Setup of a sustainable indoor cleaning methodology for the sculpted stone surfaces of the Duomo of Milan

Cleaning is a fundamental phase of the conservation and maintenance activity of the cultural heritage. It is required to be highly effective in the removal of undesired deposits, controllable at every stage and gradable, selective, and completely respectful of the substrate. Moreover, cleaning procedures which can also assure to be harmless to the environment and the operators are particularly valued nowadays. According to these general guidelines, in the present work a sustainable approach for the cleaning of indoor surfaces of the cultural heritage is presented. A methodology based on agar gel was setup and preliminary tested on pilot areas. It has been then applied to the stone sculpted surfaces of the “Fuga in Egitto” high-relief of the Duomo of Milan. A multi-analytical approach was carried out during the setup phase to compare the efficacy of different cleaning conditions in terms of agar concentration, application time and presence of additives. Hence, spectrophotometric measurements, optical observations, ESEM-EDX analyses, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and X-Ray Diffraction were performed. Specific attention was paid to the aesthetic features of the sculpted surfaces before and after the cleaning. For this purpose, spectrophotometric data have been analysed by multivariate analysis techniques such as Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchic Cluster Analysis. The overall intervention has been monitored to evaluate the cleaning results and to confirm the absence of any damage to the stone substrate. The application of agar gel proved to be effective in removing soluble salts and soot particles, as well as very respectful of the valuable sculpted surfaces. This methodology is also totally safe for both the operators and the visitors, it is based on a natural and low-cost raw material, and it is low time-consuming. It can be therefore considered as a sustainable alternative to the traditional procedures

Inter-pictorial Religious Discourse in Mughal Paintings: Translations and Interpretations of Marian Images

The Mughal Emperor Akbar and his court are known for a tolerant religious policy and a general openness to the various religions of the empire. Moreover, Akbar and his son and successor, Jahangir, also cultivated an intense interest in European art, especially religious images. The article argues that, in engaging with European Christian art, the painters of the Mughal court reflected on its significance as a medium of religious content and critically implemented these reflections in their own works. The Mughal artists’ reception and reinterpretation of the European Christian pictorial tradition thus represent a transreligious pictorial discourse, one that paralleled the religious debates held at the court

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITY VIOLENCE EXPOSURE IN CHILDHOOD AND SUBSTANCE USE AND ANXIETY DIAGNOSES IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD

Abstract Previous research suggests that community violence exposure in childhood tends to be associated with more substance use and anxiety in early adulthood. This study attempted to replicate this previous research by administering self-report surveys to determine whether or not this association holds for Purchase College students. The results of this study supported previous research in the association between community violence exposure in childhood and substance use in early adulthood, but did not support previous research linking community violence to later anxiety disorders. This research suggests that community violence needs to be recognized as an impactful trauma that can cause substance use issues. This study is important to possibly help individuals who are impacted by community violence receive help if they struggle with substance use issues or with an anxiety disorder, by informing clinicians and the public about the long-term effects associated with community violence exposure. Keywords: childhood trauma, community violence, substance use, anxiety.Purchase College SUNYPsychologyBachelor of ArtsFisher, Jacqueline M

B791: Soil and Topographic Features that Help Predict the Manageability of Sugarloaf Mountain

As the economic and aesthetic value of mountain areas increases, more pressure is applied to develop and manage them. This study was conducted on Sugarloaf Mountain ski area . It involved examining soils above and below the 765 m contour, which Maine had established as a critical contour for land management . Soils were excavated and profiles were described and sampled. Soil and topographical features that proved significant in predicting the manageability of this mountain ecosystem included slope, drainage, depth, texture, organic matter, pH and nutrient content.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_bulletin/1112/thumbnail.jp

Highgate Cemetery

The famous Highgate Cemetery in London has stimulated people’s imaginations for over 150 years. Accompanied by an introduction to the history of the cemetery, this book provides fourteen in-depth articles which describe and analyse the site of Highgate Cemetery and the practices and images that have been both linked to it and provoked by it. These articles highlight different aspects, including the cemetery’s scenic and architectural setting, the use of religious signs and symbols on its gravestones, the interplay between its parkland environment and the representations of nature on its monuments, its past and contemporary social and religious meanings as well as its depictions in literature, film and guided tours. The articles provide new and surprising insights into one of London’s most intriguing sites. With contributions by Dolores Zoé Bertschinger, Carla Danani, Natalie Fritz, Anna-Katharina Höpflinger, Ann Jeffers, Marie-Therese Mäder, Alexander Darius Ornella, Niels Penke, Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati, Sean Ryan, Alberto Saviello, Baldassare Scolari, Paola von Wyss-Giacosa, Michael Ulrich The famous Highgate Cemetery in London has stimulated people’s imaginations for over 150 years. Accompanied by an introduction to the history of the cemetery, this book provides fourteen in-depth articles which describe and analyse the site of Highgate Cemetery and the practices and images that have been both linked to it and provoked by it. These articles highlight different aspects, including the cemetery’s scenic and architectural setting, the use of religious signs and symbols on its gravestones, the interplay between its parkland environment and the representations of nature on its monuments, its past and contemporary social and religious meanings as well as its depictions in literature, film and guided tours. The articles provide new and surprising insights into one of London’s most intriguing sites. With contributions by Dolores Zoé Bertschinger, Carla Danani, Natalie Fritz, Anna-Katharina Höpflinger, Ann Jeffers, Marie-Therese Mäder, Alexander Darius Ornella, Niels Penke, Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati, Sean Ryan, Alberto Saviello, Baldassare Scolari, Paola von Wyss-Giacosa, Michael Ulric

Effetti a lungo termine dell’applicazione di ammendante compostato sulla qualità chimica e biologica di suoli agrari

2012 - 2013Il compost è un fertilizzante ottenuto dalla decomposizione biologica di rifiuti organici in condizioni controllate. Il processo di decomposizione biologica porta ad una parziale mineralizzazione dei composti organici più degradabili e favorisce l'umificazione di quelli più recalcitranti. L'utilizzo del compost in agricoltura è una strategia ampiamente utilizzata per incrementare la fertilità del suolo (aggiungendo, ad esempio, nutrienti come K, Ca, Mg, Na) e, nel contempo, evita che i rifiuti organici possano essere conferiti in discarica. L'applicazione a lungo termine del compost, tuttavia, potrebbe incrementare il rischio di accumulo di metalli pesanti nel suolo e nelle colture, e di conseguenza, per la salute umana. In un esperimento a lungo termine, un suolo agricolo mediterraneo è stato annualmente sottoposto ai seguenti trattamenti: fertilizzazione minerale NPK (MIN), ammendamento con compost (CMP) e ammendamento con compost a cui è stato aggiunto ogni anno azoto in quantità pari a metà dose utilizzata nella fertilizzazione minerale; un suolo non fertilizzato è stato utilizzato come controllo. Il totale di compost aggiunto dopo sette anni di sperimentazione è stato di 150 t/ha in CMP e 105 t/h in CMP+N/2. Sono stati valutati alcuni indicatori microbici della qualità del suolo come la biomassa microbica, la respirazione, l'attività idrolasica totale, il carbonio organico del suolo e la sua ripartizione in pool di diversa stabilità chimica; alcuni macro e micro-nutrienti ed elementi potenzialmente tossici sono stati misurati nel suolo (totale e frazione disponibile) e nelle colture. I risultati mostrano che il ripetuto ammendamento con il compost incrementa il carbonio organico del suolo; in relazione a questo cambiamento si ottiene un positivo effetto sulla fertilità biologica del suolo e sull'attività microbica rispetto ai suoli con fertilizzazione minerale. L'incremento della frazione stabile del carbonio organico del suolo sottolinea l'importanza dell'ammendamento con il compost come strategia per promuovere il sequestro del carbonio nel suolo. I risultati delle concentrazioni dei nutrienti e degli elementi potenzialmente tossici nel suolo e nelle colture dopo il 5° ed il 6 anno di sperimentazione mostrano come la ripetuta applicazione di compost non rappresenti un rischio di accumulo per le colture anzi, può fornire nutrienti alle colture come nel caso del potassio. Un approccio preliminare all'analisi molecolare della struttura della comunità microbica del suolo mostra delle differenze tra i trattamenti.- [a cura dell'autore]XII n.s

Holy Bones and Relics in the Early Modern Christian Missions in Asia

Workshop of the SNSF-founded Project Global Bones: Entangled Histories, Transfers and Translations in the Early Modern Age University of Bern, April 24–25, 2024 In the last two decades, researchers started to pay greater attention to the significance of bodily relics for the globalized Christian mission of the early modern period. Case studies reveal the diversity of forms of relic veneration and its medial propagation in the various contact zones and suggest that a systematic study of the topic is a broad and fruitful field of research. The workshop is dedicated to the role of venerated human remains for the Christian missions in early modern Asia. What functions did relics transferred from Europe, found, and newly created in Asia have for the missionary work and its legitimation? How were bodily remains treated and presented? What forms and functions did hagiographies, images, reliquaries, liturgical devices, architectural and ritual framings take in promoting the bodily remains and their veneration? We are interested in the mediation of relics of old and new saints, in the role of bones and secondary relics in successful and failed canonization campaigns, and in the negotiations and conflicts that arose over relics between the religious and cultural traditions that came into contact in the respective territories. In addition, we would like to explore which methodological approaches from different disciplines of the humanities are helpful in the study of these phenomena. During the one-and-a-half-day workshop the invited participants and members of GLOBO project staff will have the opportunity to present and discuss current research. Furthermore, we would like to use the meeting to exchange experiences regarding research in Asian and European institutions

Progettazione ed Analisi Conformazionale di Peptidi ad Attività Antimicrobica.

La presenza di agenti patogeni costituisce un problema di vecchia data nell’insorgenza di infezioni di varia tipologia; pertanto nel corso del tempo è accresciuto l’interesse verso forme batteriche, funginee, virali, al fine di circoscrivere o debellare le infezioni da essi causate. I farmaci antibatterici rappresentano la classe di farmaci più utilizzata, il cui impiego è stato però caratterizzato da un uso eccessivo ed errato, tale da provocare l’insorgenza di patogeni resistenti agli antibiotici e da richiedere lo sviluppo di nuovi farmaci. In tale ottica il presente lavoro di ricerca ha riguardato lo studio del comportamento conformazionale, mediante tecniche spettroscopiche (CD e NMR) e simulazioni di dinamica molecolare, dei seguenti peptidi antimicrobici: Temporina L, Temporina A ed i derivati dell’ormone α-MSH. Sulla base dei risultati conformazionali ottenuti per questi peptidi la seconda parte del progetto si è focalizzata essenzialmente sul design razionale e sull’analisi conformazionale di nuovi analoghi. Sia l’attività biologica che il comportamento conformazionale di tali analoghi sono risultati in accordo con la progettazione effettuata, rappresentando il punto di partenza per lo sviluppo di altre interessanti molecole potenzialmente utilizzabili nelle terapie come agenti anti-infettivi o, eventualmente, in qualità di conservanti alimentari. Tale progettazione ha inoltre portato ad alcuni derivati della Temporina L con elevata attività antimicrobica (antibatterica e/o antifungina) e con ridotta tossicità (valutata come effetto emolitico)