Assessing biological variability during the migration period in Late Antiquity

Nel periodo compreso tra IV e VI secolo d.C., l'Europa centrale ha subito profondi cambiamenti sociali, sia nei confini dell'Impero Romano, sia lungo le sue frontiere "barbariche". Un elemento determinante è stato lo spostamento di popoli da Oriente a Occidente. Lo studio delle migrazioni tardoantiche riveste da sempre un ruolo rilevante per spiegare la trasformazione storica e la nascita della società europea contemporanea, ma nonostante secoli di ricerca, molti quesiti relativi a questo periodo sono tutt’ora senza risposta. In passato, per distinguere le diverse etnie, la tradizionale archeologia "barbarica", incentrata perlopiù sullo studio di attributi stilistici e tecnologici della cultura materiale ritrovata nei contesti di necropoli, difficilmente ha sondato il contesto sociale, i rapporti interpersonali tra individui ed in generale gli aspetti che caratterizzano la biologia umana. Alla luce di queste criticità e per cercare di rispondere ad alcuni di questi quesiti si è deciso di intraprendere un’indagine multidisciplinare che integra l’analisi morfologica della mandibola effettuata utilizzando tecniche di morfometria geometrica (GM), con l’analisi dei caratteri non metrici dentali e l’analisi chimica degli isotopi stabili dello stronzio, coadiuvati da una scrupolosa indagine antropologica iniziale. A tale scopo sono state considerate tredici aree sepolcrali, con cronologia compresa tra il IV e il IX secolo d.C., provenienti da tre distinte regioni d’Europa (Italia, Croazia e Ungheria), per un totale di 733 scheletri. I risultati ottenuti, confrontati con i dati storici e archeologici, hanno permesso di avanzare alcune ipotesi circa le distanze biologiche tra gli individui, il loro stile di vita e la loro mobilità, in un periodo complesso, tanto dal punto biologico quanto da quello politico-sociale e culturale.Between the IV and VI century A.D., Central Europe underwent profound social changes, both in the borders of the Roman Empire and along its "barbaric" frontiers. A decisive element was the displacement of peoples from east to west. The study of late-antique migrations has always played an important role in explaining the historical transformation and the birth of contemporary European society, but many questions about this period are still unanswered, despite centuries of research. In the past, in order to distinguish the different ethnicities, the traditional "Barbaric" archaeology, mainly focused on the study of stylistic and technological attributes of the material culture found in the contexts of Necropolis, has scarcely explored the social aspects, interpersonal relationships between individuals and in general, the defining aspects of human biology. In the light of these critical issues and in order to try to answer some of these questions it was decided to undertake a multidisciplinary investigation integrating the mandible’s morphological analysis, by using geometric morphometric techniques (GM), with the analysis of non-metric dental characters and chemical analysis of strontium stable isotopes, assisted by a scrupulous initial anthropological investigation. For this purpose, thirteen burial areas from three distinct regions of Europe (Italy, Croatia and Hungary were considered, with chronology ranging between the fourth and ninth centuries A.D., for a total of 733 skeletons. The results of the previous described analysis have been compared with historical and archaeological data, by making it possible to speculate about the biological distances between the individuals, their lifestyle and mobility, during a complex time in terms of biology and socio-politics and culture

Sawmark Analysis of Three Cases of Amputation and a Craniotomy from the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Hospital Necropolis of Forlì Campus (Forlì, Italy)

The seventeenth-eighteenth century hospital necropolis of Forlì Campus (Forlì, Italy) was discovered during the Forlì Campus building work in 2014. Three cases of limb amputation and a craniotomy are examined using the forensic approach of sawmark analysis in order to understand features of the surgical instruments employed and to gain insight into the position of the surgeon during the cutting actions. With the aid of high definition photographs and moulds, we analyzed the cut surfaces of each sample, also using stereomicroscopy and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). A qualitative and quantitative approach was used in the analysis of the kerf features (e.g. breakaway spur and notch, tooth scratches and hop, exit chipping), and empirical evidence was compared against comparisons coeval surgical essays. We hypothesize that a linear hand-powered push saw and an alternated push saw with a 2mm distance between the teeth were used for amputations. The craniotomy was executed presumably using a linear hand-powered saw with the set of the blade circa 1.3mm wide. Through the application of forensic methods on individuals from archaeological context we describe early cases of surgical practice in a more technical way

Sawmark Analysis of Three Cases of Amputation and a Craniotomy from the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Hospital Necropolis of Forlì Campus (Forlì, Italy)

The seventeenth-eighteenth century hospital necropolis of Forlì Campus (Forlì, Italy) was discovered during the Forlì Campus building work in 2014. Three cases of limb amputation and a craniotomy are examined using the forensic approach of sawmark analysis in order to understand features of the surgical instruments employed and to gain insight into the position of the surgeon during the cutting actions. With the aid of high definition photographs and moulds, we analyzed the cut surfaces of each sample, also using stereomicroscopy and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). A qualitative and quantitative approach was used in the analysis of the kerf features (e.g. breakaway spur and notch, tooth scratches and hop, exit chipping), and empirical evidence was compared against comparisons coeval surgical essays. We hypothesize that a linear hand-powered push saw and an alternated push saw with a 2mm distance between the teeth were used for amputations. The craniotomy was executed presumably using a linear hand-powered saw with the set of the blade circa 1.3mm wide. Through the application of forensic methods on individuals from archaeological context we describe early cases of surgical practice in a more technical way

Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal 2 and 4 Family Members of Cytochromes P450 (CYP) Involved in LPS Inflammatory Response in Pharynx of Ciona robusta

Cytochromes P450 (CYP) are enzymes responsible for the biotransformation of most en- dogenous and exogenous agents. The expression of each CYP is influenced by a unique combination of mechanisms and factors including genetic polymorphisms, induction by xenobiotics, and regula- tion by cytokines and hormones. In recent years, Ciona robusta, one of the closest living relatives of vertebrates, has become a model in various fields of biology, in particular for studying inflammatory response. Using an in vivo LPS exposure strategy, next-generation sequencing (NGS) and qRT-PCR combined with bioinformatics and in silico analyses, compared whole pharynx transcripts from naïve and LPS-exposed C. robusta, and we provide the first view of cytochrome genes expression and miRNA regulation in the inflammatory response induced by LPS in a hematopoietic organ. In C. robusta, cytochromes belonging to 2B,2C, 2J, 2U, 4B and 4F subfamilies were deregulated and miRNA network interactions suggest that different conserved and species-specific miRNAs are involved in post-transcriptional regulation of cytochrome genes and that there could be an interplay between specific miRNAs regulating both inflammation and cytochrome molecules in the inflammatory response in C. robusta

Unravelling biocultural population structure in 4th/3rd century BC Monterenzio Vecchio (Bologna, Italy) through a comparative analysis of strontium isotopes, non-metric dental evidence, and funerary practices

The 4th century BC marks the main entrance of Celtic populations in northern Italy. Their arrival has been suggested based on the presence of Celtic customs in Etruscan mortuary contexts, yet up to now few bioarchaeological data have been examined to support or reject the arrival of these newcomers. Here we use strontium isotopes, non-metric dental traits and funerary patterns to unravel the biocultural structure of the necropolis of Monterenzio Vecchio (Bologna, Italy). Subsamples of our total sample of 38 individuals were analyzed based on different criteria characterizing the following analyses: 1) strontium isotope analysis to investigate migratory patterns and provenance; 2) non-metric dental traits to establish biological relationships between Monterenzio Vecchio, 13 Italian Iron age necropolises and three continental and non-continental Celtic necropolises; 3) grave goods which were statistically explored to detect possible patterns of cultural variability. The strontium isotopes results indicate the presence of local and non-local individuals, with some revealing patterns of mobility. The dental morphology reveals an affinity between Monterenzio Vecchio and Iron Age Italian samples. However, when the Monterenzio Vecchio sample is separated by isotopic results into locals and non-locals, the latter share affinity with the sample of non-continental Celts from Yorkshire (UK). Moreover, systematic analyses demonstrate that ethnic background does not retain measurable impact on the distribution of funerary elements. Our results confirm the migration of Celtic populations in Monterenzio as archaeologically hypothesized on the basis of the grave goods, followed by a high degree of cultural admixture between exogenous and endogenous traits. This contribution shows that combining different methods offers a more comprehensive perspective for the exploration of biocultural processes in past and present populations

Unravelling biocultural population structure in 4th/3rd century BC Monterenzio Vecchio (Bologna, Italy) through a comparative analysis of strontium isotopes, non-metric dental evidence, and funerary practices.

The 4th century BC marks the main entrance of Celtic populations in northern Italy. Their arrival has been suggested based on the presence of Celtic customs in Etruscan mortuary contexts, yet up to now few bioarchaeological data have been examined to support or reject the arrival of these newcomers. Here we use strontium isotopes, non-metric dental traits and funerary patterns to unravel the biocultural structure of the necropolis of Monterenzio Vecchio (Bologna, Italy). Subsamples of our total sample of 38 individuals were analyzed based on different criteria characterizing the following analyses: 1) strontium isotope analysis to investigate migratory patterns and provenance; 2) non-metric dental traits to establish biological relationships between Monterenzio Vecchio, 13 Italian Iron age necropolises and three continental and non-continental Celtic necropolises; 3) grave goods which were statistically explored to detect possible patterns of cultural variability. The strontium isotopes results indicate the presence of local and non-local individuals, with some revealing patterns of mobility. The dental morphology reveals an affinity between Monterenzio Vecchio and Iron Age Italian samples. However, when the Monterenzio Vecchio sample is separated by isotopic results into locals and non-locals, the latter share affinity with the sample of noncontinental Celts from Yorkshire (UK). Moreover, systematic analyses demonstrate that ethnic background does not retain measurable impact on the distribution of funerary elements. Our results confirm the migration of Celtic populations in Monterenzio as archaeologically hypothesized on the basis of the grave goods, followed by a high degree of cultural admixture between exogenous and endogenous traits. This contribution shows that combining different methods offers a more comprehensive perspective for the exploration of biocultural processes in past and present populations

Serum Albumin Is Inversely Associated With Portal Vein Thrombosis in Cirrhosis

We analyzed whether serum albumin is independently associated with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in liver cirrhosis (LC) and if a biologic plausibility exists. This study was divided into three parts. In part 1 (retrospective analysis), 753 consecutive patients with LC with ultrasound-detected PVT were retrospectively analyzed. In part 2, 112 patients with LC and 56 matched controls were entered in the cross-sectional study. In part 3, 5 patients with cirrhosis were entered in the in vivo study and 4 healthy subjects (HSs) were entered in the in vitro study to explore if albumin may affect platelet activation by modulating oxidative stress. In the 753 patients with LC, the prevalence of PVT was 16.7%; logistic analysis showed that only age (odds ratio [OR], 1.024; P = 0.012) and serum albumin (OR, -0.422; P = 0.0001) significantly predicted patients with PVT. Analyzing the 112 patients with LC and controls, soluble clusters of differentiation (CD)40-ligand (P = 0.0238), soluble Nox2-derived peptide (sNox2-dp; P < 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (P = 0.0078) were higher in patients with LC. In LC, albumin was correlated with sCD4OL (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [r(s)], -0.33; P < 0.001), sNox2-dp (r(s), -0.57; P < 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (r(s), -0.48; P < 0.0001) levels. The in vivo study showed a progressive decrease in platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and urinary 8-iso prostaglandin F2 alpha-III formation 2 hours and 3 days after albumin infusion. Finally, platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and isoprostane formation significantly decreased in platelets from HSs incubated with scalar concentrations of albumin. Conclusion: Low serum albumin in LC is associated with PVT, suggesting that albumin could be a modulator of the hemostatic system through interference with mechanisms regulating platelet activation

L'area sepolcrale rinvenuta in Piazza Grande

L'area sepolcrale rinvenuta in Piazza Grand

Dalle fonti storico-documentarie alla rappresentazione digitale: la ricostruzione 3D della perduta chiesa

La ricerca si \ue8 inoltrata nel tema della memoria tenendo conto di diverse chiavi di lettura. Ecco allora che alla ricostruzione digitale si affianca una ricostruzione cordiale, del cuore. A partire dalla tragica cronaca del bombardamento, la complessit\ue0 dei temi e le loro interconnessioni, mettono al centro della riflessione il bene culturale come dato identitario e inalienabile di una comunit\ue0

La tecnologia al servizio della ricerca storica. La ricostruzione 3D delle fasi architetto-niche della Piazzetta degli Ariani per lo studio, l’analisi e la valorizzazione dei Beni Culturali

L'area al centro di Ravenna nota come "Piazzetta degli Ariani" è un significativo complesso monumentale, risultato di quindici secoli di stratificazione edilizia e urbanistica. Le evidenti condizioni di degrado della piazzetta hanno spinto un gruppo di ricercatori del Dipartimento di Beni Culturali a occuparsi di quest'area nel suo complesso, nella convinzione che interventi conservativi e di tutela non potevano prescindere da una complessiva riqualificazione e da una diversa strategia di comunicazione