Contribution of the Microbial Communities Detected on an Oil Painting on Canvas to Its Biodeterioration

In this study, we investigated the microbial community (bacteria and fungi) colonising an oil painting on canvas, which showed visible signs of biodeterioration. A combined strategy, comprising culture-dependent and -independent techniques, was selected. The results derived from the two techniques were disparate. Most of the isolated bacterial strains belonged to related species of the phylum Firmicutes, as Bacillus sp. and Paenisporosarcina sp., whereas the majority of the non-cultivable members of the bacterial community were shown to be related to species of the phylum Proteobacteria, as Stenotrophomonas sp. Fungal communities also showed discrepancies: the isolated fungal strains belonged to different genera of the order Eurotiales, as Penicillium and Eurotium, and the non-cultivable belonged to species of the order Pleosporales and Saccharomycetales. The cultivable microorganisms, which exhibited enzymatic activities related to the deterioration processes, were selected to evaluate their biodeteriorative potential on canvas paintings; namely Arthrobacter sp. as the representative bacterium and Penicillium sp. as the representative fungus. With this aim, a sample taken from the painting studied in this work was examined to determine the stratigraphic sequence of its cross-section. From this information, “mock paintings,” simulating the structure of the original painting, were prepared, inoculated with the selected bacterial and fungal strains, and subsequently examined by micro-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, in order to determine their potential susceptibility to microbial degradation. The FTIR-spectra revealed that neither Arthrobacter sp. nor Penicillium sp. alone, were able to induce chemical changes on the various materials used to prepare “mock paintings.” Only when inoculated together, could a synergistic effect on the FTIR-spectra be observed, in the form of a variation in band position on the spectrum.The FTIR analyses performed in this study were financed by the Junta de Andalucía (RNM-325 group). The molecular analyses performed in this study were financed by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) project ‘Hertha-Firnberg T137’ and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project CTQ2008-06727-C03-03). G. Piñar also thanks the “Elise-Richter V194-B20” projects

L'umano nell'uomo: Vasilij Grossman tra ideologie e domande eterne

Vasilij Grossman (1905-1964) s'impone solo ora, con il recente successo delle ripubblicazioni in diverse lingue del suo capolavoro postumo Vita e destino, come una delle figure artistiche e filosofiche pi\uf9 interessanti del XX secolo. La dimensione letteraria di Grossman che affonda le radici nella pi\uf9 alta tradizione russa - \ue8 votata ad un realismo classico, aperto all'universale, costantemente teso all'espressione di domande ultime ed eterne che affermano l'uomo e la sua libert\ue0 contro il potere dell'ideologia. L'umano nell'uomo \ue8 questo nucleo originale presente in ogni uomo che impedisce al potere di schiacciare il singolo nella morsa dell'omologazione. Tra i meandri oscuri della storia del Novecento, la risposta di Grossman non \ue8 da intendersi solo in senso intellettuale: \ue8 una strada reale che la letteratura, nella sua bellezza "incarnata", manifesta come possibilit\ue0 aperta all'esperienza di ciascuno. I saggi che compongono questo volume il secondo di studi collettanei su Grossman - rappresentano un passo decisivo verso una conoscenza completa della vita e dell'opera del grande autore russo e ne documentano l'appartenenza ai classici della letteratura di ogni tempo

Session 17 Ecophysiology

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Mesenterite retrattile: presentazione di un caso

Gli Autori riportano un caso di mesenterite retrattile, processo infiammatorio cronico del meso evolvente verso la fibrosi. La mesenterite è una patologia istologicamente benigna che tuttora si associa, in una certa percentuale di casi, a neoplasie prevalentemente dell’apparato urogenitale. Le manifestazioni cliniche sono caratterizzate dalla comparsa di masse addominali e di crisi subocclusive intestinali che possono esitare in occlusioni franche. La diagnostica per immagini è aspecifica e spesso la diagnosi è possibile solo con la biopsia del meso. Il trattamento nei casi non complicati da occlusione è basato sull’uso di farmaci steroide

Chemio-radioterapia neoadiuvante nel carcinoma del retto. Studio clinico a lungo termine in un singolo centro

The standard therapy for patients with clinically resectable rectal cancer is generally surgery. Tumor regression can be obtained by preoperative radio-chemotherapy that allows radical tumor resection with an increase in sphincter-saving procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative combined radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT) in patients with T2 and T3 rectal cancer. Between September 1999 and December 2008, 58 patients with palpable rectal adenocarcinoma received preoperative radiotherapy by the 3-field technique to a total of 50.5 Gy (5 x 1.8 Gy/die for a total of 28 sessions) and chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil by continuous intravenous infusion. Surgery, 19 resections according to Miles (32%) and 39 anterior resections (67%) with total mesorectal excision, was performed 6 weeks later. Alive and free disease 33 (57%), Alive with metastases 3 (5%) deceased 15 (26%) Loose 7 (12%). The histopathological examination showed total tumor regression in 12 patients (20%). Local response to preoperative RT/CT was highly satisfactory, allowing anal sphincter preservation with a low local recurrence rate. Optimization of the combined therapy could yield even more optimal results.

Colangiocarcinoma associato a malattia di Caroli monolobare sinistra

Caroli’s disease is a cystic expansion of hepatic biliary duct ,frequently shown with not specific pain symptomatology to the right abdominal quadrant, icterus and recurrent cholangitis, these ones hardly controllable with antibiotics therapy only. Cholangio-RM is the most appropriate investigational methodical to diagnose the disease and to show the continuity of cystic expansion with biliary three. Authors report a cases of Caroli’s associated to cholangiocarcinoma. When the disease is banished to one hepatic lobe only, the surgery resection is the most indicated election’s therapy to solve an eventual intrahepatic biliary lithiasis, potentials cholangitis, and the possible neoplastic risk. In the event of spreaded disease, the treatment includes endoscopic treatment, pharmacologic therapy and, at last, hepatic transplant

Urban conditions affect soil characteristics and physiological performance of three evergreen woody species

Physiological studies conducted mainly in metropolitan areas demonstrated that urban environments generate stressful conditions for plants. However, less attention has been paid to plant response to urban conditions in small cities. Here, we evaluated to what extent the health and physiological functions of some Mediterranean urban species [Quercus ilex L., Nerium oleander L. and Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) W.T. Aiton] were impacted by urban and peri-urban conditions in Pisa (Italy), a small medieval city with narrow streets that impede efficient public transport causing oversized private transport. Experimental period spanned from late-summer to winter in concomitance with the sharp increase in air pollutants. Climate and air quality, soil physical and chemical properties, and plant physiological traits including leaf gas exchanges, chlorophyll fluorescence and leaf pigments were assessed. In soil, the organic carbon affected aggregates and water stability and the concentrations of some micro-elements decreased in winter. Air pollutants impaired leaf gas exchanges and photochemical processes at photosystem II, depending on species, season, and urban conditions. Shrubs were more susceptible than the tree species, highlighting that the latter adapted better to pollutants along an urban-peri-urban transect in Mediterranean environments. This study gives information on the physiological adaptability of some of the most frequent Mediterranean urban species to stressful conditions and demonstrated that, even in a small city, urban conditions influence the physiology and development of vegetation, affecting the plant health status and its ability to provide key ecosystem services