3D scanning, modelling and printing of ultra-thin nacreous shells from Jericho: a case study of small finds documentation in archaeology

This paper springs out from a collaborative project jointly carried out by the FabLab Saperi&Co and the Museum of Near East, Egypt and Mediterranean of Sapienza University of Rome focused at producing replicas of ultra-thin archeological finds with a sub-millimetric precision. The main technological challenge of this project was to produce models through 3D optical scanning (photogrammetry) and to print faithful replicas with additive manufacturing. The objects chosen for the trial were five extremely fragile and ultra-thin nacreous shells retrieved in Tell es-Sultan/ancient Jericho by the Italian-Palestinian Expedition in spring 2017, temporarily on exhibit in the Museum. The experiment proved to be successful, and the scanning, modeling and printing of the shells also allowed some observations on their possible uses in research and museum activities

Immunoregulatory Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles on T Lymphocytes.

The immunomodulatory activity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is largely mediated by paracrine factors. We have recently shown that the immunosuppressive effects of MSCs on B lymphocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) culture can be reproduced by extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from MSC culture supernatants. Here we investigated the effect of bone marrow-derived MSC-EVs on T cells on PBMC cultures stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 beads. Stimulation increased the number of proliferating CD3+ cells as well as of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Coculture with MSCs inhibited the proliferation of CD3+ cells, with no significant changes in apoptosis. Addition of MSC-EVs to PBMCs did not affect proliferation of CD3+ cells, but induced the apoptosis of CD3+ cells and of the CD4+ subpopulation and increased the proliferation and the apoptosis of Tregs. Moreover, MSC-EV treatment increased the Treg/Teff ratio and the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 concentration in culture medium. The activity of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an established mediator of MSC immunosuppressive effects, was increased in supernatants of PBMCs cocultured with MSCs, but was not affected by the presence of MSC-EVs. MSC-EVs demonstrate immunomodulatory effects on T cells in vitro. However, these effects and the underlying mechanisms appear to be different from those exhibited by their cells of origin

Dental twinning in the primary dentition: new archaeological cases from Italy

Dental twinning (or “double teeth”) is a rare developmental condition that implies the fusion of two or more adjacent teeth. Clinical literature reports individual cases and extensive population studies to clarify causation, distribution, heritability and differential diagnosis of the different types of dental twinning (i.e. fusion, gemination, and accretion) whereas, documentation for past populations is still scarce. Aims: the present study documents four new archaeological cases of dental twinning of deciduous teeth from four different Italian archeological sites and positions them within the framework of the known literature.Materials and methods: the observed cases include five deciduous teeth from four subadults from Sardinia (Monte Sirai, 7th-4th cent. BCE and Santa Filitica, 7th cent. CE), Campania (Velia, 1st-2nd cent. CE) and Latium (Villamagna, 13th-15th cent. CE). The identification, descriptions and differential diagnoses of the anomalies were performed with the use of morphological analyses and, in one case, radiographic means.Results: all cases fall within the category of double teeth; each involving a different set of processes (gemination and dental fusion), teeth (deciduous central incisors, lateral incisors and canines), locations (upper and lower) and occurrence (unilateral and bilateral). Conclusion: to this day, cases reported in literature of dental twinning in archaeological samples are sparse and limited to specific geographical areas. This study adds four more cases from Italy suggesting such anomalies should be recorded in dental analyses in order to, one day, obtain a more reliable modelling of the frequencies and distributions in past populations

Dental twinning in the primary dentition: new archaeological cases from Italy

Dental twinning (or “double teeth”) is a rare developmental condition that implies the fusion of two or more adjacent teeth. Clinical literature reports individual cases and extensive population studies to clarify causation, distribution, heritability and differential diagnosis of the different types of dental twinning (i.e. fusion, gemination, and accretion) whereas, documentation for past populations is still scarce. Aims: the present study documents four new archaeological cases of dental twinning of deciduous teeth from four different Italian archeological sites and positions them within the framework of the known literature.Materials and methods: the observed cases include five deciduous teeth from four subadults from Sardinia (Monte Sirai, 7th-4th cent. BCE and Santa Filitica, 7th cent. CE), Campania (Velia, 1st-2nd cent. CE) and Latium (Villamagna, 13th-15th cent. CE). The identification, descriptions and differential diagnoses of the anomalies were performed with the use of morphological analyses and, in one case, radiographic means.Results: all cases fall within the category of double teeth; each involving a different set of processes (gemination and dental fusion), teeth (deciduous central incisors, lateral incisors and canines), locations (upper and lower) and occurrence (unilateral and bilateral). Conclusion: to this day, cases reported in literature of dental twinning in archaeological samples are sparse and limited to specific geographical areas. This study adds four more cases from Italy suggesting such anomalies should be recorded in dental analyses in order to, one day, obtain a more reliable modelling of the frequencies and distributions in past populations

High-resolution dietary reconstruction of victims of the 79 CE Vesuvius eruption at Herculaneum by compound-specific isotope analysis.

The remains of those who perished at Herculaneum in 79 CE offer a unique opportunity to examine lifeways across an ancient community who lived and died together. Historical sources often allude to differential access to foodstuffs across Roman society but provide no direct or quantitative information. By determining the stable isotope values of amino acids from bone collagen and deploying Bayesian models that incorporate knowledge of protein synthesis, we were able to reconstruct the diets of 17 adults from Herculaneum with unprecedented resolution. Significant differences in the proportions of marine and terrestrial foods consumed were observed between males and females, implying that access to food was differentiated according to gender. The approach also provided dietary data of sufficient precision for comparison with assessments of food supply to modern populations, opening up the possibility of benchmarking ancient diets against contemporary settings where the consequences for health are better understood

The LCG2 complex at Dibbā (Musandam, Oman, II–I millennium BC). Structural, material, and osteological elements

The Dibbā burial complex, represented by two ‘long collective graves’ (LCG1 and LCG2), a later Parthian grave, and several pits with ritual offerings, is located on the eastern coast of the Musandam peninsula, Sultanate of Oman. The paper mainly deals with LCG2. When all the external features are taken into account, LCG2 is a 23 m-long and 4.5 m-wide structure, which was built using different techniques and employing both local stones and mud brick. The whole area seems to have been continuously occupied from the Late Bronze Age (1600–1350 BC) until the Iron Age II/III period (c.600 BC). At present, twenty-eight individuals from primary burials and a minimum number of 202 individuals from secondary depositions were found, accompanied by thousands of valuable objects (stone vessels, pottery vessels, and a wide variety of ornaments). Many phases of use have been identified, as well as different phases of restoration and rearrangement. An analysis of faunal remains retrieved in association with bone clusters was also carried out. Excavation of LCG2 has yet to be completed. Preliminary results, however, suggest that the area could have been a monumental tribute to tribal alliance dating to the end of the second millennium BC