Manufatti metallici: cultura umanistica e scientifica strettamente interconnessi

Secondo Tucidide, lo scopo dell'archeologia era di "dimostrare di ricostruire il passato non solo attraverso le fonti ma anche attraverso prove scientifiche esatte” evidenziando, quindi, la stretta correlazione che esiste fra cultura umanistica e scientifica (Artioli, 2010). Ecco che i reperti archeologici rinvenuti in aree di scavo o in ritrovamenti subacquei, debitamente interrogati possono raccontarci, in maniera dettagliata, tradizioni, usi, itinerari di viaggio, scambi commerciali delle civiltà che hanno popolato in passato i territori (Parmeggiani, 2003). La presente ricerca si è focalizzata sullo studio di reperti metallici ritrovati duranti gli scavi archeologici nell’area Siris di Policoro (Matera) al fine di ottenere informazioni sulle caratteristiche chimico – fisiche degli oggetti, sulle tecnologie di realizzazione e sullo stato di degrado/corrosione. I reperti, consistenti in: specillo (Fig.1), punta di freccia, tappo di fiaschetta, bastoncino in piombo, arma in ferro, punta di giavellotto e fibula sono stati analizzati attraverso una sinergia di metodologie non distruttive quali Microscopia Ottica (MO), Fluorescenza dei Raggi X (XRF), Diffrazione di Raggi X (XRD), X-ray Photoelecton Spectroscopy (XPS) e Spettroscopia Raman. Sui reperti sono state anche condotte indagini microbiologiche per verificare la presenza di biodeteriogeni. I principali risultati possono essere così riassunti: le analisi XRD mostrano che i campioni sono costituiti essenzialmente da leghe di ferro e alluminio e ossidi di ferro e rame, sovente con incrostazioni di quarzo e calcite, le analisi XRF oltre a rivelare gli elementi maggiori quali Fe, Cu e Zn, rivelano per alcuni campioni tracce di Zn e Pb. Nello specifico, “Spec3” , la cui scheda museale riportava come composizione metallica 100% in ferro, è risultata essere una lega di Cu e Zn con tracce di Fe e Pb .Nessun biodeteriogeno risulta essere presente sugli oggetti analizzati. Fine ultimo della ricerca consisterà nell’identificazione e pianificazione di successivi interventi green di risanamento e consolidamento

Feline large granular lymphocyte lymphoma: An Italian Society of Veterinary Oncology (SIONCOV) retrospective study

Feline large granular lymphocyte (LGL) lymphoma is an uncommon subtype of lymphoma characterized by a grave prognosis and scarce response to chemotherapy. There are limited reports on clinico-pathological and prognostic factors. One-hundred and 9 cats with newly diagnosed LGL lymphoma that underwent initial staging (including hematology, serum biochemistry, thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound), and followed-up were retrospectively evaluated. LGL lymphoma was localized within the gastrointestinal tract with or without extra-intestinal involvement in 91.7% of the cases, and at extra-gastrointestinal sites in 8.3%. Symptoms were frequent. Anemia (31.2%) and neutrophilia (26.6%) were commonly observed, and 14 (12.8%) cats had neoplastic circulating cells. Frequent biochemistry abnormalities included elevated ALT (39.4%) and hypoalbuminemia (28.4%). Twenty (54.1%) of 37 cats had elevated serum LDH. Treatment varied among cats, and included surgery (11%), chemotherapy (23%), corticosteroids (38.5%) and no treatment (27.5%). Median time to progression (MTTP) was 5 days, and median survival time (MST) 21 days. MST was significantly shorter in the case of substage b, circulating neoplastic cells, lack of chemotherapy administration, and lack of treatment response. A small subset of cats (7.3%) survived more than 6 months, suggesting that a more favorable clinical course can be found among LGL lymphoma patients

A geo-chemo-mechanical study of a highly polluted marine system (Taranto, Italy) for the enhancement of the conceptual site model

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the geo-chemo-mechanical data gathered through an innovative multidisciplinary investigation campaign in the Mar Piccolo basin, a heavily polluted marine bay aside the town of Taranto (Southern Italy). The basin is part of an area declared at high environmental risk by the Italian government. The cutting-edge approach to the environmental characterization of the site was promoted by the Special Commissioner for urgent measures of reclamation, environmental improvements and redevelopment of Taranto and involved experts from several research fields, who cooperated to gather a new insight into the origin, distribution, mobility and fate of the contaminants within the basin. The investigation campaign was designed to implement advanced research methodologies and testing strategies. Differently from traditional investigation campaigns, aimed solely at the assessment of the contamination state within sediments lying in the top layers, the new campaign provided an interpretation of the geo-chemo-mechanical properties and state of the sediments forming the deposit at the seafloor. The integrated, multidisciplinary and holistic approach, that considered geotechnical engineering, electrical and electronical engineering, geological, sedimentological, mineralogical, hydraulic engineering, hydrological, chemical, geochemical, biological fields, supported a comprehensive understanding of the influence of the contamination on the hydro-mechanical properties of the sediments, which need to be accounted for in the selection and design of the risk mitigation measures. The findings of the research represent the input ingredients of the conceptual model of the site, premise to model the evolutionary contamination scenarios within the basin, of guidance for the environmental risk management. The study testifies the importance of the cooperative approach among researchers of different fields to fulfil the interpretation of complex polluted eco-systems

Polytypism in micas from Black Hill and apparent polytypism in micas from Alto Paranaibo.

Micas are commonly found minerals of igneous and metamorphic rocks which form in a wide range of chemical and physical conditions. This particular feature can be understood on the ground of the compositional variation and different cation arrangement connected with the intensive parameters change during the crystallization process. Recent studies of cation site partitioning in Tirich 1M polytype from Black Hill (Australia) using a multi-technical approach [1] showed the occurrence of Fe, as Fe2+ and Fe3+, and Ti, as Ti3+ and Ti4+. While Titanium populates both octahedral and tetrahedral site, Fe is located only at the octahedral position. In addition Mg and Fe distribution was shown to be shared out in approximately equal amounts across M1 and M2 site. The present study investigates the 2M1 polytype, coexisting with 1M form, from Black Hill. Structural analysis showed similar M1 and M2 cation distribution in both polytypes with some noteworthy differences regarding occupancy of the octahedral cations. More specifically, while Mg and Fe randomly populate both M1 and M2 site in the 1M polytype, these cations are distributed in orderly manner in the 2M1 polytype, resulting in symmetry change from C2/m (1M) to C2/c (2M1) as well as c parameter doubling. This work also investigates an apparent polytype, observed in the trioctahedral micas from Alto Paranaibo igneous province (Southeastern Brazil). Crystal chemistry of 1M polytype from this locality was investigated by [2]. By making use of the multitechnical approach, [3] recently reanalysed one of the sample quoted in [2] and labelled Ma1. A number of interesting new results were found: Na is lodged at octahedral site, Ti at both octahedral and tetrahedral sites and all Fe3+ at tetrahedral site and Fe2+ populating the same octahedral site. Further investigations showed that the Ma1 can also form apparent polytypes, i.e. twinnings of 1M polytype which simulate diffraction of polytype patterns with long periodicity (c ≈ 30 Å). Structure refinement of the twinned crystal (R = 3.9%, carried out on the family reflections) indicated that the twin law is [310], the twin index is 3 and the volume element ratio is roughly 0.85 : 0.09 : 0.06. The same conclusions were reached by [4] when studying ferric phlogopites from Ruiz Peak (Northern Chile)