The ‘PAThs’ Project: An Effort to Represent the Physical Dimension of Coptic Literary Production (Third–Eleventh centuries)

PAThs – Tracking Papyrus and Parchment Paths: An Archaeological Atlas of Coptic Literature. Literary Texts in their Geographical Context. Production, Copying, Usage, Dissemination and Storage is an ambitious digital project based in Rome, working towards a new historical and archaeological geography of the Coptic literary tradition. This aim implies a number of auxiliary tasks and challenges, including classification of authors, works, titles, colophons, and codicological units, as well as the study and wherever possible exact mapping of the relevant geographical sites related to the production, circulation, and storage of manuscript

Project Passport: An Integrated Group-Centered Approach Targeting Pregnant Teens and Their Partners

Objective: To describes the development of Project Passport, a perinatal intervention designed to reduce negative outcomes among pregnant teens. Methods: A logic model guided the planning, development and evaluation plan for the intervention. It included the selection of health goals, behaviors to be targeted, determinants of the selected behaviors, and activities to impact each selected determinant. Results: The process resulted in the formulation of an intervention that incorporates CenteringPregnancy, a group model of prenatal care, Positive Youth Development components, and male involvement. The evaluation examines the effectiveness of the intervention in enhancing health, educational and psychosocial outcomes among pregnant adolescents. Conclusions: The present program was designed to address an important gap in evidence-based interventions targeting pregnant adolescents and their partners

In situ observations on the dentition and oral cavity of the Neanderthal skeleton from Altamura (Italy)

The Neanderthal specimen from Lamalunga Cave, near Altamura (Apulia, Italy), was discovered during a speleological survey in 1993. The specimen is one of the most complete fossil hominins in Europe and its state of preservation is exceptional, although it is stuck in calcareous concretions and the bones are mostly covered by calcite depositions. Nevertheless, it is possible to carry out some observations on craniodental features that have not previously been described. In this work, we present an account of the oral cavity, made possible by the use of a videoscope, which allowed us to reach some hidden parts of the mandible and palate. This is the first detailed overview of the teeth and maxillary bones of the Neanderthal skeleton from Altamura. The dentition is almost complete. However, two teeth (upper right P3 and upper left M1) were lost ante mortem and four teeth (lower right I1 and P3 and lower left I1 and I2) were lost most probably post mortem. Dental wear is marked. The erupted M3s and the inversion of the compensating curve of Wilson in the M1s and M2s but not in the M3s suggest that the individual is fully adult, but not old. Although most of the teeth have their roots exposed for several millimeters, the periodontal bone appears to be in good condition overall, except in correspondence of the two ante-mortem tooth losses. X-rays of the anterior teeth show a periapical lesion, probably linked to the advanced dental wear. We also observed a weak expression of taurodontism in the posterior dentition and the presence of a retromolar space, features consistent with an attribution to the Neanderthal hypodigm; this attribution is also supported by aspects of the cranial morphology, the morphometric analysis of the scapula and preliminary mtDNA data. There is also a well-developed palatine torus, to the best of our knowledge a feature not previously described in Neanderthals

Menstrual pattern and menstrual disorders among adolescents: an update of the Italian data.

Abstract Background The most striking event in the whole process of female puberty is the onset of menstruation. To our knowledge, no large population-based studies have been performed on the topic of menstrual health among Italian adolescents in recent years. The aims of this study were to produce up-to-date information on the menstrual pattern of Italian girls attending secondary school, and to estimate the prevalence of menstrual cycle abnormalities in this population. Methods This was a cross-sectional study on a population-based sample of Italian adolescents aged 13–21 years attending secondary school. Only girls who had already started menstruating were requested to participate. Information was collected by means of a questionnaire that included items on the girls’ demographic details, anthropometrics, smoking and drinking habits, use of contraceptive pills, and socioeconomic status. The questions on the girls’ menstrual pattern concerned their age at menarche, duration of the most recent menstruation intervals (35 days, variable), average days of bleeding (6 days), and any menstrual problems and their frequency. Results A total of 6,924 questionnaires were administered and 4,992 (71%) were returned. One hundred girls failed to report their date of birth, so 4,892 subjects were analyzed. The girls’ mean age was 17.1 years (SD ±1.4); their mean age at menarche was 12.4 (±1.3) years, median 12.4 years (95%CI 12.3–12.5). In our sample population, 3.0% (95%CI 2.5%-3.4%) of the girls had menstruation intervals of less than 21 days, while it was more than 35 days in 3.4% (95%CI 2.9%-3.9%). About 9% of the girls (95%CI 7.7%-9.4%) said the length of their menstruation interval was currently irregular. Short bleeding periods (6 days) in 19% (95%CI 17.9%-20.1%). Menstruation-related abdominal pain was reported by about 56% of our sample. About 6.2% of the girls (95%CI 5.4%-7.0%) were suffering from dysmenorrhea. Conclusions In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is one of the largest studies on menstrual patterns and menstrual disorders among Italian adolescent girls. Adolescent girls referring persistent oligomenorrhoea, in first two years from menarche, had a higher risk for developing a persistent menstrual irregularity. They had longer bleeding periods (>6 days) and this has practical implications because it makes these adolescents potentially more susceptible to iron deficiency anemia. Clinicians need to identify menstrual abnormalities as early as possible in order to minimize their possible consequences and sequelae, and to promote proper health information. We recommend that adolescents should be encouraged to chart their menstrual frequency and regularity prospectively from the menarche onwards.</p

QUBIC: The Q&U Bolometric Interferometer for Cosmology - A novel way to look at the polarized Cosmic Microwave Background

In this paper we describe QUBIC, an experiment that takes up the challenge posed by the detection of primordial gravitational waves with a novel approach, that combines the sensitivity of state-of-the art bolometric detectors with the systematic effects control typical of interferometers. The so-called "self-calibration" is a technique deeply rooted in the interferometric nature of the instrument and allows us to clean the measured data from instrumental effects. The first module of QUBIC is a dual band instrument (150 GHz and 220 GHz) that will be deployed in Argentina during the Fall 2018.Fil: Mennella, Aniello. University of Milan; ItaliaFil: Ade, P. A. R.. Cardiff University; Reino UnidoFil: Aumont, J.. Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; FranciaFil: Banfie, S.. Istituto Nazionale Di Fisica Nucleare; ItaliaFil: Battaglia, P.. Università degli Studi di Trieste; ItaliaFil: Battistelli, E. S.. Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Baùe, F.. Istituto Nazionale Di Fisica Nucleare; ItaliaFil: Buzi, D.. Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Columbro, F.. Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Bélie, B.. Institute of Fundamental Electronics; FranciaFil: Bennett, D.. Maynooth University; IrlandaFil: Bergé, L.. Centre de Sciences Nucléaires et de Sciences de la Matière; FranciaFil: Bernard, J. Ph.. Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie; FranciaFil: Bersanelli, M.. University of Milan; ItaliaFil: Bigot Sazy, M. A.. APC; FranciaFil: Bleurvacq, N.. APC; FranciaFil: Bordier, G.. APC; FranciaFil: Brossard, J.. APC; FranciaFil: Bunn, E. F.. Richmond University; Estados UnidosFil: Burke, D. P.. Maynooth University; IrlandaFil: Buzi, D.. Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Buzzelli, A.. Universita Tor Vergata; ItaliaFil: Cammilleri, D.. APC; FranciaFil: Cavaliere, F.. University of Milan; ItaliaFil: Chanial, P.. APC; FranciaFil: Etchegoyen, Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Tecnología en Detección y Astropartículas. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Instituto de Tecnología en Detección y Astropartículas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Tecnología en Detección y Astropartículas; ArgentinaFil: Harari, Diego Dario. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Medina, Maria Clementina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; ArgentinaFil: Romero, Gustavo Esteban. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía; ArgentinaFil: Suarez, Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Tecnología en Detección y Astropartículas. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Instituto de Tecnología en Detección y Astropartículas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Tecnología en Detección y Astropartículas; ArgentinaThe European Physical Society Conference on High Energy PhysicsVeneciaItaliaEuropean Physical Societ

New understandings of the genetic basis of isolated idiopathic central hypogonadism

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a rare disease that is characterized by delayed/absent puberty and/or infertility due to an insufficient stimulation of an otherwise normal pituitary-gonadal axis by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) action. Because reduced or normal luteinizing hormone (LH)/follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels may be observed in the affected patients, the term idiopathic central hypogonadism (ICH) appears to be more appropriate. This disease should be distinguished from central hypogonadism that is combined with other pituitary deficiencies. Isolated ICH has a complex pathogenesis and is fivefold more prevalent in males. ICH frequently appears in a sporadic form, but several familial cases have also been reported. This finding, in conjunction with the description of numerous pathogenetic gene variants and the generation of several knockout models, supports the existence of a strong genetic component. ICH may be associated with several morphogenetic abnormalities, which include osmic defects that, with ICH, constitute the cardinal manifestations of Kallmann syndrome (KS). KS accounts for approximately 40% of the total ICH cases and has been generally considered to be a distinct subgroup. However, the description of several pedigrees, which include relatives who are affected either with isolated osmic defects, KS, or normo-osmic ICH (nICH), justifies the emerging idea that ICH is a complex genetic disease that is characterized by variable expressivity and penetrance. In this context, either multiple gene variants or environmental factors and epigenetic modifications may contribute to the variable disease manifestations. We review the genetic mechanisms that are presently known to be involved in ICH pathogenesis and provide a clinical overview of the 227 cases that have been collected by the collaborating centres of the Italian ICH Network

Serum levels of osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor -κB ligand in children with early juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a 2-year prospective controlled study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The clinical relevance of observations of serum levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor -κB ligand (RANKL) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is not clear. To elucidate the potential role of OPG and RANKL in JIA we determined serum levels of OPG and RANKL in patients with early JIA compared to healthy children, and prospectively explored changes in relation to radiographic score, bone and lean mass, severity of the disease, and treatment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ninety children with early oligoarticular or polyarticular JIA (ages 6-18 years; mean disease duration 19.4 months) and 90 healthy children individually matched for age, sex, race, and county of residence, were examined at baseline and 2-year follow-up. OPG and RANKL were quantified by enzyme-immunoassay. Data were analyzed with the use of t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple regression analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Serum OPG was significantly lower in patients than controls at baseline, and there was a trend towards higher RANKL and a lower OPG/RANKL ratio. Patients with polyarthritis had significantly higher increments in RANKL from baseline to follow-up, compared to patients with oligoarthritis. RANKL was a significant negative predictor for increments in total body lean mass. Patients who were receiving corticosteroids (CS) or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) at follow-up had higher OPG/RANKL ratio compared with patients who did not receive this medication.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data supports that levels of OPG are lower in patients with JIA compared to healthy children, and higher levels of RANKL is associated with more serious disease. RANKL was a significant negative predictor of lean mass in patients with JIA. The OPG/RANKL ratio was higher in patients on DMARDs or CS treatment.</p

Status of QUBIC, the Q&U Bolometer for Cosmology

The Q&U Bolometric Interferometer for Cosmology (QUBIC) is a novel kind of polarimeter optimized for the measurement of the B-mode polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Back-ground (CMB), which is one of the major challenges of observational cosmology. The signal is expected to be of the order of a few tens of nK, prone to instrumental systematic effects and polluted by various astrophysical foregrounds which can only be controlled through multichroic observations. QUBIC is designed to address these observational issues with a novel approach that combines the advantages of interferometry in terms of control of instrumental systematics with those of bolometric detectors in terms of wide-band, background-limited sensitivity.Comment: Contribution to the 2022 Cosmology session of the 33rd Rencontres de Blois. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2203.0894