Biostratigraphical investigations of Lago d'Averno, near Naples

Remains of diatoms, molluscs, ostracods, foraminifera and pollen exines preserved in the sediments of Lago d'Averno, a volcanic lake in the Phlegrean Fields west of Naples, allowed us to reconstruct the changes in the ecological conditions of the lake and of the vegetation around it for the period from 800 BC to 800 AD. Lago d'Averno was at first a freshwater lake, temporarily influenced by volcanic springs. Salinity increased slowly during Greek times as a result of subsidence of the surrounding land. Saline conditions developed only after the lake was connected with the sea by a canal, when Portus Julius was built in 37 BC. The first post-Roman period of uplift ended with a short freshwater phase during the 7th century after Christ. Deciduous oakwoods around the lake was transformed into a forest of evergreen oaks in Greek times and thrived there - apparently almost uninfluenced by man - until it was felled, when the Avernus was incorporated into the new Roman harbour in 37 BC, to construct a shipyard and other military buildings there. Land-use was never more intense than during Roman times and weakest in Greek and Early Roman times, when the Avernus was considered a holy place, the entrance to the underworld.

Pollen analysis of soil samples from the A.D. 79 level. Boscoreale, Oplontis, and Pompeii

Fifty samples of Roman time soil preserved under the thick ash layer of the A.D.79 eruption of Mt Vesuvius were studied by pollen analysis: 33 samples from a former vineyard surrounding a Villa Rustica at Boscoreale (excavation site 40 x 50 m), 13 samples taken along the 60 m long swimming pool in the sculpture garden of the Villa of Poppaea at Oplontis, and four samples from the formal garden (12.4 x 17.5 m) of the House of the Gold Bracelet in Pompeii. To avoid contamination with modern pollen all samples were taken immediately after uncovering a new portion of the A.D. 79 soil. For comparison also samples of modern Italian soils were studied. Using standard methods for pollen preparation the pollen content of 15 of the archaeological samples proved to be too little to reach a pollen sum of more than 100 grains. The pollen spectra of these samples are not shown in the pollen tables. (Flotation with a sodium tungstate solution, Na2WO4, D = 2.05, following treatment with HCl and NaOH would probably have given a somewhat better result. This method was, however, not available as too expensive at that time.) Although the archaeological samples were taken a few meters apart their pollen values differ very much from one sample to the other. E.g., at Boscoreale (SW quarter). the pollen values of Pinus range from 1.5 to 54.5% resp. from 1 to 244 pine pollen grains per 1 gram of soil, the extremes even found under pine trees. Vitis pollen was present in 7 of the 11 vineyard samples from Boscoreale (NE quarter) only. Although a maximum of 21.7% is reached, the values of Vitis are mostly below 1.5%. Even the values of common weeds differ very much, not only at Boscoreale, but also at the other two sites. The pollen concentration values show similar variations: 3 to 3053 grains and spores were found in 1 g of soil. The mean value (290) is much less than the number of pollen grains, which would fall on 1 cm2 of soil surface during one year. In contrast, the pollen and spore concentrations of the recent soil samples, treated in exactly the same manner, range from 9313 to almost 80000 grains per 1 g of soil. Evidently most of the Roman time pollen has disappeared since its deposition, the reasons not being clear. Not even species which are known to have been cultivated in the garden of Oplontis, like Citrus and Nerium, plant species with easily distinguishable pollen grains, could be traced by pollen analysis. The loss of most of the pollen grains originally contained in the soil prohibits any detailed interpretation of the Pompeian pollen data. The pollen counts merely name plant species which grew in the region, but not necessarily on the excavated plots.

Annibalis Albertinii Caesenatis medici, [et] philosophi, De affectionibus cordis. Libri tres. : quorum primus agit De naturalibus. Secundus, [et] tertius, De praeternaturalibus, De palpitatione nempè, [et] syncope, atq[ue] earum curatione. In quibus multa problemata scitu dignissima enodantur, [et] praecipuè, de morborum principatu, sedeq[ue] animae, de primus morborum generibus, de Peste, ac de scopis mittendi sanguinem ....

Mode of access: Internet.

Index librorum prohibitorum a Sixto v., papa, confectus et publicatus : at verò a successoribus ejus in sede romana suppressus /

Added t.-p.: Bvlla Smi D.N. Sixti papae V. Emendatioris indicis cum suis regulis super librorum prohibitione, expurgatione, & revisione, necnon cum abrogatione cæterorum indicum hactenus editorum, & revocatione facultatis edendorum, nisi ad præscriptam harum regularum normam. Romæ, apud Paulum Bladum impressorem cameralem. M.D.XC.

Voyage litteraire de deux religieux benedictins de la Congregation de Saint Maur : où l'on trouvera I. Quantité de pieces, d'inscriptions & d'epitaphes, servantes à éclaircir l'histoir, & les genealogies des anciennes familles. II. Plusieurs usages de églises cathedrales & des monasteres, touchant la discipline & l'histoire de églises des Gaules. III. Les fondations des monasteres, & une infinité de recherches curieuses & interessantes qu'ils ont faites dans près de cent évêchez & huit cent abbayes qu'ils ont parcouru.

Ex copy has 4 p. ms. preface bound in after t.p. of vol. 1.

Distribution of diatom species as abundance estimates from vertical multinet hauls from 150 m water depth in the Indian Ocean

During the Indian Ocean Expedition of R/V METEOR phytoplankton samples were taken with a multiple closing net (Multinet) at 103 stations. In this material the diatoms were investigated. In all 247 taxa could be identified which belong to 242 species and 5 varieties of formae of 80 genera. Of these 1 variety, 15 pecies, and 3 genera are newly described. New combinations were made for 18 species, and a number of old combinations was reinstated.

Perfil de ácidos gordos de sementes: benefícios para a saúde

Introdução e Objetivos: Nos últimos anos tem-se verificado um aumento na procura de sementes oleaginosas, sobretudo de girassol, sésamo, linhaça e pevides de abóbora, porque o seu consumo está associado a efeitos benéficos para a saúde. Recentemente, surgiram no mercado "novas" sementes que agora fazem parte da nossa alimentação, como por exemplo, as sementes de chia e de papoila. Normalmente, este tipo de produtos são adicionados a outros alimentos como batidos, iogurtes, sumos de fruta, ou são usados como ingredientes na produção de produtos de padaria e/ou pastelaria. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o perfil de ácidos gordos de diferentes tipos de sementes que estão frequentemente disponíveis no mercado Português. Material e Métodos: Foram adquiridas em 2015, nas superfícies comerciais e ervanárias da região de Lisboa, oito tipos de sementes. Determinou-se o perfil de ácidos gordos por cromatografia gasosa das seguintes amostras: Papoila (Papaver somniferum L.), chia (Salvia hispanica), alpista (Phalaris canariensis L.), cânhamo (Cannabis sativa L.), abóbora (Cucurbita L.), girassol (Helianthus annuus L.), sésamo (Sesamum indicum L.) e linhaça (Linum usitatissimum L.). Resultados e Discussão: Verificou-se que para as sementes de linhaça e chia o principal ácido gordo foi o ácido alfa-linolénico (C18:3, n3), com valores que variaram entre 45,9% e 64,4% do total de ácidos gordos, para sementes de linhaça e sementes de chia, respetivamente. Para as restantes amostras o principal ácido gordo foi o ácido linoleico (C18:2, n6). As sementes de papoila apresentaram o maior teor de ácido linoleico (71,6% do total de ácidos gordos), e as sementes de sésamo apresentaram o teor mais elevado de ácido oleico (39,6% do total de ácidos gordos). Conclusões: Todas as sementes analisadas apresentam um perfil de ácidos gordos saudável, sendo estes sobretudo ácidos gordos insaturados relacionados com efeitos benéficos na prevenção de doenças cardiovasculares. Este estudo fornece novos dados sobre o perfil de ácidos gordos de sementes oleaginosas amplamente disponíveis, que poderão ser úteis para avaliar o padrão alimentar da população Portuguesa, mas também para o desenvolvimento de futuras recomendações e orientações alimentares.