The restoration of the Colosso di Barletta: EDXRF analysis

The Colosso di Barletta is an imposing outdoor bronze statue, dating back the V century, located near the Basilica of “Santo Sepolcro” in Barletta (Apulia, Southern Italy). The monument underwent a structural restoration in 1981, during which the Central Institute of Restoration in Rome performed cleaning treatments and consolidation of the patinas. Currently, the Laboratory of Archaeometry of the University of Salento is carrying on a campaign of non-destructive and in situ measurements by using energy dispersion X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) in order to assess the chemical composition of the alloy and to study its patinas

Ion beams delivered by two accelerating gaps for industrial and therapeutic applications

Laser ion sources offer the possibility to get ion beams utilizable to improve particle accelerators. Today many laboratories, as well as the LEAS, are involved to develop accelerators of very contained dimensions, easy to be installed in little laboratories and hospitals. Pulsed lasers at intensities of the order of 108 W/cm2 and of ns pulse duration, interacting with solid matter in vacuum, produce plasma of high temperature and density. The charge state distribution of the plasma generates high electric fields which accelerate ions along the normal to the target surface. The energy of emitted ions has a shifted Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution which depends on the ion charge state. To increase the ion energy, a post-acceleration system can be employed by means of high voltage power supplies of about 100 kV. The post acceleration system results a good method to obtain high ion currents using a not expensive system and the final ion beams find interesting applications in the field of the ion implantations, hadrontherapy, scientific applications and industrial use. In this work we study the electromagnetic and geometric proper-ties, like the emittance of the beams delivered by Cu target. Plasma‟s characterization was performed us-ing a Faraday cup for the electromagnetic characteris-tics, while for the geometric ones by adopting a pep-per pot system. Applying 60 kV of accelerating volt-age and a laser irradiance of 0.1 GW/cm2, we obtain 5.5 mA of output current and a normalized beam emittance of 0.2 π mm mrad. The brightness of the beams was 137 mA(p mm mrad)-2

Characterization of the Airborne Microbiome in Different Indoor and Outdoor Locations of a University Building Using an Innovative Compositional Data Analysis Approach

In this work, we investigated the structure of the airborne bacterial community obtained by 16S rRNA gene sequencing performed on aerosol samples from different indoor and outdoor locations. The 48-h aerosol samples were collected in two laboratories, in the corridors, and on the roof of the Mathematics and Physics Department of the University of Salento (Italy). The investigation was carried out through the application of an innovative compositional data analysis approach, mainly based on a centered log-ratio transformation as a standardization procedure, the Aitchison distance for data ordination, and the principal component analysis via singular value decomposition for data clustering. This methodology allowed us to explore the main relationships among samples, identifying different results between indoor and outdoor samples both at the genus level and at the species level. Bacillus and Pseudomonas represented the most abundant genera identified in the analyzed samples. Out of the 21 identified bacterial species with the highest abundances in the collected aerosol samples, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Propionibacterium acnes, Diplorickettsia massiliensis, and Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum were the only four commonly classified as human opportunistic pathogens. Among the genera mostly associated with indoor environments, Hymenobacter and Arthrobacter could be noted as including many species that are unique in being radiation resistant

Oral complications of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in a non-smoking population

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a complex metabolic condition that results in hyperglycemia due to insulin deficiency (Daneman, 2006). Diabetes has a range of effects on almost every system in the body including the kidneys, the eyes, the cardiovascular system, the genito-urinary system, the gastro-intestinal system and the nervous system (Daneman, 2006). The effects of this ondition are widespread and have a significant impact both on life expectancy and the quality of life of individuals suffering from diabetes (Scottish Diabetes Survey Monitoring Group, 2011). The impact of diabetes on oral health has been investigated over many decades, however, the conclusions have been varied and study design has not always been adequate (Mealey et al., 2006; Khader et al., 2006; Chávarray et al., 2009). Research presented in this thesis is largely the result of a cross-sectional clinical study examining the oral cavities of non-smoking T1DM patients, funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government. The clinical part of the study took place between January 2006 and May 2009 in Glasgow Dental Hospital. Chapter one provides an introduction and narrative review on the subject of T1DM, periodontal disease, and the various other reported oral manifestations of diabetes mellitus. The methods for measuring general and oral health related quality of life outcomes are also discussed. Chapter one reveals some of the inadequacies of studies nvestigating the link between T1DM and oral disease to date and ontextualises the studies presented in this thesis. Chapter two presents the main periodontal findings of a large cross-sectional study. 112 non-diabetic subjects and 203 subjects with type 1 diabetes were examined. 203 diabetic patients were divided into well controlled and poorly controlled groups based on their average blood sugar levels over the previous two years. 169 were poorly controlled. (PCD). Those with T1DM, (especially those with poor glycaemic control) had a greater extent and severity of periodontitis than those without diabetes. There was also some evidence that never smoking T1DM patients were more likely to have periodontal disease than non-diabetic subjects. The odds ratio (OR) was 1.43 [0.74 to 2.75] (p = 0.29) for all T1DM patients and 1.58 [0.75 to 3.33] (p = 0.23) for PCD. This difference remained even after the multivariable analysis took into account age, gender and lifestyle including: body mass index of the subject; whether they had smoked in the past; whether they attended a dentist; their level of education and how deprived the area they lived in was. Chapter three presents an analysis of the impact of age, HbA1c, and duration on the expression of periodontal disease in T1DM subjects. Cross-tabulations and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed on the periodontal data from T1DM subjects and non-diabetic subjects in order to determine the relationship between age, HbA1c and duration, and periodontitis. Diabetic subjects developed periodontitis at a younger age than non-diabetes subjects. This will represent a significant impact on life time dental service provision for subjects affected at a young age. The relationship between HbA1c and severe periodontitis is not a simple one. It is possible that unknown factors confound the relationship between glycaemic control and periodontitis. There was no relationship between duration of diabetes and periodontitis when age was controlled for. Chapter four presents the results of a small study investigating biomarkers of bone turnover in patients with and without T1DM and in patients with and without periodontitis. Patients with T1DM had higher levels of osteoprotegerin an osteoprotective molecule that normally leads to a reduced propensity for bone loss. T1DM patients were also shown to have reduced levels of biomarkers of bone formation (osteocalcin). It is possible that a reduced capacity for bone repair and regeneration may account for the increase levels of periodontitis seen in T1DM. Further prospective studies would be required to confirm this hypothesis. Chapter five investigated the level of caries and oral mucosal abnormalities in T1DM. There was little difference in caries indicators or in oral mucosal lesions between the groups. There was no difference in the bacterial microflora and in the level of resistance to antibiotics found in this cohort. T1DM patients, however, did have an increase in the symptoms of dry mouth, an increased density of candida colonisation and reduced salivary flow rates.Chapter six reports the data derived from the oral health questionnaire, including the Oral Health Impact Profile -14 (OHIP-14) and the Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQOL©). Patients with T1DM, despite having increased levels of periodontal disease, reduced salivary flow rates and increased symptoms of xerostomia did not have higher OHIP scores by any measure. The reasons for this apparently negligible impact of oral disease or oral health related quality of life are discussed. The OHIP-14 was shown to have construct validity in this population although the correlations were relatively weak and the differences were small. It is possible that patients with T1DM do not consider the impact of their oral health to be a significant problem in light of their other on-going medical issues. This finding requires further in-depth investigation of the psychology behind this apparent reduced impact. This is the first study of its kind to examine the oral and dental health of non-smoking type 1 diabetic patients. The conclusions from the clinical data support the view that patients with T1DM should be targeted with oral and dental health advice. Encouragingly the prevalence of periodontitis was lower in well controlled diabetic subjects suggesting that the effect of T1DM on the oral cavity can be ameliorated by good glycaemic control even though logistic regression analysis did not show a linear relationship. It is important that health rofessionals work together in order to prevent and manage the oral complications of T1DM in the same way that there are preventive and screening programmes for other diabetic complications. The pathogenesis behind the increased prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in T1DM requires further study.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Reading the Bible through the eyes of women and the oppressed : in search for justice and liberation in Malawi

This thesis examines the importance, in the search for justice and liberation in Malawi, of reading the bible through the eyes of women and the oppressed. Serious questions have been raised in Malawian Church and Society concerning the inferiority and subordination of women and the oppressed, particularly the poor and marginalised groups and their role and place in the holy ministry. Since the establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Malawi nearly 130 years ago, women and the oppressed groups have been discriminated against in various ways. They have not taken an active share and responsibility in the whole community life of society, and have not participated fully and more widely in the various fields of the Church’s structures. The thesis critically challenges the patriarchal reading of the texts which oppresses and marginalises women, and seeks to bring respect and dignity to them by employing a historical critical reading that leads to a liberative reading. Since patriarchal reading of the texts does not bring justice and liberation to women, the thesis engages in a liberative reading that traces and restores women’s history in Mark. Our liberative reading claims that the Christian past is not just a male past where women participated only on the fringes or were not active at all, but it is as well a women’s own past. Hence, the readings of Mark 5:24-43 ;7:24-30 provide sufficient indicators for such a history of women as followers of Jesus and leading members of the early Christian communities. Thus our historical critical reading seeks to transform patriarchal reading of the texts to liberative readings that incorporate all people, men and women, upper and lower classes, different cultures and races, the powerful and the weak.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

THE MUST MODEL EVALUATION EXERCISE: STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF MODELLING RESULTS

The first validation exercise of the COST action 732 lead to a substantial number of simulation results for comparison with the MUST wind tunnel experiments. Validation metrics for selected simulation results of the flow field and the concentrations are presented and compared to the state of the art. In addition mean metrics and corresponding scatter limits are computed from the individual results

THE MUST MODEL EVALUATION EXERCISE: PATTERNS IN MODEL PERFORMANCE

As part of the COST 732 action more than a dozen different research groups have modelled the MUST experiment, as simulated in a wind tunnel. The model evaluation guidance developed within COST 732 recommends \u27exploratory data analysis\u27 as one of the elements in model validation. Experience has shown that such exploratory analysis is crucial to reveal shortcomings of models that might otherwise pass unnoticed. Conditions are best for detecting common patterns and anomalies if you have a situation where several models are put into a common framework – like the case at hand. The available material provides a unique opportunity to identify and explore patterns within model performance

Integrated Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediments from a Coastal Industrial Basin, NE China

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current status of metal pollution of the sediments from urban-stream, estuary and Jinzhou Bay of the coastal industrial city, NE China. Forty surface sediment samples from river, estuary and bay and one sediment core from Jinzhou bay were collected and analyzed for heavy metal concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Mn. The data reveals that there was a remarkable change in the contents of heavy metals among the sampling sediments, and all the mean values of heavy metal concentration were higher than the national guideline values of marine sediment quality of China (GB 18668-2002). This is one of the most polluted of the world’s impacted coastal systems. Both the correlation analyses and geostatistical analyses showed that Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd have a very similar spatial pattern and come from the industrial activities, and the concentration of Mn mainly caused by natural factors. The estuary is the most polluted area with extremely high potential ecological risk; however the contamination decreased with distance seaward of the river estuary. This study clearly highlights the urgent need to make great efforts to control the industrial emission and the exceptionally severe heavy metal pollution in the coastal area, and the immediate measures should be carried out to minimize the rate of contamination, and extent of future pollution problems

Trace elements in size-segregated urban aerosol in relation to the anthropogenic emission sources and the resuspension

Size segregated particulate samples of atmospheric aerosols in urban site of continental part of Balkans were collected during 6 months in 2008. Six stages impactor in the size ranges: Dp ≤ 0.49 μm, 0.49 < Dp ≤ 0.95 μm, 0.95 < Dp ≤ 1.5 μm, 1.5 < Dp ≤ 3.0 μm, 3.0 < Dp ≤ 7.2 μm, and 7.2 < Dp ≤ 10.0 μm was applied for sampling. ICP-MS was used to quantify elements: Al, As, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Na, Ni, Mg, Mn, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn. Two main groups of elements were investigated: (1) K, V, Ni, Zn, Pb, As, and Cd with high domination in nuclei mode indicating the combustion processes as a dominant sources and (2) Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, Cr, Ga, Co, and Li in coarse mode indicating mechanical processes as their main origin. The strictly crustal origin is for Mg, Fe, Ca, and Co while for As, Cd, K, V, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn dominates the anthropogenic influence. The PCA analysis has shown that main contribution is of resuspension (PC1, σ2 ≈ 30 %) followed by traffic (PC2, σ2 ≈ 20 %) that are together contributing around 50 % of elements in the investigated urban aerosol. The EF model shows that major origin of Cd, K, V, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As in the fine mode is from the anthropogenic sources while increase of their contents in the coarse particles indicates their deposition from the atmosphere and soil contamination. This approach is useful for the assessment of the local resuspension influence on element’s contents in the aerosol and also for the evaluation of the historical pollution of soil caused by deposition of metals from the atmosphere