Revealing the Archetype: The Journey of a Trecento Madonna and Child at the National Museum of Scotland

The National Museums Scotland Madonna and Child project sought to uncover and document the history of a fine polychrome wood carving attributed to The Master of the Gualino St Catherine and to prepare it for display. A new body of knowledge has been assembled by the interdisciplinary team. The conservation treatment was informed by this work and led to further discoveries: the removal of overpaint exposing a previously hidden underdrawing. The ethics of the treatment decisions, including the removal of the Christ Child’s 1960s’ fingers required team dialogue and was opened up for the public to respond to in a series of blogs. The discovery of a rich polychromy including gold and glazed tin has led to further plans to produce a 3-D colour reconstruction. The collaborations developed during this project will facilitate future joint ventures for polychrome sculpture in Scottish collections

Economic impact of remote monitoring on ordinary follow-up of implantable cardioverter defibrillators as compared with conventional in-hospital visits: a single-center prospective and randomized study

Few data are available on actual follow-up costs of remote monitoring (RM) of implantable defibrillators (ICD). Our study aimed at assessing current direct costs of 1-year ICD follow-up based on RM compared with conventional quarterly in-hospital follow-ups. Methods and results Patients (N=233) with indications for ICD were consecutively recruited and randomized at implant to be followed up for 1 year with standard quarterly inhospital visits or by RM with one in-hospital visit at 12 months, unless additional in-hospital visits were required due to specific patient conditions or RM alarms. Costs were calculated distinguishing between provider and patient costs, excluding RM device and service cost. The frequency of scheduled in-hospital visits was lower in the RM group than in the control arm. Follow-up required 47 min per patient/year in the RM arm versus 86 min in the control arm (p=0.03) for involved physicians, generating cost estimates for the provider of USD 45 and USD 83 per patient/- year, respectively. Costs for nurses were comparable. Overall, the costs associated with RM and standard follow-up were USD 103±27 and 154±21 per patient/year, respectively (p=0.01). RM was cost-saving for the patients: USD 97±121 per patient/year in the RM group versus 287± 160 per patient/year (p=0.0001). Conclusion The time spent by the hospital staff was significantly reduced in the RM group. If the costs for the device and service are not charged to patients or the provider, patients could save about USD 190 per patient/year while the hospital could save USD 51 per patient/year

Meningococci of serogroup X clonal complex 181 in refugee camps, Italy

Four cases of infection with serogroup X meningococci (MenX) (1 in 2015 and 3 in 2016) occurred in migrants living in refugee camps or reception centers in Italy. All MenX isolates were identified as clonal complex 181. Our report suggests that serogroup X represents an emerging health threat for persons arriving from African countries

L’arca di Sant’Ansovino nel duomo di Camerino. Ricerche sulla scultura tardo-trecentesca nelle Marche

La scultura lapidea del Trecento nelle Marche è stata indagata solo marginalmente negli studi di storia dell'arte, tanto che le testimonianze superstiti in territorio regionale - numerose quanto eterogenee - sono ancora oggi, in massima parte, pressoché inedite. Una vera e propria riscoperta è quella offerta dallo studio di Luca Palozzi - edito per la Biblioteca d'arte di Silvana Editoriale -, dedicato all'arca sepolcrale del vescovo Ansovino, costruita sullo scorcio del XIV secolo nella cattedrale di Santa Maria Maggiore a Camerino. Grazie a un'attenta analisi del monumento e a una nuova indagine documentaria, il libro ricostruisce la storia dell'arca - passata, a partire dal XVI secolo, attraverso una serie di incendi, smontaggi e ricomposizioni - arrivando a chiarire le complesse vicende della sua origine, indissolubilmente legata a un periodo particolarmente felice nella storia della città marchigiana, quello della piena affermazione della signoria dei da Varano. La lettura degli apparati figurativi svela ai lettori come l'arca del santo appaia, oltre che come un testo religioso, anche come uno dei più importanti monumenti "civici" della Marca medievale. Al suo principale autore, il Maestro delle Virtù, il volume dedica, in margine, un approfondimento di studi

Contextualizing English Alabasters in the Material Culture of the Medieval Mediterranean

I. English alabasters in a Mediterranean context : materiality and aesthetics II. Polishing marble, ivory, onyx and alabaster in Medieval Italy III. Polish, whiteness and colour: a blind spot IV. Conclusion