298 research outputs found
Antonio Invernizzi (Turin, 1 January 1941 â 2 December 2021)
Obituary Prof. Antonio Invernizzi UniversitĂ di Torin
Archaeological Evidence for a Climatic and Agrarian Crisis in Swat between 530 and 660: Possible Effects of the So-called âLate Antique Little Ice Ageâ (LALIA)
The short article evaluates the possible impacts of the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA)âa long cooling period that occurred between 536 and 660 CE in the adjacent regions of Inner Asia (BĂŒntigen et al. 2016; Whittow 2019). The high mountain valley of Swat in Pakistan potentially experienced a collapse of agro-production with dramatic implications for the Buddhist society, which began a long and inexorable decline around the mid-6th century
The View from Malakand: Harold Deane's 'Note on Udyana and Gandhara'
The View from Malakand: Harold Deane's 'Note on Udyana and Gandhara' presents an edition with introductions and extensive commentary of a manuscript, discovered by Luca M. Olivieri in the fort at Malakand, Swat, Pakistan, of a seminal and pioneering account of the antiquities of Swat and Peshawar by Harold Deane. The article of which this manuscript is an earlier draft, the first significant contribution to the archaeology of Swat, was published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society (1896), and the manuscript contains interesting additional information that did not make the final text. The book presents and transcribes the manuscript, also including introductory material on its discovery and the life and significance of Deane, and (most importantly) extended notes identifying and describing the places that Deane discusses in his article. The book thus doubles as a gazetteer of this immensely rich archaeological space, and a history of its archaeological discovery. The book includes images of the original article, the manuscript, some of the artefacts referred to by Deane in his article, and an appendix publishing a manuscript by J. W. McCrindle, 'Alexander's Campaign in Afghanistan', found among a small number of Deane's papers in the possession of his great-grandson in England, which is directly relevant to the composition of his article
Swat after the IndoâGreeks. The City, the Sanctuaries and the Economy. An Archaeological Overview on the SakaâParthian period
The article presents an overview of the archaeological data (updated to 2021) from the recent excavations at
Barikot, Swat (Pakistan), and preliminary results from ongoing studies of the other archaeological evidence
related to the postâIndoâGreek phases in Swat and Gandhara (ca. 50 BCâ50 AD). The article introduces some of
the most distinctive markers of material culture in this context, as well as the evidence of new fortifications
and building activity both in urban centres and Buddhist sanctuaries. The data collected thus far underpin
a new interpretation of this littleâknown historical phase of ancient northwestern India. The phase is characterized
by a building program and political vibrancy, which do not correspond with the model of an economic
recession advanced by scholars thus far. Indeed, in this framework, the soâcalled âGreat Debasementâ
attributed to Azes II, might have had alternative implications
An insight into Gandharan Art: Materials and Techniques of Polychrome Decoration
Gandharan art developed in the Himalayan area in the early centuries CE. It has been
investigated mostly from an iconographic point of view, missing, until very recently, a systematic
technical investigation of materials and techniques. Recently our team began performing chemical
analyses of the traces of the polychromy originally covering statues, reliefs and architectural decorations,
to discover the ancient painting techniques and artistic technologies. This paper presents
the results of the analytical investigation (optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography
coupled with mass spectrometry) of pigments, ground layers and binders of a new
group of samples taken from stucco architectural decorations (2ndâ3rd/4th centuries CE).
The samples were collected directly at an archaeological site in the Swat Valley, ensuring
the exact knowledge of their stratigraphic provenance, as well as the absence of any restoration
treatment applied prior sampling. The results are discussed in the wider context
of Gandharan polychromy investigated so far by our team, as found in sculptures and
architectural decorations preserved in museums (in Italy and France) and in archaeological
excavations in Pakistan. The aim of this research is to shed light on the materials and
techniques of this Buddhist ancient art from this region and on the influences exerted on
it from Eastern and Western artistic traditions
The effect of humidity on the CO2/N2 separation performance of copolymers based on hard polyimide segments and soft polyether chains: Experimental and modeling
In this work, we studied two copolymers formed by segments of a rubbery polyether (PPO or PEO) and of a glassy polyimide (BPDA-ODA or BKDA-ODA) suitable for gas separation and CO2 capture. Firstly, we assessed the absorption of water vapor in the materials, as a function of relative humidity (R.H.), finding that the humidity uptake of the copolymers lies between that of the corresponding pure homopolymers values. Furthermore, we studied the effect of humidity on CO2 and N2 permeability, as well as on CO2/N2 selectivity, up to R.H. of 75%. The permeability decreases with increasing humidity, while the ideal selectivity remains approximately constant in the entire range of water activity investigated. The humidity-induced decrease of permeability in the copolymers is much smaller than the one observed in polyimides such as MatrimidÂź confirming the positive effect of the polyether phase on the membrane performance.Finally, we modeled the humidity-induced decrease of gas solubility, diffusivity and, consequently, permeability, using a suitable approach that considers the free volume theory for diffusion and LF model for solubility. Such model allows estimating the extent of competition that the gases undergo with water during sorption in the membranes, as a function of the relative humidity, as well as the expected reduction of free volume by means of water molecules occupation and consequent reduction of diffusivity. Keywords: CO2 capture, Humid gas permeation, Transport properties in polymeric membranes, Water vapor sorption, Modelin
The Multifaceted Origin of Taurine Cattle Reflected by the Mitochondrial Genome
A Neolithic domestication of taurine cattle in the Fertile Crescent from local aurochsen (Bos primigenius) is generally accepted, but a genetic contribution from European aurochsen has been proposed. Here we performed a survey of a large number of taurine cattle mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control regions from numerous European breeds confirming the overall clustering within haplogroups (T1, T2 and T3) of Near Eastern ancestry, but also identifying eight mtDNAs (1.3%) that did not fit in haplogroup T. Sequencing of the entire mitochondrial genome showed that four mtDNAs formed a novel branch (haplogroup R) which, after the deep bifurcation that gave rise to the taurine and zebuine lineages, constitutes the earliest known split in the mtDNA phylogeny of B. primigenius. The remaining four mtDNAs were members of the recently discovered haplogroup Q. Phylogeographic data indicate that R mtDNAs were derived from female European aurochsen, possibly in the Italian Peninsula, and sporadically included in domestic herds. In contrast, the available data suggest that Q mtDNAs and T subclades were involved in the same Neolithic event of domestication in the Near East. Thus, the existence of novel (and rare) taurine haplogroups highlights a multifaceted genetic legacy from distinct B. primigenius populations. Taking into account that the maternally transmitted mtDNA tends to underestimate the extent of gene flow from European aurochsen, the detection of the R mtDNAs in autochthonous breeds, some of which are endangered, identifies an unexpected reservoir of genetic variation that should be carefully preserved
DSM-5 PTSD and posttraumatic stress spectrum in Italian emergency personnel: correlations with work and social adjustment
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) has recently recognized a particular risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among first responders (criterion A4), acknowledging emergency units as stressful places of employment. Little data is yet available on DSM-5 among emergency health operators. The aim of this study was to assess DSM-5 symptomatological PTSD and posttraumatic stress spectrum, as well as their impact on work and social functioning, in the emergency staff of a major university hospital in Italy. One hundred and ten subjects (doctors, nurses, and health-care assistants) were recruited at the Emergency Unit of the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Pisana (Italy) and assessed by the Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report (TALS-SR) and Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS). A 15.7% DSM-5 symptomatological PTSD prevalence rate was found. Nongraduated persons reported significantly higher TALS-SR Domain IV (reaction to loss or traumatic events) scores and a significantly higher proportion of individuals presenting at least one maladaptive behavior (TALS-SR Domain VII), with respect to graduate ones. Women reported significantly higher WSAS scores. Significant correlations emerged between PTSD symptoms and WSAS total scores among health-care assistants, nongraduates and women. Our results showed emergency workers to be at risk for posttraumatic stress spectrum and related work and social impairment, particularly among women and nongraduated subjects.
Keywords: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emergency, emergency care workers, work and social functioning/adjustment, maladaptive behaviors, gender, educatio
Development of interactive algorithm for clinical management of acute events related to sickle cell disease in emergency department
Sickle cell disease (SCD ORPHA232; OMIM 603903) is a rare hereditary red cell disorder, which global distribution is changed in the last decade due to immigration-fluxes from endemic areas to Western-countries. One of the main clinical manifestations of SCD are the acute painful vaso-occlusive crisis, which cause frequent accesses of SCD patients to the emergency departments (EDs). This has generated the requirement of feasible tools for emergency givers. In the context of the scientific-Italian-Society for the study of Thalassemias and Hemoglobinopathies (SITE), we developed an algorithm with interactive windows to guide physicians in managing SCD patients in EDs
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