31 research outputs found
Investigation of ancient gold objects from Artemision at Ephesus using portable ”-XRF
During two measurement campaigns in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul and the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk, Turkey, more than 80 ancient gold objects (e.g. appliquĂ©s, statuettes and coins) from the 8th-6th centuries BC were analyzed using portable XRF instruments in order to obtain information on the chemical composition and homogeneity of the artefacts discovered during excavations in the sanctuary of Artemis at Ephesus. These results and complementary studies on the manufacturing techniques employed for making these objects will contribute to our knowledge of metalworking, trade, as well as the transfer of ideas and technologies at Ephesus and in Western Asia in the Archaic period. The objects can be characterized as homogeneous alloys, mainly consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and copper (Cu). A high compositional variation of Au and Ag between different objects could be determined (Au between 48.7 and 99.9%, Ag between <detection limit (dl) and 50.9%, Cu between <dl and 4.4%). These results demonstrated the range of gold alloys represented within the collection and allowed a discrimination between natural and artificial gold alloys (including the identification of ârefinedâ gold). In some cases, objects which were closely related from a typological, stylistic and/or technological point of view were also similar in composition, differing only in the sub-percent range.Plus de 80 objets anciens en or (p.ex. appliques, statuettes et monnaies) datĂ©s du viiie-vie siĂšcle av. J.-C. et trouvĂ©s lors des fouilles du sanctuaire dâArtĂ©mise Ă EphĂšse, ont Ă©tĂ© analysĂ©s au moyen dâun Ă©quipement de FX portable pendant les deux campagnes de mesure rĂ©alisĂ©es au musĂ©e archĂ©ologique dâIstanbul et au musĂ©e dâEphĂšse Ă Selçuk, Turquie, de façon Ă obtenir des informations sur leur composition chimique et sur leur homogĂ©nĂ©itĂ©. Ces rĂ©sultats, complĂ©mentĂ©s par des Ă©tudes sur leurs techniques de fabrication, contribuent Ă la connaissance du travail du mĂ©tal, de son commerce, ainsi que du transfert dâidĂ©es et technologies Ă EphĂšse et dans lâAsie de lâOuest pendant la pĂ©riode ArchaĂŻque. Les objets ont Ă©tĂ© fabriquĂ©s avec des alliages homogĂšnes, se composant en majoritĂ© dâor (Au), argent (Ag) et cuivre (Cu). Une forte variation de teneurs a pu ĂȘtre mise en Ă©vidence pour lâAu et lâAg dans le cas de diffĂ©rents objets (Au entre 48,7 and 99,9 %, Ag entre < limite de dĂ©tection (dl) et 509 %, Cu entre < dl et 4,4 %). Ces rĂ©sultats montrent la gamme dâalliages dâor de la collection et permettent de discriminer entre alliages dâor naturels et artificiels (en incluant lâidentification dâor « affiné »). Dans certains cas dâobjets de typologie, style et/or techniques de fabrication proches, leurs compositions sont identiques, la diffĂ©rence nâapparaissant quâau niveau du sous-pourcent
PTX3 Polymorphisms and Invasive Mold Infections After Solid Organ Transplant
Donor PTX3 polymorphisms were shown to influence the risk of invasive aspergillosis among hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Here, we show that PTX3 polymorphisms are independent risk factors for invasive mold infections among 1101 solid organ transplant recipients, thereby strengthening their role in mold infection pathogenesis and patients' risk stratificatio
A Formação na Maturidade como Apropriação da Própria História de Vida
No presente artigo, a disposição e a competência para a apropriação da própria história de vida são consideradas como modos de formação1 na maturidade. Estas se relacionam com fatores históricos e sócio-políticos e estão inscritas em contextos multigeracionais de formação e processos de desenvolvimento ao longo da vida. Nesta perspectiva, conceitos como geração, geracionalidade, geratividade e transmissão transgeracional ganham destaque e serão aprofundados no texto. A linha argumentativa que sustenta este ponto de vista baseia-se em estudos de países de língua alemã sobre crianças da Segunda Guerra Mundial que envelheceram. Apesar de se tratar de uma situação específica, nos parece possível a extensão das reflexões também para o contexto brasileiro
Single-Dose Hepatitis A Immunization: 7.5-Year Observational Pilot Study in Nicaraguan Children to Assess Protective Effectiveness and Humoral Immune Memory Response
Universal 2-dose hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination of toddlers effectively controls hepatitis A. High vaccine costs, however, impede implementation in endemic countries. To test single-dose vaccination as a possible alternative, we initiated an observational, longitudinal study in Nicaragua, to assess protective effectiveness and-through challenge vaccination-humoral immune memory response.; After a 2003 serosurvey, 130 originally seronegative children received one dose of virosomal HAV vaccine in 2005, followed by yearly serological and clinical assessments until 2012. After 7.5 years, a vaccine booster was administered. Concurrent antibody screening of patients presenting with hepatitis symptoms documented persistent HAV circulation in the communities studied.; Between serosurvey and vaccination, 25 children contracted hepatitis A subclinically (>8000 mIU/mL anti-HAV). In the remaining 105 children, immunization resulted in anti-HAV levels of 17-572 mIU/mL. Based on the â„15% annual infection risk, an estimated 60% of children were exposed to HAV encounters during follow-up. No child presented with hepatitis symptoms. Serological breakthrough infection (7106 mIU/mL) was documented in 1 child, representing an estimated protective effectiveness of 98.3% (95% confidence interval, 87.9-99.8). Boosting elicited an average 29.7-fold increase of anti-HAV levels.; In children living in hyperendemic settings, a single dose of virosomal HAV vaccine is sufficient to activate immune memory and may provide long-term protection
Stem Cell Mobilization with Ixazomib and G-CSF in Patients with Multiple Myeloma
(1) Background: High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the standard consolidation strategy for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) and for a subset of patients with relapsed/refractory disease. For stem cell mobilization, G-CSF alone or in combination with chemotherapy mobilizing agents and/or plerixafor are commonly used. Ixazomib is an oral proteasome inhibitor with less neurotoxic potential, which previously showed the ability to mobilize stem cells in preclinical studies. (2) Methods: Prospective single-center phase 1 study assessing the efficacy and safety of stem cell mobilization with ixazomib and G-CSF in patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory MM undergoing HDCT and ASCT. Primary endpoint was percentage of patients achieving a yield of at least 6.0 Ă 106/kg CD34+ cells within the first apheresis. G-CSF (filgrastim) 10 ÎŒg/kg/day was administered subcutaneously (s.c.) from day 1 to day 5 (planned apheresis) and ixazomib 4 mg orally at day 4. Plerixafor 24 mg s.c. was administered if the stem cell mobilization with ixazomib and G-CSF was not sufficient. (3) Results: 19 patients were treated within the study between 06/2020 and 02/2021. The primary endpoint was reached in 17 (89%) patients, with a median of 7.1 Ă 106/kg CD34+ cells collected within the first apheresis, comparable to previously published results, and only 2 (11%) patients required a second apheresis. Median number of circulating CD34+ cells was 14.0 Ă 106/L (2.0â95.2) before the administration of ixazomib, and 33.0 Ă 106/L (4.2â177.0) pre-apheresis. However, 9 (47%) patients required the addition of plerixafor to ensure optimal stem cell collection. (4) Conclusions: The combination of ixazomib and G-CSF showed promising stem cell mobilizing activity in patients with MM prior to HDCT and ASCT. Future larger studies might further investigate the role of ixazomib in stem cell mobilization regimens for MM
Rural Livelihood Strategies in Cambodia: Evidence from a household survey in Stung Treng
The overall objective of this discussion paper is to advance the knowledge on rural livelihoods in
Stung Treng, Cambodia. In a cluster analysis, five clusters with very different livelihood strategies are
identified based on a sample of 600 rural households. Despite the fact that nearly all households are
engaged in some form of subsistence farming, especially by growing rice, the richer clusters build on
self-employment and higher-skilled wage employment. In contrast the middle income cluster mainly
depends on natural resources (fish and firewood). The poorer two clusters are engaged in lowerskilled
wage employment. The incidence of poverty is widespread but differences between the
clusters are clearly visible. Even the better-off households have consumption poverty headcount
ratios of between 37 to 50% at PPP $1.25. For households from the poorest clusters the poverty
headcount ratio amounts to even 70% for income and 80% for consumption. Especially the
households largely depending on natural resource extraction are characterized by a high incidence of
poverty and high vulnerability. In addition, there are a number of pressures which are expected to
increase poverty problems in the future. Policies aimed at reducing poverty and improving rural
livelihoods need to carefully consider the close linkages between rural livelihoods and natural
resources. But also a diversification away from natural resource extraction into higher-skilled jobs is
found to be a strategy opening up new opportunities to improve livelihood security and raise the
living standards of the poor
Single-Dose Hepatitis A Immunization: 7.5-Year Observational Pilot Study in Nicaraguan Children to Assess Protective Effectiveness and Humoral Immune Memory Response
Background Universal 2-dose hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccination of toddlers effectively controls hepatitis A. High vaccine costs, however, impede implementation in endemic countries. To test single-dose vaccination as a possible alternative, we initiated an observational, longitudinal study in Nicaragua, to assess protective effectiveness andâthrough challenge vaccinationâhumoral immune memory response. Methods After a 2003 serosurvey, 130 originally seronegative children received one dose of virosomal HAV vaccine in 2005, followed by yearly serological and clinical assessments until 2012. After 7.5 years, a vaccine booster was administered. Concurrent antibody screening of patients presenting with hepatitis symptoms documented persistent HAV circulation in the communities studied. Results Between serosurvey and vaccination, 25 children contracted hepatitis A subclinically (>8000 mIU/mL anti-HAV). In the remaining 105 children, immunization resulted in anti-HAV levels of 17-572 mIU/mL. Based on the â„15% annual infection risk, an estimated 60% of children were exposed to HAV encounters during follow-up. No child presented with hepatitis symptoms. Serological breakthrough infection (7106 mIU/mL) was documented in 1 child, representing an estimated protective effectiveness of 98.3% (95% confidence interval, 87.9-99.8). Boosting elicited an average 29.7-fold increase of anti-HAV levels. Conclusions In children living in hyperendemic settings, a single dose of virosomal HAV vaccine is sufficient to activate immune memory and may provide long-term protection