Ring-eye blue beads in Iron Age central Italy – Preliminary discussion of technology and possible trade connections

The Iron Age was a remarkable period in glass technology development and its spread across the Mediterranean. Communities that populated what is nowadays Central Italy underwent profound changes during this period forming more complex societies, developing proto-urban and urban centres, and incorporating into a wide trade network of the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. Glass objects in that small region are frequently found in burial sites dated to the first half of the first millennium BCE, with small blue beads with simple ring eyes being among the most abundant types. Fifty-six objects of this type (both whole beads and fragments) were studied with a noninvasive approach by means of Optical Microscopy, Fibre Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy, and portable X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy. The analyses were conducted at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia and at the Museo delle Civilt`a (both in Rome, Italy). Five samples from the main set were also analysed with a Scanning Electron Microscope coupled to an Energy Dispersive Spectrometer. The data gave preliminary information on the raw materials used to prepare the glass, the manufacturing techniques, and offered some hints to (tentatively) locate the region of provenance. In particular, the analyses established that the beads are soda-lime-silica glass and the source of cobalt, used as the blue colorant, could be an ore from Egypt. Within this general frame, a smaller group showed a different compositional pattern. These preliminary results contribute new knowledge for tracing exchange routes within the Mediterranean during the Iron Age

Factors Associated with Death during Tuberculosis Treatment of Patients Co-Infected with HIV at the Yaoundé Central Hospital, Cameroon: An 8-Year Hospital-Based Retrospective Cohort Study (2006–2013)

<div><p>Background</p><p>Contributors to fatal outcomes in TB/HIV co-infected patients actively undergoing TB treatment are poorly characterized. The aim was to assess factors associated with death in TB/HIV co-infected patients during the initial 6 months of TB treatment.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We conducted a hospital-based retrospective cohort study from January 2006 to December 2013 at the Yaoundé Central Hospital, Cameroon. We reviewed medical records to identify hospitalized co-infected TB/HIV patients aged 15 years and older. Death was defined as any death occurring during TB treatment, as per the World Health Organization's recommendations. We conducted logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with a fatal outcome. Magnitudes of associations were expressed by adjusted odds ratio (a<i>OR</i>) with 95% confidence interval.</p><p>Results</p><p>The 337 patients enrolled had a mean age of 39.3 (standard deviation 10.3) years and 54.3% were female. TB treatment outcomes were distributed as follows: 205 (60.8%) treatment success, 99 (29.4%) deaths, 18 (5.3%) not evaluated, 14 (4.2%) lost to follow-up, and 1 (0.3%) failed. After exclusion of patients lost to follow-up and not evaluated, death in TB/HIV co-infected patients during TB treatment was associated with a TB diagnosis made before 2010 (a<i>OR</i> = 2.50 [1.31–4.78]; <i>p</i> = 0.006), the presence of other AIDS-defining diseases (a<i>OR</i> = 2.73 [1.27–5.86]; <i>p</i> = 0.010), non-AIDS comorbidities (a<i>OR</i> = 3.35 [1.37–8.21]; <i>p</i> = 0.008), not receiving cotrimoxazole prophylaxis (a<i>OR</i> = 3.61 [1.71–7.63]; <i>p</i> = 0.001), not receiving antiretroviral therapy (a<i>OR</i> = 2.45 [1.18–5.08]; <i>p</i> = 0.016), and CD4 cells count <50 cells/mm³ (a<i>OR</i> = 16.43 [1.05–258.04]; <i>p</i> = 0.047).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The TB treatment success rate among TB/HIV co-infected patients in our setting is low. Mortality was high among TB/HIV co-infected patients during TB treatment and is strongly associated with clinical and biological factors, highlighting the urgent need for specific interventions focused on enhancing patient outcomes.</p></div

Autonomie territoriali e forme di differenziazione. Ordinamenti a confronto.

I contributi raccolti all’interno del fascicolo costituiscono una rielaborazione degli interventi che si sono tenuti in occasione della Giornata di Studi di diritto comparato sul tema «Autonomie territoriali e forme di differenziazione. Ordinamenti a confronto». L’incontro – dedicato, come d’altronde questo stesso Quaderno, alla memoria del compianto prof. Paolo Carrozza, ad un anno dalla sua scomparsa – è stato organizzato dall’Associazione di studi sul diritto e la giustizia costituzionale «Gruppo di Pisa» e si è svolto, sotto forma di “seminario virtuale” (o webinar), il 12 giugno 2020, presso l’Università degli Studi di Milano

Factors associated with death/lost to follow-up during TB treatment among TB/HIV co-infected patients, Yaoundé Central Hospital, 2006–2013, Cameroon.

§<p>From the 337 patients, we have excluded all patients who were <i>not evaluated</i> (n = 18).</p><p>*SPP: smear positive pulmonary, SNP: smear negative pulmonary, EP: extra pulmonary.</p><p>LTFU: lost to follow-up, TB: tuberculosis.</p><p>All missing data were imputed.</p><p>Factors associated with death/lost to follow-up during TB treatment among TB/HIV co-infected patients, Yaoundé Central Hospital, 2006–2013, Cameroon.</p

Enrollment of study participants.

<p>Enrollment of study participants.</p

Trend of TB treatment outcomes by year in TB/HIV co-infected patients from 2006 to 2013.

<p>Trend of TB treatment outcomes by year in TB/HIV co-infected patients from 2006 to 2013.</p

Socio-demographic, clinical, and biological characteristics of 337 patients co-infected with TB and HIV, Yaoundé Central Hospital, 2006–2013, Cameroon.

<p>Data are % (n), mean (standard deviation) or median (interquartile range).</p><p>TB: tuberculosis.</p><p>*SPP: smear positive pulmonary, SNP: smear negative pulmonary, EP: extra pulmonary.</p>1<p>Data missing: there were 36 (10.7%) records without recorded weights.</p>2<p>Data missing: there were 18 (5.3%) records without recorded white blood cell counts.</p>3<p>Data missing: there were 18 (5.3%) records without recorded hemoglobin values.</p>4<p>Data missing: there were 28 (8.3%) records without recorded CD4 cell counts.</p><p>Socio-demographic, clinical, and biological characteristics of 337 patients co-infected with TB and HIV, Yaoundé Central Hospital, 2006–2013, Cameroon.</p

Diritto e nuove tecnologie. Tra comparazione e interdisciplinarità.

Il fascicolo raccoglie gli atti del Seminario di diritto comparato dell’Associazione “Gruppo di Pisa” del 26 marzo 2021 su “Diritto e nuove tecnologie tra comparazione e interdisciplinarità” – Università degli Studi di Milano