Degradation of concrete with glass enriched recycled aggregate used to flooring an industrial warehouse in Italy

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Rationalist architecture in rural villages: petro-morphological characterization of natural asbestos fibers in decorative plasters used for artificial stones

At the beginning of the twentieth century, artificial stones became commonly used as structural building materials, masonry materials, and architectural decorative elements. The main purpose of this work was to characterize the building materials used in a historical building in Codigoro, a small town near Ferrara, northeastern Italy. This building was constructed according to the Italian rationalist rules for monumental architecture and is an example of the rationalist architecture found in rural villages, which uses innovative materials and decorations including artificial stone. The samples analyzed in this work were imitation natural stone, such as “fake travertine” and “fake Ceppo di Grè”, composed of reinforced concrete slabs coated with white mortar. Asbestos minerals have been observed in the fillers in these materials. Petrographic, mineralogical, and chemical characterization of samples of artificial stones and concrete was performed with optical transmitted light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The results revealed chemical and biological degradation in almost all the artificial stones examined and enabled identification of the presence of calcite, iron oxychloride complexes, and asbestos lizardites used as fillers in two of the analyzed samples. This study aimed to describe a general investigation methodology used to examine the artificial stone façades of the Ex Casa del Fascio of Codigoro, whose architecture is particularly representative of the rationalist architecture in rural villages. The results highlight the relevance of compatible and suitable conservation measures that should be monitored during all restoration interventions to minimize post-degradation fracturing and transformation into elements harmful to human health and the environment

Micro-Raman spectroscopy and complementary techniques applied for the study of copper and iron wastes from Motya (Italy)

This work is the first archaeometric investigation on copper and iron wastes from the Phoenician site of Motya (Sicily, Italy), dating back to the 8th to the 4th century BC. The samples were analyzed through micro-Raman Spectroscopy (μ-RS), Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), High-Resolution Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (HR-FESEM), and Electron Micro-Probe Analysis (EMPA). Micro-Raman techinique permitted to identify both primary phases, for example, calchopyrite, and secondary products such as cuprite and copper thrihydroxychlorides in the Cu-slags and goethite in the Fe-slags. SEM and HR-FESEM imaging showed the occurrence of inhomogeneous microstructures in the Cu- and Fe-slags due to elements segregation, solidification, and corrosion. EMPA data revealed that the archaeometallurgical wastes from Motya can be differentiated on the basis of their chemical compositions. These preliminary results showed different typologies of by-products, such as base metals speiss, copper slags from smelting sulfide ore with matte, and iron smelting and smithing slags, suggesting different stages of copper and iron productions

Organic Matter and Pigments in the Wall Paintings of Me-Taw-Ya Temple in Bagan Valley, Myanmar

Abstract: Pagán is an ancient city located in Myanmar that is renowned for the remains of about 4000 pagodas, stupas, temples and monasteries dating from the 11th to 13th centuries. Due to a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in 2016, more than 300 ancient buildings were seriously damaged. As a part of the post-earthquake emergency program, a diagnostic pilot project was carried out on Me-taw-ya temple wall paintings to acquire further information on the materials and on their state of conservation. This article presents our attempts at characterising the painting materials at Me-taw-ya temple using non-invasive portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), portable Raman spectroscopy and micro-invasive attenuated total reflectance—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), micro-Raman spectroscopy (-Raman), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), polarized light microscopy (PLM) and environmental scanning electron microscope—X-ray energy dispersive system (ESEM-EDS) investigations with the aim of identifying the composition of organic binders and pigments. The presence of a proteinaceous glue mixed with the lime-based plaster was ascertained and identified by GC-MS. In addition, this technique confirmed the occurrence of plant-derived gums as binders pointing to the a secco technique. Fe-based compounds, vermillion, carbo

Brain perfusion imaging with voxel-based analysis in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients with a moderate to severe stage of disease: a boon for the workforce

Background: The present study was carried out to evaluate cerebral perfusion in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with a moderate to severe stage of disease. Some patients underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and brain perfusion between before and after that was compared. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 25 secondary progressive (SP)-MS patients from the hospital database. Neurological disability evaluated by Expanded Disability Status Scale Score (EDSS). Brain perfusion was performed by (99 m) Tc-labeled bicisate (ECD) brain SPECT and the data were compared using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). In total, 16 patients underwent HBOT. Before HBOT and at the end of 20 sessions of oxygen treatment, 99mTc-ECD brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed again then the results were evaluated and compared. Brain perfusion was performed by (99 m) Tc-labeled bicisate (ECD) brain SPECT and the data were compared using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Results: A total of 25 SP-MS patients, 14 females (56 %) and 11 males (44 %) with a mean age of 38.92 ± 11. 28 years included in the study. The mean disease duration was 8.70 ± 5.30 years. Of the 25 patients, 2 (8 %) had a normal SPECT and 23 (92 %) had abnormal brain perfusion SPECT studies. The study showed a significant association between severity of perfusion impairment with disease duration and also with EDSS (P <0.05). There was a significant improvement in pre- and post-treatment perfusion scans (P <0.05), but this did not demonstrate a significant improvement in the clinical subjective and objective evaluation of patients (P >0.05). Conclusions: This study depicted decreased cerebral perfusion in SP-MS patients with a moderate to severe disability score and its association with clinical parameters. Because of its accessibility, rather low price, practical ease, and being objective quantitative information, brain perfusion SPECT can be complementing to other diagnostic modalities such as MRI and clinical examinations in disease surveillance and monitoring. The literature on this important issue is extremely scarce, and follow up studies are required to assess these preliminary results

To be or not to be local: a provenance study of archaeological ceramics from Shahr-i Sokhta, eastern Iran

Findings from the archaeological site of Shahr-i Sokhta in eastern Iran include a wide range of undecorated, monochrome, and polychrome ceramicswith gray, red, and buff-colored bodies that date back to a period spanning from 3200 to 1800 B.C.E. Given the large number and variety of ceramics unearthed from Shahr-i Sokhta, the provenance of these wares has remained a subject of controversy. Based on compositional data obtained from quantitative wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectroscopy studies and petrographic observations, findings from this study provide information that can be used to determine whether the ceramics from Shahr-i Sokhta were manufactured locally or were imported from elsewhere. We show here that the chemical components of a large group of ceramics with gray, red, and buff-colored bodies are similar to those found in local clay sources and kiln wasters, suggesting local production of these wares. However, one group of red and gray-colored wares demonstrated entirely different chemistry, suggesting a different origin. In support of the quantitative WDXRF data, petrofabric analysis of the first group of buff, gray, and red wares revealed poorly sorted basaltic clasts similar to those found randomly distributed in the matrix of local clays. By contrast, the non-local gray and red wares exhibited fine-grained clay bodies with sorted distribution of fine-grained quartz within the clay matrix