Analytical investigation of the original painted canvas of Santa Irene, by Giuseppe Verrio (Church of Sant’Irene, Lecce, Italy)

The object of this study is unusual for both its material and technique. It is an oil painting on sheets of paper glued to a canvas made of linen fibres, thereby showing some execution peculiarities. It depicts the Virgin of Thessalonica in a hieratic attitude. The painting is attributed to the Salento-born artist Giuseppe Verrio (1639) for the church of the Theatine religious Order in Lecce, Italy, in which it is still placed, on the left altar of the transept. To truly understand and appreciate a work of art, it is important to have a basic knowledge of the materials and techniques used by the artist. For a better understanding of the execution techniques and to study the original materials and those that have been added over time, the painting was examined using the following analytical techniques: microscopic examination of cross-sections, μ-Raman spectroscopy and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS). The data indicate that Verrio used different earthy, mineral and manufactured pigments, an organic dye used only on the paper, oil as a binder, and varnish as a protectant. The results demonstrate that the latter are both original and due to a subsequent restoration

Historically Accurate Reconstruction of the Materials and Conservation Technologies Used on the Facades of the Artistic Buildings in Lecce (Apulia, Italy)

The protection of the stone surfaces of the buildings of the city of Lecce (Apulia, Italy) represents an ancient practice, which has always allowed the conservation of the historical-artistic heritage of the city, which nowadays is an international touristic and cultural destination. The identification of ancient recipes, materials and methodologies for the protection of historical buildings plays an important role in establishing correct protocols in order to ensure the durability of stone surfaces over time. This work presents a historically accurate reconstruction of the materials and conservation technologies used on the facades of the artistic buildings in Lecce. Several historical buildings, both civil and religious, have been selected in order to investigate the treatments applied on their facades and to know the traditions spread in the past in the field of building conservation in the Salento territory. Thanks to non-invasive or micro-destructive techniques (optical microscopy, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry), the characteristic molecular markers of the materials and the products of degradation have been identified, deepening the knowledge of the mechanisms of deterioration and interaction between the stone material, the surface finish and the surrounding environment. The paper is a valuable tool for the knowledge of ancient traditions and the planning of proper restoration works

MODELING AND DESIGNING A FULL BEAMFORMER FOR ACOUSTIC SENSING AND MEASUREMENT

Acoustic sensing is a viable approach for solving issues related to many applications, namely, biomedical, distance measurements, mechanical, health infrastructure monitoring, etc. It is generally sustainable and of no negative impact on the object under test. The use of acoustic sensing under beamforming technique is an important asset to be exploited, especially for the aforementioned applications. This paper illustrates a generalized approach of modeling and designing a full beamfomer using two specific classes: LCMP (Linear Constrained Minimum Power) beamformers that are used to overcome robustness limitations and MVDR (Minimum Variance Distortionless Response) beamformers. Any aspect of modeling and designing is always related to the DOA (Direction of Arrival). The obtained results are based on assumptions extracted from an actual case of constructed system

From Ivacaftor to Triple Combination: A Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety of CFTR Modulators in People with Cystic Fibrosis

Over the last years CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) modulators have shown the ability to improve relevant clinical outcomes in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This review aims at a systematic research of the current evidence on efficacy and tolerability of CFTR modulators for different genetic subsets of patients with CF. Two investigators independently performed the search on PubMed and included phase 2 and 3 clinical trials published in the study period 1 January 2005\u201331 January 2020. A final pool of 23 papers was included in the systematic review for a total of 4219 patients. For each paper data of interest were extracted and reported in table. In terms of lung function, patients who had the most beneficial effects from CFTR modulation were those patients with one gating mutation receiving IVA (ivacaftor) and patients with p.Phe508del mutation, both homozygous and heterozygous, receiving ELX/TEZ/IVA (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor) had the most relevant beneficial effects in term of lung function, pulmonary exacerbation decrease, and symptom improvement. CFTR modulators showed an overall favorable safety profile. Next steps should aim to systematize our comprehension of scientific data of efficacy and safety coming from real life observational studie

72 Inhalatory antibiotic therapy in cystic fibrosis and emergence of colistin resistant Gram-negative non-fermenting bacteria: a new problem in pulmonary infection treatment?

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The antimicrobial peptide temporin G: Anti-biofilm, anti-persister activities, and potentiator effect of tobramycin efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus

Bacterial biofilms are a serious threat for human health, and the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is one of the microorganisms that can easily switch from a planktonic to a sessile lifestyle, providing protection from a large variety of adverse environmental conditions. Dormant non-dividing cells with low metabolic activity, named persisters, are tolerant to antibiotic treatment and are the principal cause of recalcitrant and resistant infections, including skin infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold promise as new anti-infective agents to treat such infections. Here for the first time, we investigated the activity of the frog-skin AMP temporin G (TG) against preformed S. aureus biofilm including persisters, as well as its efficacy in combination with tobramycin, in inhibiting S. aureus growth. TG was found to provoke ~50 to 100% reduction of biofilm viability in the concentration range from 12.5 to 100 µM vs ATCC and clinical isolates and to be active against persister cells (about 70–80% killing at 50–100 µM). Notably, sub-inhibitory concentrations of TG in combination with tobramycin were able to significantly reduce S. aureus growth, potentiating the antibiotic power. No critical cytotoxicity was detected when TG was tested in vitro up to 100 µM against human keratinocytes, confirming its safety profile for the development of a new potential anti-infective drug, especially for treatment of bacterial skin infections

Frog skin-derived peptides against corynebacterium jeikeium: correlation between antibacterial and cytotoxic activities

Corynebacterium jeikeium is a commensal bacterium that colonizes human skin, and it is part of the normal bacterial flora. In non-risk subjects, it can be the cause of bad body smell due to the generation of volatile odorous metabolites, especially in the wet parts of the body that this bacterium often colonizes (i.e., groin and axillary regions). Importantly, in the last few decades, there have been increasing cases of serious infections provoked by this bacterium, especially in immunocompromised or hospitalized patients who have undergone installation of prostheses or catheters. The ease in developing resistance to commonly-used antibiotics (i.e., glycopeptides) has made the search for new antimicrobial compounds of clinical importance. Here, for the first time, we characterize the antimicrobial activity of some selected frog skin-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) against C. jeikeium by determining their minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) by a microdilution method. The results highlight esculentin-1b(1-18) [Esc(1-18)] and esculentin-1a(1-21) [Esc(1-21)] as the most active AMPs with MIC and MBC of 4–8 and 0.125–0.25 µM, respectively, along with a non-toxic profile after a short-and long-term (40 min and 24 h) treatment of mammalian cells. Overall, these findings indicate the high potentiality of Esc(1-18) and Esc(1-21) as (i) alternative antimicrobials against C. jeikeium infections and/or as (ii) additives in cosmetic products (creams, deodorants) to reduce the production of bad body odor

Carotid wall stress calculated with continuous intima-media thickness assessment using B-mode ultrasound

Cardiovascular risk is normally assessed using clinical risk factors but it can be refined using non-invasive infra-clinical markers. Intima-Media Thickness (IMT) is recognized as an early indicator of cardiovascular disease. Carotid Wall Stress (CWS) can be calculated using arterial pressure and carotid size (diameter and IMT). Generally, IMT is measured during diastole when it reaches its maximum value. However, it changes during the cardiac cycle and a time-dependant waveform can be obtained using B-mode ultrasound images. In this work we calculated CWS considering three different approaches for IMT assessment: (i) constant IMT (standard diastolic value), (ii) estimated IMT from diameter waveform (assuming a constant cross-sectional wall area) and (iii) continuously measured IMT. Our results showed that maximum wall stress depends on the IMT estimation method. Systolic CWS progressively increased using the three approaches (p<0.024). We conclude that maximum CWS is highly dependent on wall thickness and accurate IMT measures during systole should be encouraged.Fil: Pascaner, Ariel Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Craiem, Damian. Universidad Favaloro; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Casciaro, Mariano Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Danielo, R.. Fundación Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Graf Caride, Diego Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Guevara, E.. Fundación Favaloro; Argentin