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This article explores the reasons why seasonal patterns in historical grain prices series often deviated from the expected pattern of low prices post-harvest and gradually rising prices until the next harvest. We analyse eighteenth-century Flemish and northern Italian grain prices to focus on the role of storage technologies, alternative seasonal patterns in supply and demand, and particularly quality variation. We argue that quality was not consistent throughout the harvest year because (1) grain quality improved in store and (2) grain producers selected different qualities for sale at different times of the year. Consequently, seasonal patterns in grain prices were affected by (1) the quality of stored grain gradually improving, (2) the balance of old and new grain available for sale and (3) the dumping in the market of poor-quality old grain, not ordinarily sold, when a new, successful harvest was in sight. These factors mattered, in addition to supply-and-demand effects that varied between cereals and regions, depending on storage technologies and buyers’ preferences.

Il tema del globale nella sua pluralità di significati è divenuto l’oggetto dei molteplici approcci storiografici che ne hanno esaminato le radici costitutive. Tra queste, rilevanza crescente ha assunto la storia economica e ancor più quella d’impresa nel provare quanto sia stato l’operato degli agenti nel costruire i legami tra le economie e le società nei cruciali decenni a cavallo tra XIX e XX secolo. Il problematico utilizzo di indicatori quantitativi, quali gli investimenti diretti all’estero (FDI) e /o il “portfolio investment”, hanno contribuito a delinearne il sentiero nel tempo, lungo il quale si sono declinate le cause mutanti e gli ostacoli frenanti, mentre l’attenzione crescente agli agenti ha svelato quanto taluni mercati siano stati a lungo dominati da un numero di attori assai ristretto, tanto da sovrapporre settore e imprese per un numero crescente di beni, dalle materie prime ai beni coloniali e di largo consumo. Negli anni taluni brand divennero sinonimi stessi dei prodotti anche per brand italiani presentati e discussi nel volume.

New data are presented for demantoid from Val Malenco, Italy, as obtained by classical gemological methods, electron microprobe and LA-ICP-MS chemical analyses, and UV-Vis-NIR and mid-IR spectroscopy. The results confirmed that these garnets are almost pure andradite (>=98 mol%, RI >1.81, SG = 3.81-3.88). All 18 samples studied contained "horsetail" inclusions, which are characteristic of a serpentinite geologic origin. Fe and Cr control the coloration of demantoid, though color variations in these samples were mainly correlated to Cr content.

Agates from Yozgat province are appreciated on the gem market for their white and purple-blue banded colours. In this study, we present a detailed investigation aimed at the identification of the atomic and structural origin of this peculiar colouration of chalcedony. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of fine grains of quartz and moganite with a preferential accumulation of the latter in the blue bands. Near-infrared diffuse absorption spectra show overtones of hydroxyls vibrations at 1425, 1900, and 2250 nm. In the visible, the broad absorption at about 500 nm, as well as its behaviour at low temperatures, is compatible with the optical activity of iron impurities in quartz matrices, such as that observed in amethysts. Peak intensities and shapes are very similar for spectra collected in blue and white bands. Accordingly, trace-element composition from laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry confirmed that the two regions have similar Fe content. The perceived changes in band colours are indeed originated by differences in microstructural arrangement and size of the grains visualised through scanning electron microscopy. White and blue stripes have grains of about 5 µm and 300 nm in size, respectively, resulting in an accentuated scattering component for the white bands. Therefore, the unique purple-blue shades typical of Yozgat agates are a combination of iron-related colour centres and scattering effect.

In this study, we report the experimental findings of a multi-methodological and comparative investigation of a natural (from the Wah Wah Mountains of Beaver County, Utah) and three synthetic (hydrothermally grown) gem-quality red beryls by means of: gemmological standard testing, laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectroscopy, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible–near infrared absorption spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Gemmological, crystallo-chemical, and spectroscopic features of the natural and synthetic stones enabled us to unveil the causes of their color (from red, to purplish-red, or orange-red) and how different and complementary techniques can be efficiently used to discriminate between natural and synthetic materials, based on non-destructive, micro-destructive, and destructive techniques.

An Italian team of orthopaedic surgeons joined Eritrean colleagues to perform a clinical study in ambulating children affected by neglected idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot). This study reports the surgical strategy as well as clinical outcomes, early complications and relapse at a mid-term follow-up. Four expeditions of 7 days were organized between 2012 and 2015 from Italy to the Halibet Hospital of Asmara in Eritrea. In each expedition were included two experienced surgeons, two assistants and one anaesthesiologist. During these expeditions, a total of 468 patients were evaluated together with Eritrean colleagues and 45 cases of neglected talipes equinovarus in ambulating children were diagnosed and selected for surgery. Follow-up range was 1-3 years. During the four expeditions, the Eritrean team of orthopaedic surgeons learned to manage most cases of neglected talipes equinovarus. No major complications were reported. Sixteen feet were considered excellent, 25 good and four poor. No overcorrections were observed. Neglected congenital talipes equinovarus is the result of delayed treatment of congenital deformity in developing countries, and its treatment often requires extensive surgery. Collaboration with foreign expert surgeons may help local doctors to learn how to treat this disease. The current study demonstrates that surgical expeditions in developing countries, when organized in collaboration with local doctors, help to manage on site this severe deformity.

During the last decades many studies have been carried out to investigate how point defects and aggregates respond and evolve in natural Type Ia diamonds as a result of treatments, and a number of underlying mechanisms have been identified and interpreted. However, the analysis of radiation-induced creation/ionization of defects, as well as their migration and aggregation in secondary defect structures, often requires experimental approaches which can hardly constitute a simple-to-use diagnostic tool for the identification of artificially treated diamonds. Here we disclose a novel simple indicator of artificial exposure of Type Ia diamonds to ionizing radiations and subsequent annealing. This indicator consists in narrow photoluminescence lines in the red region, between 681 and 725 nm, we recently found to result from vacancies trapped by interstitial carbon aggregates and platelets. Our results demonstrate that interstitial structures become sites of vacancy trapping – by thermal migration of radiation-induced vacancies – only when diamond undergoes treatments. We give the rigorous validation of the new spectroscopic probe of artificial treatments analysing photoluminescence and infrared absorption spectra of well-known H1b and H1c centres in a hundred samples. Importantly, the method is based on emission lines which do not require neither high photon-energy excitation nor cryogenic temperatures.

The present research concerns the characterization of samples of corundum (Al2O3), varieties of sapphire, by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Ten samples of natural corundum from Australia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tanzania, and Vietnam were studied. After standard gemmological analysis, micro-Raman analysis was also performed in order to identify mineral inclusions within the sapphire samples and to obtain information on the geological genres of the minerals. Several inclusions were evidenced within the sapphires and identified by Raman spectroscopy thanks to a confocal spectrometer, which allowed detection also below the external surface of the gem. Finally, the Raman spectra are discussed taking into account the provenance of the samples and their optical absorption. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Missed nursing care (MNC), such as nursing care omitted or delayed, has not been measured in the Italian context where several cost containment interventions affect the care offered in medical units. The aim of the study is to identify the amount, type, and reasons for MNC in the Italian medical care setting and to explore the factors that affect the occurrence of MNC. A 3-month longitudinal survey was carried out followed by a cross-sectional study design in 12 north eastern acute medical units. A total of 314 nursing staff members were involved. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of MNC. Patient ambulation (91.4 %), turning the patient every 2 h (74.2 %), and right timing in administering medications (64.6 %) were the most perceived MNC. Among the most frequent reasons were the unexpected rise in patient volume or critical conditions (95.2 %), inadequate numbers of staff (94.9 %), and large numbers of admissions/discharges (93.3 %). The R (2) 33.2 % of the variance in MNC were explained by a full-time position (OR 4.743, 95 % CI 1.146-19.629), communication tensions between Registered Nurses and Nurses' Aides (OR 1.601, 95 % CI 1.020-2.515), the amount of experience in medical unit (OR 1.564, 95 % CI 1.021-2.397), and the amount of daily care offered by Nurses' Aides (1.039, 95 % CI 1.011-1.067). A substantial amount of basic and clinically relevant nursing interventions was perceived to be missed, and this may lead to an increase in negative outcomes for patients admitted to a medical unit. Appropriate standards of nursing care should be adopted urgently in medical units aiming to protect frail patients.

Background Next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers a unique opportunity for high-throughput genomics and has potential to replace Sanger sequencing in many fields, including de-novo sequencing, re-sequencing, meta-genomics, and characterisation of infectious pathogens, such as viral quasispecies. Although methodologies and software for whole genome assembly and genome variation analysis have been developed and refined for NGS data, reconstructing a viral quasispecies using NGS data remains a challenge. This application would be useful for analysing intra-host evolutionary pathways in relation to immune responses and antiretroviral therapy exposures. Here we introduce a set of formulae for the combinatorial analysis of a quasispecies, given a NGS re-sequencing experiment and an algorithm for quasispecies reconstruction. We require that sequenced fragments are aligned against a reference genome, and that the reference genome is partitioned into a set of sliding windows (amplicons). The reconstruction algorithm is based on combinations of multinomial distributions and is designed to minimise the reconstruction of false variants, called in-silico recombinants. Results The reconstruction algorithm was applied to error-free simulated data and reconstructed a high percentage of true variants, even at a low genetic diversity, where the chance to obtain in-silico recombinants is high. Results on empirical NGS data from patients infected with hepatitis B virus, confirmed its ability to characterise different viral variants from distinct patients. Conclusions The combinatorial analysis provided a description of the difficulty to reconstruct a quasispecies, given a determined amplicon partition and a measure of population diversity. The reconstruction algorithm showed good performance both considering simulated data and real data, even in presence of sequencing errors.