A specific operative protocol set up during the restoration of the Grammichele's slate slab

Morphological characterization of calanchi (badland) hillslope connectivity

Calanchi, a type of Italian badlands created by a combination of water erosion processes and local geomorphological and tectonic controls, is a striking example of long-term landscape evolution. In small temporal/spatial scales, the calanchi exhibit many of the geomorphic processes and landforms that may be observed in fluvial landscapes; hence, they may be considered as microbasins where geomorphic dynamics and landscape features can be related. The goal of this research is testing the use of simple morphometric variables for assessing sediment connectivity of calanchi landforms. In order to detect the morphological characteristics controlling the landscape connectivity of calanchi basins,…

A specific operative protocol set up during the restoration of the Grammichele slate slab

This work deals with the conservation of a slate slab, representing the map of Grammichele, a small town in the hinterland of South Eastern Sicily. The slab was engraved and painted in 1693, just after the tremendous earthquake that distroyed most of the towns in that area. The conservation process is illustrated through three steps: i) archive research; ii) physical chemical analysis of constitutive materials and degradation products; iii) planning and carrying out of the restoration and conservation operations.

Studio diagnostico sul soffitto ligneo dipinto della cattedrale di Nicosia (EN)

Integrated techniques to study sedimentary rocks from Sicily used in Cultural Heritage

A specific operative protocol set up during the restoration of San Michele Arcangelo’s marble statue

Questo lavoro descrive le diverse fasi dell’intervento di conservazione di una statua di marmo del XVI secolo, raffigurante San Michele Arcangelo, custodita presso la Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Abatellis di Palermo. Inizialmente è stata effettuata un’indagine di archivio per inquadrare l’opera dal punto di vista storico artistico ed iconografico. Quindi sono stati effettuati: un rilievo grafico e digitale 3D, una mappatura di tutte le forme di degrado rilevate e dei segni di interventi precedenti, le analisi dei materiali costitutivi e dello stato di conservazione, mediante tecniche non distruttive o microdistruttive. Infine è stato progettato ed eseguito l’intervento di conservazione, a…

Physico-chemical characterization of the Acqualadrone rostrum

The archaeological discovery of the Acqualadrone rostrum (an offensive naval weapon mounted on the prow at the waterline), off the Italian coast near Messina in 2008, has led to the need for scientific research in order to plan the conservation treatment of this artefact. The discovery is exceptional because of the presence of a wooden section from the original ship. This paper describes the physico-chemical characterization of a metallic and two wooden samples by inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 13C {1H} crosspolarization magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy, energy-dispersi…

Investigations on standard pigments with multispectral and XRF analysis

Efficiency of transgenesis using sperm-mediated gene transfer: generation of hDAF transgenic pigs.

SINCE the beginning of this century, replacement of failing human organs with their animal counterparts has been an interesting topic of debate for writers and scientists. In the 1960s, prolonged survival after kidney transplantation from chimpanzee to human was obtained in the United States and Europe. Nevertheless, both the progressive improvement in surgical technique and in immunosuppressant therapy and the availability of cadaveric organs and living donation have reduced the interest in xenotransplantation. Because of the increasing requests for organs and the lack of donors to meet that need, xenotransplantation has become a reliable option again for temporary organ replacement (eg, o…

hDAF expression in hearts of transgenic pigs obtained by sperm-mediated gene transfer.

TRANSPLANTATON has been the choice option to treat successfully an increasing number of acute and chronic human pathologies with declining morbidity and mortality. However, availability of organs from human donors is limited and dramatically inadequate with respect to patient requests. Xenotransplantation from large-sized mammals has thus been reconsidered as a tool to overcome the present unbalance between organ offers and requests. Pigs have been chosen because they can be easily and cheaply bred; they do not raise ethical questions—their use as alimentary resources is generally admitted; and they possess organs largely human compatible for size, anatomical organization, and physiology. N…