RESUMEN
This paper, jointly written by participants of a workshop held in 2021, argues for an increased recognition and application of neutron activation analysis (NAA) in the archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean. Discussing the methodological strengths and challenges, it highlights the great potential NAA has for collecting proxy data from ceramics in order to develop progressive concepts of archaeological research within and beyond the Mediterranean Bronze and Iron Age, pointing out opportunities to revisit long-held assumptions of scholarship and to refine visual/macroscopic provenance determinations of pottery. To take full advantage of NAA's strengths toward a better understanding of the socioeconomic background of ceramics production, distribution, and consumption, the paper emphasises the need for both interdisciplinary collaboration and basic data publication requirements. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12520-023-01728-1.
RESUMEN
The number of functionally active synapses provides a measure of neural integrity, with reductions observed in neurodegenerative disorders. [11C]UCB-J binds to synaptic vesicle 2A (SV2A) transmembrane protein located in secretory vesicles. We aimed to assess [11C]UCB-J PET as an in vivo biomarker of regional cerebral synaptic SV2A density in rat lesion models of neurodegeneration. Healthy anesthetized rats had [11C]UCB-J PET and arterial blood sampling. We compared different models describing [11C]UCB-J brain uptake kinetics to determine its regional distribution. Blocking studies were performed with levetiracetam (LEV), an antiepileptic SV2A antagonist. Tracer binding was measured in rodent unilateral acute lesion models of Parkinsonism and Huntington's disease, induced with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) and quinolinic acid (QA), respectively. [3H]UCB-J autoradiography was performed in postmortem tissue. Rat brain showed high and fast [11C]UCB-J uptake and washout with up to 80% blockade by LEV. [11C]UCB-J PET showed a 6.2% decrease in ipsilateral striatal SV2A binding after 6-OHDA and 39.3% and 55.1% decreases after moderate and high dose QA confirmed by autoradiography. In conclusion, [11C]UCB-J PET provides a good in vivo marker of synaptic SV2A density which can potentially be followed longitudinally along with synaptic responses to putative neuroprotective agents in models of neurodegeneration.