FROM PIGMENTS TO PAINTS: STUDYING ORIGINAL MATERIALS FROM THE ATELIER OF THE ARTIST MARIANO FORTUNY Y MADRAZO

We present the first study related to the painting materials used by Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (Granada 1871 - Venice 1949). This eclectic artist, whose activities ranged from photography to painting, produced his own tempera colours Tempere Fortuny. His atelier in Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei in Venice still conserves several kinds of painting materials employed in different stages of paint manufacture: from raw colourant materials (e.g. pigments and dyes) to a ready-to-use paint tube containing a complex mixture of pigment, binder ad additives. Micro samples collected from 29 “raw” materials and 2 handcrafted coloured paint mixtures were characterised by XRF, FT-IR and PyGCMS analysis. Through this multi-analytical approach, both inorganic and organic fractions were detected. According to the obtained results, Mariano Fortuny used both traditional and innovative materials- commercial products which were available at his time and sold for artistic practice and paint manufacture. This study allowed to understand the procedures followed by Fortuny in the production of his own colours, in particular highlighting the technical expedients the artist used in binding medium processing. These pieces of information prove Fortuny’s deep proficiency in paint manufacture and explain why his own Tempere were appreciated by his contemporaries.We present the first study related to the painting materials used by Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo (Granada 1871 - Venice 1949). This eclectic artist, whose activities ranged from photography to painting, produced his own tempera colours Tempere Fortuny. His atelier in Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei in Venice still conserves several kinds of painting materials employed in different stages of paint manufacture: from raw colourant materials (e.g. pigments and dyes) to a ready-to-use paint tube containing a complex mixture of pigment, binder ad additives. Micro samples collected from 29 “raw” materials and 2 handcrafted coloured paint mixtures were characterised by XRF, FT-IR and PyGCMS analysis. Through this multi-analytical approach, both inorganic and organic fractions were detected. According to the obtained results, Mariano Fortuny used both traditional and innovative materials- commercial products which were available at his time and sold for artistic practice and paint manufacture. This study allowed to understand the procedures followed by Fortuny in the production of his own colours, in particular highlighting the technical expedients the artist used in binding medium processing. These pieces of information prove Fortuny’s deep proficiency in paint manufacture and explain why his own Tempere were appreciated by his contemporaries

The Luminous Type Ic SN 1992ar at z=0.145

We present spectroscopic and photometric observations of SN1992ar, the more distant SN in the Calan/Tololo Survey. We compare its spectrum with those of nearby Type Ia and Ic SNe and conclude that the latter type is a better match to SN 1992ar. Using K-corrections based on the spectra of well observed Type Ic and Ia SNe we compute different possible rest frame light curves of SN 1992ar and compare them with those of representative SNe of each type observed in the nearby universe. From the photometry and the spectra, we are able to conclude that SN 1992ar cannot be matched by any known example of a Type Ia SN. Even though the data set collected is fairly complete (one spectrum and 10 photometric points), it is not possible to decide whether SN 1992ar was a fast Type Ic SN, like SN 1994I, or a slow one, like SN 1983V. The absolute V magnitudes at maximum implied by each of these possibilities are -19.2 and -20.2, respectively. The latter would make SN 1992ar one of the brightest SNe on record. SN 1992ar, hence, illustrates the problem of contamination faced by the high z Type Ia SNe samples whose luminosity distances are used to determine the cosmological parameters of the Universe. We present observational criteria to distinguish the two SN types when the SiII 6355 line is redshifted out of the sensitivity range of typical CCD detectors, and discuss the effect that these luminous Type Ic SNe would have on the measured cosmological parameters, if not removed from the High-z Type Ia SN samples.Comment: 40 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

High-velocity collimated outflows in planetary nebulae: NGC 6337, He 2-186, and K 4-47

We have obtained narrow-band images and high-resolution spectra of the planetary nebulae NGC 6337, He 2-186, and K 4-47, with the aim of investigating the relation between their main morphological components and several low-ionization features present in these nebulae. The data suggest that NGC 6337 is a bipolar PN seen almost pole on, with polar velocities higher than 200 km/s. The bright inner ring of the nebula is interpreted to be the "equatorial" density enhancement. It contains a number of low-ionization knots and outward tails that we ascribe to dynamical instabilities leading to fragmentation of the ring or transient density enhancements due to the interaction of the ionization front with previous density fluctuations in the ISM. The lobes show a pronounced point-symmetric morphology and two peculiar low-ionization filaments whose nature remains unclear. The most notable characteristic of He 2-186 is the presence of two high-velocity (higher than 135 km/s) knots from which an S-shaped lane of emission departs toward the central star. K 4-47 is composed of a compact core and two high-velocity, low-ionization blobs. We interpret the substantial broadening of line emission from the blobs as a signature of bow shocks, and using the modeling of Hartigan, Raymond, & Hartman (1987), we derive a shock velocity of 150 km/s and a mild inclination of the outflow on the plane of the sky. We discuss possible scenarios for the formation of these nebulae and their low-ionization features. In particular, the morphology of K 4-47 hardly fits into any of the usually adopted mass-loss geometries for single AGB stars. Finally, we discuss the possibility that point-symmetric morphologies in the lobes of NGC 6337 and the knots of He 2-186 are the result of precessing outflows from the central stars.Comment: 16 pages plus 7 figures, ApJ accepted. Also available at http://www.iac.es/publicaciones/preprints.htm

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Enteral nutrition at home and in nursing homes: an 11-year (2002-2012) epidemiological analysis

Home enteral nutrition (HEN) is a well-established extra-hospital therapy that can reduce the risk of malnutrition, ensure the rapid discharge of patients from hospital and significantly reduce health care expenditure. The data reported in this study allow us to understand the relationships between mortality, the place of treatment either at patients' homes (PH) or in nursing homes (NHR) and nutritional status

Enteral nutrition at home and in nursing homes: an 11-year (2002-2012) epidemiological analysis

Home enteral nutrition (HEN) is a well-established extra-hospital therapy that can reduce the risk of malnutrition, ensure the rapid discharge of patients from hospital and significantly reduce health care expenditure. The data reported in this study allow us to understand the relationships between mortality, the place of treatment either at patients' homes (PH) or in nursing homes (NHR) and nutritional status