First finds of Prunus domestica L. in Italy from the Phoenician and Punic periods (6th-2nd centuries BC)

Abstract During the archaeological excavations in the Phoenician and Punic settlement of Santa Giusta (Oristano, Sardinia, Italy), dating back to the 6th–2nd centuries bc, several Prunus fruitstones (endocarps) inside amphorae were recovered. The exceptional state of preservation of the waterlogged remains allowed morphometric measurements to be done by image analysis and statistical comparisons made with modern cultivated and wild Prunus samples collected in Sardinia. Digital images of modern and archaeological Prunus fruitstones were acquired with a flatbed scanner and analysed by applying image analysis techniques to measure 26 morphometric features. By applying stepwise linear discriminant analysis, a morphometric comparison was made between the archaeological fruitstones of Prunus and the modern ones collected in Sardinia. These analyses allowed identification of 53 archaeological fruitstones as P. spinosa and 11 as P. domestica. Moreover, the archaeological samples of P. spinosa showed morphometric similarities in 92.5% of the cases with the modern P. spinosa samples currently growing near the Phoenician and Punic site. Likewise, the archaeological fruitstones identified as P. domestica showed similarities with the modern variety of P. domestica called Sanguigna di Bosa which is currently cultivated near the village of Bosa. Currently, these findings represent the first evidence of P. domestica in Italy during the Phoenician and Punic periods. Keywords Archaeobotany · Image analysis · Morphometric features · Prunus · Sardini

Retroviral matrix and lipids, the intimate interaction

Retroviruses are enveloped viruses that assemble on the inner leaflet of cellular membranes. Improving biophysical techniques has recently unveiled many molecular aspects of the interaction between the retroviral structural protein Gag and the cellular membrane lipids. This interaction is driven by the N-terminal matrix domain of the protein, which probably undergoes important structural modifications during this process, and could induce membrane lipid distribution changes as well. This review aims at describing the molecular events occurring during MA-membrane interaction, and pointing out their consequences in terms of viral assembly. The striking conservation of the matrix membrane binding mode among retroviruses indicates that this particular step is most probably a relevant target for antiviral research

Solid-state NMR sequential assignment of Osaka-mutant amyloid-beta (Aβ1−40 E22Δ) fibrils

ISSN:1874-270XISSN:1874-271

Needle chlorosis in Sitka spruce following a three-year exposure to low concentrations of ozone: changes in mineral content, pigmentation and ascorbic acid.

Two-year-old seedlings of Sitka spruce were exposed to 70 nl 1−1 ozone or to filtered air over three successive summers in outdoor large-scale fumigation chambers (Solardomes). Seven months after the last period of exposure to the pollutant and just prior to budburst, upper-surface chlorisis affecting only the older needles of ozone-exposed trees was observed. In many respects, the symptoms appeared to be similar to those characteristic of type 1 spruce damage occurring in parts of mainland Europe. Chlorophyll pigments were reduced in the ozone-exposed older foliage, but no change in the ratio of chlorophylls to carotene was observed. The content of ascorbic acid was clearly related to the amount of foliar damage observed on the trees exposed to ozone and the largest increases were seen in those trees which were most visibly damaged. Although none of the foliage examined was deficient in any of the nutrient cations which were measured, the concentration of Mg in the older needles was significantly reduced by exposure to ozone, irrespective of damage symptoms. Exposure to ozone also resulted in increases in the ratios of K: Mg and Ca: Mg. In the older needles, leaching of Mg2− and K− by 0.5 mM H2SO4, pH 3.0, was enhanced by prior exposure to ozone, but the amounts removed were small (< 6%). It is suggested that long-term exposure to ozone has a cumulative effect on plant tissue and that the observed chlorosis was the result of accelerated senescence

Metastases to the Pelvis: Algorithm of Treatment

Introduction. Patients with pelvic bone metastasis present a wide range of symptoms, and therapeutic strategies should be individualized in order to obtain the best possible quality of life despite the advanced stage of disease. A multidisciplinary approach among the oncologist, radiation therapist, and orthopedic surgeon is mandatory. The goals of treatment in these patients are pain control, maintenance of independence and prevention of tumor progression, and improvement of the quality of remaining life. We propose a treatment algorithm for patients with bone metastasis in the pelvis. This algorithm aims to simplify the choices of the team from diagnosis to treatment and to avoid under- or overtreatment of pelvic bone metastases. Material and Methods. We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature for clinical studies that reported diagnosis, modalities of treatment, pain relief and function outcomes, as well as perioperative complications and mortality, in patients with bone metastasis to the pelvis and/or acetabulum. Multiple databases from the experienced centers involved were searched up to June 2016. Data have been analyzed in order to prepare an algorithm of treatment based simply on questions with yes/no answers, from diagnosis to follow-up. Results. The algorithm consists of 11 questions that guide physicians since the discovery of a pelvic bone lesion. Treatments are reported in squares and included biopsy, nonsurgical treatment group, radiotherapy, minimally invasive palliative procedures (MIPPs), noninvasive MR-guided FUS (focused ultrasound), surgery, and embolization. In acetabular involvement, the amount of the periacetabular bone loss was classified according to Harrington classification (ranging from groups I to IV) and metastatic acetabular classification (MAC, ranging from types 1 to 4). Conclusion. The treatment of cancer patients with bone metastases is multidisciplinary. Currently, modern treatments are available for the palliative management of patients with metastatic bone disease. These include modern radiation therapy, chemotherapy, embolization, electrochemotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, MIPPs, and MR-guided FUS. Special attention should be directed to osteolytic lesions in the periacetabular region, as they can provoke pathologic fractures and subsequent functional impairment. Different reconstruction techniques for the pelvis are available; the choice depends on the patient\u2019s prognosis, size of the bone defect, and response of the tumor to adjuvant treatment. If all the conservative treatments are exhausted and the patient is not eligible for surgery, one of the various MIPPs can be considered

The Coverage of the Nuclear Risk in Europe: Which Alternative?&ast;

The coverage of catastrophic risks, and in particular of industrial and technological risks, raises multiple questions. As nuclear risk is considered to be a special risk, its coverage is not provided in a traditional way. One of the problems in coverage of the nuclear risk is that operators today still to a large extent rely upon insurers. However, nuclear insurance is provided through national pools that operate on a non-competitive basis. These pools are costly for operators and the damage covered remains insufficient. Given their dissatisfaction with these insurance pools, many nuclear operators are now looking for alternatives. Relying on the previous work of Faure and Skogh, the goal of this paper is to examine whether a risk-sharing by nuclear operators could constitute a serious alternative for the current coverage system. In order to examine this alternative we will place it in a concrete context of nuclear operators in Europe. Moreover, we do not merely want to sketch the theoretical possibilities of a risk-sharing by operators (as this has been done before in the literature). We will in addition also examine the financial consequences for nuclear operators in Europe of such a risk-sharing agreement. The Geneva Papers (2008) 33, 288–322. doi:10.1057/gpp.2008.7