Sailing heavy weather. Underwater Cultural Heritage management in Italy

Underwater cultural heritage management in Italy, as the overall cultural heritage management, despite of the creation and development of several large-scale projects, is in a stuck situation since several decades. Political incapacity to identify a systematic and long term program, bureaucratic dif culties and legislative black-outs, on various levels and sectors (insti- tutional, academic, private), make it dif cult to plan and organize long term and far-sighting activities and lastly, the chaotic structuring of the management discipline hinders a necessary collaboration between stakeholders. National and local Ministerial Institutions, Universities, Pri- vate organizations and enterprises as well as the communities appear sometimes unconnected and in contrasting positions. Contrary, a complex and longue durée activity, as cultural heritage management should be, needs programming, systemic approach, cooperation and sharing.La gestión del patrimonio cultural subacuático en Italia, así como la gestión general del patrimonio cultural, a pesar de la creación y del desarrollo de varios proyectos de gran en- vergadura, se encuentra en una situación atascada desde hace varias décadas. La incapacidad política para identi car un programa sistemático y de largo plazo, las di cultades burocráticas y legislativas, en los distintos niveles y sectores (institucional, académico, privado), hacen que sea difícil plani car y organizar las actividades a largo plazo y ya de nitivamente, la estructuración caótica de la disciplina de gestión di culta una necesaria colaboración entre las partes interesa- das. Instituciones nacionales y locales, universidades, organizaciones y empresas privadas, así como las Comunidades, a veces aparecen desconectadas y en posiciones contrarias. Contraria- mente, una actividad compleja y de longue durée, como la gestión del patrimonio cultural, ne- cesita de programación, enfoque sistémico y cooperación

Rivoluzione digitale e patrimonio culturale subacqueo: approcci, metodologie e riflessioni teoriche sul rilievo fotogrammetrico e la visualizzazione tridimensionale in archeologia subacquea

Contemporary archaeology confronts with many issues relating to broader societal challenges. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play a relevant role within this confrontation. Understanding the role and effects of ICTs in society is still in the process and so is for archaeology. The relation between archaeological thought and computer technologies has witnessed a preliminary and strong commitment of archaeologist to computer’s potentials as part of the positivistic strand of the New Archaeology, going through to the acquisition of the GIS and virtual reality potentials since the 1980s. The data enriching environment of post-processual archaeology and the increasing development in computers power and means, have brought to the fore issues of data archiving, management, retrieval, sharing and access. The digital environment requires an ever increasing amount of space for the ever increasing amount of digitally-born data to be preserved and shared. The present dissertation aims to analyze the digital world of archaeology and, particularly, photogrammetry applied to the survey and recording of underwater cultural heritage, with an eye on theoretical and methodological aspects that affect the way photogrammetry and 3D models enter the process of archaeological interpretation. Photogrammetry and the resulting three-dimensional models are useful in the interpretation process as part of a larger digital framework for the analysis of spatial data in underwater archaeology

SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Peptide Conjugated to a Tetravalent Dendrimer Selectively Inhibits Viral Infection

Fusion is a key event for enveloped viruses, through which viral and cell membranes come into close contact. This event is mediated by viral fusion proteins, which are divided into three structural and functional classes. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein belongs to class I fusion proteins, characterized by a trimer of helical hairpins and an internal fusion peptide (FP), which is exposed once fusion occurs. Many efforts have been directed at finding antivirals capable of interfering with the fusion mechanism, mainly by designing peptides on the two heptad-repeat regions present in class I viral fusion proteins. Here, we aimed to evaluate the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of the FP sequence conjugated to a tetravalent dendrimer through a classical organic nucleophilic substitution reaction (SN2) using a synthetic bromoacetylated peptide mimicking the FP and a branched scaffold of poly-L-Lysine functionalized with cysteine residues. We found that the FP peptide conjugated to the dendrimer, unlike the monomeric FP sequence, has virucidal activity by impairing the attachment of SARS-CoV-2 to cells. Furthermore, we found that the peptide dendrimer does not have the same effects on other coronaviruses, demonstrating that it is selective against SARS-CoV-2

Exploring the Antiviral Potential of Esters of Cinnamic Acids with Quercetin

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected more than 762 million people to date and has caused approximately 7 million deaths all around the world, involving more than 187 countries. Although currently available vaccines show high efficacy in preventing severe respiratory complications in infected patients, the high number of mutations in the S proteins of the current variants is responsible for the high level of immune evasion and transmissibility of the virus and the reduced effectiveness of acquired immunity. In this scenario, the development of safe and effective drugs of synthetic or natural origin to suppress viral replication and treat acute forms of COVID-19 remains a valid therapeutic challenge. Given the successful history of flavonoids-based drug discovery, we developed esters of substituted cinnamic acids with quercetin to evaluate their in vitro activity against a broad spectrum of Coronaviruses. Interestingly, two derivatives, the 3,4-methylenedioxy 6 and the ester of acid 7, have proved to be effective in reducing OC43-induced cytopathogenicity, showing interesting EC50s profiles. The ester of synaptic acid 7 in particular, which is not endowed with relevant cytotoxicity under any of the tested conditions, turned out to be active against OC43 and SARS-CoV-2, showing a promising EC50. Therefore, said compound was selected as the lead object of further analysis. When tested in a yield reduction, assay 7 produced a significant dose-dependent reduction in viral titer. However, the compound was not virucidal, as exposure to high concentrations of it did not affect viral infectivity, nor did it affect hCoV-OC43 penetration into pre-treated host cells. Additional studies on the action mechanism have suggested that our derivative may inhibit viral endocytosis by reducing viral attachment to host cells

The clinical effectiveness of an integrated multidisciplinary evidence-based program to prevent intraoperative pressure injuries in high-risk children undergoing long-duration surgical procedures: a quality improvement study

The prevention of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) in children undergoing long-duration surgical procedures is of critical importance due to the potential for catastrophic sequelae of these generally preventable injuries for the child and their family. Long-duration surgical procedures in children have the potential to result in high rates of HAPI due to physiological factors and the difficulty or impossibility of repositioning these patients intraoperatively. We developed and implemented a multi-modal, multi-disciplinary translational HAPI prevention quality improvement program at a large European Paediatric University Teaching Hospital. The intervention comprised the establishment of wound prevention teams, modified HAPI risk assessment tools, specific education, and the use of prophylactic dressings and fluidized positioners during long-duration surgical procedures. As part of the evaluation of the effectiveness of the program in reducing intraoperative HAPI, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 200 children undergoing long-duration surgical procedures and compared their outcomes with a matched historical cohort of 200 children who had undergone similar surgery the previous year. The findings demonstrated a reduction in HAPI in the intervention cohort of 80% (p < 0.01) compared to the comparator group when controlling for age, pathology, comorbidity, and surgical duration. We believe that the findings demonstrate that it is possible to significantly decrease HAPI incidence in these highly vulnerable children by using an evidence-based, multi-modal, multidisciplinary HAPI prevention strategy

<i>Protection</i> versus <i>public access</i>: two concepts compared within the Italian underwater cultural heritage management system

The concepts of protection and public access relating to underwater cultural heritage are often taken as two contrasting notions in the Italian underwater cultural heritage management panorama. This contribution aims to review these concepts with the objective of emphasizing the possibility of sound and scientifically compelling public access to the underwater cultural heritage, keeping protection principles intact. With the support of in-the-field examples successfully produced worldwide, this paper will attempt to underline how scientifically sound public access activities in the field of underwater cultural heritage management can benefit the protection of such heritage

Sailing heavy weather. Underwater Cultural Heritage management in Italy

Underwater cultural heritage management in Italy, as the overall cultural heritage management, despite of the creation and development of several large-scale projects, is in a stuck situation since several decades. Political incapacity to identify a systematic and long term program, bureaucratic dif culties and legislative black-outs, on various levels and sectors (insti- tutional, academic, private), make it dif cult to plan and organize long term and far-sighting activities and lastly, the chaotic structuring of the management discipline hinders a necessary collaboration between stakeholders. National and local Ministerial Institutions, Universities, Pri- vate organizations and enterprises as well as the communities appear sometimes unconnected and in contrasting positions. Contrary, a complex and longue durée activity, as cultural heritage management should be, needs programming, systemic approach, cooperation and sharing.La gestión del patrimonio cultural subacuático en Italia, así como la gestión general del patrimonio cultural, a pesar de la creación y del desarrollo de varios proyectos de gran en- vergadura, se encuentra en una situación atascada desde hace varias décadas. La incapacidad política para identi car un programa sistemático y de largo plazo, las di cultades burocráticas y legislativas, en los distintos niveles y sectores (institucional, académico, privado), hacen que sea difícil plani car y organizar las actividades a largo plazo y ya de nitivamente, la estructuración caótica de la disciplina de gestión di culta una necesaria colaboración entre las partes interesa- das. Instituciones nacionales y locales, universidades, organizaciones y empresas privadas, así como las Comunidades, a veces aparecen desconectadas y en posiciones contrarias. Contraria- mente, una actividad compleja y de longue durée, como la gestión del patrimonio cultural, ne- cesita de programación, enfoque sistémico y cooperación

Critique of practical archaeology: underwater cultural heritage and best practices

The international development of the underwater archaeology and underwater cultural heritage (UCH) management disciplines has witnessed a progressive buildup of the disciplinary debate. From an initial methodological focus, still active and necessary, the two interconnected disciplines have moved toward topics and aspects external, but complementary, to the disciplines themselves which are tied together in mutual exchange. Legal, economic, social, cultural (stricto sensu), and psychological aspects all find their expression in strategies quintessential, especially, to the management of UCH. The discipline’s socio-cultural wherewithal has been internationally recognized, analyzed, evaluated, and exploited in the planning of activities directed toward UCH management. In Italy, however, a lack of a coherent planning has emerged which does not take into account the various aspects composing a productive program for the management of UCH, both at the regional and national levels. Considering the issue in Italy, this contribution will offer an overview of the Sardinian perspective, offering some considerations toward envisaging an achievable, structured program for the management of underwater cultural resources within a specific regional panorama

New aminotetrazole derivatives as hydrogen bonding catalysts. A green and selective oxidation of organosulphides with H2O2 in H2O

New Journal of Chemistry Volume 38, Issue 8, August 2014, Pages 3622-3629 New aminotetrazole derivatives as hydrogen bonding catalysts. A green and selective oxidation of organosulphides with H2O2 in H 2O (Article) Secci, F. , Arca, M., Frongia, A., Piras, P.P. Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università Degli Studi di Cagliari, Complesso Universitario di Monserrato, S.S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, I-09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy View references (107) Abstract The oxidation of organosulphides catalysed by hydrogen bonding donors derived from aminotetrazole has been studied. The oxidation reaction was performed in a H2O solution using H2O2 as a versatile, green and chemoselective new approach to sulphoxides. Sulphoxide compounds are obtained in high yields and excellent selectivity through a new and easy to perform oxidation protocol. Aminotetrazole derivatives can be recycled by filtration and reused several times without expensive purification procedures

Trunk rotation alters postural sway but not gait in female children and early adolescents: Results from a school-based screening for scoliosis

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of trunk rotation (TR) on postural sway and spatial-temporal parameters of gait in children and early adolescents screened at school for the presence of scoliosis. Methods Two hundred and fifty-five individuals aged 9-14 (141 boys, 114 girls) underwent trunk rotation (TR) assessment by means of angle of trunk rotation (ATR) measurements performed with Bunnell’s scoliometer. Participants with ATR ≥ 5° formed the TR group whose data were compared with those of a control group (CON) composed of individuals with ATR < 5° matched for age and anthropometric features. Postural sway was calculated on the basis of center of pressure (COP) time series acquired using a pressure plate. Spatial-temporal parameters of gait were derived from trunk accelerations collected by a single inertial sensor located in the low-back region. Results Sway area, sway path, COP velocities in medio-lateral (ML) and antero-posterior (AP) directions and COP displacements in ML direction were found significantly higher in girls with TR, while no differences between the TR and CON groups were detected in boys. Both boys and girls with TR exhibited gait patterns similar to those of their CON schoolmates. Conclusions These findings suggest that even mild levels of TR may influence balance of female children and early adolescents screened for scoliosis, and thus early interventions including selective and task-oriented exercises appear advisable. In contrast, TR does not appear to influence gait, but further investigations are required to clarify whether different ATR cut-offs may reveal alterations of spatial-temporal parameters