The lead isotope compositions of many different samples from lead ingots of Roman age from two relicts (from Cabrera, and from Saintes‐Maries‐de‐la‐Mer) of the Western Mediterranean have been measured. Other lead isotope analyses of ores, metals or lead ingots from mines of Sierra Morena and from Cartagena and Sardinia have been accomplished. All the lead isotope measurements have been performed at the Joint Research Centre of the European Union, Ispra (Va), Italy. The samples have been prepared in a class 100 clean room, using only ultrapure reagents and FEP materials.
In view of the archaeological arguments, it was possible to believe that the Roman lead ingots of the Saintes‐Maries‐de‐la‐Mer 1 wreck came from Spanish lodes, as well as those of the Cabrera 5 wreck. In fact, while the comparison between the first group of ingots (Cabrera 5) and the lead from Sierra Morena is consistent, the correspondence between the second group of ingots (Saintes‐Maries‐de‐la‐Mer 1) and the Cevennes ores (southern France) gives rise to several problems concerning the archaeological and physical origins. These problems are discussed.
The paper presents results from seed germination and root elongation tests for the evaluation of Lake Orta sediment contamination. The protocol for this test was developed after a literature survey and careful investigation of the proper conditions for obtaining the germination of commercially available seeds of several plants. Cucumis sativus, Lactuca sativa, and Lepidium sativum were finally chosen and used to detect the phytotoxicity of both liquid and solid phases of Lake Orta sediments. To assess whether exchange at the water – sediment interface could represent a hazard for the environment and the actual bioavailability of the toxicants present into the sediments, the phytotoxicity of samples collected in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1998 from selected stations was tested on seeds of three different plant species (Lactuca sativa, Lepidium sativum and Cucumis sativus). The obtained results allow drawing distribution maps of the germination index, which confirm the persistence of toxic effects. However, the lake seems to positively respond to the restoration treatment, since the more contaminated layers of sediments are presently buried under less toxic sediments
the SARS-CoV-2 Immunity and Reinfection Evaluation (SIREN) Study has detected and investigated SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in the United Kingdom; after vaccine rollout, SIREN was adapted to monitor vaccine effectiveness (1-5). As the United Kingdom, like other countries, adapts to the postacute phase of the pandemic and reduced testing availability (6,7), SIREN has an ongoing function in national surveillance. SIREN informs the UK pandemic response by real-time monitoring of emerging variants and determining national rates of primary infection and reinfection. We describe SIREN's surveillance strategy and characterize emergence of Omicron subvariants during successive waves within the study.The Study SIREN is a large, multicenter, prospective cohort study of >44,000 UK healthcare workers from 135 secondary care health organizations. SIREN is led by the UK Health Security Agency in collaboration with Public Health Wales, Public Health Scotland, and the Public Health Agency Northern Ireland (1). Participants were initially followed for 12 months and had an option to extend to 24 months. Participants completed an initial enrollment survey regarding demographic and occupational data, then completed follow-up surveys every other week regarding symptoms, vaccination status, and occupational, household, and community SARS-CoV-2 exposures. Participants underwent PCR testing every 2 weeks and serologic testing monthly for the first
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