The Application of 3D Reconstruction Techniques in the Analysis of Ancient Tarraco’s Urban Topography

The widespread implementation of GIS-based 3D topographical models has been a great aid in the development and testing of archaeological hypotheses. In this paper, a topographical reconstruction of the ancient city of Tarraco, the Roman capital of the Tarraconensis province, is presented. This model is based on topographical data obtained through archaeological excavations, old photographic documentation, georeferenced archive maps depicting the pre-modern city topography, modern detailed topographical maps and differential GPS measurements. The addition of the Roman urban architectural features to the model offers the possibility to test hypotheses concerning the ideological background manifested in the city shape. This is accomplished mainly through the use of 3D views from the main city accesses. These techniques ultimately demonstrate the ‘theatre-shaped’ layout of the city (to quote Vitrubius) as well as its southwest oriented architecture, whose monumental character was conceived to present a striking aspect to visitors, particularly those arriving from the sea.

Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome. Case report and literature review

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome is a genetic disorder that was first described by Richard Ellis and Simon van Creveld in 1940. The four principal characteristics are chondrodysplasia, polydactyly, ectodermal dysplasia and congenital heart defects. The orofacial manifestations include multiple gingivolabial musculofibrous fraenula, dental anomalies, hypodontia and malocclusion. The disease can be diagnosed at any age, even during pregnancy. The differentiation should be made between Jeune syndrome and other orofaciodigital syndromes

Ellis-Van Creveld Syndrome. Case report and literature review

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome is a genetic disorder that was first described by Richard Ellis and Simon van Creveld in 1940. The four principal characteristics are chondrodysplasia, polydactyly, ectodermal dysplasia and congenital heart defects. The orofacial manifestations include multiple gingivolabial musculofibrous fraenula, dental anomalies, hypodontia and malocclusion. The disease can be diagnosed at any age, even during pregnancy. The differentiation should be made between Jeune syndrome and other orofaciodigital syndromes

IX ASMOSIA International Conference Interdisciplinary Studies on Ancient Stone: Tarragona, 8-13th June 2009 (Book of abstracts)

Aquesta obra recull els resums de les comunicacions orals i pòsters que es van presentar durant el IX Congrés Internacional de l’Association for the Study of Marbles and Other Stones in Antiquity (ASMOSIA), organitzat per l’ICAC en el marc del programa de recerca HAR2008-04600/HIST, amb el suport del programa d’Ajuts ARCS 2008 (referència expedient IR036826) de la Generalitat de Catalunya i del Ministeri de Ciència i Innovació (Accions Complementàries HAR2008-03181-E/HIST), i celebrat a Tarragona entre el 8 i el 13 de juny del 2009.

Tuberous sclerosis: literature review and case report

Tuberous sclerosis (TS) or Bourneville"s disease is a rare, multisystemic genetic disorder. It involves alterations to ectodermal and mesodermal cell differentiation and proliferation, causing benign hamartomatous tumors, neurofibromas and angiofibromas in the brain and other vital organs including the kidney, heart, eyes, lungs, skin and mucosa. It also affects the central nervous system and produces neurological dysfunctions such as seizures, mental retardation and behavior disorders. Tuberous (rootshaped) growths develop in the brain, and calcify over time, becoming hard and sclerotic, hence the name given to the disease. Although inheritance is autosomal dominant, 60-70% of cases occur through spontaneous mutations. The disease is related to some mutations or alterations in two genes, named TSC1 and TSC2. Discovered in 1997, TSC1 is located on chromosome 9q34 and produces a protein called hamartin. TSC2, discovered in 1993, is located on chromosome 16p13 and produces a protein called tuberin. The prevalence of the disease is 1/6000-10,000 live newborns, and it is estimated that there are 1-2 million sufferers worldwide. This paper presents a literature review and a family case report of a mother and two of her daughters with oral features of TS

Erupted odontomas: a report of three cases and review of the literature

Introduction: Odontomas are benign odontogenic tumors composed of enamel, dentine, cement and pulp tissue. They are usually clinically asymptomatic, but often associated with tooth eruption disturbances. In exceptional cases the odontoma erupts into the mouth. The present study reports three cases of odontomas erupted into the oral cavity and reviews the literature. Clinical cases: The first case was an 11-year-old girl with impacted 4.6 associated to a radiopaque mass measuring about 2 cm in diameter. The histological diagnosis was complex odontoma. A clinical and radiological follow-up of 4.6 was carried out until its spontaneous eruption. The second case was a 26-year-old male presenting a hard, yellowish-brown mass located distal to the upper left second molar. Computed tomography confi rmed the presence of a radiopaque lesion, and the histopathological study confirmed a complex odontoma. The third patient was a 27-year-old male reporting tongue irritation due to tooth eruption in the inferior lingual region. A periapical radiograph revealed a mixed radiopaque lesion associated to impacted 3.2. The histological report in this case indicated a compound odontoma. Discussion: Odontomas erupting into the oral cavity are rare. The first case was published in 1980, and since then only 17 cases have been reported in the literature. Eight of the 17 cases were complex odontomas; the rest were compound odontomas. Pain, swelling and infection were the most common symptoms, and 13 cases presented an impacted tooth associated with the lesion

Ancient Bronze Horse Muzzles of the Iberian Peninsula

[spa]Los bozales y las muserolas en bronce para caballo constituyen unos excepcionales complementos ecuestres cuyo conocimiento se encuentra disperso en una extensa bibliografía. De muchos ejemplares apenas se ha publicado una breve descripción y nunca hasta el presente han sido objeto de un estudio monográfico, quizás por el desaliento que produce el desconocimiento de su procedencia en unos casos, o la superficial noticia del contexto de aparición en la mayoría de ellos, hecho que ha limitado las consideraciones cronológicas y de asociación. La identificación de nuevos ejemplares inéditos en los museos de Barcelona y Lleida ha animado a los autores a emprender un trabajo que por primera vez reúne y revisa los ejemplares conocidos de la Península Ibérica, para los que se propone una descripción normalizada, una clasificación tipológica y, en determinadas piezas, una sustancial revisión de las escenas decorativas y cronologías comúnmente admitidas. La seriación formal y la propuesta de datación implican la referencia de los ejemlares aparecidos en Grecia e Italia. Esa ampliación espacial conduce a replantear los agentes sociales que pueden estar detrás de la propagación de ese complemento ecuestre hasta la peninsua más occidental del Mediterráneo. [eng] Horse muzzles and Bronze muzzles are unique equestrian tools that have been referred to in scattered accounts throughout history. Nevertheless, the majority of these objects have received short descriptions and an overall study is still missing. The lack of a comprehensive study hinges on the over looked importance of these items and the superficial manner that have characterized their documentation. Both these reasons have limited observations on chronology and archaeological investigation. The recent identification of new unpublished exemplars among the Museums" collections in Barcelona and Lleida has encouraged the authors of this paper to start a new study dedicated to these objects. Starting from a catalogue inclusive of all muzzles and muzzles currently known in the Iberian Peninsula, an attempt will be made to propose an accurate description, typological classification and, for some of the items, a revision of the decorative scenes that have marked their place in bronze horse muzzle and muzzle chronology. The formal development and the chronological framework here proposed refer to those of the exemplars found in Greece and in Italy. The broadening of the geographical area will allow reconsideration of those social phenomena that have in the past determined the diffusion of elements in horse tack throughout most of the western Peninsula in the Mediterranean.

The UlaG protein familly defines novel structural and functional motifs grafted on an ancient RNase fold

Background: Bacterial populations are highly successful at colonizing new habitats and adapting to changing environmental conditions, partly due to their capacity to evolve novel virulence and metabolic pathways in response to stress conditions and to shuffle them by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). A common theme in the evolution of new functions consists of gene duplication followed by functional divergence. UlaG, a unique manganese-dependent metallo-b-lactamase (MBL) enzyme involved in L-ascorbate metabolism by commensal and symbiotic enterobacteria, provides a model for the study of the emergence of new catalytic activities from the modification of an ancient fold. Furthermore, UlaG is the founding member of the so-called UlaG-like (UlaGL) protein family, a recently established and poorly characterized family comprising divalent (and perhaps trivalent)metal-binding MBLs that catalyze transformations on phosphorylated sugars and nucleotides. Results: Here we combined protein structure-guided and sequence-only molecular phylogenetic analyses to dissect the molecular evolution of UlaG and to study its phylogenomic distribution, its relatedness with present-day UlaGL protein sequences and functional conservation. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that UlaGL sequences are present in Bacteria and Archaea, with bona fide orthologs found mainly in mammalian and plant-associated Gramnegative and Gram-positive bacteria. The incongruence between the UlaGL tree and known species trees indicates exchange by HGT and suggests that the UlaGL-encoding genes provided a growth advantage under changing conditions. Our search for more distantly related protein sequences aided by structural homology has uncovered that UlaGL sequences have a common evolutionary origin with present-day RNA processing and metabolizing MBL enzymes widespread in Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. This observation suggests an ancient origin for the UlaGL family within the broader trunk of the MBL superfamily by duplication, neofunctionalization and fixation. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the forerunner of UlaG was present as an RNA metabolizing enzyme in the last common ancestor, and that the modern descendants of that ancestral gene have a wide phylogenetic distribution and functional roles. We propose that the UlaGL family evolved new metabolic roles among bacterial and possibly archeal phyla in the setting of a close association with metazoans, such as in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract or in animal and plant pathogens, as well as in environmental settings. Accordingly, the major evolutionary forces shaping the UlaGL family include vertical inheritance and lineage-specific duplication and acquisition of novel metabolic functions, followed by HGT and numerous lineage-specific gene loss events.

Electrical signature of modern and ancient tectonic processes in the crust of the Atlas mountains of Morocco.

The Atlas Mountains in Morocco are considered as type examples of intracontinental chains, with high topography that contrasts with moderate crustal shortening and thickening. Whereas recent geological studies and geodynamic modeling have suggested the existence of dynamic topography to explain this apparent contradiction, there is a lack of modern geophysical data at the crustal scale to corroborate this hypothesis. Newly-acquired magnetotelluric data image the electrical resistivity distribution of the crust from the Middle Atlas to the Anti-Atlas, crossing the tabular Moulouya Plain and the High Atlas. All the units show different and unique electrical signatures throughout the crust reflecting the tectonic history of development of each one. In the upper crust electrical resistivity values may be associated to sediment sequences in the Moulouya and Anti-Atlas and to crustal scale fault systems in the High Atlas developed during the Cenozoic times. In the lower crust the low resistivity anomaly found below the Mouluya plain, together with other geophysical (low velocity anomaly, lack of earthquakes and minimum Bouguer anomaly) and geochemical (Neogene-Quaternary intraplate alkaline volcanic fields) evidence, infer the existence of a small degree of partial melt at the base of the lower crust. The low resistivity anomaly found below the Anti-Atlas may be associated with a relict subduction of Precambrian oceanic sediments, or to precipitated minerals during the release of fluids from the mantle during the accretion of the Anti-Atlas to the West African Supercontinent during the Panafrican orogeny ca. 685 Ma).

Relationship between oral cancer and implants: clinical cases and systematic literature review

The use of implants for oral rehabilitation of edentulous spaces has recently been on the increase, which has also led to an increase in complications such as peri-implant inflammation or peri-implantitis. Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for developing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Objectives: To review the literature of cases that associate implant placement with the development of oral cancer. Study design: We present two clinical cases and a systematic review of literature published on the relationship between oral cancer and implants. Results: We found 13 articles published between the years 1996 and 2009, referencing 18 cases in which the osseointegrated implants are associated with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Of those, 6 articles were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Of the 18 cases reported, only 7 cases did not present a previous history of oral cancer or cancer in other parts of the body. Conclusions: Based on the review of these cases, a clear cause-effect relationship cannot be established, although it can be deduced that there is a possibility that implant treatment may constitute an irritant and/or inflammatory cofactor which contributes to the formation and/or development of OSCC.

Diagonal ear lobe crease and atherosclerosis: a review of the medical literature and dental implications

In Spain a significant number of individuals die from atherosclerotic disease of the coronary and carotid arteries without having classic risk factors and prodromal symptoms. The diagonal ear lobe crease (DELC) has been characterized in the medical literature as a surrogate marker which can identify high risk patients having occult atherosclerosis. This topic however has not been examined in either the medical or dental literature emanating from Spain. The majority of clinical, angiography and postmortem reports support the premise that DELC is a valuable extravascular physical sign able to distinguish some patients at risk of succumbing to atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. A minority of studies have however failed to support this hypothesis. More recently reports using B mode ultrasound have also linked DELC to atherosclerosis of the carotid artery and another report has related DELC to the presence of calcified carotid artery atheromas on panoramic radiographs. DELC is readily visible during head and neck cancer screening examinations. In conjunction with the patient"s medical history, vital signs, and panoramic radiograph, the DELC may assist in atherosclerotic risk assessment

Fragile X-syndrome: literature review and report of two cases

Fragile X-syndrome is caused by a mutation in chromosome X. It is one of the most frequent causes of learning disability. The most frequent manifestations of fragile X-syndrome are learning disability, different orofacial morphological alterations and an increase in testicle size. The disease is associated with cardiac malformations, joint hyperextension and behavioural alterations. We present two male patients aged 17 and 10 years, treated in our Service due to severe gingivitis. Both showed the typical facial and dental characteristics of the syndrome. In addition, we detected the presence of root anomalies such as taurodontism and root bifurcation, which had not been associated with fragile X-syndrome in the literature. In some cases these root malformations have been associated with other sex-linked congenital syndromes, though in none of the studies published in the literature have they been related with fragile X-syndrome. This syndrome is relevant due to its high prevalence, the presentation of certain oral and facial characteristics that can facilitate the diagnosis, and the few cases published to date

Translations and Translators of English-language Literature in Catalan Literary Publications and Series between 1868 and 1910

Translations into Catalan of English and American authors during the final quarter of the nineteenth century are few and far between. Numerically, English-language literature most likely ranks fifth or sixth among all the translations of this period. We take inventory here of translations found in Catalan magazines from this time (the oldest dates from 1868) and in published series that came out at this time (if these continued until later, we trace them up to their final year). At the same time, the translators are examined, including reference, where available, as to whether the translations are direct or indirect. Finally, we consider some possible causes for the low English-language volume in Catalan translation during the period.

Orofacial pain of cardiac origin: review literature and clinical cases

The most common types of orofacial pain originate at the dental or periodontal level or in the musculoskeletal structures. However, the patient may present pain in this region even though the source is located elsewhere in the body. One possible source of heterotopic pain is of cardiac origin. Objectives: Report two cases of orofacial pain of cardiac origin and review the clinical cases described in the literature. Study Design: Description of clinical cases and review of clinical cases. Results and conclusions: Nine cases of atypical pain of cardiac origin are recorded, which include 5 females and 4 males. In craniofacial structures, pain of cardiac origin is usually bilateral. At the craniofacial level, the most frequent location described is in the throat and jaw. Pain of cardiac origin is considered atypical due to its location, although roughly 10% of the cases of cardiac ischemia manifest primarily in craniofacial structures. Finally, the differential diagnosis of pain of odontogenic origin must be taken into account with pain of non-odontogenic origin (muscle, psychogenic, neuronal, cardiac, sinus and neurovascular pain) in order to avoid diagnostic errors in the dental practice as well as unnecessary treatments.