Characterization and digital restauration of XIV-XV centuries written parchments by means of non-destructive techniques. Three case studies

Parchment is the primary writing medium of the majority of documents with cultural importance. Unfortunately, this material suffers of several mechanisms of degradation that affect its chemical-physical structure and the readability of text. Due to the unique and delicate character of these objects, the use of nondestructive techniques is mandatory. In this work, three partially degraded handwritten parchments dating back to the XIV-XV centuries were analyzed by means of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, µ-ATR Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and reflectance and UV-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. 'e elemental and molecular results provided the identification of the inks, pigments, and superficial treatments. In particular, all manuscripts have been written with iron gall inks, while the capital letters have been realized with cinnabar and azurite. Furthermore, multispectral UV fluorescence imaging and multispectral VIS-NIR imaging proved to be a good approach for the digital restoration of manuscripts that suffer from the loss of inked areas or from the presence of brown spotting. Indeed, using ultraviolet radiation and collecting the images at different spectral ranges is possible to enhance the readability of the text, while by illuminating with visible light and by collecting the images at longer wavelengths, the hiding effect of brown spots can be attenuated

Characterization and digital restauration of XIV-XV centuries written parchments by means of non-destructive techniques. Three case studies

Parchment is the primary writing medium of the majority of documents with cultural importance. Unfortunately, this material suffers of several mechanisms of degradation that affect its chemical-physical structure and the readability of text. Due to the unique and delicate character of these objects, the use of nondestructive techniques is mandatory. In this work, three partially degraded handwritten parchments dating back to the XIV-XV centuries were analyzed by means of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, µ-ATR Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and reflectance and UV-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. 'e elemental and molecular results provided the identification of the inks, pigments, and superficial treatments. In particular, all manuscripts have been written with iron gall inks, while the capital letters have been realized with cinnabar and azurite. Furthermore, multispectral UV fluorescence imaging and multispectral VIS-NIR imaging proved to be a good approach for the digital restoration of manuscripts that suffer from the loss of inked areas or from the presence of brown spotting. Indeed, using ultraviolet radiation and collecting the images at different spectral ranges is possible to enhance the readability of the text, while by illuminating with visible light and by collecting the images at longer wavelengths, the hiding effect of brown spots can be attenuated

Physiological aspects of lime-induced chlorosis in some Vitis species. 2. Genotype response to stress conditions

Research NoteOne-year-old cuttings from 7 Vitis species (V. amurensis Rupr., V. berlandieri Planch., V. californica Bentham, V. cinerea Engelm., V. longii Prince, V. monticola Buckl., V. riparia Michx.) were grown in pots containing non-calcareous and calcareous soil. Leaves selected in the middle of the second year's growing season were assayed to test the iron concentration of the dry matter and the total iron uptake. The most significant findings of the trial were: a) shoot growth of V. amurensis, V. longii, V. monticola and V. riparia was strongly depressed by the calcareous soil; b) V. berlandieri and V. californica took up higher amounts of iron when growing in the calcareous soil; c) a high ash alkalinity occurred in chlorotic leaves of V. riparia compared to non-chlorotic leaves at the same iron concentration

Physiological aspects of lime-induced chlorosis in some Vitis species. I. Pot trial calareous soil

One-year-old cutting from eleven Vitis spp. (V. aestivalis Michx., V. amurensis Rupr., V. andersonii Rehder, V. arizonica Engelm., V. berlandieri Planch., V. californica Bentham, V. champini Plancch., V. cinerea Engelm., V. longii Prince, V. monticola Buckl., V. riparia Michx.) were grown in pot of a calcareous soil. Leaves selected in the middle of the annual growing season were assayed for total chlorophyll, macronutrients, oligo-element and ash alkalinity. At the end of the annual growing cycle the whole plants were analyzed for the iron concentration of the dry matter. The most significant findings were:V. berlandieri, V champini and V. cinerea ranked in the high tolerant group; V. arizonica, V. californica, V. longii and V. monticola in the tolerant group; V. aestivalis, V. amurensis, V. andersonii and V. riparia in the susceptible group;it is likely to exist two different mechanisms of tolerance to lime-induced chlorosis: an adaptive one for V. berlandieri and V. cinerea and a protective one for V. champin

Not Just a Private Club: Self Regulatory Organizations as State Actors When Enforcing Federal Law

In the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Congress enacted a comprehensive scheme for regulating the national securities markets. Pursuant to that scheme, the Securities and Exchange Commission was given ultimate authority to enforce the newly enacted securities laws against market participants. The Exchange Act also created a prominent enforcement role for national securities exchanges, like the New York Stock Exchange. Congress required these self-regulatory organizations as a condition for their continued operation to enforce, among other things, compliance by their members with the provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The SROs were also given the power to sanction those members the SRO found to have violated federal law. The power and enforcement responsibilities conferred upon SROs under the Exchange Act raise the issue of whether constitutional protections such as due process and the right against self-incrimination apply in SRO enforcement proceedings when the SRO is enforcing federal law. The answer to that question, however, turns on whether SROs are state actors when enforcing federal law. State action is a fundamental prerequisite in cases alleging deprivation of constitutionally protected rights. At issue is whether SROs should be subject to the same constitutional limitations as the government when they are acting in the same capacity as the government in enforcing federal law, as required of them by the Exchange Act. Despite the Supreme Court\u27s extensive jurisprudence on the state action question, the Court has not addressed the issue of whether SROs are state actors. Lower courts have split on the question of whether SROs are state actors. The purpose of this Article is to explain why SROs should be considered state actors when enforcing federal law. The various Supreme Court precedents discussing the state action issue strongly suggest that when enforcing federal law, SROs are state actors. In that situation, SROs should be subject to the same constitutional limitations as the Commission or any other government agency. In Section II, the Article first examines the disciplinary responsibility of SROs imposed by the Exchange Act including the powers which the Commission has to coerce enforcement activity on the part of an SRO. Both the statutory and regulatory frameworks are analyzed. This Section then goes on to demonstrate the symbiotic relationship that exists between the Commission and the SROs in the context of SRO rule-making. This analysis examines the Commission\u27s role in approving rules and its authority to amend SRO rules and require SROs to adopt rules. This analysis is significant because the Commission\u27s authority in the rule-making area effectively allows the Commission to coerce SRO action, and because it demonstrates the heavily regulated nature of SRO activity. Section III then applies this analysis to the state action tests the Supreme Court currently employs. The Supreme Court has articulated several distinct tests for determining whether state action exists. This Section addresses two of the more relevant tests: (1) the coercion or encouragement test; and (2) the public function test. The Section explains the history and policy considerations that underlie each of these two tests, and demonstrates that under each of these tests SROs enforcing federal law should be considered state actors. In Section IV, the Article analyzes lower court decisions that have addressed the general topic of state action in the context of SROs. Finally, in Section V, the Article concludes that SROs are state actors when they enforce federal law. This conclusion not only follows from the Supreme Court\u27s extensive state action jurisprudence, but is also bolstered by the common sense argument that a dual system for enforcement of federal securities laws—one providing full constitutional protections and the other providing no such constitutional protections—is illogical. This dual enforcement system, which can lead to outcome determinative results based solely upon the prosecutorial forum, has a recognized historical foundation but is unsupported by current state action jurisprudence

Not Just a Private Club: Self Regulatory Organizations as State Actors When Enforcing Federal Law

In the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Congress enacted a comprehensive scheme for regulating the national securities markets. Pursuant to that scheme, the Securities and Exchange Commission was given ultimate authority to enforce the newly enacted securities laws against market participants. The Exchange Act also created a prominent enforcement role for national securities exchanges, like the New York Stock Exchange. Congress required these self-regulatory organizations as a condition for their continued operation to enforce, among other things, compliance by their members with the provisions of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The SROs were also given the power to sanction those members the SRO found to have violated federal law. The power and enforcement responsibilities conferred upon SROs under the Exchange Act raise the issue of whether constitutional protections such as due process and the right against self-incrimination apply in SRO enforcement proceedings when the SRO is enforcing federal law. The answer to that question, however, turns on whether SROs are state actors when enforcing federal law. State action is a fundamental prerequisite in cases alleging deprivation of constitutionally protected rights. At issue is whether SROs should be subject to the same constitutional limitations as the government when they are acting in the same capacity as the government in enforcing federal law, as required of them by the Exchange Act. Despite the Supreme Court\u27s extensive jurisprudence on the state action question, the Court has not addressed the issue of whether SROs are state actors. Lower courts have split on the question of whether SROs are state actors. The purpose of this Article is to explain why SROs should be considered state actors when enforcing federal law. The various Supreme Court precedents discussing the state action issue strongly suggest that when enforcing federal law, SROs are state actors. In that situation, SROs should be subject to the same constitutional limitations as the Commission or any other government agency. In Section II, the Article first examines the disciplinary responsibility of SROs imposed by the Exchange Act including the powers which the Commission has to coerce enforcement activity on the part of an SRO. Both the statutory and regulatory frameworks are analyzed. This Section then goes on to demonstrate the symbiotic relationship that exists between the Commission and the SROs in the context of SRO rule-making. This analysis examines the Commission\u27s role in approving rules and its authority to amend SRO rules and require SROs to adopt rules. This analysis is significant because the Commission\u27s authority in the rule-making area effectively allows the Commission to coerce SRO action, and because it demonstrates the heavily regulated nature of SRO activity. Section III then applies this analysis to the state action tests the Supreme Court currently employs. The Supreme Court has articulated several distinct tests for determining whether state action exists. This Section addresses two of the more relevant tests: (1) the coercion or encouragement test; and (2) the public function test. The Section explains the history and policy considerations that underlie each of these two tests, and demonstrates that under each of these tests SROs enforcing federal law should be considered state actors. In Section IV, the Article analyzes lower court decisions that have addressed the general topic of state action in the context of SROs. Finally, in Section V, the Article concludes that SROs are state actors when they enforce federal law. This conclusion not only follows from the Supreme Court\u27s extensive state action jurisprudence, but is also bolstered by the common sense argument that a dual system for enforcement of federal securities laws—one providing full constitutional protections and the other providing no such constitutional protections—is illogical. This dual enforcement system, which can lead to outcome determinative results based solely upon the prosecutorial forum, has a recognized historical foundation but is unsupported by current state action jurisprudence

Evaluation on Implementing an Active Braking System in Wheelchair Rear-Mounted Power-Assisted Device

Power-Assisted Devices (PADs) for wheelchairs are becoming popular tools to enhance propulsion capabilities and to assist wheelchair users to perform daily activities. PADs include Pushrim Activated Power-Assisted Wheelchairs, joy-stick-driven wheels, front-end attachments, and rear-end attachments. Considering the latest, they are not equipped with any active braking system. This could affect the handling of the wheelchair and introduce safety concerns. The paper aims to assess the performance of a rear add-on during driving and braking conditions, and to investigate the implementation and effectiveness of a servo braking system. A dynamic multibody model of a wheelchair has been developed and the dynamic of the system has been analyzed. To enhance the braking effectiveness, an additional preload torque between the wheelchair and the device has been modelled. Simulations have been performed for different braking torques. The results show that the introduction of a mounting preload positively affects the braking effectiveness, and it assists the user to perform part of the braking action

Overview of the benefitsand potential issues of the nonavalent HPV vaccine

HPV-related diseases affect anogenital and oropharyngeal regions, heavily affecting the psychosexual dimension of both male and female individuals. HPV vaccination programs based on a bivalent or quadrivalent vaccine have opened broad perspectives for primary prevention. A nonavalent HPV vaccine (9vHPV), covering nine genotypes (HPV6, HPV11, HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV33, HPV45, HPV52, and HPV58), might provide further improvement in terms of direct protection. In the present report, efficacy and safety data from 9vHPV vaccine development programs are examined. Efficacy data come from a pivotal trial, which was conducted among women aged 16–26 years randomly assigned to receive either the 9vHPV or the quadrivalent HPV (4vHPV) vaccine. The 9vHPV vaccine was shown to have potential benefits as compared with 4vHPV, increasing the overall estimated rate of prevention to 90% for cervical cancer and up to 80% for precancerous cervical lesions. For all other HPV-related pre-invasive and invasive lesions, 9vHPV showed potentially greater disease reduction, depending on the anatomic region examined. Thus, the 9vHPV vaccine shows clinical potential for the prevention of HPV-related diseases in both sexes. Future adoption of 9vHPV will depend on factors including market price, cost-effectiveness data, use of a two-dose schedule, and safety and efficacy monitoring in real-life programs

Human Papillomavirus and Male Infertility: What Do We Know?

: In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to understanding the causes of infertility, which is being recognized as a growing health problem affecting large numbers of couples worldwide. Male infertility is a contributing factor in approximately 30-40% of cases, and one of its etiological causes is sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Among sexually transmitted pathogens, human papillomavirus (HPV) can contribute in various ways to the failure of spontaneous and assisted reproduction, acting in the different phases of conception, especially in the early ones. In particular, HPV infection can affect sperm DNA integrity, sperm motility, count, viability, and morphology and can induce the production of anti-sperm antibodies (ASAs). In this narrative review, we aimed to provide an overview of existing research on the potential adverse effects of HPV infection on male reproductive health. Furthermore, we analyzed how limiting the spread of the infection, particularly with gender-neutral vaccination, could be a possible therapeutic tool to counteract male and female fertility problems

Development of advanced multifunctional façade systems: Thermo-acoustic modelling and performance

The development of lightweight a nd multifunctional curta in wa ll systems, which integra te different technological solutions, is a imed at a chieving increa singly higher requirements rela ted to energy efficiency a s well a s indoor environmental quality in nonresidentia l buildings. On one ha nd lightweight a nd thin fa çade elements present several a dvantages (such a s construction time, space, a nd transportation savings, less weight on primary structure etc.), while fa cing the cha llenge of gua ranteeing the required thermal a nd a coustic performance and achieving legisla tive compliance on the other. In the framework of the Horizon 2020 Project Powerskin+ a new concept of multifunctional fa çade, which combines high performance insulation, energy harvesting, heating system, a nd la tent heat storage capabilities is under development. Within the design process of the different sub -modules (opaque and tra nsparent), performance calculations a re carried out by means of existing simulation tools, or a d-hoc developed models for more complex systems. In this study, the authors present the main steps required to a ccelerate the simula tion-based design process a nd the future thermal and a coustic optimization of the novel lightweight a nd multifunctional façade element