Discovery of a lipid synthesising organ in the auditory system of an insect

Weta possess typical Ensifera ears. Each ear comprises three functional parts: two equally sized tympanal membranes, an underlying system of modified tracheal chambers, and the auditory sensory organ, the crista acustica. This organ sits within an enclosed fluid-filled channel–previously presumed to be hemolymph. The role this channel plays in insect hearing is unknown. We discovered that the fluid within the channel is not actually hemolymph, but a medium composed principally of lipid from a new class. Three-dimensional imaging of this lipid channel revealed a previously undescribed tissue structure within the channel, which we refer to as the olivarius organ. Investigations into the function of the olivarius reveal de novo lipid synthesis indicating that it is producing these lipids in situ from acetate. The auditory role of this lipid channel was investigated using Laser Doppler vibrometry of the tympanal membrane, which shows that the displacement of the membrane is significantly increased when the lipid is removed from the auditory system. Neural sensitivity of the system, however, decreased upon removal of the lipid–a surprising result considering that in a typical auditory system both the mechanical and auditory sensitivity are positively correlated. These two results coupled with 3D modelling of the auditory system lead us to hypothesize a model for weta audition, relying strongly on the presence of the lipid channel. This is the first instance of lipids being associated with an auditory system outside of the Odentocete cetaceans, demonstrating convergence for the use of lipids in hearing

Aspects of the relationship between Rome and the Greek cities of southern Italy and Campania under the Republic and early Empire.

PhD ThesisThe purpose of this study is to analyse the relations of Rome with the Greek cities of Southern Italy during the Republic and the Early Empire, in order to create a "case study" of the processes of political expansion and Romanisation. The first part of this project utilises the historical sources, while the second is an analysis of the epigraphic evidence. No detailed consideration of archaeological material has been included since there has been extensive recent excavation of the area in question, and it is not possible to produce a complete synthesis of available material within the scope of a doctoral thesis. The first section of this project is a reassessment of the historical evidence for the contacts between Rome and the Italiote Greeks in the 4th and 3rd centuries B. C., together with a study of the behaviour of the Greek cities during the Punic Wars and the post-war period. The legal and diplomatic aspects of the relationship built up by Rome with the Greek communities are also reassessed. This seems to indicate that Roman control of Southern Italy developed relatively slowly, with little contact before 200 B. C., and seems to follow a pattern similar to that of Roman expansion in the East. The second section is a survey of the epigraphic evidence for the Greek cities of Southern Italy, undertaken to clarify the social, linguistic and administrative changes occurring as a result of the Roman conquest. It is used to build up a profile of each of the cities studied, including a prosopography of named individuals and studies of changes in language, religious cults, municipal administration, and social composition. This allows some evaluation of the differences in their response to Roman influence. The evidence indicates that Roman influence took root in the South by the 1st century A. D., but that awareness of Greek culture remained strong, and was actively cultivated. The diverse epigraphic habits of the area indicate the extent to which the differences between cities may reflect their differing responses to Romanisation

Recent Work on the Design and Construction of Air Inflated Structures

AbstractOver the last few years our practice has been responsible for the structural design of a number of lightweight structures that achieve their structural stability by inflating elements of fabric structure. The paper will explain the design rationale of key examples; describing the structural forms, methods of analysis and design, and the detailing, materials, and methods of fabrication. The largest and most complex of these structures to date is a demountable stage set structure for the Cirque du Soleil “Toruk: First Flight” show, comprising two 15 metre high and 20 metre wide structures. The stage set structures form ‘trees’ on which acrobats climb and perform. Each structure incorporates a high level access gantry with acrobat suspension and counterweight systems, as well as a secondary inflatable skin cladding. The entire primary structure and cladding system is constructed from inflated fabric elements using internal pressures ranging from 0.5 KN/m2 up to 90 KN/m2, and are deflated down to less than 5% of their erected volume for transport between venues. Other examples of our work described will include temporary pavilions with clear spans of up to 25 metres, using a combination of air tight and air permeable elements. Also a range of wide span structures that we describe as “semi-permanent” that are capable of resisting full environmental wind and snow loading, and that are fully demountable but that can also be erected for extended periods of time in a single location

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

The rise of Rome

Lomas K. Der Aufstieg Roms. Von Romulus bis Pyrrhus. 2. Aufl. Walter U, tran. Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta; 2019

"Vicinitas": Neighbourhoods, Networks and Identities in Ciceronian Italy

La Italia romana era una región fuertemente interconectada. Las élites de Roma y de otras comunidades estaban conectadas por una densa red de contactos que desempeñaban un papel crucial a la hora de influir en el comportamiento social, económico y político y de conformar identidades culturales. Este artículo analiza la importancia de las redes de vecindad en el periodo posterior a la Guerra de los Aliados utilizando no solo las obras de Cicerón y sus contemporáneos sino también enfoques analíticos modernos, y estudia la forma en la que se define el concepto de vicinitas así como su importancia social y política en este periodo crucial de la historia de Roma

Crossing boundaries: The inscribed votives of Southeast Italy

The sanctuaries of southeast Italy have produced many votives, mainly small items of little intrinsic value. However, a few of these items were inscribed, despite the fact that literacy was an elite dominated skill in pre-Roman Italy. This paper explores the significance of the act of inscribing votive objects, and the implications for our understanding of both the role of writing in ritual, and of the value and significance of the objects that were inscribed.Les sanctuaires du sud-est de l’Italie nous ont laissé de nombreux ex voto, principalement des petits articles de peu de valeur intrinsèque. Cependant, certains d’entre eux comprennent des inscriptions même si savoir lire et écrire était le privilège de l’élite dans l’Italie pré-romaine. Ce papier explore le sens du geste de graver des inscriptions sur des objets votifs et les implications que prennent pour nous le rôle de l’écriture dans les rituels ainsi que la valeur et la signification des objets munis de ces inscriptions