La (pro)dittatura di Quinto Fabio Massimo (217 a.c.): a proposito di alcune ipotesi recenti

International audienceIn the aftermath of the defeat suffered at the Lake Trasimene, the Romans elected Q. Fabius Maximus dictator and M. Minucius Rufus magister equitum. Livy records that both men were directly created by the comitia, a very exceptional circumstance. For a long time, scholars have accepted this solution, but in the last years a good number of historians have forwarded new hypothesis, suggesting that the nominees of Fabius and Minucius were made by an interrex (as Sulla in 82 B.C.) or a praetor (as Caesar in 44 B.C.). This paper considers and analyses these new theories, but finally argues that the old solution of a popular creatio is still the one that must be preferred.Au lendemain de la défaite subie au lac Trasimène (juin 217 av. J.-C.), les Romains nommaient le dictateur Q. Fabius Maximus et M. Minucius Rufus magister equitum. Tite Live note que les deux hommes ont été élus directement par les comitia, ce qui est une circonstance très exceptionnelle. Depuis longtemps, les chercheurs ont accepté cette solution, mais ces dernières années un bon nombre d’historiens ont avancé de nouvelles hypothèses, suggérant que les désignations de Fabius et Minucius ont été faites par un interrex (comme Sylla en 82 av. J.-C.) ou un préteur (comme César en 44 av. J.-C.). Cet article prend en compte et examine ces nouvelles théories, mais pour finir, soutient que la vieille solution d’une creatio populaire est encore celle qui doit être préférée

Da Roma alle Alpi. Competizione nobiliare, consenso popolare e strategia militare nella politica espansionistica romana in Cisalpina tra la fine del III e l’inizio del II secolo a.C.

The numerous stages by which Rome extended its hegemony over the Cisalpine area inthe late republican and early imperial period have been extensively analysed by modernscholars. Especially during the last years, a marked interest in the development of localcommunities has led to the realisation of valuable studies that, by analysing the phenomenonfrom multiple perspectives, have been able to overcome treatments that for a longtime focused too much on the more purely military aspects of this vast process. The presentcontribution proposes to provide a further key to interpreting the entire phenomenonby analysing the political dynamics that in the period immediately preceding (3rd and2nd centuries B.C.) created the fundamental military and ideological premises for thisconquest. Starting from the premise that the development of foreign policy in Rome inthe republican age responded, rather than to a general 'Grand Strategy', to the power relationsthat were established year after year between the three main elements of the socalledRoman ‘constitution’ - the senate, the magistrates and the popular assemblies -, itaims to investigate the political dynamics that characterised those specific moments inwhich the Roman community decided to commit its military forces in this particular strategicsector. Such an investigation will make it possible to grasp how and followingwhich impulses the Romans came to change their strategic perspective towards the Cisalpinearea, which passed from being an external and extreme territory to being fully included- at least from an ideological point of view - in the Roman dominion in the spaceof a little less than a century.Le numerose tappe con cui Roma giunse a estendere la sua egemonia sull’area cisalpina in età tardo-repubblicana e alto-imperiale sono state diffusamente analizzate dalla critica moderna. Soprattutto negli ultimi anni, un marcato interesse per lo sviluppo delle comunità locali e per le diverse modalità con cui fu accolta e assimilata la penetrazione romana ha portato alla realizzazione di pregevoli studi che, analizzando il fenomeno da molteplici prospettive, sono stati in grado di superare trattazioni per lungo tempo troppo focalizzate sugli aspetti più squisitamente militari di quest’ampio processo. Il presente contributo si propone di fornire un'ulteriore chiave di lettura dell'intero fenomeno analizzando le dinamiche politiche che nel periodo immediatamente precedente (III e II secolo a.C.) crearono le premesse militari e ideologiche fondamentali per tale conquista. Muovendo dalla premessa che lo sviluppo della politica estera a Roma in età repubblicana rispondeva, più che a una generale "Grande Strategia", ai rapporti di potere che si venivano a stabilire anno dopo anno tra i tre principali elementi della cosiddetta costituzione romana – il senato, i magistrati e le assemblee popolari –, esso mira a calarsi nel cuore delle dinamiche politiche che caratterizzarono quei determinati momenti in cui da Roma fu presa la decisione di impegnare le forze militari in questo particolare settore strategico. Una tale indagine permetterà di cogliere in che modo e seguendo quali pulsioni la classe dirigente romana arrivò a mutare la propria prospettiva strategica nei confronti dell'area cisalpina, che da territorio esterno ed estremo arrivò, nell'arco di poco meno di un secolo, a essere pienamente inclusa - almeno sotto il piano ideologico - nel dominio romano

L’Italia settentrionale e le guerre civili del 68-69 d.C.

The civil wars of the years 68‐69 represented a watershed in the history of the Roman empire. Even though they originated in some key provinces, they knew their final stage in Northern Italy, and especially near the site of Bedriacum, where the two most important battles of the war were fought. This study aims to analyse the impact of these conflicts on the local communities of Northern Italy, and the latter’s participation in the most crucial phases of the fights. Particularly, it follows the actions of L. Verginius Rufus, a man of consular rank who came from Milan and that twice refused an imperial acclamation, of the soldiers of North‐ Italian origins that fought in this area, and of Cremona, a town that due to its disputed loyalty was destroyed at the very end of the warLe guerre civili del 68‐69 segnarono uno spartiacque nella storia dell’impero romano. Sebbene generate da movimenti di ribellione scaturiti in alcune delle province più importanti dell’impero, esse conobbero il loro epilogo finale in Italia settentrionale, e in particolar modo presso la comunità di Bedriacum, dove furono combattute le due battaglie decisive. Il presente lavoro si prefigge di analizzare che impatto ebbero questi scontri sulle comunità locali e in che modo queste ultime parteciparono attivamente (o passivamente) alle fasi più acute della lunga guerra civile. In particolare, vengono ripercorse le vicende del consolare di origine milanese L. Verginio Rufo, che rifiutò in ben due occasioni la porpora imperiale, dei soldati di origine transpadana che militarono negli eserciti impegnati nella regione, e della città di Cremona, che proprio a causa della sua discussa lealtà venne distrutta a termine di questo longus et unus annus

LE COMPETENZE FINANZIARIE DEI CONSOLI: ANALISI DI UN EPISODIO RELATIVO A SCIPIONE AFRICANO

Questo articolo prende in analisi le relazioni tra senato e consoli riguardo alla gestione delle finanze a Roma. Secondo Polibio, sebbene il senato detenesse un forte controllo sulle normali spese statali, i consoli godevano di una particolare autonomia per i fondi ad essi destinati. Una visione che sarebbe confermata da un episodio avente come protagonista Scipione Africano, il quale, in una seduta del senato collocata dagli studiosi al tempo del suo secondo consolato, avrebbe minacciato i questori di aprire personalmente i forzieri dell’Erario. In questo articolo si cercherà di dimostrare che l’episodio, se attribuibile a uno dei due consolati di Scipione, trova una sua più esatta collocazione al tempo del primo consolato (205 a. C.), e che esso non può essere preso come esempio dell’autonomia dei consoli in campo finanziario. Al contrario, esso sembra costituire un’ulteriore riprova della predominanza del Senato in questo campo

Lapatinib/Paclitaxel polyelectrolyte nanocapsules for overcoming multidrug resistance in ovarian cancer.

The sonication-assisted layer-by-layer (SLBL) technology was developed to combine necessary factors for an efficient drug-delivery system: (i) control of nanocolloid size within 100 - 300 nm, (ii) high drug content (70% wt), (iii) shell biocompatibility and biodegradability, (iv) sustained controlled release, and (v) multidrug-loaded system. Stable nanocolloids of Paclitaxel (PTX) and lapatinib were prepared by the SLBL method. In a multidrug-resistant (MDR) ovarian cancer cell line, OVCAR-3, lapatinib/PTX nanocolloids mediated an enhanced cell growth inhibition in comparison with the PTX-only treatment. A series of in vitro cell assays were used to test the efficacy of these formulations. The small size and functional versatility of these nanoparticles, combined with their ability to incorporate various drugs, indicates that lapatinib/PTX nanocolloids may have in vivo therapeutic applications

Who chooses alternative sources of information about childhood vaccinations? A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Vaccine hesitancy can lead to problematic outcomes in terms of public health. A factor playing a fundamental role in this dynamic is the source of information considered by parents in the decision-making progress that leads to the acceptance or refusal of childhood vaccinations. This study aims to investigate the sources of information considered by the parents of children attending primary and secondary schools in two large Italian cities and to identify predictors that led to choosing alternative sources of information. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered to the parents of students attending elementary, middle, and high schools in Rome and Turin. Two validated tools were used: the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines Survey and the Vaccine Health Literacy of adults in Italian. Sources of information about vaccinations, trust toward the healthcare system, hesitancy and attitudes about COVID-19 vaccinations, were also investigated. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to identify predictors of the preferred sources of information on the topic. Results: Totally, 2,301 answers to the survey were collected from June to October 2021. Of these, 1,127 came from parents in Rome (49%) and 1,174 from parents based in Turin (51%) with a mean age of 47.7 years (±6.4). The majority of the respondents were mothers (81%), married (73%), with two or more children (70.5%). The multivariable logistic regression model results showed that fathers were more inclined than mothers to use alternative sources of information (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.29–2.00). Moreover, a higher level of vaccine hesitancy was a strong predictor for choosing alternative sources of information (OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.73–3.46). The HLVa-it scores show that parents with a lower Vaccine Literacy (VL) were more inclined to use alternative sources of information. Discussion: Addressing health literacy issues and changing the official forms of communication could help improving vaccine acceptance. This study shows the importance of rebuilding a trusting relationship between patients and health care providers, which is fundamental in the fight against vaccine hesitancy

Resuscitation With Vitamin C, Hydrocortisone, and Thiamin in Children With Septic Shock: A Multicenter Randomized Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES: Adjunctive therapy with vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamin has been evaluated in adults, but randomized controlled trial (RCT) data in children are lacking. We aimed to test the feasibility of vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamin in PICU patients with septic shock; and to explore whether the intervention is associated with increased survival free of organ dysfunction. DESIGN: Open-label parallel, pilot RCT multicenter study. The primary endpoint was feasibility. Clinical endpoints included survival free of organ dysfunction censored at 28 days and nine secondary outcomes, shock reversal, and two proxy measures of intervention efficacy. SETTING: Six PICUs in Australia and New Zealand. PATIENTS: Children of age between 28 days and 18 years requiring vasoactive drugs for septic shock between August 2019 and March 2021. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assigned 1:1 to receive 1 mg/kg hydrocortisone every 6 hours (q6h), 30 mg/kg ascorbic acid q6h, and 4 mg/kg thiamin every 12 hours (n = 27), or standard septic shock management (n = 33). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Sixty of 77 (78%) eligible patients consented with 91% of approached parents providing consent. The median time from randomization to intervention was 44 (interquartile range [IQR] 29–120) min. Seventy of seventy-seven (28%) patients had received IV steroids before randomization. Median survival alive and free of organ dysfunction was 20.0 (0.0–26.0) days in the intervention and 21.0 (0.0–25.0) days in the standard care group. Median PICU length of stay was 5.3 (2.5–11.3) days in the intervention group versus 6.9 (3.0–11.5) days in the control group. Shock reversal occurred at a median of 35.2 (14.6–101.2) hours in the intervention group versus 47.3 (22.4–106.8) hours in the standard care group (median difference –12 hr; 95% CI, –56.8 to 32.7 hr). CONCLUSIONS: In children requiring vasopressors for septic shock, a protocol comparing adjunctive treatment with high-dose vitamin C, hydrocortisone, and thiamin versus standard care was feasible. These findings assist in making modifications to the trial protocol to enable a better-designed larger RCT

Mismatch Negativity and P3a Impairment through Different Phases of Schizophrenia and Their Association with Real-Life Functioning

Impairment in functioning since the onset of psychosis and further deterioration over time is a key aspect of subjects with schizophrenia (SCZ). Mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a, indices of early attention processing that are often impaired in schizophrenia, might represent optimal electrophysiological candidate biomarkers of illness progression and poor outcome. However, contrasting findings are reported about the relationships between MMN-P3a and functioning. The study aimed to investigate in SCZ the influence of illness duration on MMN-P3a and the relationship of MMN-P3a with functioning. Pitch (p) and duration (d) MMN-P3a were investigated in 117 SCZ and 61 healthy controls (HCs). SCZ were divided into four illness duration groups: ≤ 5, 6 to 13, 14 to 18, and 19 to 32 years. p-MMN and d-MMN amplitude was reduced in SCZ compared to HCs, independently from illness duration, psychopathology, and neurocognitive deficits. p-MMN reduction was associated with lower “Work skills”. The p-P3a amplitude was reduced in the SCZ group with longest illness duration compared to HCs. No relationship between P3a and functioning was found. Our results suggested that MMN amplitude reduction might represent a biomarker of poor functioning in SCZ