Reconstruction of a Segment of the UNESCO World Heritage Hadrian’s Villa Tunnel Network by Integrated GPR, Magnetic–Paleomagnetic, and Electric Resistivity Prospections

The authors are grateful to the Director of the Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este, Andrea Bruciati, for kindly allowing us to survey the archaeological area and to Benedetta Adembri for facilitating the research on site. We are also grateful to Francesco Ferruti and the students that helped us in the data acquisition. Finally, we thank Alessandro Bertani for his help in the acquisition and formal analysis of aerial photogrammetry data. This paper also benefited from four accurate reviews that allowed us to improve the manuscript.The following are available online at https://zenodo.org/record/3351757#.XVIUHdIRWUl, Figure S1: Local reference frames used for the acquisition of GPR data, Figure S2: UAV orthophoto of the study area (Plutonium−Inferi complex) with indication of the excavated areas, Tables S1–S13: Relevant migrated and unmigrated GPR profiles for areas 1 through 13, Table S10A, transversal migrated and unmigrated GPR profiles for Areas 10.Hadrian’s Villa is an ancient Roman archaeological site built over an ignimbritic tuff and characterized by abundant iron oxides, strong remnant magnetization, and elevated magnetic susceptibility. These properties account for the high-amplitude magnetic anomalies observed in this site and were used as a primary tool to detect deep archaeological features consisting of air-filled and soil-filled cavities of the tuff. An integrated magnetic, paleomagnetic, radar, and electric resistivity survey was performed in the Plutonium-Inferi sector of Hadrian’s Villa to outline a segment of the underground system of tunnels that link different zones of the villa. A preliminary paleomagnetic analysis of the bedrock unit and a high-resolution topographic survey by aerial photogrammetry allowed us to perform a computer-assisted modelling of the observed magnetic anomalies, with respect to the archaeological sources. The intrinsic ambiguity of this procedure was reduced through the analysis of ground penetrating radar and electric resistivity profiles, while a comprehensive picture of the buried archaeological features was built by integration of the magnetization model with radar amplitude maps. The final subsurface model of the Plutonium-Inferi complex shows that the observed anomalies are mostly due to the presence of tunnels, skylights, and a system of ditches excavated in the tuff.This research was funded by the Università degli Studi di Camerino, grants FAR Schettino 2016–2018 and FAR Pierantoni 2016–2018, and by the University of Oxford, Eugene Ludwig Fund, New College

Effect of Soil pH on Emergence and Survival of \u3ci\u3eAustrodanthonia\u3c/i\u3e spp.

We evaluated the effects of soil acidity on seedling emergence and seedling persistence of several ecotypes of Austrodanthonia spp. collected from the Central, Southern and Monaro Tablelands of New South Wales (NSW) in southern temperate Australia. A pot experiment was conducted outdoors to identify the most promising material tolerant to soil acidity for domestication. In the experiment, 183 ecotypes and two commercial cultivars of Austrodanthonia were grown in pots at three levels of pHCa (3.9, 4.4 and 5.3). The pH treatments were achieved by adding either aluminium sulphate or lime to an acid earthy sandy loam soil collected from a grazing farm. Seedling emergence and persistence were recorded for 170 days after sowing (DAS). Establishment of all lines was severely reduced by soil acidity. At pH 3.9, average seedling emergence over all lines was 11%, whereas, at higher pH (pH 4.4 and 5.3) emergence was about 72%. Of the seeds sown, survival at 170 DAS was, on average, less than 1% at pH 3.9, compared with 25% at pH 4.4 and 5.3. Further investigations on species/ecotypes, particularly those favoured at low soil pH, should provide a useful basis for selection programmes

The role of interstitial gas in determining the impact response of granular beds

We examine the impact of a solid sphere into a fine-grained granular bed. Using high-speed X-ray radiography we track both the motion of the sphere and local changes in the bed packing fraction. Varying the initial packing density as well as the ambient gas pressure, we find a complete reversal in the effect of interstitial gas on the impact response of the bed: The dynamic coupling between gas and grains allows for easier penetration in initially loose beds but impedes penetration in more densely packed beds. High-speed imaging of the local packing density shows that these seemingly incongruous effects have a common origin in the resistance to bed packing changes caused by interstitial air.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, submitted to EP

Evaluation of outreach services for primary care and mental health; assessing the impact

Objectives: This paper reports an evaluation, carried out for London Health Libraries, of the impact of outreach services to primary care and mental health workers in thirteen different settings. The main aims of the project were to identify the impact being made by the service, and to produce best practice guidelines for outreach services in this kind of ‘difficult’ community setting. Methods: Methods used were: analysis of documents (all 13 services); analysis of any evaluation already performed by or for the service (all 13 services); interviews with outreach librarians (11 services); questionnaire survey of a representative sample of users (8 services, with 66 returned questionnaires, 35% response rate). The services evaluated were very diverse, in terms of setting, structure, functions and activities, and extent and nature of self-evaluation and reporting. The evaluation was therefore largely qualitative, in order to deal with the lack of a consistent ‘template’ for analysis. Emphasis was placed on trying to identify critical incidents , where it could be shown unambiguously that the outreach services made a difference to practice. Study limitations included the difficulty of summarising and comparing very different situations and diverse services, difficulty in identifying critical incidents, and an inability to study ‘non-users’. Findings: Service recipients felt better informed, more up- to-date, more aware of resources, more confident and supported in their work, and saved time. Services contributed to a richer information environment. Direct impacts, demonstrably improved patient care, cost savings etc., were more difficult to establish

Electrochemistry at nanoscale electrodes : individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and SWNT-templated metal nanowires

Individual nanowires (NWs) and native single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) can be readily used as well-defined nanoscale electrodes (NSEs) for voltammetric analysis. Here, the simple photolithography-free fabrication of submillimeter long Au, Pt, and Pd NWs, with sub-100 nm heights, by templated electrodeposition onto ultralong flow-aligned SWNTs is demonstrated. Both individual Au NWs and SWNTs are employed as NSEs for electron-transfer (ET) kinetic quantification, using cyclic voltammetry (CV), in conjunction with a microcapillary-based electrochemical method. A small capillary with internal diameter in the range 30–70 μm, filled with solution containing a redox-active mediator (FcTMA+ ((trimethylammonium)methylferrocene), Fe(CN)64–, or hydrazine) is positioned above the NSE, so that the solution meniscus completes an electrochemical cell. A 3D finite-element model, faithfully reproducing the experimental geometry, is used to both analyze the experimental CVs and derive the rate of heterogeneous ET, using Butler–Volmer kinetics. For a 70 nm height Au NW, intrinsic rate constants, k0, up to ca. 1 cm s–1 can be resolved. Using the same experimental configuration the electrochemistry of individual SWNTs can also be accessed. For FcTMA+/2+ electrolysis the simulated ET kinetic parameters yield very fast ET kinetics (k0 > 2 ± 1 cm s–1). Some deviation between the experimental voltammetry and the idealized model is noted, suggesting that double-layer effects may influence ET at the nanoscale

Prospective longitudinal evaluation of treatment-related toxicity and health-related quality of life during the first year of treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background: Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy is accompanied by treatment-related toxicities (TRTs) and impaired quality of life. In Australia and New Zealand, children with ALL are treated with either Children’s Oncology Group (COG) or international Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (iBFM) Study Group-based therapy. We conducted a prospective registry study to document symptomatic TRTs (venous thrombosis, neurotoxicity, pancreatitis and bone toxicity), compare TRT outcomes to retrospective TRT data, and measure the impact of TRTs on children’s general and cancer-related health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and parents’ emotional well-being. Methods: Parents of children with newly diagnosed ALL were invited to participate in the ASSET (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Subtypes and Side Effects from Treatment) study and a prospective, longitudinal HRQoL study. TRTs were reported prospectively and families completed questionnaires for general (Healthy Utility Index Mark 3) and cancer specific (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)-Cancer Module) health related quality of life as well the Emotion Thermometer to assess emotional well-being. Results: Beginning in 2016, 260 pediatric patients with ALL were enrolled on the TRT registry with a median age at diagnosis of 59 months (range 1–213 months), 144 males (55.4%), majority with Pre-B cell immunophenotype, n = 226 (86.9%), 173 patients (66.5%) treated according to COG platform with relatively equal distribution across risk classification sub-groups. From 2018, 79 families participated in the HRQoL study through the first year of treatment. There were 74 TRT recorded, reflecting a 28.5% risk of developing a TRT. Individual TRT incidence was consistent with previous studies, being 7.7% for symptomatic VTE, 11.9% neurotoxicity, 5.4% bone toxicity and 5.0% pancreatitis. Children’s HRQoL was significantly lower than population norms throughout the first year of treatment. An improvement in general HRQoL, measured by the HUI3, contrasted with the lack of improvement in cancer-related HRQoL measured by the PedsQL Cancer Module over the first 12 months. There were no persisting differences in the HRQoL impact of COG compared to iBFM therapy. Conclusions: It is feasible to prospectively monitor TRT incidence and longitudinal HRQoL impacts during ALL therapy. Early phases of ALL therapy, regardless of treatment platform, result in prolonged reductions in cancer-related HRQoL

Photoemission Spectroscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation of Vapor Phase Co-Deposited Silver/Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Composites

Nanocomposite matrices of silver/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) were prepared in ultrahigh vacuum through vapor-phase co-deposition. Change in microstructure, chemical nature and electronic properties with increasing filler (Ag) content were investigated using in-situ XPS and UPS, and ambient AFM. At least two chemical binding states occur between Ag nanoparticles and sulfur in P3HT at the immediate contact layer but no evidence of interaction between Ag and carbon (in P3HT) was found. AFM images reveal a change in Ag nanoparticles size with concentration which modifies the microstructure and the average roughness of the surface. Under co-deposition, P3HT largely retains its conjugated structures, which is evidenced by the similar XPS and UPS spectra to those of P3HT films deposited on other substrates. We demonstrate here that the magnitude of the barrier height for hole injection and the position of the highest occupied band edge (HOB) with respect to the Fermi level of Ag can be controlled and changed by adjusting the metal (Ag) content in the composite. Furthermore, UPS reveals distinct features related to the C 2p (Sigma states) in the 5-12 eV regions, indicating the presence of ordered P3HT which is different from solution processed films.Comment: Scudier and Wei provided equal contributio

Implementing Routine HIV Testing: The Role of State Law

In September 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended routine HIV testing for all Americans aged 13–64, which would eliminate requirements for written consent and pretest counseling as previously required. However, this approach may conflict with state requirements concerning pretest counseling and informed consent for HIV testing. Our survey of state HIV testing laws demonstrates that the majority of states have HIV testing requirements that are inconsistent with the CDC's recommendations. Moreover, states that have recently amended their laws have not eased the requirements for pretest counseling and informed consent. The reasons for the persistence of these legal requirements must be understood to effect policy changes to increase HIV testing

Putting episodic disability into context: a qualitative study exploring factors that influence disability experienced by adults living with HIV/AIDS

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>An increasing number of individuals may be living with the health-related consequences of HIV and its associated treatments, a concept we term disability. However, the context in which disability is experienced from the HIV perspective is not well understood. The purpose of this paper is to describe the contextual factors that influence the experiences of disability from the perspective of adults living with HIV.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted four focus groups and 15 face-to-face interviews with 38 men and women living with HIV. We asked participants to describe their health-related challenges, the physical, social and psychological areas of their life affected, and the impact of these challenges on their overall health. We also conducted two validity check focus groups with seven returning participants. We analyzed data using grounded theory techniques to develop a conceptual framework of disability for adults living with HIV, called the Episodic Disability Framework.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Contextual factors that influenced disability were integral to participants' experiences and emerged as a key component of the framework. Extrinsic contextual factors included social support (support from friends, family, partners, pets and community, support from health care services and personnel, and programme and policy support) and stigma. Intrinsic contextual factors included living strategies (seeking social interaction with others, maintaining a sense of control over life and the illness, "blocking HIV out of the mind", and adopting attitudes and beliefs to help manage living with HIV) and personal attributes (gender and aging). These factors may exacerbate or alleviate dimensions of HIV disability.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This framework is the first to consider the contextual factors that influence experiences of disability from the perspective of adults living with HIV. Extrinsic factors (level of social support and stigma) and intrinsic factors (living strategies and personal attributes) may exacerbate or alleviate episodes of HIV-related disability. These factors offer a broader understanding of the disability experience and may suggest ways to prevent or reduce disability for adults living with HIV.</p

A Systems Biology Approach to Characterize the Regulatory Networks Leading to Trabectedin Resistance in an In Vitro Model of Myxoid Liposarcoma

Trabectedin, a new antitumor compound originally derived from a marine tunicate, is clinically effective in soft tissue sarcoma. The drug has shown a high selectivity for myxoid liposarcoma, characterized by the translocation t(12;16)(q13; p11) leading to the expression of FUS-CHOP fusion gene. Trabectedin appears to act interfering with mechanisms of transcription regulation. In particular, the transactivating activity of FUS-CHOP was found to be impaired by trabectedin treatment. Even after prolonged response resistance occurs and thus it is important to elucidate the mechanisms of resistance to trabectedin. To this end we developed and characterized a myxoid liposarcoma cell line resistant to trabectedin (402-91/ET), obtained by exposing the parental 402-91 cell line to stepwise increases in drug concentration. The aim of this study was to compare mRNAs, miRNAs and proteins profiles of 402-91 and 402-91/ET cells through a systems biology approach. We identified 3,083 genes, 47 miRNAs and 336 proteins differentially expressed between 402-91 and 402-91/ET cell lines. Interestingly three miRNAs among those differentially expressed, miR-130a, miR-21 and miR-7, harbored CHOP binding sites in their promoter region. We used computational approaches to integrate the three regulatory layers and to generate a molecular map describing the altered circuits in sensitive and resistant cell lines. By combining transcriptomic and proteomic data, we reconstructed two different networks, i.e. apoptosis and cell cycle regulation, that could play a key role in modulating trabectedin resistance. This approach highlights the central role of genes such as CCDN1, RB1, E2F4, TNF, CDKN1C and ABL1 in both pre- and post-transcriptional regulatory network. The validation of these results in in vivo models might be clinically relevant to stratify myxoid liposarcoma patients with different sensitivity to trabectedin treatment