Low-cost GPS/GNSS Real Time Kinematic receiver to build a cartographic grid on the ground for an archaeological survey at Piscina Torta (Italy)

The collection of samples and finds for archaeological surveys is traditionally based on the establishment of grids that allow the area under study to be discretized into generally square cells in order to allow a statistical assessment of the highest or lowest concentration of finds. Currently, such grids are implemented in a local coordinate system established by means of total stations or tape measures. We validated the capabilities of a low-cost GPS/GNSS Real Time Kinematic (RTK) receiver to build a grid during the intensive archaeological survey of the Piscina Torta site (Italy), in the framework of the Salt and Power project of the University of Groningen. We also tested not using a local grid but a cartographic grid (WGS84 UTM zone 33 N) and naming the single cells with the coordinates of one of its vertices. This approach is greatly facilitated by the recent availability of inexpensive RTK receivers with few centimetres accuracy, very small in size and weight and with hardware protected enough to be used in the field. This would facilitate the use and exchange of the data (e.g. about the materials collected in the cell) among the scientific community and can be thought of as a proposal for standardization

Next Generation Molecular Diagnosis of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias: An Italian Cross-Sectional Study

Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) refers to a group of genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative motor neuron disorders characterized by progressive age-dependent loss of corticospinal motor tract function, lower limb spasticity, and weakness. Recent clinical use of next generation sequencing (NGS) methodologies suggests that they facilitate the diagnostic approach to HSP, but the power of NGS as a first-tier diagnostic procedure is unclear. The larger-than-expected genetic heterogeneity-there are over 80 potential disease-associated genes-and frequent overlap with other clinical conditions affecting the motor system make a molecular diagnosis in HSP cumbersome and time consuming. In a single-center, cross-sectional study, spanning 4 years, 239 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of HSP underwent molecular screening of a large set of genes, using two different customized NGS panels. The latest version of our targeted sequencing panel (SpastiSure3.0) comprises 118 genes known to be associated with HSP. Using an in-house validated bioinformatics pipeline and several in silico tools to predict mutation pathogenicity, we obtained a positive diagnostic yield of 29% (70/239), whereas variants of unknown significance (VUS) were found in 86 patients (36%), and 83 cases remained unsolved. This study is among the largest screenings of consecutive HSP index cases enrolled in real-life clinical-diagnostic settings. Its results corroborate NGS as a modern, first-step procedure for molecular diagnosis of HSP. It also disclosed a significant number of new mutations in ultra-rare genes, expanding the clinical spectrum, and genetic landscape of HSP, at least in Italy

Plant latex lipases: physiological role and applications

Lipases are natural catalysts widely employed to structure various lipids, fats and oils in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. Despite their high potential in lipid biotechnology, current application of microbial lipases has been limited owing to high costs and limited availability. During the last two decades, research efforts have been directed towards the identification of low cost and GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) lipases sources. Plant lipases from species with oil seeds have been widely studied, though their application has turned out to be disappointing, due to low activity and transient expression during seed germination. In the early nineties, research into in non seed tissues showed high lipolytic activity in the latex of some species of Caricaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Asclepiadaceae. At the moment, crude dried latex from Carica papaya is the most studied biocatalyst in lipid synthesis and modification, but little is known about the physiological role of C. papaya lipase or the applications of other latex lipases. In this paper we report more than ten years of research into the characterisation of plant-latex lipases roles and applications

Isoenzimi lipolitici nel latice di alcune specie del genere Euphorbia

Nell'ambito di alcuni studi sulle lipasi vegetali è stata accertata la presenza di attività lipolitica in alcuni latici del genere Asclepiadacee, Euforbiacee, Caricacee. In particolare gli studi di caratterizzazione delle lipasi da Carica papaya hanno evidenziato la possibilità di impiego di tali enzimi nelle modificazioni di sostanze grasse e lipidi. In tale ambito è stata messa in evidenza la presenza di attività lipolitica nei latici di due generi di Euphorbia sotto forma di isoenzimi di cui ne è stata caratterizzata la specificità di substrato e l'attività lipolitica ed esterasica in diverse condizioni sperimentali. Sono stati inoltre messi a punto protocolli estrattivi e purificativi in fase acquosa delle lipasi da latice che potrebbero fornire le condizioni ottimali per una migliore caratterizzazione biochimica degli enzimi stessi

The faunal assemblage from La Sassa cave (Latium, Italy): Environmental perspective of a Late Pleistocene cave hyena – Brown bear den

La Sassa cave (Sonnino, central Italy) is a recently investigated MIS 3 site of southern Latium, a region characterised by a large number of caves and open-air Late Pleistocene sites. This paper describes the large faunal assemblage discovered at La Sassa cave, providing taphonomic and stratigraphic analyses which allow us to interpret the outer rooms of the cave as a cave hyena communal den and the inner area as a possibly coeval brown bear hibernating shelter. Archaeological evidence also indicates a human frequentation of the surrounding area occurred. In addition, a first environmental reconstruction of the area is provided based on faunal data. Results suggest a composite hilly landscape, with forests and grasslands interspersed by scrubland areas, rocky bands and wetlands, between the Pontine Plain and the modest peaks of the Ausoni Mountains. This contribution improves our palaeoecological perspective of the area around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum with intense human occupation

The faunal assemblage from La Sassa cave (Latium, Italy):Environmental perspective of a Late Pleistocene cave hyena – Brown bear den

La Sassa cave (Sonnino, central Italy) is a recently investigated MIS 3 site of southern Latium, a region characterised by a large number of caves and open-air Late Pleistocene sites. This paper describes the large faunal assemblage discovered at La Sassa cave, providing taphonomic and stratigraphic analyses which allow us to interpret the outer rooms of the cave as a cave hyena communal den and the inner area as a possibly coeval brown bear hibernating shelter. Archaeological evidence also indicates a human frequentation of the surrounding area occurred. In addition, a first environmental reconstruction of the area is provided based on faunal data. Results suggest a composite hilly landscape, with forests and grasslands interspersed by scrubland areas, rocky bands and wetlands, between the Pontine Plain and the modest peaks of the Ausoni Mountains. This contribution improves our palaeoecological perspective of the area around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum with intense human occupation

Lipolytic isoenzymes from Euphorbia latex

The activity and substrate specificity of latex lipases from Euphorbia species (E. characias, E. wulfenii, E. pinea, E. myrsinites and E. dendroides) were investigated. High lipolytic activity was found only in E. characias and for the first time in E. wulfenii latex. For both species the lipolytic activity on various triglycerides, and under different temperature and pH conditions, in both crude latex and in partially purified enzymes was quantified. Optimised extraction and purification methods permitted the recovery of the enzymatic fraction with high lipolytic activity. This fraction is probably constituted by a pool of different lipolytic enzymes. Finally, lipolytic activity was also measured for E. characias and E. wulfenii during vegetative and reproductive stages

Risk of COVID-19 after natural infection or vaccinationResearch in context

Background: While vaccines have established utility against COVID-19, phase 3 efficacy studies have generally not comprehensively evaluated protection provided by previous infection or hybrid immunity (previous infection plus vaccination). Individual patient data from US government-supported harmonized vaccine trials provide an unprecedented sample population to address this issue. We characterized the protective efficacy of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and hybrid immunity against COVID-19 early in the pandemic over three-to six-month follow-up and compared with vaccine-associated protection. Methods: In this post-hoc cross-protocol analysis of the Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Novavax COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, we allocated participants into four groups based on previous-infection status at enrolment and treatment: no previous infection/placebo; previous infection/placebo; no previous infection/vaccine; and previous infection/vaccine. The main outcome was RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 >7–15 days (per original protocols) after final study injection. We calculated crude and adjusted efficacy measures. Findings: Previous infection/placebo participants had a 92% decreased risk of future COVID-19 compared to no previous infection/placebo participants (overall hazard ratio [HR] ratio: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.05–0.13). Among single-dose Janssen participants, hybrid immunity conferred greater protection than vaccine alone (HR: 0.03; 95% CI: 0.01–0.10). Too few infections were observed to draw statistical inferences comparing hybrid immunity to vaccine alone for other trials. Vaccination, previous infection, and hybrid immunity all provided near-complete protection against severe disease. Interpretation: Previous infection, any hybrid immunity, and two-dose vaccination all provided substantial protection against symptomatic and severe COVID-19 through the early Delta period. Thus, as a surrogate for natural infection, vaccination remains the safest approach to protection. Funding: National Institutes of Health