgon Medusa. The fragments were found in a deep part of Gorham's Cave, well known to ancient mariners as a natural shrine, between the 8th and 2nd century BCE. We discuss the context of this discovery, both within the inner topography of the cave itself, and also the broader geographical context. The discovery is situated at the extreme western end of the Mediterranean Sea, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The location was known to ancient mariners as the northern Pillar of Herakles, which marked the end of the known world. We relate the discovery, and its geographical and chronological context, to Greek legends that situated the lair of the Gorgon sisters at a location which coincides with the physical attributes and geographical position of Gorham's Cave. We thus provide, uniquely, a geographical and archaeological context to the myth of Perseus and the slaying of the Gorgon Medusa

Genetic Ablation of Pannexin1 Protects Retinal Neurons from Ischemic Injury

Pannexin1 (Panx1) forms large nonselective membrane channel that is implicated in paracrine and inflammatory signaling. In vitro experiments suggested that Panx1 could play a key role in ischemic death of hippocampal neurons. Since retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) express high levels of Panx1 and are susceptible to ischemic induced injury, we hypothesized that Panx1 contributes to rapid and selective loss of these neurons in ischemia. To test this hypothesis, we induced experimental retinal ischemia followed by reperfusion in live animals with the Panx1 channel genetically ablated either in the entire mouse (Panx1 KO), or only in neurons using the conditional knockout (Panx1 CKO) technology. Here we report that two distinct neurotoxic processes are induced in RGCs by ischemia in the wild type mice but are inactivated in Panx1KO and Panx1 CKO animals. First, the post-ischemic permeation of RGC plasma membranes is suppressed, as assessed by dye transfer and calcium imaging assays ex vivo and in vitro. Second, the inflammasome-mediated activation of caspase-1 and the production of interleukin-1β in the Panx1 KO retinas are inhibited. Our findings indicate that post-ischemic neurotoxicity in the retina is mediated by previously uncharacterized pathways, which involve neuronal Panx1 and are intrinsic to RGCs. Thus, our work presents the in vivo evidence for neurotoxicity elicited by neuronal Panx1, and identifies this channel as a new therapeutic target in ischemic pathologies

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely