Privatization in Western Europe Stylized Facts, Outcomes, and Open Issues

Privatization has certainly been one of the main events of the economic and financial history of the 20th century. Between 1997 and 2004 more than 4,000 privatization operations were carried out in the world, bringing to governments revenues for over 1,350US$billion. Western Europe emerges as the most important region, having implemented the greatest number of privatizations and raised a half of global revenues. The relevance of Western Europe in the process can be ascribed to several factors. This paper investigates the causes of this process, summarizes the main trends of privatization activity at the country level, analyzes the main privatization drivers and provides an account of the main findings of the effects of privatization at the macro and microeconomic level.Privatization, State-Owned Sector, Capital Markets, Financial Development

Patterns of Irregular Burials in Western Europe (1st-5th Century AD)

International audienceBackground :Irregular burials (IB-burials showing features that contrast with the majority of others in their geographic and chronological context) have been the focus of archaeological study because of their relative rarity and enigmatic appearance. Interpretations of IB often refer to supposed fear of the dead or to social processes taking place in time-specific contexts. However, a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of IB for various geographical contexts is still lacking, a fact that hampers any discussion of these burials on a larger scale. Methods :Here, we collected a bibliographic dataset of 375 IB from both Britain and Continental Europe, altogether spanning a time period from the 1st to the 5th century AD. Each burial has been coded according to ten dichotomous variables, further analyzed by means of chi-squared tests on absolute frequencies, non-metric multidimensional scaling, and cluster analysis. Results :Even acknowledging the limits of this study, and in particular the bias represented by the available literature, our results point to interesting patterns. Geographically, IB show a contrast between Britain and Continental Europe, possibly related to historical processes specific to these regions. Different types of IB (especially prone depositions and depositions with the cephalic extremity displaced) present a series of characteristics and associations between features that permit a more detailed conceptualization of these occurrences from a socio-cultural perspective that aids to elucidate their funerary meaning. Conclusions and Significance :Altogether, the present work stresses the variability of IB, and the need to contextualize them in a proper archaeological and historical context. It contributes to the discussion of IB by providing a specific geographic and chronological frame of reference that supports a series of hypotheses about the cultural processes possibly underlying their occurrence

Scientific and Ethical Aspects of Identified Skeletal Series: The Case of the Documented Human Osteological Collections of the University of Bologna (Northern Italy)

Osteological collections are an essential source of information on human biological and cultural variability, providing insights about developmental, evolutionary, and biocultural processes. Among osteological series, documented human osteological collections (DHOC) are especially useful due to the opportunity to control biological parameters such as age-at-death and sex, which are typically unknown in archaeological or forensic cases. Raising ethical concerns about the collection, management, and study of human remains poses anthropologists with renewed responsibilities. These issues become especially pressing when dealing with DHOC. In this contribution, we discuss the scientific value and ethical issues characterizing DHOC using as case study the documented human osteological collections of the University of Bologna. This series includes more than 1000 individuals from Northern Italian and Sardinian cemeteries and is among the largest in Europe. It represents the basis for ongoing research on a large range of methodological studies, especially focused on the reconstruction of biological profile. After outlining the scientific studies performed on this DHOC, we discuss it in the context of the specific legislation featuring the Italian territory. Finally, we highlight some directions where work can be carried out to better balance scientific research, preservation needs, and ethical concerns, stressing the advantages of modern imaging techniques

Chemical Profiling of Astragalus membranaceus Roots (Fish.) Bunge Herbal Preparation and Evaluation of Its Bioactivity

Astragalus membranaceus (Fish.) Bunge is a perennial herb distributed in the northern part of China, and its roots, namely, Hang qi, are included as a natural ingredient in dietary supplement formulations commonly used to treat different disorders such as respiratory infections, diabetes, and heart failure. The availability of a simple method for the determination of the quality of Astragalus herbal preparations could be a challenging issue for commercial purposes. In this study, a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS)/MS based approach was used to characterize specialized metabolite recovery of 3 commercial hydroalcoholic extracts of A. membranaceus (AMG1, AMG2, AMG3) in addition to a hydroalcoholic extract of A. membranaceus root (AST). The hypoglycemic effect, cholinesterase inhibition, and antioxidant activities were also evaluated. Thirty-one compounds, of which 19 polyphenols and 12 saponins, were identified. The extracts were also quantified by using a sensitive and selective Q-Trap system for their content in flavonoids and astragalosides, selecting astragaloside I and IV as chemical markers. From our results, AMG3 preparation (Axtragyl) was the most abundant in terms of both specialized classes of metabolites, showing a fingerprint similar to that of AST. Interestingly, tested enzyme inhibition ability of flavonoids, daidzein (11) and formononetin (19), reported a higher α-glucosidase inhibition in comparison with that of acarbose used as positive control. The in silico study clarified the interactions among the molecules and the importance of having a free hydroxy group. Moreover, Axtragyl was able to exert protective effects in Caco-2 cells treated with hydrogen peroxide, confirming its ability as a potential protective agent in intestinal injury

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, a Potential Source of Phytochemicals for Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Systematic Review

: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is a medicinal plant belonging to the traditional Indian medical system, showing various therapeutic effects such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and hepatoprotective activity. Of great interest is W. somnifera's potential beneficial effect against neurodegenerative diseases, since the authorized medicinal treatments can only delay disease progression and provide symptomatic relief and are not without side effects. A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus databases was performed to identify preclinical and clinical studies focusing on the applications of W. somnifera in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Only English articles and those containing the keywords (Withania somnifera AND "neurodegenerative diseases", "neuroprotective effects", "Huntington", "Parkinson", "Alzheimer", "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis", "neurological disorders") in the title or abstract were considered. Reviews, editorials, letters, meta-analyses, conference papers, short surveys, and book chapters were not considered. Selected articles were grouped by pathologies and summarized, considering the mechanism of action. The quality assessment and the risk of bias were performed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions checklist. This review uses a systematic approach to summarize the results from 60 investigations to highlight the potential role of W. somnifera and its specialized metabolites in treating or preventing neurodegenerative diseases

A nanoformulated weed with antioxidant and hypoglycemic activity: Sonchus asper (L.) Hill

Sonchus asper (L.) Hill is an annual or biennial wild edible herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. It is widely used in traditional Mediterranean cuisine typically eaten as a side dish or a soup in southern Italy. Moreover, different scientific studies report the numerous beneficial properties of S. asper attributable to the polyphenols, terpenes, and carotenoids present in fresh leaves and their extracts. The present study used a dual strategy: to contribute to the rediscovery of ancient dishes along with the preservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and evaluate the non-edible leaves of S. asper for recovery and valorization of food waste through the creation of a nanoformulation with potential biological activities

Sonchus asper (L.) Hill extracts: phytochemical characterization and exploitation of its biological activities by loading into nanoformulation

Introduction: The current investigation presents a two-fold approach to rediscovering the potential of Sonchus asper as a wild edible plant, both in its raw extract form and as a nanoformulated product. Furthermore, the study aimed to promote the valorization of traditional dishes and contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of S. asper, thus enhancing economic profits. Methods: Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses were conducted to characterize the metabolite profile of the raw and cooked leaf extracts, and the extract from discarded leaves. The antioxidant activity, the hypoglycaemic effect and the incorporation into liposomes were evaluated. Results: 38 compounds and 6 essential amino acids were identified. The incorporation into liposomes maximized the health-promoting properties for potential pharmaceutical or food applications. Discussion: The commercialization of S. asper could: (i) contribute to improving the well-being of rural and urban communities, being S. asper a wild edible plant available at low cost, environmentally friendly, resilient, and adaptable; (ii) generate landowner economic returns

Histone deacetylase inhibition synergistically enhances pemetrexed cytotoxicity through induction of apoptosis and autophagy in non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Pemetrexed, a multi-target folate antagonist, has demonstrated efficacy in NSCLC histological subtypes characterized by low thymidylate synthase (TS) expression. Among many other potential targets, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) modulate TS expression, potentially sensitizing to the cytotoxic action of anti-cancer drugs that target the folate pathway, such as pemetrexed. Since high levels of TS have been linked to clinical resistance to pemetrexed in NSCLC, herein we investigated the molecular and functional effects of combined pemetrexed and ITF2357, a pan-HDACi currently in clinical trials as an anti-cancer agent.Results: In NSCLC cell lines, HDAC inhibition by ITF2357 induced histone and tubulin acetylation and downregulated TS expression at the mRNA and protein level. In combination experiments in vitro ITF2357 and pemetrexed demonstrated sequence-dependent synergistic growth-inhibitory effects, with the sequence pemetrexed followed by ITF2357 inducing a strikingly synergistic reduction in cell viability and induction of both apoptosis and autophagy in all cell line models tested, encompassing both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Conversely, simultaneous administration of both drugs achieved frankly antagonistic effects, while the sequence of ITF2357 followed by pemetrexed had additive to slightly synergistic growth-inhibitory effects only in certain cell lines. Similarly, highly synergistic growth inhibition was also observed in patient-derived lung cancer stem cells (LCSC) exposed to pemetrexed followed by ITF2357. In terms of molecular mechanisms of interaction, the synergistic growth-inhibitory effects observed were only partially related to TS modulation by ITF2357, as genetic silencing of TS expression potentiated growth inhibition by either pemetrexed or ITF2357 and, to a lesser extent, by their sequential combination. Genetic and pharmacological approaches provided an interesting link between the autophagic and apoptotic pathways, and showed that sequential pemetrexed/ITF2357 causes a toxic form of autophagy with consequent activation of a caspase-dependent apoptotic program. In vivo experiments in NSCLC xenografts confirmed that sequential pemetrexed/ITF2357 is feasible and results in increased inhibition of tumor growth and increased mice survival.Conclusions: Overall, these data provide a strong rationale for the clinical development of sequential schedules employing pemetrexed followed by HDACi in NSCLC

Geographic origin, ancestry, and death circumstances at the Cornaux/Les Sauges Iron Age bridge, Switzerland

Cornaux/Les Sauges (Switzerland, Late Iron Age) revealed remnants of a wooden bridge, artifacts, and human and animal skeletal remains. The relationship between the collapsed structure and the skeletal material, whether it indicates a potential accident or cultural practices, remains elusive. We evaluate the most plausible scenario for Cornaux based on osteological, taphonomic, isotopic, and paleogenomic analysis of the recovered individuals. The latter amount to at least 20 individuals, mostly adult males. Perimortem lesions include only blunt force traumas. Radiocarbon data fall between the 3rd and 1st c. BCE, although in some cases predating available dendrochronological estimates from the bridge. Isotopic data highlight five to eight nonlocals. No close genetic relatedness links the analyzed skeletons. Paleogenomic results, the first for Iron Age Switzerland, point to a genetic affinity with other Central and Western European Iron Age groups. The type of skeletal lesions supports an accidental event as the more plausible explanation. Radiocarbon data and the demographic structure of the sample may suggest a sequence of different events possibly including executions and/or sacrifices. Isotopic and paleogenomic data, while not favoring one scenario over the other, do support earlier interpretations of the last centuries BCE in Europe as a dynamic period from a biocultural perspective

Predictors of Local Control for Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SAbR) in Pulmonary Oligometastases from Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Background/aim: To assess predictors of local control (LC) for stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) in pulmonary oligometastatic disease (OMD) from gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies. Patients and methods: Patients with pulmonary OMD treated with SAbR from January 2016 to December 2018 were included in this observational analysis. Primary endpoint was LC. Uni- and multivariate analyses to assess variable correlations were conducted. Results: Thirty-seven patients and 59 lung metastases were evaluated. The delivered dose was 30-60 Gy in 3-8 fractions. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months (range=6.3-50.4 months), LC rate at 1/2 years was 89.7%/85.0%, and increased to 96.0%/91.0% for lesions treated with a biologically effective dose (BED10) ≥100 Gy (p=0.03). RECIST response at 6 months was predictive for LC (p=0.002). Conclusion: SAbR is an effective option for pulmonary OMD from GI malignancies. A BED10 ≥100 Gy and radiological response at 6 months can affect LC