Degradation of stone materials in the archaeological context of the Greek-Roman Theatre in Taormina (Sicily, Italy)

In the present work results on the degradation phenomena of stone materials in the Ancient Theatre of Taormina, one of the most important Greek–Roman monuments of Sicily, are reported. Artificial stone materials in different conservation conditions were investigated. Samples of salt efflorescences from brick walls and degraded setting mortars were taken from the open gallery in “summa cavea”. The chemical, physical and structural characterization was performed by means of X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), both in situ and ex situ. Results showed that the deterioration of stone materials is due to the aggressive action of the enviro…

Entanglement dynamics and relaxation in a few-qubit system interacting with random collisions

The dynamics of a single qubit interacting by a sequence of pairwise collisions with an environment consisting of just two more qubits is analyzed. Each collision is modeled in terms of a random unitary operator with a uniform probability distribution described by the uniform Haar measure. We show that the purity of the system qubit as well as the bipartite and the tripartite entanglement reach time averaged equilibrium values characterized by large instantaneous fluctuations.These equilibrium values are independent of the order of collision among the qubits. The relaxation to equilibrium is analyzed also in terms of an ensemble average of random collision histories. Such average allows for…

The polyelectrolytes and the Hofmeister series of anions: polyGC chemical denaturation in aqueous solution

ESR response to gamma-rays of alanine pellets containing B(OH)3 or Gd2O3.

ESR response to gamma-irradiation (1-50 Gy) of blends containing alanine and either B(OH)(3) or Gd(2)O(3) is reported. The sensitivity of the alanine--B(OH)(3) blend is comparable to the sensitivity of pure alanine, although its lowest detectable dose, LDD, is smaller ( approximately 1.3 Gy) than that of pure alanine ( approximately 2.9 Gy). Alanine with Gd(2)O(3) is about two times more sensitive than pure alanine, and its LDD is 0.8 Gy. The better sensitivity and LDD are probably due to the high atomic number (Z=64) of gadolinium, which enhances the interaction probability with photons and, consequently, the radical yield. This study suggests that other high-Z atoms may be useful for incr…

Improvement of the LET sensitivity in ESR dosimetry for -photons and thermal neutrons through gadolinium addition

Abstract We investigated the ESR response of new materials, alanine and ammonium tartrate to which gadolinium was added. The addition of gadolinium enhances sensitivity for Co 60 γ -photons because of its high atomic number ( Z = 64 ) and an enhancement of sensitivity for thermal neutrons because of its high thermal neutron cross section and high linear energy transfer (LET) secondary particles produced after the reaction with neutrons. In particular, in this paper we analyzed the microwave power saturation properties of dosimeters of alanine and ammonium tartrate with or without gadolinium exposed to different LET beams. The power saturation trends of dosimeters exposed to photons and to t…

Diorganotin(IV) dipeptide complexes with potential antitumour activity

A series of complexes of the dimethylltin(IV) moiety with dipeptides has been synthesized. The dipeptides are L-alanyl-L-histidine (H2AlaHis), L-methionyl-L-methionine (H2MetMet), L-glycyl-L-histidine (H2GlyHis) and L-histidyl-L-glycine (H2HisGly). The complexes have been characterized by IR and 119Sn Mossbauer spectroscopy in the solid state and by 1H NMR in CD3OD and D2O solutions. They consist of monomeric entities, with the tin atom arranged in a pentacoordinated trigonal bipyramidal structure. The dipeptides are coordinated via the amino group, deprotonated peptide nitrogen and carboxylate group. Neither imidazole in histidine-containing dipetides, nor the thioether group in MetMet, is…

Microwave Power Saturation of EPR Signal of Modern and Ancient Woods

ERGODICITY IN RANDOMLY COLLIDING QUBITS

The dynamics of a single qubit randomly colliding with an environment consisting of just two qubits is discussed. It is shown that the system reaches an equilibrium state which coincides with a pure random state of three qubits. Furthermore the time average and the ensemble averages of the quantities used to characterize the approach to equilibrium (purity and tangles) coincide, a signature of ergodic behavior.

Improvement of ESR dosimetry for thermal neutron beams through the addition of gadolinium.

In this paper, the addition of gadolinium is proposed as a useful tool to enhance the electron spin resonance (ESR) sensitivity of organic compounds to thermal neutrons. The target of this work is the detection, through the ESR technique, of the thermal neutron fluence in a mixed field of photons and neutrons. Gadolinium was chosen because it has a very high capture cross section to thermal neutrons; its nuclear reaction with thermal neutrons induces complex inner shell transitions that generate, besides other particles, Auger electrons, which in turn release their energy in the neighborhood (only several nanometers) of the place of reaction. Gadolinium was added to two organic molecules: a…

Selective, homogeneous hydrogenation of cycloheptatriene to cycloheptene catalyzed by (η4-cycloocta-1,5-diene)(η6-cyclohepta-1,3,5-triene)ruthenium(0)

Abstract In the presence of small amounts of [Ru(η 4 -COD)](η 6 -C 8 H 10 )] (1), cycloheptatriene is hydrogenated to cycloheptene, under one atmosphere of hydrogen at room temperature in homogeneous phase. The formation of a small amount of cyclooctene and the existence of an induction period, which do not occur when [Ru(η 4 -COD)(η 6 -C 7 H 8 )] (2) is used as the catalyst, suggest that 2 is the real catalyst. The selectivity of this hydrogenation is 100% in n-hexane as solvent, 99.5% in THF, and low in ethanol. Conversion is quantitative in THF and ethanol, but not more than 65% in n-hexane. In the presence of 1 or 2, cycloheptene is rapidly hydrogenated to cycloheptane in THF and ethano…

Study of the glow curves of TLD exposed to thermal neutrons.

The glow curves of thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD600, TLD700 and MCP), exposed to a mixed field of thermal neutrons and gamma photons are analysed. The fluence values of thermal neutrons used, comparable with those used in radiotherapy, allow one to define the reliability of the TLDs, in particular the most sensitive MCP, in this radiation field and to get information on the dose absorbed values. The glow curves obtained have been deconvoluted using general order kinetics and the observed differences for the different LET components have been analysed. In particular, the ratio of the n(0) parameter of two different peaks seems to allow to discriminate the different contributions of neutr…

The gadolinium as a powerful additive for enhancing the neutron sensitivity of ESR dosimeters.

Alanine blends for ESR measurements of thermal neutron fluence in a mixed radiation field

In this paper, the results of a study on the electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry to measure thermal neutron fluence in a mixed radiation field (neutron and photons) are presented. The ESR responses of alanine dosemeters with different additives are compared. In particular, the (10)B-acid boric and the Gd-oxide were chosen to enhance the sensitivity of alanine dosemeters to thermal neutrons. Irradiations were carried out inside the thermal column of the TAPIRO reactor of the ENEA center, Casaccia Rome. The main results are a greater neutron sensitivity and a smaller lowest detectable fluence for the dosemeters with gadolinium than for dosemeters of alanine with (10)B, which is well known…

EPR surveys on modern and ancient woods.

Exposure of -alanine and -ammonium tartrate ESR dosimeters to thermal neutrons: Experiments and Monte Carlo simulations

Abstract Electron spin resonance solid state dosimetry with alanine and ammonium tartrate pellets is a valuable tool in both medical and industrial applications when dealing with photon and charged particle beams. Its use in neutron beams is limited by the low nuclear cross section values of atoms in the pellets. Addition of boron (10B) or gadolinium ( Gd 2 O 3 ) , known to have high neutron capture cross sections, has been proposed to improve neutron sensitivity. In this paper we present the results of an experimental study concerning neutron sensitivity vs. gadolinium concentration in dosimeter mixtures, with the aim of optimizing mixture composition and maximizing the electron spin resol…

Double pulse laser induced breakdown spectroscopy applied to natural and artificial materials from cultural heritages

Abstract The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an applied physical technique that has shown in recent years its great potential for rapid qualitative analysis of materials. Thanks to the possibility to implement a portable instrument that perform LIBS analysis, this technique is revealed to be particularly useful for in situ analysis in the field of cultural heritages. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the potentiality of LIBS technique in the field of cultural heritages, with respect to the chemical characterization of complex matrix as calcareous and refractory materials for further quantitative analyses on cultural heritages. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyses were used…

Interaction of Doxorubicin with Polynucleotides. A Spectroscopic Study

The interaction of doxorubicin (DX) with model polynucleotides poly(dG-dC)·poly(dG-dC) (polyGC), poly(dA-dT)·poly(dA-dT) (polyAT), and calf thymus DNA has been studied by several spectroscopic techniques in phosphate buffer aqueous solutions. UV-vis, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopic data confirm that intercalation is the prevailing mode of interaction, and also reveal that the interaction with AT-rich regions leads to the transfer of excitation energy to DX not previously documented in the literature. Moreover, the DX affinity for AT sites has been found to be on the same order of magnitude as that reported for GC sites.

Cationic microemulsion hosting polynucleotides: Effect of NaCl on host and guest

The structural features of the quaternary water-in-oil microemulsion CTAB/n-hexane/n-pentanol/water in the presence of fairly high concentrations of NaCl and of relatively high molecular weight polynucleotides have been determined. Even in these severe conditions, the hosting system can still be depicted as formed by water droplets stabilised by a surfactant/cosurfactant layer. Moreover, the time stability of the host/guest system has been evaluated and the phase behaviour of the hosting system in the presence of increasing concentrations of NaCl determined.

Structural change in multipartite entanglement sharing: a random matrix approach

We study the typical entanglement properties of a system comprising two independent qubit environments interacting via a shuttling ancilla. The initial preparation of the environments is modeled using random-matrix techniques. The entanglement measure used in our study is then averaged over many histories of randomly prepared environmental states. Under a Heisenberg interaction model, the average entanglement between the ancilla and one of the environments remains constant, regardless of the preparation of the latter and the details of the interaction. We also show that, upon suitable kinematic and dynamical changes in the ancilla-environment subsystems, the entanglement-sharing structure u…

Relaxation due to random collisions with a many-qudit environment

We analyze the dynamics of a system qudit of dimension mu sequentially interacting with the nu-dimensional qudits of a chain playing the ore of an environment. Each pairwise collision has been modeled as a random unitary transformation. The relaxation to equilibrium of the purity of the system qudit, averaged over random collisions, is analytically computed by means of a Markov chain approach. In particular, we show that the steady state is the one corresponding to the steady state for random collisions with a single environment qudit of effective dimension nu_e=nu*mu. Finally, we numerically investigate aspects of the entanglement dynamics for qubits (mu=nu=2) and show that random unitary …

Alkaline titrations of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC): microemulsion versus solution behaviour

PolyGC was titrated with a strong base in the presence of increasing concentrations of NaCl (from 0.00 to 0.60M) either in water solution or with the polynucleotide solubilized in the aqueous core of reverse micelles, i.e., the cationic quaternary water-in-oil microemulsion CTAB/n-hexane/n-pentanol/water. The results for matched samples in the two media were compared. CD and UV spectroscopies and, for the solution experiments, pH measurements were used to follow the course of deprotonation. In both media the primary effect of the addition of base was denaturation of the polynucleotide, reversible by back-titration with a strong acid. In solution, the apparent pK(a) of the transition decreas…

THE EFFECT OF GADOLINIUM ON THE ESR RESPONSE OF ALANINE AND AMMONIUM TARTRATE EXPOSED TO THERMAL NEUTRONS

Many efforts have been made to develop neutron capture therapy (NCT) for cancer treatment. Among the challenges in using NCT is the characterization of the features of the mixed radiation field and of its components. In this study, we examined the enhancement of the ESR response of pellets of alanine and ammonium tartrate with gadolinium oxide exposed to a thermal neutron beam. In particular, the ESR response of these dosimeters as a function of the gadolinium content inside the dosimeter was analyzed. We found that the addition of gadolinium improves the sensitivity of both alanine and ammonium tartrate. However, the use of gadolinium involves a reduces in or abolishes tissue equivalence b…

Selective homogeneous hydrogenation of cycloocta-1,5, and cycloocta-1,3-diene to cyclooctene in the presence of (η4-cycloocta-1,5-diene)(η6-cycloocta-1,3,5-triene)ruthenium(0)

Cyclooctadiene isomers (1,3- and 1,5-COD) are selectively, homogenously hydrogenated to cyclooctene (C8H14) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution, under mild conditions of temperature (20 °C) and hydrogen pressure (1 atm), in the presence of catalytic amounts of (cycloocta-1,5-diene)(cycloocta-1,3,5,-triene)ruthenium(0), [Ru(η4-COD)(η6-C8H10)] (1). The rate of hydrogenation is higher when 1,3-COD is the substrate. Evidence for the isomerization 1,5-COD → 1,3-COD is reported. Similar studies carried out in several alcoholic solutions, although showing a decreased selectivity in the hydrogenation, confirm the isomerization 1,5-COD → 1,3-COD, and allow a discrimination between the isomerization an…

ESR response to 60Co-rays of ammonium tartrate pellets using as additive

Abstract This work presents experimental results regarding a new ammonium tartrate blend for ESR dosimetry, with a higher sensitivity and a lower lowest detectable dose (LDD) to Co 60 γ -rays than the recently used pure ammonium tartrate. The blend composed by ammonium tartrate and gadolinium-oxide ( Gd 2 O 3 ) shows a greater sensitivity ( ∼ 2 times) and a smaller LDD than ammonium tartrate. The increased sensitivity was mainly attributed to the great atomic number ( Z = 64 ) of gadolinium, that increases the effective atomic number of the blend; the interaction probability with photons and consequently the radical yield is therefore enhanced. Moreover ammonium tartrate with Gd 2 O 3 has a…

Interaction of the Alternating Double Stranded Copolymer poly(dA-dT)·poly(dA-dT) with NiCl2and CdCl22: Solution Behavior

The thermal denaturation of the synthetic high molecular weight double stranded polynucleotide poly(dA-dT) x poly(dA-dT) has been studied in aqueous buffered solution (Tris 1.0 mM; pH 7.8+/-0.2) in the presence of increasing concentrations of either Ni(2+) (borderline cation) or Cd(2+) (soft cation) at four different constant ionic strength values (NaCl), making use of UV and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. The experimental results show that the B-type double helix of the polymer is stabilized against thermal denaturation in the presence of both cations at low concentrations, relative to the systems where only NaCl is present, in the same conditions of ionic strength and pH. The eff…