Estudio no destructivo del interior de piezas de valor histórico mediante gammagrafías

La tecnología de Tomografía de Hormigón Armado desarrollada por THASA ha sido aplicada al estudio de piezas ornamentales y otras de valor histórico con el objeto de examinar el interior de las mismas e investigar, en algunos casos, la existencia, configuración y condición de refuerzos metálicos y en otro caso, la existencia de huecos producidos por termitas en vigas de madera. En este trabajo se discuten detalles metodológicos y resultados alcanzados en los casos de las estatuas ubicadas en el coronamiento del Palacio de Tribunales en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, en dragones colgantes de las torres de la Basílica de Luján y en las vigas del techo de la Capilla Doméstica, construida en 1660 y declarada patrimonio de la humanidad por la UNESCO, ubicada en la manzana jesuítica en la Ciudad de Córdoba. El carácter pionero de la investigación de oquedades en madera realizada en este último caso hizo necesario la construcción de modelos de simulación que resultan de utilidad para otras aplicaciones similares

Amarelli's Industry 4.0 Transformation with IoT and Digital Advertisement: Optimizing Operations and Engaging Customers

This paper presents a vertical IoT solution for Amarelli, a licorice producing company, aiming to optimize their operations and enhance their customer engagement through the integration of IoT technology, Enterprice Resource Planning (EPR) system, e-commerce and social media advertising. The proposed solution includes several key components, such as IoT-enabled production monitoring, warehouse monitoring, RFID tracking, and real-time data analysis. The solution also integrates an ERP system, to provide business intelligence and e-commerce combination to enhance online presence and customer engagement through social media advertising. This vertical solution will enable Amarelli to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability, while also providing valuable insights into customer preferences and purchasing behavior. The implementation of this solution will position Amarelli at the forefront of Industry 4.0, and help the company to stay competitive in today's rapidly evolving marketplace

Healthy Aging and Dietary Patterns

A number of factors contribute to the complex process of aging, which finally define whether someone will or not develop age-associated chronic diseases in late life. These determinants comprise genetic susceptibility as well as various behavioral, environmental, and dietary factors, all of which have been shown to influence specific pathways regulating the aging process and the extension of life, which makes longevity a multidimensional phenomenon. Although a “miraculous elixir” or a “nutrition pill” are not plausible, researchers agree on the notion that nutritional factors have major impact on the risk of age-associated chronic non-communicable diseases and mortality. In recent years nutrition research in relation to health outcomes has considerably changed from focusing exclusively on single nutrients to considering combinations of foods rather than nutrients in isolation. Although research on specific nutrients is scientifically valid providing crucial evidence on the mechanisms by which nutrition impacts health, the recent switch targeting the multifaceted synergistic interplay among nutrients, other dietary constituents, and whole foods, has promoted emerging interest on the actions of total dietary patterns. This narrative review aims to describe some specific dietary patterns with evidence of associations with reduction in the incidence of chronic diseases allowing older adults to live a long-lasting and healthier life, and confirming the powerful impact nutrition can exert on healthy aging. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Comparative study of protective coatings for the conservation of Urban Art

Contemporary mural paintings are complex artworks for several reasons, including the heterogeneity of the materials used to make them, and the different types of substrate on which the painting layers can be applied. Currently we are focused on a technical-scientific research aimed to solve the issues related to the long-term care and maintenance of murals, by evaluating the performance of several protective coatings applied on these artworks. This paper deals with a preliminary experimentation aimed to: (a) study the interaction of antigraffiti products on common synthetic paints; (b) test the effectiveness and efficiency of several commercial products used as antigraffiti; (c) define of the best procedure to remove vandalism spray from a coated surface, without damaging the underlying painting layers. Tests have been carried out on laboratory specimens and the performances of different antigraffiti agents have been evaluated by optical and electron microscope observations, as well as by colorimetric measurements

Performance evaluation of a commercial protective coating through field-exposure tests on three stone substrates

In the last decades, there have been several studies on Cultural Heritage regarding the performance of protective and consolidating coatings for the prevention of decay. A coating must have several characteristics such as efficiency, breathability, and must be durable and reversible. In this research work, the performance of a commercial protective product (Fosbuild FBLE 200) was evaluated. This coating is composed of a TiO2 nanopowder dispersed in an aqueous solution of an acrylic polymer. The product, which exhibits depolluting, antimicrobial, water-repellent and self-cleaning properties, has been applied on three different lithotypes: Carrara marble, Noto stone, and Comiso stone. Field-exposure tests were carried out in two different outdoor environments (Catania and Palermo) in order to assess its suitability. Promising results were obtained for the Carrara marble after one year of exposure; however, a decrease in effectiveness was observed at the end of the second year

Self-Reported Long COVID in the General Population: Sociodemographic and Health Correlates in a Cross-National Sample.

We aimed to gain knowledge of possible sociodemographic predictors of long COVID and whether long COVID was associated with health outcomes almost two years after the pandemic outbreak. There were 1649 adults who participated in the study by completing a cross-sectional online survey disseminated openly in Norway, the UK, the USA, and Australia between November 2021 and January 2022. Participants were defined as having long COVID based on self-reports that they had been infected by COVID-19 and were experiencing long-lasting COVID symptoms. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine possible sociodemographic predictors, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine whether long COVID status was associated with health outcomes. None of the sociodemographic variables was significantly associated with reporting long COVID. Having long COVID was associated with higher levels of psychological distress, fatigue, and perceived stress. The effect of long COVID on health outcomes was greater among men than among women. In conclusion, long COVID appeared across sociodemographic groups. People with long COVID reported worsened health outcomes compared to those who had had COVID-19 but without long-term symptoms. Men experiencing long COVID appear to be particularly vulnerable to experiencing poorer health outcomes; health services may pay extra attention to potentially unnoticed needs for support among men experiencing long COVID

Does the polydimethylsiloxane urethral injection (Macroplastique®) improve sexual function in women, in fertile age, affected by stress urinary incontinence?

Background and Objectives: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) negatively affects women's quality of life, including sexual function. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of polydimethylsiloxane (Macroplastique(R)) on sexual function in women of fertile age affected by SUI. Materials and Methods: Single-center prospective study. Sexually active women of fertile age with symptoms of pure SUI, which were urodynamically proven, were submitted to intraurethral Macroplastique(R) injection. At 6-months follow-up, their sexual function was evaluated with Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), while the SUI cure rate was objectively assessed through a negative stress test and subjectively by a Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) score < 3. The difference of coital incontinence prevalence was assessed between the baseline and the 6-month follow-up. Peri- and postoperative complications of Macroplastique(R) injection were recorded and classified according to the Clavien-Dindo system. Results: Twenty-one women fulfilled inclusion criteria and were submitted to Macroplastique(R) procedure. The concerning sexual function, desire, satisfaction, and overall FSFI score significantly improved. Since other domains were less impaired at the baseline, we could not assess significant improvement for all of them. We observed a complete regression of coital incontinence (0/21, 0%) in comparison with the baseline (5/21, 23.8%; p = 0.04). The objective SUI cure rate was 76% (16/21), while the subjective SUI cure rate was 80.9% (17/21). One woman developed de novo overactive bladder, and two women developed postoperative voiding dysfunction (self-solved in 24 h). Conclusions: The Macroplastique(R) urethral injection was demonstrated to be safe and effective in improving sexual function in sexually active women of fertile age affected by pure SUI, urodinamically proven at 6-months follow-up

Building materials and decay assessment of the Gerace Cathedral (Reggio Calabria, Southern Italy)

A multi-analytical approach was employed for the first time to study the stone materials, wall paintings and related degradation forms in the Cathedral of Gerace (Reggio Calabria, southern Italy). With an area of around 1898 square meters, the Gerace Cathedral is the largest in Calabria: its construction dates back to the Norman era (between 1085 and 1120), and currently displays distinct features of Greek and Latin architectural orders. Despite having undergone numerous restorations, the church perfectly preserves its original buildings materials. Following an extensive site inspection campaign, supported by the experts dealing with building restoration, several areas were selected for analyses. Both in situ investigations and laboratory tests were carried out on micro-fragments using Non-Destructive and Micro-Destructive Techniques (NDTs and MDTs). The first step involved an inspection through InfraRed Thermography (IRT) in order to map the internal walls of the Cathedral and identify zones with potential degradation phenomena. Subsequently, a more in-depth study was designed based on the thermographic results, and laboratory tests were carried out on micro-fragments and powders to characterize the different kinds of materials (i.e., stones, mortars, plasters and pigments) and decay agents (i.e., salts and efflorescences). Thirty-one samples were subjected to a complementary analytical approach which included Polarizing Optical Microscopy (POM), Ion Chromatography (IC), X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with microanalysis (EDS). The results allowed us to preliminarily characterize the different materials from which the Cathedral was built, determine its state of conservation and provide a better knowledge of the entire building, revealing details not visible to the naked eye which are important for future conservation interventions. As for the state of conservation, the integrated use of various techniques enabled the detection of rising damp generally correlated with the occurrence of water infiltration and migration phenomena which appear to affect a large part of the building, causing noticeable damage (i.e., loss of surface material, micro-cracks, white salt efflorescence, etc.). The characterization of the materials carried out on mortars, plasters, and pigments also confirmed the local origin of the raw materials. However, the provenance of the studied marbles and crystalline limestones, could not be established and, therefore, further in-depth studies are required