187 research outputs found
Documentary heritage: fungal deterioration in Compact Discs
AbstractIn recent years, there has been an exponential growth in the use of digital media for data storage and the creation of museums, libraries and digital archives. In particular, Compact Discs Recordable (CD-R) have become one of the most used tools for archiving documents related to cultural heritage. Many authors have investigated only the CD longevity, but very few studies have focused on their biological deterioration. The aim of this work was to examine the CD-R biodeterioration following two ways: (1) search badly preserved CD-R, showing clear degradation spots and verify that it is fungal deterioration; (2) fungal inoculation tests on blank CD-R to verify their bioreceptivity. The analysis of a badly preserved CD-R showed clear degradation spots, highlighting, after cultural and molecular analysis, the presence on the surface of three different fungi: Chaetomium globosum, Trichoderma atroviride e Coniochaeta sp. For the in vitro inoculation tests we used conidia suspensions of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Penicillium chrysogenum, and we observed the growth for 6 months. At the end of experiment, both fungi colonized the CD-R surface with hyphae and mycelia clearly visible, causing also loss of material and fractal structure presence. For the CD-R use as cultural heritage archiving, the correct storage is an essential phase and, in light of the results obtained, it will be necessary not only to consider the environmental factors (temperature, relative humidity) but also the biological deterioration caused by airborne fungi. Therefore, effort needs to be taken to regularly monitor temperature and relative humidity and it is essential to periodically conduct cleaning of optical media
The emergency plan for the use and management of the territory
The issue of emergency planning in areas exposed to natural hazards cannot yet be considered as a focus within the scientific literature, probably because it has been judged as âtoo operativeâ for the interest of academic research. The topic of land use planning, spatial planning, and urban planning in risky areas, conversely, has gained attention in recent years. Nevertheless, the examples of good practices that involve ordinary master plans embedding mitigation concerns are still limited.
 
Adrenal incidentaloma: a case of carcinoma
Adrenal incidentaloma (AI) is a term applied to an accidentally discovered adrenal mass on imaging performed for reasons unrelated to adrenal pathology. The widespread application of abdominal imaging procedure has resulted in an increased frequency of clinically silent adrenal masses. Although most AIs are nonfunctioning benign adenomas, a multidisciplinary approach with biochemical and radiological evaluation is needed to characterize these lesions and identify patients who are at high risk for hormonal or malignant evolution. Herein, we describe a case of a 69-year-old man with a pain at the base of right chest. On the basis of clinical evaluation, biochemical analysis, as well as imaging procedures, a diagnosis of right adrenocortical carcinoma was made. The patient underwent medical treatment
Diagnostics for the knowledge: the case of the tower of Palazzo Termine Pietragliata in Palermo (Italy)
[EN] Developing a methodological approach is crucial to assess the state of conservation of a monument,
starting from the overall analysis, progressively moving from small to medium scale and reaching the
grand scale at the end. Considering the territory, causes are investigated in order to understand the
propensities, as well as considering a single monument, evidences are carefully read to assess the
overall conditions, that will be lately detailed by the analysis on materials and their degradation.
The object of this study is the tower of the Palazzo Pietragliata in Palermo, one of the most important
examples of the late Gothic civil architecture in Sicily.
The Palace, built in 1473 by Prince of Baucina, possesses an imposing crenellated tower, whose two
levels are connected by an original internal staircase âcargolâ like, an extraordinary example of the
influence of Catalan Gothic architecture in Sicily.
Some micro samples were taken from the tower structure, made entirely of blocks of biocalcarenite, on
which diagnostic investigations were performed in the laboratory.
In the context of a more comprehensive interdisciplinary study, this paper illustrates the specific results
of the micro analysis conducted in the laboratory and particularly those made through the use of the
SEM and biological investigations, also paying attention to the pathologies detected on the battlements
of the tower. These forms of decay, for their variety, represent a significant example that allows to
properly illustrate the adopted study method.Gattuso, C.; Fernandez, F.; Pecoraro, MM.; Palermo, AM. (2015). Diagnostics for the knowledge: the case of the tower of Palazzo Termine Pietragliata in Palermo (Italy). En Defensive architecture of the mediterranean: XV to XVIII centuries. Vol. I. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 389-396. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2015.2015.1760OCS38939
Four-Year Environmental Surveillance Program of Legionella spp. in One of Palermoâs Largest Hospitals
Legionella is a ubiquitous bacterium that lives in freshwater environments and colonizes
human-made water systems. Legionella pneumophila is the most virulent species, and risk factors
for Legionnairesâ disease include increasing age, smoking, chronic diseases, and immunodeficiency.
For this reason, it is very important to assess and monitor hospital water systems in order to prevent
legionellosis. We have monitored a large hospital in Palermo for four years. To determine the presence
of microorganisms, according to national guidelines, we used the culture method, which is considered
the gold standard for Legionella detection. Sampling was divided into five macro-areas, and a total of
251 samples were collected during the period of investigation, 49% of which were Legionella spp.-
positive and 51% were Legionella spp.-negative. Positive samples with L. pneumophila. sgr 2-15 were
most frequent in the Underground (55.6%, p = 0.0184), Medicine (42.9%, p = 0.0184) and Other (63.2%,
p = 0.002) areas; while positive samples for L. pneumophila sgr 1 were less frequent in the Underground
(0.0%, p = 0.0184) and Surgery areas (4.5%, p = 0.033), and for Legionella anisa, were less frequent
in the Medicine (4.1%, p = 0.021), Oncohematology (0.0%, p = 0.0282), and Other (0.0%, p = 0.016)
areas. Finally, no significant differences were observed among the areas for each isolate considered.
The surveillance carried out in these years demonstrates the importance of monitoring, which allows
us to analyze the conditions of hospital facilities and, therefore, prevent Legionella spp. infections
Ghrelin induces apoptosis in colon adenocarcinoma cells via proteasome inhibition and autophagy induction.
Ghrelin is a metabolism-regulating hormone recently investigated for its role in cancer survival and progression. Controversially, ghrelin may act as either anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic factor in different cancer cells, suggesting that the effects are cell type dependent. Limited data are currently available on the effects exerted by ghrelin on intracellular proteolytic pathways in cancer. Both the lysosomal and the proteasomal systems are fundamental in cellular proliferation and apoptosis regulation. With the aim of exploring if the proteasome and autophagy may be possible targets of ghrelin in cancer, we exposed human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells to ghrelin. Preliminary in vitro fluorimetric assays evidenced for the first time a direct inhibition of 20S proteasomes by ghrelin, particularly evident for the trypsin-like activity. Moreover, 1 ÎźM ghrelin induced apoptosis in colorectal adenocarcinoma cells by inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome system and by activating autophagy, with p53 having an "interactive" role
Chronotropic Incompentence and Functional Capacity in CHF
SUMMARY Aim: To assess the effect of chronotropic incompetence on functional capacity in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, as evaluated as NYHA and peak oxygen consumption (pVO2), focusing on the presence and dose of β-blocker treatment. Methods: Nine hundred and sixty-seven consecutive CHF patients were evaluated, 328 of whom were discarded because they failed to meet the study criteria. Of the 639 analyzed, 90 were not treated with β-blockers whereas the other 549 were. The latter were further subdivided in high (n = 184) and low (n = 365) β-blockers daily dose group in accordance with an arbitrary cut-off of 25 mg for carvedilol and of 5 mg for bisoprolol. Failure to achieve 80% of the percentage of maximum age predicted peak heart rate (%Max PHR) or of HR reserve (%HRR) constituted chronotropic incompetence. Results: No differences were found in NYHA or pVO2 between patients with and without β-blockers and, similarly, between high and low β-blocker dose groups. Twenty and sixty-nine percent of not β-blocked patients showed chronotropic incompetence according to %Max PHR and %HRR, respectively, whereas this prevalence rose to 61% and 84% in those on β-blocker therapy. Patients taking β-blockers without chronotropic incompetence, as inferable from both %Max PHR and %HRR, showed higher NYHA and pVO2 regardless of drug dose, whereas, in not β-blocked patients, only %HRR revealed a difference in functional capacity. At multivariable analysis, HR increase during exercise (ÎHR) was the variable most strongly associated to pVO2 (β: 0.572; SE: 0.008; P < 0.0001) and NYHA class (β: â0.499; SE: 0.001; P < 0.0001). Conclusions: ÎHR is a powerful predictor of CHF severity regardless of the presence of β-blocker therapy and of β-blocker daily dose
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