Microclimate monitoring in the Carcer Tullianum: temporal and spatial correlation and gradients evidenced by multivariate analysis; first campaign

Too often microclimate studies in the field of cultural heritage are published without any or scarce information on sampling design, sensors (type, number, position) and instrument validation. Lacking of this fundamental information does not allow an open discussion in the scientific community. This work aims to be an invitation for a different approach

Fermentation of Vaccinium floribundum Berries with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Reduces Oxidative Stress in Endothelial Cells and Modulates Macrophages Function

Accumulating evidence suggests that high consumption of natural antioxidants promotes health by reducing oxidative stress and, thus, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, fermentation of natural compounds with lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, enhances their beneficial properties as regulators of the immune, digestive, and cardiovascular system. We investigated the effects of fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on the antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of Pushgay berries (Vaccinium floribundum, Ericaceae family) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and macrophage cell line RAW264.7. Polyphenol content was assayed by Folin-Ciocalteu and HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The effects of berries solutions on cell viability or proliferation were assessed by WST8 (2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, Trypan blue exclusion test, and Alamar blue assay. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by a cell-based chemiluminescent probe for the detection of intracellular H2O2 production in HUVECs. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression levels were investigated by RT-qPCR. Glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities, as markers of intracellular antioxidant defense, were evaluated by spectrophotometric analysis. The immunomodulatory activity was examined in RAW 264.7 by quantification of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF alpha) by RT-qPCR. Data showed that fermentation of Pushgay berries (i) enhances the content of quercetin aglycone, and (ii) increases their intracellular antioxidant activity, as indicated by the reduction in H2O2-induced cell death and the decrease in H2O2-induced HO-1 gene expression in HUVECs treated for 24 h with fermented berries solution (10 mu g/mL). Moreover, treatment with Pushgay berries for 72 h (10 mu g/mL) promotes cells growth in RAW 264.7, and only fermented Pushgay berries increase the expression of iNOS in the same cell line. Taken together, our results show that LAB fermentation of Pushgay berries enhances their antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties

Amphetamine modulation of long term object recognition memory in rats: Influence of stress

Amphetamine is a potent psychostimulant which increases the release of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter crucially involved in the regulation of memory for stressful experiences. Here we investigated amphetamine effects on consolidation of long term object recognition memory in rats exposed to different stressful conditions. In a second set of experiments, we evaluated whether such effects were dependent on the activation of the peripheral adrenergic system. Immediately after training, adult male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with amphetamine (0.5 – 1 mg/Kg), and submitted to 1 min (25 ± 1 °C) or to 5 min (19 ± 1 °C) forced swim stress (mild and strong stressful conditions, respectively). Retention tests were performed 24 h later. Amphetamine enhanced memory consolidation in rats subjected to the mild stress condition while impairing it in rats subjected to strong stress after training. These dichotomic effects seem to depend on the stress induced activation of the peripheral adrenergic response. In rats unable to synthetize epinephrine (subjected to surgical removal of adrenal medulla) we found opposite effects. In the mild stress condition amphetamine not only lost the capability to enhance memory consolidation but it impaired memory performances, whereas in rats subjected to strong stress after training it ameliorated memory discrimination. Our results are in line with the inverted U-shaped relationship existing between stress levels and memory performances, underlining that the peripheral adrenergic response is a key player in the modulation of amphetamine modulation of long term memory

A multivariate approach for a comparison of big data matrices. Case study: thermo-hygrometric monitoring inside the Carcer Tullianum (Rome) in the absence and in the presence of visitors

In the last decades, the very fast improvement of the analytical instrumentation has led to the possibility of quickly and easily getting a lot of data; in turn, the need of advanced statistical methods suitable to extract the full information furnished by instruments has increased. Such kind of data treatments is particularly important in any case of continuous monitoring of one or more parameters, so the microclimate monitoring is a typical example for this application. Microclimate control is essential in the conservation of Cultural Heritage (CH), but decisions on optimal conservation parameters cannot base only on existing norms that do not take into account the environment’s history. Often CH has survived for many centuries in conditions that must be considered risky but also a stable state (equilibrium) resulting from a long adaptation process during which a more or less heavy damage occurred to the materials. Any successive change of microclimate parameters has interrupted this equilibrium conditions and has induced further damage to material until a new equilibrium is reached; dimension and frequency of changes are proportional to the expected damage. This thermodynamic consideration provides the background for a CH conservation project based on microclimate control and highlights the importance of environmental monitoring for the identification of equilibrium parameters to be maintained. In 2010, we monitored the microclimate of an important historical building in Rome, the Mamertino Carcer, before its opening to visitors. One year later, we repeated the monitoring in the presence of visitors, and here, we present a careful choice of multivariate data treatments adopted for an enough, simple and immediate evaluation of the microclimatic changes; this allows an easier understanding also for persons with not too deep scientific background, such as Superintendents and, in turn, really useful information to provide suggestions for a conservation project. Results evidenced the expected loss of isolation of the site that occurred by opening to visitors; this led to wider excursions of both temperature and relative humidity and, in turn, to a worsening of the conservative conditions. Surely, a monitoring of particulate matter, correlated to air fluxes and, in turn, to microclimate, is of fundamental importance for the conservation of frescoes and will be object of one of our future diagnostic interventions in the site. © 2017, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Spring waters and the birth of a civilization, sacred waters of Roman Forum, physical chemical analysis of the sources in the III millennium, preliminary measurements

Lot of ancient cities born “around” a water spring; Be’er Sheva, the city of seven wells, מעיין הגיחון the Gihon in Jerusalem, Sulukulekap the Water-Tower Gate of Constantinople, the Kallirroe in Athens (born of Nymphs divinity), the Peirene in Corinth are some examples but surely Rome must be considered one of the city richest of springs. Thank to the presence of Tiber, from 1000 B.C. Romans had a great availability of water sources, 23 historically identified up today. The demographic increase (someone talks about more then 1 million citizens in the golden age) has led to a greater demand for water; so, in 312 B.C., the first Romans aqueduct was constructed and the water sources inside the Forum (cultural and government centre of Rome), as Juturnae, Tullianum, Lacus Curtius, became sacred. This paper treats a research inserted in a wider project aiming to compare different spring waters emerging in the area of the Roman Forum (Rome, Italy). In particular, data from in situ (Temperature, pH, Conductivity) and in-lab (anions and cations content) measures obtained in two campaigns in 2017, that compare nine sources and two nearby standpipes, are reported and discussed. From the preliminary results, the sacred springs seem quite different from Roman’s supply water; unfortunately, today, they are only resurgence, and in some cases, the flow is so low to be difficult to measure. The microbiological quality and a continuous monitoring of at least one of the sources will be the next step of the research project

Golden Mean and Proportion in Dental Esthetics after Orthodontic Treatments: An In Vivo Study

Purpose: The definition of the golden ratio was established around the sixth century BC; Levin and Snow developed specific theories applicable in dentistry, which apply the golden proportion rule with the intention of reproducing a perfect smile. This study analyzed the literature and assessed whether these concepts remain valid and applicable in clinical practice, evaluating the theories with a group of patients followed by an experienced orthodontic team. Methods: This study was retrospectively performed on 400 patients (241 females and 159 males) who underwent orthodontic treatments. The analysis was conducted on intraoral frontal photos, both pre-treatment and post-orthodontic treatment, to observe if there was a statistically significant difference in the tooth display according to the golden mean and golden proportion theories. Results: The canine at the end of the orthodontic treatment had a greater visibility than that proposed by Levin and Snow. Conclusions: This study revealed how these theories could be considered in certain respects, but nowadays are not totally valid and applicable to the clinical reality. Snow’s theory appears to be more consistent with the clinical findings than Levin’s theory

Il comizio dei re

La giornata di studio ‘Il Comizio dei Re’ è dedicata alla presentazione dei nuovi e importanti dati emersi dallo scavo condotto dalla Soprintendenza Speciale per il Colosseo e l’Area Archeologica Centrale di Roma in occasione della messa in sicurezza del complesso monumentale del Comitium — Niger Lapis. Si tratta di un luogo di fondamentale importanza per la storia politica ed istituzionale di Roma antica. Nel comizio si riuniva l’assemblea del popolo per conferire al re l’imperium, il supremo potere di comando militare, prender parte alla celebrazione dei processi criminali, presenziare all’inaugurazione dei re e dei sacerdoti maggiori e a tutti quegli atti di diritto privato, quali, ad esempio, il testamento e l’adozione di un pater familias, che avevano incidenza sull’assetto giuridico, religioso ed economico delle familiae e delle gentes. La collaborazione, avviata ormai da anni, dal Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche della Sapienza con la Soprintendenza e la British School at Rome – sia attraverso la partecipazione congiunta a progetti di ricerca di Ateneo sia grazie all’Accordo di Collaborazione Scientifica per la realizzazione del Progetto di interesse nazionale patrocinato dal Ministero dei beni e delle attività culturali e del turismo e dedicato ai Loca rei publicae administrandae del Foro Romano – ha reso possibile integrare competenze diverse e offrire agli studiosi una lettura a tutto tondo, comprensiva anche degli aspetti politici ed istituzionali che sono funzionalmente prevalenti. Non è infatti un caso che proprio nell’area del Comizio sia stata rinvenuta la più antica ‘legge regia’ datata alla metà del VI secolo a.C. e ancora in situ. L’impiego delle moderne tecnologie di indagine (Laser Scanner 3D) ha consentito di mettere a punto una nuova edizione dell’iscrizione che ha permesso di acquisire ulteriori elementi di conoscenza sulla natura e il contenuto di questa antica statuizione