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Abstract In the field of botany applied to archaeological and palaeoecological studies, the multi- and inter-disciplinary nature of this research produces a lack of data sharing and scattered articles in the specialty literature or in national and international journals. The vast production of archaeobotany and palynology data makes it necessary to develop a tool for the availability, accessibility, and dissemination of existing research. Many databases exist on palaeoecology, archaeobotany or pollen data. There are no collections focused on archaeological sites and human-induced environments and centred on Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. BRAIN - Botanical Records of Archaeobotany Italian Network is the first database listing sites from which all types of plant records are available in Italy and nearby Mediterranean regions. BRAIN represents the largest integrated collection of archaeo/palaeo-botanical data and a range of descriptive information that makes data recovery FAIR ready. This unique network hosts data on the availability of anthropogenic pollen, palynomorphs and plant macroremains in the same database, and experts of different research fields may contribute to it.

Background/Objectives: Patients with diabetes have been reported to experience a higher prevalence of shoulder disorders compared to those without diabetes or with other medical conditions. However, the specific types of shoulder injuries and the extent of functional impairment associated with diabetes mellitus remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between diabetes and specific shoulder injuries, as well as the degree of functional impairment in affected patients. Methods: A case–control study was conducted involving 136 patients with shoulder functional impairment (UCLA Shoulder Scale ≤ 27). The study included 38 patients with diabetes and 98 non-diabetic controls. Shoulder injuries were diagnosed using ultrasonography, focusing on the supraspinatus tendon, long head of the biceps tendon, subscapularis tendon, and the presence of adhesive capsulitis or rotator cuff tears. Results: Diabetic patients had significantly higher rates of poor shoulder function compared to non-diabetic controls (89.47% vs. 63.26%, adjusted OR [adOR] 5.22, 95% CI 1.57–17.32, p = 0.007). While both groups had high rates of supraspinatus and long head of the biceps tendon injuries (~80%), no significant differences were found between them (p > 0.300). However, diabetic patients were more than three times as likely to have subscapularis tendon injuries (adOR 3.15, 95% CI 1.26–7.90, p = 0.014) and massive rotator cuff tears (adOR 3.76, 95% CI 1.16–12.15, p = 0.027). Additionally, diabetes was associated with a fourfold increased risk of adhesive capsulitis (adOR 4.16, 95% CI 1.20–14.47, p = 0.025). Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus is linked to greater functional and structural deterioration of the shoulder, highlighting the importance of considering diabetes as a risk factor for specific shoulder injuries. Early diagnosis and treatment may improve outcomes for diabetic patients with shoulder disorders.

Vitamin D3 or calcitriol (VitD3) has been shown to have anticancer and anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro models and clinical studies. However, its effect on HPV-16-related cancer has been sparsely explored. In this study, we aimed to determine whether monotherapy or combination therapy with cisplatin (CP) reduces tumor growth and affects survival and systemic inflammation. Treatments were administered to C57BL/6 mice with HPV-16-related tumors (TC-1 cells) as follows: (1) placebo (100 µL vehicle, olive oil, orally administered daily); (2) VitD3 (3.75 µg/kg calcitriol orally administered daily); (3) CP (5 mg/kg intraperitoneally, every 7 days); and (4) VitD3+CP. Tumor growth was monitored for 25 days, survival for 60 days, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was evaluated on days 1 (baseline), 7, and 14. VitD3+CP showed greater success in reducing tumor volume compared to CP monotherapy (p = 0.041), while no differences were observed between CP and VitD3 monotherapy (p = 0.671). Furthermore, VitD3+CP prolonged survival compared to CP (p = 0.036) and VitD3 (p = 0.007). Additionally, at day 14 the VitD3 and VitD3+CP groups showed significantly lower NLR values than the CP group (p < 0.05, for both comparisons). Vitamin D3 could be a promising adjuvant in the treatment of cervical cancer or solid tumors and deserves further investigation.

Introduction. Cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia enfold heart disease morbimortality. Diagonal earlobe crease has been proposed as a prognostic marker of extension and severity of illness in patients with acute coronary syndrome. But its usefulness remains unclear in patients with or without coronary disease. Methods. A case-control study was carried out on a total of 805 patients with and without cardiovascular risk factors or acute coronary syndrome. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to determine the probability of having diagonal earlobe crease with the presence of cardiovascular risk factors and acute coronary syndrome. Data were summarized as odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals and P values. Results. An unadjusted (univariate) analysis showed that being male, being older than 55 years, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, smoking, and dyslipidemia, as well as having acute coronary syndrome, were associated with the presence of diagonal earlobe crease. The multivariate analysis showed that men (OR 1.6, 95% IC 1.1–2.4, P=0.007), being over 55 years old (OR 4.8, 95% IC 3.2–7.2, P

In our study, we assessed the effects of verbenone, the most widely studied bark beetle aggregation inhibitor, on saproxylic beetles in a Mediterranean pine forest in Tuscany. Verbenone pouches were devised in the laboratory and then applied to Ips sexdentatus pheromone traps so that their catches could be compared to those of traps containing just the pheromone. The trial was carried out in spring–summer 2023, and insect catches were collected every two weeks. A total of 9440 beetles were collected that belonged to 32 different families and 57 species. About 80% of the captures were bark beetles, mainly Orthotomicus erosus. Beetle predators accounted for about 17% of the captures, with a total of 12 species. Some of these predator species had not yet been studied in relation to verbenone effects, like other saproxylic beetles recorded in this study. A significant reduction in captures was recorded for some beetles (e.g., I. sexdentatus and O. erosus), while for other species, no differences emerged, and in some cases, captures increased significantly when verbenone was present in the traps (i.e., Hylurgus ligniperda, Corticeus pini, and Aulonium ruficorne). The diversity of caught saproxylic beetles increased significantly in the verbenone traps, highlighting possible implications of the use of verbenone when managing bark beetle outbreaks.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of different lithium-disilicate (LiSi) glass-ceramic surface decontamination procedures on the shear bond strength (SBS) to resin cement. Materials and Methods: Seventy CAD/CAM LiSi ceramic specimens (IPS e.max CAD, Ivoclar) were cut and sintered. Fifty specimens were treated with 5% hydrofluoric acid (HF) for 20 s, while 20 were left untreated. All 70 specimens were then contaminated with human saliva and try-in silicone paste. The following surface cleaning methods were investigated (n = 10): C: water rinsing (control); PA: 37% H3PO4 etching for 20 s; E: 70% ethanol applied for 20 s; CP: cleaning paste (Ivoclean, Ivoclar) brushed for 20 s; HFSEP: self-etching ceramic primer (Monobond Etch&Prime, Ivoclar) rubbed for 20 s; HF: 5% HF applied for 20 s or no HF etching prior to contamination; SEP: self-etching ceramic primer rubbed for 20 s and no HF etching prior to contamination. Composite cylinders were created and luted with an adhesive resin cement to the decontaminated surfaces. After storage for 24 h at 37°C, the SBS test was conducted. Two fractured specimens per group were observed under SEM to perform fractographic analysis. The data were statistically analyzed with p set at <0.05. Results: The type of surface cleaning approach influenced bond strength (p < 0.001). HFSEP, SEP, and HF attained higher SBS (p < 0.001) compared to other groups. None of the approaches were able to completely remove contaminants from the ceramic surfaces. SEM images showed residual traces of contaminants on CP-treated surfaces. Conclusions: The self-etching ceramic primer enhanced bond strength to contaminated LiSi ceramic surfaces, irrespective of previous treatment with hydrofluoric acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare, progressive, genetic disease with multisystem impact that typically begins to manifest in early childhood. Two treatment options exist: oral phosphate in combination with active vitamin D (“conventional therapy”) and a fully human monoclonal anti-FGF23 antibody, burosumab. The clinical benefit of conventional therapy in adults is limited, and poor tolerance and complications are common. Burosumab was first approved as a treatment for XLH in 2018 and its disease-modifying benefits in clinical trials in children suggest burosumab treatment could also alter the disease course in adults. Without long-term clinical data on multiple XLH-related sequelae available, the results of an elicitation exercise are reported, in which eight global experts in XLH posited how long-term treatment with burosumab is anticipated to impact the life course of clinical sequelae in adults with XLH. Based on their clinical experiences, the available evidence and their disease understanding, the experts agreed that some long-term benefits of using burosumab are likely in adults with XLH even if they have a misaligned skeleton from childhood. Burosumab treatment is anticipated to reduce the incidence of fractures and halt the progression of clinical sequelae associated with conventional therapy. While the trajectories for established dental abscesses are not expected to improve with burosumab treatment, dental abscess development may be prevented. Starting treatment with burosumab in childhood to increase the likelihood of an aligned skeleton and continuation into and throughout adulthood to maintain euphosphatemia may optimize patient outcomes, although future real-world investigation is required to support this hypothesis.

This study investigates botanical remains from the Takarkori site in the Tadrart Acacus region (SW Libya) to reconstruct socio-economic and cultural characteristics of human groups during the Holocene. By analyzing micro- and macrofossils of plant origin, we aim to understand the availability and management of environmental resources and how plant taxa were used by humans. The exceptional preservation of archaeobotanical material across all occupation levels, facilitated by the region's geomorphological and environmental conditions, provides a unique opportunity to study pre-Pastoral and Pastoral Neolithic activities within a comprehensive diachronic framework. Our research extends previous investigations by examining the spatial distribution of archaeobotanical remains in association with site furniture and material correlates, offering insights into the functional use of space within the site. Also, the features of plant assemblages and their distribution patterns indicate the planning in the use of plant resources and the diverse uses beyond subsistence, including ritual and cultural practices. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of Holocene environmental and cultural dynamics, highlighting the importance of archaeobotanical data in archaeological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), conventional therapy with oral phosphate salts and active vitamin D has been associated with nephrocalcinosis. However, the nature of the relationships among XLH, its treatment, nephrocalcinosis, and kidney function remain poorly understood. Methods: Renal ultrasounds were performed and glomerular filtration rates were estimated (eGFR) at baseline in burosumab-naïve patients with XLH who participated in burosumab clinical trials (NCT02181764, NCT02526160, NCT02537431, NCT02163577, NCT02750618, NCT02915705) or enrolled in the XLH Disease Monitoring Program (XLH-DMP; NCT03651505). In this cross-sectional analysis, patient, disease, and treatment characteristics were described among patients with and without nephrocalcinosis. Results: The analysis included 196 children (mean [SD] age 7.6 [4.0] yr) and 318 adults (40.3 [13.1] yr). Mean (SD) height z-score was −1.9 (1.2) for children and −2.3 (1.7) for adults. Nearly all children (97%) and adults (94%) had previously received conventional therapy. Nephrocalcinosis was detected in 22% of children and 38% of adults. In children, reduced eGFR <90 mL/min/1.73 m2 was more prevalent in those with nephrocalcinosis (25%) than in those without (11%), a finding that was not observed in adults. Children with nephrocalcinosis had lower mean values of TmP/GFR (p<.05), serum 1,25(OH)2D (p<.05), and eGFR (p<.001) and higher mean serum calcium concentrations (p<.05) than did those without nephrocalcinosis. Adults with nephrocalcinosis had lower mean serum phosphorus (p<.01) and 1,25(OH)2D (p<.05) concentrations than those without. Exploratory logistic regression analyses revealed no significant associations between the presence of nephrocalcinosis and other described patient or disease characteristics. Conclusions: Nephrocalcinosis was observed in nearly one-quarter of children and more than one-third of adults with XLH. Further study is needed to better understand the predictors and long-term consequences of nephrocalcinosis, with surveillance for nephrocalcinosis remaining important in the management of XLH. Lay Summary: Conventionally, patients with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) were treated with phosphate and vitamin D taken by mouth. However, this therapy might lead to a buildup of calcium in the kidney, called nephrocalcinosis. Here, we tried to better understand how XLH, conventional therapy, nephrocalcinosis, and kidney function are related. Nephrocalcinosis was detected with kidney ultrasounds. Kidney function, called the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), was determined using blood levels of creatinine. Patients had been part of burosumab clinical trials or part of the XLH Disease Monitoring Program. Data were collected from patients before they received burosumab. The study included 196 children and 318 adults. Almost all children and adults had received conventional therapy. 22% of children and 38% of adults had nephrocalcinosis. Some lab values were different among patients with vs without nephrocalcinosis. Children with nephrocalcinosis had significantly greater loss of phosphate by the kidneys, lower blood levels of the active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), lower eGFR, and higher blood levels of calcium than those without nephrocalcinosis. Adults with nephrocalcinosis had significantly lower blood levels of phosphorus and 1,25(OH)2D concentrations than those without. It remains important to monitor patients with XLH for nephrocalcinosis. Further study is needed to better understand nephrocalcinosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Packaging label and music influence product acceptance and sensory profiling. This study defined the ideal label for a craft beer using the modified choice‐based conjoint analysis (MCBCA), as well as the sensory profile of this craft beer and an industrial beer in two tests: a blind test and a test in the presence of the labeled bottle and of a sertanejo universitário song, using a rate‐all‐that‐apply (RATA) list. MCBCA revealed that craft beer label's most favorable attributes included information on harmonization with food, a traditional‐themed illustration, and a strong emphasis on the brand and beer type. The RATA list comprised descriptive attributes, affective terms, product‐relevant phrases, and feelings. Nonsensory characteristics had a positive impact on the craft beer description but a negative impact on the industrial beer, with descriptors such as "watery," negative affective terms memories for it. The influence of labeled bottles and music on consumers' sensory descriptions underscores the importance of nonsensory characteristics in the product's evaluation and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost 70 years after the first excavations, the site of Colombare di Villa di Negrar di Valpolicella is now the focus of a project of archaeological and paleoenvironmental investigations led by the University of Milan and the Cultural Heritage Office for the provinces of Verona, Rovigo and Vicenza. In the light of the archaeological evidence, the site was occupied from the Recent Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age, apparently without interruption. Probably it was founded in the context of systematic activities of extraction, processing and export of the high quality flint of the western Lessini Mountains, but its long duration also implies a deep-rooted presence in the territory due to the agricultural exploitation of the land. The project is based on a rigorously interdisciplinary methodology of investigation, oriented towards the study of the relations between the community settled at Colombare and the surrounding territory, and it avails itself of the collaboration of several research institutes. The results of pollen and archaeobotanical studies show a relatively developed agricultural economy, with cereal growing and wild fruit picking activities. Among these, the vine and the hazelnut are particularly important as species that must have been present in the site, probably cared for and systematically used for human consumption. Radiocarbon dates document a reduction of tree species in favor of herbaceous species starting from the last centuries of the fifth millennium BC, which can be interpreted as the effect of an extensive deforestation. Archaeozoological data, although they’re substantially unreliable in terms of function and chronological detail, indicate a prevalence of domestic animals, including typically Neolithic large cattle, and hunting activities, especially of the large ungulates of forest habitat. The very detailed data of the paleo-environmental researches at Colombare di Negrar allow to advance some considerations on the construction of the agrarian landscape in the alpine and prealpine area during the recent prehistory and protohistory, and on its peculiarities compared to the better known Po Valley area.

Neste breve texto procuramos expor algumas de nossas reflexões sobre a relação entre a Arqueologia e a História como disciplinas do passado; reflexões construídas ao longo de minha carreira na Universidade de São Paulo.

Desde a segunda metade do século XX, o tombamento persiste como principal alternativa de salvaguarda de bens culturais no Brasil, enquanto a partir dos anos 2000, o plano diretor municipal estabelece diretrizes protetivas de áreas remanescentes da narrativa evolutiva de urbes contemporâneas. Diante dessas assertivas, o objetivo geral da pesquisa consiste em analisar os argumentos relativos à proteção da memória do centro histórico de Paranaguá, Paraná. Com caráter exploratório e abordagem qualitativa, a investigação foi apoiada em técnicas de revisão de literatura e em análises documentais. Seus resultados indicam que aquela ferramenta da política patrimonial e o citado documento de ordenamento urbanístico contribuem tanto para alterações positivas, quanto para externalidades adversas, com riscos à cognição do passado no presente e à sua respectiva transmissibilidade ao futuro. Pela interpretação das questões históricas e empíricas do caso estudado, também se pode deduzir que a efetividade dessas ações depende do reconhecimento dos valores e significados do patrimônio individual e coletivo. Por fim, conclui-se que, como decorrência de descompassos de pensamento entre diversas instâncias – públicas e privadas, legados da humanidade restam à deriva e suscetíveis a perdas irreversíveis e ao desaparecimento – completo ou parcial – da história das comunidades locais. Palavras-chave: centros históricos; bens patrimoniais; planejamento urbano; tempo presente.