Sant'Imbenia (Alghero): further archaeometric evidence for an Iron Age market square

AbstractLead isotope compositions were determined for 18 metal objects from the archaeological site of Sant'Imbenia, NW Sardinia, dating to the end of the ninth century BCE onwards. The provenance of some objects is unambiguously traced to SW Sardinia; other objects could derive either from central Sardinia or the Iberian coastal ranges. The variety of the provenances attests to a wide trade network that spanned the entire island of Sardinia and extended to the Iberian sites

Correction to: Sant'Imbenia (Alghero): further archaeometric evidence for an Iron Age market square

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Prenatal diagnosis, natural history, postnatal treatment and outcome of 222 cases of spina bifida: experience of a tertiary center

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo report on the prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of spina bifida (SB) and its natural history, treatment and long‐term outcome in a large tertiary referral center.MethodsAll cases of SB diagnosed between February 1980 and December 2015 in the Obstetric Prenatal Diagnosis Day Unit of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, were reviewed. All infants with an open defect were delivered by elective Cesarean section and underwent early repair of the spinal defect. A ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt and/or third ventriculostomy was performed when needed. Complete postnatal follow‐up was carried out by our multidisciplinary team in the majority of cases. The cohort was analyzed in two groups: Group 1 included patients referred between February 1980 and December 1999; Group 2 included patients referred between January 2000 and December 2015.ResultsThere was a total of 222 cases of SB with a prenatal diagnosis rate of 94.6% (n = 210), with the majority of defects being meningomyeloceles (n = 142 (64.0%)), affecting the lumbosacral level (n = 110 (49.5%)) and being ≥ 2 cm in size (n = 163/195 (83.6%)). There were 174 (78.4%) live births, with more terminations in Group 2 (26.1%) than in Group 1 (10.8%; P = 0.003). Postnatal surgical repair was conducted in 157 cases (99.4% of eligible cases), with death of an infant who was operated on occurring more often in Group 1 (14.1%) than in Group 2 (4.2%; P = 0.03). VP shunt placement was required in 60.3% of infants operated on after January 2000. Long‐term follow‐up was available for 136 children (111 with open defects and 25 with closed defects). Infants born since 2000 with an open defect had normal ambulation or a mild defect in 50% of cases and normal or mild deficit of sphincter function in 37.8% of cases. An intelligence quotient of ≥ 70 was observed in the majority of children (81.4%; 35/43 cases). Worse motor function was associated with progressive prenatal ventriculomegaly, level of lesion and VP shunt placement.ConclusionsWe describe the prenatal diagnosis, natural history and long‐term outcome of a large contemporary cohort of SB fetuses and infants. In an era of pioneering fetal surgical techniques for in‐utero SB repair, it is important to acknowledge that advances in conventional neonatology and pediatric neurosurgery have allowed increased life expectancy and improved quality of life in patients with SB. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

The Tiber Valley Project: The Tiber and Rome through Two Millennia

In 1997 a new collaborative research project was initiated by the British School at Rome. This project draws on a variety of sources of archaeological information to explore the regional impact of the City of Rome throughout the period from 1000 BC to AD 1300. The project provides a common collaborative research framework which brings together a range of archaeologists and historians working in various institutions. In this paper those involved in different aspects of this new project outline their work and its overall objectives

Muonic atom X-ray spectroscopy for non-destructive analysis of archeological samples

The implementation in the RIKEN-RAL negative muons facility of a new muon beamline monitoring and novel digital data acquisition system for gamma and X-ray spectroscopy are presented. This work also shows the high potential of the muonic atoms X-ray spectroscopy technique in non-destructive elemental characterization of archaeological samples

Deliberate termination of life of newborns with spina bifida, a critical reappraisal

Objects: Deliberate termination of life of newborns (involuntary euthanasia) with meningomyelocele (MMC) is practiced openly only in the Netherlands. 'Unbearable and hopeless suffering' is the single most cited criterion for this termination, together with the notion that 'there are no other proper medical means to alleviate this suffering'. In this paper, both (and other) statements are questioned, also by putting them in a broader perspective. Methods: First, a historical overview of the treatment of newborns with MMC is presented, concentrating on the question of selection for treatment. Second, a thorough analysis is made of the criteria used for life termination. Third, a case of a newborn with a very severe MMC is presented as a 'reference case'. Conclusion: 'Unbearable and hopeless suffering' cannot be applied to newborns with MMC. They are not 'terminally ill' and do have 'prospects of a future'. In these end-of-life decisions, 'quality of life judgments' should not be applied. When such a newborn is not treated, modern palliative care always will suffice in eliminating possible discomfort. There is no reason whatsoever for active life-termination of these newborns

Total synthesis of (-)-parthenolide through a stereoselective approach

(-)-Parthenolide (figure 1, compound 1), a sesquiterpene lactone of the germacranolide class originating from the plant Tanacetum parthenium (Asteraceae family, figure 1.A)1, has been studied as promising treatment against endometriosis2, a severe and highly diffuse feminine disease which causes chronic symptoms3. Moreover, it also shows strong antitumoral properties4, similar to those of the chemotherapic 5-azacytidine, and high selectivity towards target tissues2. Therefore, by proposing a highly stereoselective retrosynthetic pathway (figure 1), the first stereoselective total synthesis of (-)-parthenolide has been approached. The synthetic route will be characterized by the least number of steps, compared to the few already existent semisynthesis5, and enantio and diastereoselectivity will be possible through 4 key steps (figure 1, marked in red): an olefin metathesis (figure 1, B), a diastereoselective epoxidation (figure 1, C), a diastereoselective iodolactonization (figure 1, D), and an enantioselective conjugate addition (figure 1, E). Moreover, compound 4 will be used as common intermediate in two different steps, thus improving the synthesis reactants usage and resources waste for a greener perspective. [1] (EMA), E. M. A. Assessment report on Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz Bip., herba. (HMPC), C. o. H. P., Ed.; 8 July 2020. [2] Freund, R. R. A.; Gobrecht, P.; Fischer, D.; Arndt, H. D. Advances in chemistry and bioactivity of parthenolide. Nat Prod Rep 2020, 37 (4), 541-565. DOI: 10.1039/c9np00049f. [3] Ministero della Salute, Endometriosi. 2021. https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/donna/dettaglioContenutiDonna.jsp?id=4487&area=Salute donna&menu=patologi e. [4] Ghantous, A.; Sinjab, A.; Herceg, Z.; Darwiche, N. Parthenolide: from plant shoots to cancer roots. Drug Discov Today 2013, 18 (17-18), 894-905. DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2013.05.005. [5] Li, L.; Pan, X.; Guan, B.; Liu, Z. Stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-parthenolide and (±)-7-epi-parthenolide. Tetrahedron 2016, 72 (29), 4346-4354. DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2016.05.07

The Re-evaluation of the South Etruria Survey: The First Results from Veii

The re-evaluation of the South Etruria survey carried out during the 1950s to ?70s is at the core of the British School at Rome?s Tiber Valley project. Since 1997, a team of fifteen ceramic specialists has been restudying the material collected by John Ward-Perkins and his team, and the information has been entered into the Tiber Valley project GIS and database. This paper presents the first results of this restudy, focusing on the material from the important Etruscan and Roman centre of Veii. The survey finds from this site have never been fully studied or published. Their restudy in the light of recent developments in ceramic studies provides an important contribution to our understanding of the history and development of this major Etruscan city and rival to Rome, from its origins in the protohistoric period, through its conquest in the early fourth century BC to its final decline during the late Imperial period