The Western origins of mindfulness therapy in ancient Rome.

Stoic philosophy has multiple parallels with cognitive behavioural therapy interventions. In their ancient texts, the Roman Stoics present a set of theoretical principles and behavioural strategies that are directly relevant to the clinical care of patients with a wide range of neuropsychiatric conditions. Mindfulness is a key component of the 'third wave' of modern psychotherapy that closely resembles the ancient Stoic practice of attention or 'concentration on the present moment'. Stoic mindfulness draws attention to one of the main principles driving both Stoicism and modern psychotherapy: the assumption that cognitive activity (reasoning) mediates emotions and behaviours. This principle can be traced back to Epictetus' Enchiridion, where he recognises that 'men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things'. It has been shown that cognitive behavioural therapies and mindfulness-based interventions directed at patients with neuropsychiatric disorders were originally developed as Stoic-inspired treatment interventions. Both Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck (the founders of rational emotive behaviour therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, respectively) explicitly acknowledged the role of Stoicism as the philosophical precursor of their treatment approaches. The effective implementation of evidence-based guidelines would benefit from an increased awareness of the influence of the Stoic tradition of philosophical therapy on the treatment approaches currently in use in neuropsychiatry.

Ethnobotany as a parameter for the study of cultural mimicry among Roma people / La etnobotánica como parámetro para el estudio del mimetismo cultural entre el pueblo gitano

The nomadic behavior of Roma people has allowed their cultural interaction with people from different continents. Brazil has received Roma immigrants since its colonization, and there are currently more than 800,000 Roma people among the Brazilian population. This article describes the ethnobotanical knowledge of two Calon families (Alves a nd Dantas) esta blished in hinterland cities of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. The survey was conducted with 23 informants (≥ 40 years old, 85% of the target audience) selected through the snowball technique and using semi - structured interviews. The plants mentioned wer e collected, identified and deposited in the IPA and UFP herbaria. The 157 species (85 native) are used for food, condiment, cosmetic, medicinal, ritualistic, technological, veterinary, and other purposes. The useful flora and forms of use are similar to t hose reported by non - Roma communities living in the same region, showing a kind of mimicry adopted by the Roma people, yet maintaining their cultural identity.

El comportamiento nómada de los gitanos ha permitido su interacción cultural con personas de diferentes continentes. Brasil ha recibido inmigrantes romaníes desde su colonización y actualmente hay más de 800.000 romaníes entre la población brasileñ a. Este artículo describe el conocimiento etnobotá nico de dos familias Calon (Alves y Dantas) establecidas en ciudades del interior de Pernambuco, noreste de Brasil. La encuesta se realizó con 23 informantes (≥ 40 años, 85% del público objetivo) seleccionados mediante la técnica de bola de nieve y mediant e entrevistas semiestructuradas. Las plantas mencionadas fueron recolectadas, identificadas y depositadas en los herbarios IPA y UFP. Las 157 especies (85 nativas) se utilizan para alimentos, condimentos, cosméticos, medicinales, ritualistas, tecnológicos, veterinarios y otros fines. La flora útil y las formas de uso son similares a las reportadas por las comunidades no gitanas que viven en la misma región, mostrando una especie de mimetismo adoptado por el pueblo gitano, pero manteniendo su identidad cultu ral.

[Patient's management in the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Care Pathway for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): a retrospective observational study in Local Health Agency Rome 2, Lazio Region]. / Studio osservazionale retrospettivo sulla presa in carico nel Percorso Diagnostico Terapeutico Assistenziale per la Broncopneumopatia Cronico- Ostruttiva in una Casa della Salute della ASL Roma 2.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease that causes high morbidity and mortality. In the Lazio Region, the Clinical Pathway (PDTA) for COPD was codified in 2016. An analysis of the medical records of a retrospective open cohort of 77 patients followed at the Outpatient Clinic Torrenova (ASL Roma 2) from 2017 to 2021, for a total of 305 visits, was performed. The mean interval between visits per individual patient was 169±124 days, the overall length of follow-up 613±388 days. The mean age of patients enrolled in the PDTA was 67 years, 90% were smokers or former smokers, and 30% had major comorbidities. At the first visit, 13% of the patients had normal spirometry, 36% mild obstruction (GOLD 1), 13% GOLD 2, 15% GOLD 3 and none GOLD 4. Regarding ABCD classification, 29% of the patients were compatible with class A, 3% with class B, 29% class C and 10% class D. The analysis of the severity of the patients through a composite score showed a Gaussian distribution of patients at the first visits, a positive correlation with the number of follow-ups and a negative correlation with the interval of follow-up visits; the overall length of follow-up did not correlate with the severity of the disease. The active COPD PDTA in ASL Roma 2 seems to hit the target of taking care of the patient in the early stages of the disease. The effects of early intervention on disease outcomes should be highlighted by further studies.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis in the era of biological therapy: how the disease changed in more than 20 years of observation in a tertiary referral center in Rome (Italy).

OBJECTIVES: To describe the ophthalmological characteristics in a Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) cohort and to evaluate how therapeutic advances have changed the course of the uveitis. METHODS: Analysis of a retrospective cohort study of consecutive JIA pediatric patients including JIA-associated uveitis (JIA-U) and comparison with a previous study in the same uveitis center assessed before the wide-spread of biological therapy. RESULTS: The total of 49 JIA patients were analyzed, of whom 18 JIA-U, compared with a JIA-U past cohort of 66 patients. Systemic corticosteroids were used significantly less in the current JIA-U group (p = 0.008) than in the past one. JIA-U present cohort was on therapy more frequently with conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) than the past group (p = 0.039), mostly treated with methotrexate (93.3%). Furthermore, a larger use of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) was described in the current JIA-U group (p = 0.005) also associated with csDMARDs (p = 0.003). Adalimumab was used more (72.7%) in the present JIA-U cohort compared to a larger treatment with infliximab (61.5%) in the past (p = 0.005). Higher number of uveitis recurrences was observed in the previous cohort compared to the current one (p = 0.005). Fewer complications were described in this study than in the previous: posterior synechiae (p = 0.007), cataract (p < 0.001), band keratopathy (p < 0.001), and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) (p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: Current therapies reduced the uveitis recurrences and ocular complications including cataract due also to the lower use of corticosteroids. The new close collaboration with the pediatric rheumatologic center in the same University has contributed to the care improvement and decrease of uveitis complications.

Ancient and modern pathologies and therapies: St. Gallicanus Hospital in Rome between the 18th and 20th centuries.

St. Gallicanus Hospital in Rome, Italy, created by the will of Pope Benedict XIII (1649-1730) in 1725, was the first dermatologic hospital in the world. The strong bond between science and faith, humanitarian spirit and scientific research, and the profoundness and legacy of its entire history have all contributed to its legacy. We have traced its development by examining archival documents to understand the life of the institute and the diseases that were diagnosed and treated from the 18th century to the first half of the 20th century. Some of the main diseases were leprosy, mange, scabies, ringworm, and syphilis, which were widespread in Rome during the 18th and 19th centuries and were creating a mortal threat for much of the population. St. Gallicanus Hospital was dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these diseases where possible. Special attention has been directed to syphilis and the use of penicillin therapy after its introduction in 1943, especially for curbing the extensive problems created by prostitution.

Barbarigenesis and the collapse of complex societies: Rome and after.

"Barbarism" is perhaps best understood as a recurring syndrome among peripheral societies in response to the threats and opportunities presented by more developed neighbors. This article develops a mathematical model of barbarigenesis-the formation of "barbarian" societies adjacent to more complex societies-and its consequences, and applies the model to the case of Europe in the first millennium CE. A starting point is a game (developed by Hirshleifer) in which two players allocate their resources either to producing wealth or to fighting over wealth. The paradoxical result is that a richer and potentially more powerful player may lose out to a poorer player, because the opportunity cost of fighting is greater for the former. In a more elaborate spatial model with many players, the outcome is a wealth-power mismatch: central regions have comparatively more wealth than power, peripheral regions have comparatively more power than wealth. In a model of historical dynamics, a wealth-power mismatch generates a long-lasting decline in social complexity, sweeping from more to less developed regions, until wealth and power come to be more closely aligned. This article reviews how well this model fits the historical record of late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages in Europe both quantitatively and qualitatively. The article also considers some of the history left out of the model, and why the model doesn't apply to the modern world.

Dietary Fluoride Intake by Children: When to Use a Fluoride Toothpaste?

Fluoride is recommended for its cariostatic effect, but excessive fluoride intake may have health risks. Increased prevalence of dental fluorosis in areas with low fluoride content in drinking water has been attributed to the inappropriate excessive intake of fluoride supplements (tablets and drops) and toothpaste ingestion. The aim of the present study was to estimate the fluoride intake and the risk of fluorosis in children (6 months-6 years) in the Castelli Romani area (province of Rome, Italy), which is volcanic, therefore with a higher concentration of fluorine. Measurements of the fluoride content in drinking water, mineral waters, vegetables and commercial toothpaste for children were performed. The fluoride concentrations of all samples were determined using a Fluoride Ion Selective Electrode (GLP 22, Crison, Esp). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Differences between samples were determined by Student's t-test. The fluoride content in tap water samples collected from public sources averaged from 0.35 to 1.11 ppm. The Pavona area showed the highest content of fluoride with respect to the others (p ≤ 0.05). The fluoride content in mineral water samples averaged from 0.07 to 1.50 ppm. The fluoride content of some vegetables showed increased mean values when compared to control vegetables (p ≤ 0.05). Within the limitations of the present study, considerations should be made when prescribing fluoride toothpaste for infants (6 months-4 years) in the areas with high fluoride content, because involuntary ingestion is consistent.

Chapitre 7. L'âme et le corps à travers le droit romain et le droit canon.

Within this work are approached some historical elements on the history of the evolution of the perception of the links between the soul and the body and the modification of the place of the soul within canon and Roman rights.

[The integrated care pathway for non melanoma skin cancer: the Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata - IRCCS experience in Rome.] / Il percorso diagnostico-terapeutico e assistenziale nella gestione del paziente affetto da tumore cutaneo non melanocitario: l'esperienza dell'IDI - IRCCS di Roma.

The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) is increasing worldwide and these skin cancers have become an important health issue. An integrated care pathway (ICP) is a multidisciplinary outline of anticipated care, placed in an appropriate timeframe, to help a patient with a specific condition. The aim of this paper is to define the ICP for patients affected by NMSC referring to the Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata - IRCCS of Rome and Villa Paola, Italy. This ICP is multidisciplinary and included various specialists like dermatologist, oncologist, general surgeon, plastic surgeon, anatomopathologist, molecular biologist and epidemiologist. This ICP is based on the most recent acquisitions in the literature, referring in particular to the national (EADO and SIDEMAST) and international guidelines (EDF and NCCN). We firstly valued the current practice for patients affected by NMSC referring to our Institute to define the multidisciplinary process map. This process delineated the activities and the responsibilities performed during delivery of care to the patients and the potential problem areas or opportunities for improvements. Subsequently, we defined the final ICP process. This ICP of NMSC represents an innovative strategy to provide high quality healthcare. This allows to ensure all the necessary procedures for the patient, optimizing the "continuum" of care and the use of health services, and improving the organization of the Institute regarding an important health issue.

On the production of ancient Egyptian blue: Multi-modal characterization and micron-scale luminescence mapping.

The ancient pigment Egyptian blue has long been studied for its historical significance; however, recent work has shown that its unique visible induced luminescent property can be used both to identify the pigment and to inspire new materials with this characteristic. In this study, a multi-modal characterization approach is used to explore variations in ancient production of Egyptian blue from shabti statuettes found in the village of Deir el-Medina in Egypt (Luxor, West Bank) dating back to the New Kingdom (18th-20th Dynasties; about 1550-1077 BCE). Using quantitative SEM-EDS analysis, we identify two possible production groups of the Egyptian blue and demonstrate the presence of multiple phases within samples using cluster analysis and ternary diagram representations. Using both macro-scale non-invasive (X-rays fluorescence and multi-spectral imaging) and micro-sampling (SEM-EDS and Raman confocal microspectroscopy) techniques, we correlate photoluminescence and chemical composition of the ancient samples. We introduce Raman spectroscopic imaging as a means to capture simultaneously visible-induced luminesce and crystal structure and utilize it to identify two classes of luminescing and non-luminescing silicate phases in the pigment that may be connected to production technologies. The results presented here provide a new framework through which Egyptian blue can be studied and inform the design of new materials based on its luminescent property.

At the origin of "Endocrinology and Art": Woman's Head (third century BCE).

In 1911, the Danish physician Hans Christian Gram (1853-1938) sustained to have found signs of hyperthyroidism in a marble head of a Roman woman that he observed in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. It could be one of the first examples of a clinical diagnosis of an endocrine disease in an ancient statue.

Major trauma critical pathway: preliminary results from the monitoring system in the regional network and in a hub center in Rome metropolitan area.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to collect the two years' data regarding the Integrated Trauma Management System (SIAT) by capturing the activity of its three Hubs in the Italian Lazio Region and test the performance of one of the Hubs' (Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, FPG -IRCCS) Major Trauma Clinical Pathway's (MTCP) monitoring system, introducing the preliminary results through volume, process and outcome indicators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis on SIAT was conducted on years 2016 to 2018, by collecting outcome and timeliness indicators through the Lazio Informative System whereas the MTCP was monitored through set of indicators from the FPG - IRCCS Informative System belonging to randomly selected clinical records of the established period. RESULTS: Hubs managed 11.3% of the 998,240 patients admitted in SIAT. All patients eligible for MTCP were "Flagged", and 83% underwent a CT within 2 hours; intra-hospital mortality was 13% whereas readmission rates 16.9%. CONCLUSIONS: SIAT converges the most severe patients to its Hubs. The MTCP monitoring system was able to measure a total of 9 out of 13 indicators from the original panel. This research may serve as a departing point to conduct a pre-post analysis on the performance of the MTCP.

[Trajan's decision: a neurological point of view]. / La decisión de Trajano: un punto de vista neurológico.

The emperor of Rome, Marco Ulpio Trajano, ruled the Roman Empire from 98 to 117 AD, being the first emperor of non-Italian origin and the man who took the Empire to its maximum geographical extent. Trajan's death is surrounded by mystery, given Adriano's controversial adoption as his successor just before his death, as well as rumors of poisoning by his wife, Plotina. In addition, despite the limited literary sources available, episodes of «paralysis¼, «stroke¼, «dropsy¼, diarrhea and nonspecific episodes of «illness¼ have been documented, related to the worsening of his health the months before his death. His special love of wine and life habits related to the personality of the emperor, could be associated with his delicate state of health during the last year of his government, although it is not possible to rule out other pathological processes with neurological involvement associated with the last years of life of the optimus princeps, which could interfere with his last decisions as ruler. In this article, the historical sources available are reviewed in order to analyze, from the neurological point of view, the last moments of the emperor with which Rome reached its maximum military splendor.

TITLE: La decisión de Trajano: un punto de vista neurológico.El emperador de Roma Marco Ulpio Trajano gobernó el Imperio romano desde el año 98 hasta el 117 d.C., y fue el primer emperador de origen no itálico y el hombre que llevó al Imperio a su máxima extensión geográfica. La muerte de Trajano está rodeada de misterio, dada la polémica adopción de Adriano como su sucesor justo antes del momento de su fallecimiento, así como los rumores de envenenamiento por parte de su mujer, Plotina. Además, a pesar de las escasas fuentes literarias disponibles, se han documentado episodios de «parálisis¼, «apoplejía¼, «hidropesía¼, diarrea y episodios inespecíficos de «enfermedad¼ relacionados con el empeoramiento de su salud los meses antes de su muerte. Su especial afición al vino y los hábitos de vida relacionados con la personalidad del emperador pudieron estar asociados con su delicado estado de salud durante el último año de su gobierno, si bien no es posible descartar otros procesos patológicos con afectación neurológica asociados a los últimos años de vida del optimus princeps, los cuales pudieron interferir con sus últimas decisiones como gobernante. En este artículo se revisan las fuentes históricas disponibles con el objeto de analizar, desde el punto de vista neurológico, los últimos momentos del emperador con el que Roma alcanzó su máximo esplendor militar.

Ethnomedicinal plants for veterinary use in gypsy communities of the northeast of Brazil / Plantas etnomedicinales para uso veterinario en comunidades gitanas del noreste de Brasil

Gypsies have been in Brazil since the 16th century and today they are more than 800,000 in the country. This article describes the veterinary use of plants by Calon gypsies living in Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. The research was carried out with 23 people (> 40 years old), using semi-structured forms and the snowball technique. The cited species were collected during guided tours, identified and deposited at the IPA and UFP herbaria. Ten plants were indicated for veterinary use: Agave sisalana (Asparagaceae), Aspidosperma pyrifolium (Apocynaceae), Apodanthera congestiflora (Cucurbitaceae), Heliotropium indicum (Boraginaceae), Lippia alba (Verbenaceae), Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae), Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae), Passiflora cincinnata (Passifloraceae), Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae), and Solanum paniculatum (Solanaceae). The participants cited various methods of preparation and therapeutic indications for ectoparasitic infections, digestive disorders, and eye and respiratory infections in farm animals. Apodanthera congestiflora and H. indicum stood out for prophylaxis and treatment of Newcastle disease in fowl.

Los gitanos están en Brasil desde el siglo XVI y hoy, son más de 800.000 en el país. Este artículo describe el uso veterinario de plantas por gitanos Calon que viven en Pernambuco, Noreste de Brasil. La encuesta fue realizada con 23 personas (> 40 años), utilizando formularios semi-estructurados y la técnica bola de nieve. Las especies citadas fueron recolectadas en giras guiadas, identificadas y depositadas en los herbarios IPA y UFP. Diez plantas fueron citadas para uso veterinario: Agave sisalana (Asparagaceae), Aspidosperma pyrifolium (Apocynaceae), Apodanthera congestiflora (Cucurbitaceae), Heliotropium indicum (Boraginaceae), Lippia alba (Verbenaceae), Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae), Nicotiana tabacum (Solanaceae), Passiflora cincinnata (Passifloraceae), Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae) y Solanum paniculatum (Solanaceae). Los participantes citaron varios modos de preparación e indicaciones terapéuticas para infecciones ectoparasitarias, disturbios digestivos, infecciones oculares y respiratorias en animales domésticos. Apodanthera congestiflora y H. indicum se destacaron en la profilaxis y tratamiento de la enfermedad de Newcastle en aves.

Using city gates as a means of estimating ancient traffic flows.

Despite the recent flurry of interest in various aspects of ancient urbanism, we still know little about how much traffic flowed in and out of ancient cities, in part because of problems with using commodities as proxies for trade. This article investigates another approach, which is to estimate these flows from the built environment, concentrating on transport infrastructure such as city gates. To do this, I begin by discussing a new model for how we would expect this kind of infrastructure to expand with population, before investigating the relationship between the populations of sites and the total numbers and widths of city gates, focusing on the Greek and Roman world. The results suggest that there is indeed a systematic relationship between the estimated populations of cities and transport infrastructure, which is entirely consistent with broader theoretical and empirical expectations. This gives us a new way of exploring the connectivity and integration of ancient cities, contributing to a growing body of general theory about how settlements operate across space and time.

A multidisciplinary approach for investigating dietary and medicinal habits of the Medieval population of Santa Severa (7th-15th centuries, Rome, Italy).

A multidisciplinary approach, combining stable isotope analysis from bone proteins and investigations on dental calculus using DNA analysis, light microscopy, and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, was applied to reconstruct dietary and medicinal habits of the individuals recovered in the cemetery of the Castle of Santa Severa (7th-15th centuries CE; Rome, Italy). Stable isotope analysis was performed on 120 humans, 41 faunal specimens and 8 charred seeds. Dental calculus analyses were carried out on 94 samples. Overall, isotope data indicated an omnivorous diet based on C3-terrestrial protein, although some individuals possessed carbon values indicative of C4 plant consumption. In terms of animal protein, the diet was probably based on cattle, sheep, pig and chicken products, as witnessed by the archaeozoological findings. Evidence from calculus suggested the consumption of C3 cereals, Fabaceae, Fagaceae, milk and dairy products. Secondary metabolites of herbs and wine were also detected. The detection of marine fish ancient DNA, as well as of ω3 fatty acids in calculus, hypothesized the consumption of marine foodstuffs for this coastal population, despite the lack of a clear marine isotopic signal and the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plant tissues. Moreover, the knowledge of ethnopharmacological tradition and the application of medicinal plants (e.g. Punica granatum L., Ephedra sp. L.) were also identified. The detection of artemisinin, known to have antimalarial properties, led to hypothesize the presence of malaria in the area. Altogether, the combined application of microscopy and biomolecular techniques provided an innovative reconstruction of Medieval lifeways in Central Italy.

Dermatology in Ancient Rome: Medical ingredients in Ovid's "Remedies for female faces".

BACKGROUND: In Roman medicine, face packs, plasters, unguents, and peelings were part of the therapy of dermatological diseases, but also served cosmetic purposes. Ancient medical textbooks inform us about the ingredients for these applications. Beyond medical literature, other genres contain information about dermatological applications. The Roman poet Ovid (43 BC-17 AD) wrote a didactic poem recording five recipes for topical applications for female faces (Medicamina faciei femineae). Researchers debate the relation of Ovid's poem to Roman medicine: Does the poem contain therapeutical or cosmetical information, or is it mere belles lettres? AIMS: The objective of the paper is to conduct a medico-historical classification of Ovid's poem by determining whether the ingredients of Ovid's recipes were thought to be effective by the authors of Roman medical textbooks. METHODS: First, translation and identification of the ingredients were carried out. Second, comparison of the ingredients' functions regarding the therapy of dermatological diseases in two important Roman medical textbooks was realized. For this purpose, several commentaries on the text of Ovid were used and a keyword search in Roman medical textbooks was performed. RESULTS: Ovid's five recipes contain 23 ingredients. All ingredients can be found in medical textbooks. We find that 14 of these ingredients serve cosmetic purposes, 17 serve the therapy of dermatological diseases, and 13 serve both. CONCLUSION: Ovid's recipes contain drugs that were considered effective by the authors of Roman medical textbooks. These drugs were recommended both for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes by the same authors. Therefore, Ovid's didactic poem is not mere belles lettres, but contains serious medical and cosmetical information. As far as we know, it is the first Roman text that contains dermatological recipes.