On the hierarchical use of colourants in a 15th century book of hours

An illuminated Book of Hours (in use in Chalon-sur-Sa\uf4ne) currently owned by the Museo Civico di Arte Antica and displayed in the prestigious Palazzo Madama in Torino (Italy) was investigated by means of optical microscopy, fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy, fibre optic molecular fluorimetry, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy. The aim of the scientific survey was to expand the knowledge of the manuscript itself and on the materials and techniques employed by Antoine the Lonhy, the versatile itinerant artist who decorated the book in the 15th century. The focus was to reveal the original colourants and to investigate the pigments used in rough retouches which were visible in some of the miniatures. The investigation was carried out in situ by portable instruments according to a non-invasive analytical sequence previously developed. It was evident that the use of different pigments by the master was ruled, at least partially, by a hierarchical scheme in which more precious materials were linked to the most important characters or details in the painted scene

Shallow submarine mud volcano in the northern Tyrrhenian sea, Italy

Submarine methane emissions in the Tuscan Archipelago have been studied since the 1960s, both for economic and research purposes. Offshore gas seepage is mainly concentrated southward and westward of Elba island, along N–S faults related to recent extensional activity in the Tuscan shelf and N–S trending positive magnetic anomalies, which have been interpreted as serpentinites associated with ophiolitic rocks due to their very high magnetic susceptibility. This study focuses on the gas chemistry of a new emission site corresponding to a shallow water mud volcano in the Scoglio d'Affrica area. The Scoglio d'Affrica seep has a gas composition typical of mud volcanoes, with methane as the prevalent component (95 vol%) and minor gases which include carbon dioxide, nitrogen and trace amounts of helium. The combined stable C and H isotope composition of CH4 (δ13C and δ2H) and the enrichment in heavy carbon isotopes of CO2, highlight a prevalent secondary microbial origin for these fluids (δ13C~−35.8‰ vs VPDB; δ2H~−166‰ vs VSMOW; δ13CCO2 up to + 21.7‰ vs VPDB). Thus, in spite of the occurrence of positive magnetic anomalies, a possible abiotic origin of methane is excluded. Moreover, the gas from the mud volcano is extremely depleted in 3He and presents typical 3He/4He ratios of a geological setting in which radiogenic crustal helium is strongly predominant. A photo-mosaic of the mud volcano is also reported. A possible connection with other submarine methane emissions in the Tuscan Archipelago is limited to emissions located few kilometers from the Scoglio d'Affrica area. Recent emissions in the area suggest that gases similar in composition from distinct reservoirs, find their way to the surface from Eocene deposits in different time intervals and through different faults and fractures, placed along the Elba-Pianosa ridge

The awakening of Italy /

T.p. illustration: tinted lithograph of people reaching toward a central figure, representing the awakening of Italy / "On stone by Davignon ; Print. by Nagel"Song for voice and piano.Mode of access: Internet.ACQ: MU-243

Structure-Based Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Highly Selective and Potent G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Inhibitors

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are central to many physiological processes. Regulation of this superfamily of receptors is controlled by GPCR kinases (GRKs), some of which have been implicated in heart failure. GSK180736A, developed as a Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 1 (ROCK1) inhibitor, was identified as an inhibitor of GRK2 and co-crystallized in the active site. Guided by its binding pose overlaid with the binding pose of a known potent GRK2 inhibitor, Takeda103A, a library of hybrid inhibitors was developed. This campaign produced several compounds possessing high potency and selectivity for GRK2 over other GRK subfamilies, PKA, and ROCK1. The most selective compound, <b>12n</b> (CCG-224406), had an IC₅₀ for GRK2 of 130 nM, >700-fold selectivity over other GRK subfamilies, and no detectable inhibition of ROCK1. Four of the new inhibitors were crystallized with GRK2 to give molecular insights into the binding and kinase selectivity of this class of inhibitors