Diatreta Cups, Light in Roman Dining Spaces

Cage cups or Diatreta are ancient Roman glass vessels produced by creating a thick blown blank of glass that, once cooled down, is taken to a glass cutter or diatretarii. The latter would cut and carve away most of the glass leaving a transparent vessel inside and an open-work decoration separated through thin posts of glass. The work is very delicate and exclusive, produced within limited space in time with no record of similar vessels until the late 1800 (Donald B. Harden & Toynbee 1959, p.181). Many of these glass objects have good-will inscriptions or decorations that express the importance of drinking. As for their provenance, most –when found in context- have been found in pagan burials. Nevertheless some fragments have been found in Christian environments or with Christian motifs like the Szekszárd cup. The location of these finds is mostly in the Rhine area –northern Empire, when Milan was one of its capitals (Aquaro 2004)- but the actual extent of finds expand throughout the 4th century extent of the Roman Empire. Considering their typological analysis there are basically two types, beaker and bowl. Beakers are considered drinking vessels as they either display a legend or a mythological reference to drink or wine. Whereas a general consensus agrees that open bowl-form cups were hanging lamps (Whitehouse 1988, p.28) since the 1986 find of a diatreta bowl with copper alloy hanging attachments. It is clear these were luxury objects to be used in special occasions and spaces. The aim of this paper is to understand the space were socialisation and drinking took place and the importance of luxurious objects to adorn, display and use. The paper will also put forward the idea that the beaker shaped diatreta vessels, usually considered for drinking, could have been lamps that encouraged drinking and good will to the guests. This paper is structured to first consider an introduction to late luxury Roman glass and then analysing the typological shape of all, or most of the diatreta currently known; secondly, through assessment by the means of comparison, analyse the writings or decorations the vessels were endowed with. Thirdly, by describing and understanding the people and the space were these vessels would have been used, emphasise the beauty of illuminating such spaces with these vessels. According to Herodotus in his historical investigation –5th century-, dress habits and food regime are elements of extreme importance to understand a people (Caporusso et al. 2011, p.12). This idea is not only valid for Herodotus’ time but it is something anthropology uses time and again to explain different aspects in people’s way of life. Through food and its environment, the dining space, this paper will aim to put the cage cups into a social context in order to give emphasis to the hypothesis of light versus wine

Quorum Sensing Signaling Molecules Produced by Reference and Emerging Soft-Rot Bacteria (Dickeya and Pectobacterium spp.)

International audienceBACKGROUND: Several small diffusible molecules are involved in bacterial quorum sensing and virulence. The production of autoinducers-1 and -2, quinolone, indole and γ-amino butyrate signaling molecules was investigated in a set of soft-rot bacteria belonging to six Dickeya or Pectobacterium species including recent or emerging potato isolates. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using bacterial biosensors, immunoassay, and chromatographic analysis, we showed that soft-rot bacteria have the common ability to produce transiently during their exponential phase of growth the N-3-oxo-hexanoyl- or the N-3-oxo-octanoyl-l-homoserine lactones and a molecule of the autoinducer-2 family. Dickeya spp. produced in addition the indole-3-acetic acid in tryptophan-rich conditions. All these signaling molecules have been identified for the first time in the novel Dickeya solani species. In contrast, quinolone and γ-amino butyrate signals were not identified and the corresponding synthases are not present in the available genomes of soft-rot bacteria. To determine if the variations of signal production according to growth phase could result from expression modifications of the corresponding synthase gene, the respective mRNA levels were estimated by reverse transcriptase-PCR. While the N-acyl-homoserine lactone production is systematically correlated to the synthase expression, that of the autoinducer-2 follows the expression of an enzyme upstream in the activated methyl cycle and providing its precursor, rather than the expression of its own synthase. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Despite sharing the S-adenosylmethionine precursor, no strong link was detected between the production kinetics or metabolic pathways of autoinducers-1 and -2. In contrast, the signaling pathway of autoinducer-2 seems to be switched off by the indole-3-acetic acid pathway under tryptophan control. It therefore appears that the two genera of soft-rot bacteria have similarities but also differences in the mechanisms of communication via the diffusible molecules. Our results designate autoinducer-1 lactones as the main targets for a global biocontrol of soft-rot bacteria communications, including those of emerging isolates

Tuning the Architecture of Cellulose Nanocrystal–Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) Multilayered Thin Films: Influence of Dipping Parameters

International audienc

Nano-structured cellulose nanocrystals-xyloglucan multilayered films for the detection of cellulase activity

WOS:000312246200017International audienceMultilayered cellulose nanocrystals-xyloglucan (CN-XG) films were assembled by spincoating at two CN concentrations inducing different structural colourations. Internal structure of both films was probed by neutron reflectometry (NR) revealing different thicknesses and architectures. The impact of film structure on degradation process by cellulases was revealed by a change in colours of the films, as CN an

European genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes in North African Arabs

Aims: Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and previous approaches have identified many genetic variants associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in populations of European descent, but their contribution in Arab populations from North Africa is unknown. Our study aimed to validate these markers and to assess their combined effects, using large case-control studies of Moroccan and Tunisian individuals. Methods: Overall, 44 polymorphisms, located at 37 validated European loci, were first analyzed in 1055 normoglycaemic controls and 1193 T2D cases from Morocco. Associations and trends were then assessed in 942 normoglycaemic controls and 1446 T2D cases from Tunisia. Finally, their ability to discriminate cases from controls was evaluated. Results: Carrying a genetic variant in BCL11A, ADAMTS9, IGF2BP2, WFS1, CDKAL1, TP53INP1, CDKN2A/B, TCF7L2, KCNQ1, HNF1A, FTO, MC4R and GCK increased the risk of T2D when assessing the Moroccan and Tunisian samples together. Each additional risk allele increased the susceptibility for developing the disease by 12% (P=9.0×10). Genotype information for 13 polymorphisms slightly improved the classification of North Africans with and without T2D, as assessed by clinical parameters, with an increase in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve from 0.64 to 0.67 (P=0.004). Conclusion: In addition to TCF7L2, 12 additional loci were found to be shared between Europeans and North African Arabs. As for Europeans, the reliability of genetic testing based on these markers to determine the risk for T2D is low. More genome-wide studies, including next-generation sequencing, in North African populations are needed to identify the genetic variants responsible for ethnic disparities in T2D susceptibility

To the point: Obstetrics and gynecology global health experiences for medical students

This article, from the To the Point series prepared by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics Undergraduate Medical Education Committee, provides educators with an overview of considerations for obstetrics and gynecology global health experiences for the medical student. Options for integration of obstetrics and gynecology global health into undergraduate medical curricula are discussed. Specific considerations for global health clinical experiences for medical students, including choosing a clinical location, oversight and mentorship, goals and objectives, predeparture preparation, and evaluation, are reviewed. © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved

Genome-wide association and genetic functional studies identify autism susceptibility candidate 2 gene (AUTS2) in the regulation of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption is a moderately heritable trait, but the genetic basis in humans is largely unknown, despite its clinical and societal importance. We report a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of ∼2.5 million directly genotyped or imputed SNPs with alcohol consumption (gram per day per kilogram body weight) among 12 population-based samples of European ancestry, comprising 26,316 individuals, with replication genotyping in an additional 21,185 individuals. SNP rs6943555 in autism susceptibility candidate 2 gene (AUTS2) was associated with alcohol consumption at genome-wide significance (P = 4 × 10(-8) to P = 4 × 10(-9)). We found a genotype-specific expression of AUTS2 in 96 human prefrontal cortex samples (P = 0.026) and significant (P < 0.017) differences in expression of AUTS2 in whole-brain extracts of mice selected for differences in voluntary alcohol consumption. Down-regulation of an AUTS2 homolog caused reduced alcohol sensitivity in Drosophila (P < 0.001). Our finding of a regulator of alcohol consumption adds knowledge to our understanding of genetic mechanisms influencing alcohol drinking behavior

A genome-wide association study in the Japanese population identifies susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes at UBE2E2 and C2CD4A-C2CD4B

10.1038/ng.660Nature Genetics4210864-868NGEN