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New investigations carried out on lead stannate (Pb2SnO4) and lead antimonate (Pb2Sb2O7) in yellow mosaic glassy tesserae from archaeological sites of Sicily (Taormina; Lipari, Tusa and Piazza Armerina), dated early than the 4th century AD, allow to confirm the presence of lead stannate in ancient glass dated before the 4th century. The two compounds have been used either as glass opacifiers and colorants. The different refractive index between fine crystals of these compounds and the amorphous glassy matrix, in which they are immerged, prevent the complete light transmittance, giving the typical opaque appearance to the glass. While lead antimonate was used to produce opaque yellow glass from the beginning of glass production up to the Roman period, it was replaced by lead stannate from about the 4th century AD up to the end of the Roman period. Although until today only Lahil et al. (2011) reported the presence of lead stannate in the glass tesserae dated before the 4th century AD, our new results confirm its presence in the investigated yellow tesserae from several mosaics of Sicily dated early than the 4th century AD.

Libraries and archives house a wide variety of documents made of materials of vegetal and animal origin: unbound papers and books, manuscripts and printed books, photographs (negative and positive), prints, maps, available to the public for reading needs, study and information. These materials are often subject to fluctuations in environmental and micro-environmental parameters. For this reason, it is essential to implement constant monitoring and control of environmental conditions and potential deteriogens in order to slow down deterioration processes. The monitoring of the microbial degradation of paper documents in the Historical Archives of Palermo Astronomical Observatory has revealed microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) that may be considered responsible for damaging the items examined, thus enabling an evaluation of the real risks and the proper methodologies to use to avoid future recolonization., Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage, Vol 15, No 2 (2015): Special Issue for Second Conference on Biology and Archaeobiology – from Knowledge to Preventive Conservation

The ―Marmi Mischi‖ (mixed glass mosaic tesserae) are artificial calcium-rich glass decorations, typically used in southern Italy and Sicily during the Baroque period (1600-1700) to decorate walls and altars of reli-gious edifices. In this study, we provide new archaeometric information on the raw materials, pigments and opacifying agents used to produce ―Marmi Mischi‖ of ―Pallium altaris‖ from the Messina Regional Museum. To reach this objective, all the studied glass decorations were analysed by means of non-destructive portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Some of the decorations were further subjected to Environmental scanning elec-tron microscopy (ESEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) in the laboratory. Two types of glasses were recognised. The first one – bluish green in colour – is a basic or slightly modified ―carcara glass‖, character-ized by high concentrations of P. The second type – dark blue, turquoise, light turquoise and red in colour – is a ―carcara glass‖ modified by craftsmen, containing high amounts of colouring agents (Cu, Pb, Sn, Sb). The presence of schreibersite in some of the analysed samples indicates that forming occurred in extremely reducing conditions and proves that the glasses were produced in CaO furnaces called ―carcara‖ and used to produce lime. Moreover, our results suggest that: i) the dark blue, turquoise and bluish green nuances are as a result of Fe2+, with minor contribution by Cu and Co; ii) the light turquoise nuance is related to Fe2+ and Cu2+, with minor contribution by Co; and iii) the red colour is as a result of the reduction of copper to the metallic state by Sn and Pb. Ca-antimonate (Ca2Sb2O7) was identified as an opacifying agent for the blue glassy decorations, whereas metallic Cu was identified for the red. The overall results of the chemical and physical characterization of the ―Pallium altaris‖ glassy decorations from the Messina Regional Museum suggest that the used raw material was ―carcara glass,‖ to which various chemical elements were suitably added to obtain the desired nuances.

Archaeological excavations carried out in the town of Palermo revealed important traces of metallurgical activity related to the Punic Panormos. Five samples of iron slags, recovered during the digging, were characterized by micro-structural, mineralogical and chemical investigations as well as by environmental scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray fluorescence. The studied remains are spongy, rust colored, with a plano-convex shape and their textural and mineralogical features suggest they are metallurgical slags produced during smithing process. Wüstite, magnetite, fayalite, kirschsteinite, hedembergite, cristobalite and quartz are the main identified mineral phases, while goethite, lepidocrocite and calcite occur as minor secondary phases. The iron slags show heterogeneous structures such as hammering clues, layering in wustite crystals and presence of calcium-rich minerals which are consistent with a broad variation of the forging temperature due to the use of different smithing techniques. This assumption is confirmed by the different crystallization temperatures of the detected mineral phases. Skeletal and dendritic shapes are indicative of rapid cooling and, possibly, quenching. The chemical composition is dominated by iron, silicon and calcium and it is almost constant for all the samples suggesting that they were produced with similar raw materials and technology. The high Ca content suggests the use of carbonate-bearing rocks, widely outcropping over the Palermo territory, probably exploited as fluxing ores for the metallurgical process. The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this study provided new data for a better understanding of the metallurgical techniques evolution in the Sicilian territory in ancient times. Since the studied iron slags represent the unique traces so far known of metallurgical activity in the ancient Palermo town, our results open interesting perspectives for future study of metallurgy in ancient Sicily.

Since glucocorticoids have a role in maintaining the homeostatic status in fish, in the present paper mRNA expression (in situ hybridization) and tissue immunohistochemical localization of a glucocorticoid receptor (DlGR1) in several Dicentrarchus labrax organs are reported. Riboprobe and specific antibodies were prepared by using the DlGR1 that has been previously cloned and sequenced from peritoneal cavity leukocytes. Both mRNA and receptor were identified in head kidney, spleen, gills, intestine, heart and liver tissues. The functional roles of DlGR1 localization are discussed.

A series of N-arylglycine derivatives and their thioisosters (1-10) was synthesized and evaluated as in vitro aldose reductase inhibitors. Among these, (6-chloro-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide-3-yl)-2-propanoic acid (5) shows an inhibitory activity (IC50:5.1 microM) comparable to Alrestatin.

In 2004, virus-like symptoms consisting of yellow rings in older leaves were observed in the foliage of Mandevilla sanderi grown from shoots in the province of Catania (Sicily, Italy). The plants were tested for virus presence using DAS-ELISA, mechanical inoculations to the host, RT-PCR and SSCP. Serological tests detected Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in all symptomatic leaf samples. The virus was mechanically transmitted to 11 of the 15 host species tested, including some of the Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae families; indicator plants showed symptoms typical of CMV subgroup I. RT-PCR, SSCP and cloning were employed to characterize this CMV isolate, and to make clear its genetic relationship with selected CMV-isolates from other countries. From this analysis, CMV-M. sanderi appeared closely related to AY153419 (CMV-PIM-SP-BR; subgroup IA) (nucleotide identities higher than 98%) from Brazil. The virus was transmitted by sap inoculation to healthy M. sanderi plants. As far as we know this is the first report of virus infection in M. sanderi and it then appears that this ornamental shrub is a new natural host of CMV.

The interaction of some isosteric and homologues series of antiiflammatory heteroarylalkanoic acids with human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated by UV difference spectroscopy and fluorescence quenching. All tested compounds were shown to bind to HSA. The interaction with surfactants and the linear relationship between binding constants and pKa suggest that electrostatic force is dominant in the binding of these compounds and that the binding site consists of a cationic charge near an hydrophobic surface.

A series of 3-(4H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide-3-ylamino)-propanoic acids was synthesized in order to study their possible antiinflammatory activity and to compare it with the corresponding homologous or isoster series previously studied. Of particular interest is parent compound 1, which is unsubstituted in the benzenoid moiety and exerts a very marked inhibitory effect on carrageenan-induced plantar oedema greater than that observed for any of the terms of the other series hitherto studied. The possible influence of some chemico-physical parameters on the occurrence of this antiinflammatory activity is investigated.

The subject of this present work is a group of nine historical pictures shot in Palermo by the Sicilian photographer E. Interguglielmi in 1912. They are nine matte-collodion prints mounted on the original cardboard supports and all of them show foxing stains affecting the paper surface. In order to characterise the chemical composition of the supports and investigate foxing spots, non-destructive and micro-destructive analysis were carried out. X-rays fluorescence (XRF) analysis was used to characterise the elemental composition of all the mounting boards, allowing a comparison between the foxing spots and non-affected areas. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy was used to investigate the presence of lower atomic number elements, not detectable by XRF, while SEM imaging allowed the investigation of surface appearance and nature of original paper samples from the cardboards.

Among all the photovoltaic technologies developed so far, dye-sensitized solar cells are considered as a promising alternative to the expensive and environmentally unfriendly crystalline silicon-based solar cells. One of the possible strategies employed to increase their photovoltaic efficiency is to reduce the charge recombination at the cell conductive substrate through the use of a compact blocking layer. In this paper, we report on the fabrication and characterization of dye-sensitized solar cells employing niobium pentoxide (Nb 2 O 5 ) thin film blocking layer deposited through the pulsed laser deposition technique on conductive substrates. The careful selection of the optimal film thickness led to a 30% enhancement of the photoconversion efficiency with respect to reference cells fabricated without blocking layer. Open circuit voltage decay and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques proved that the effective suppression of the charge recombination occurring at the substrate/electrolyte interface represents the main reason for the improvement of the photovoltaic efficiency.

The goal of this study was to understand if exosomes derived from high-metastatic cells may influence the behavior of less aggressive cancer cells and the properties of the endothelium. We found that metastatic colon cancer cells are able to transfer their amoeboid phenotype to isogenic primary cancer cells through exosomes, and that this morphological transition is associated with the acquisition of a more aggressive behavior. Moreover, exosomes from the metastatic line (SW620Exos) exhibited higher ability to cause endothelial hyperpermeability than exosomes from the non metastatic line (SW480Exos). SWATH-based quantitative proteomic analysis highlighted that SW620Exos are significantly enriched in cytoskeletal-associated proteins including proteins activating the RhoA/ROCK pathway, known to induce amoeboid properties and destabilization of endothelial junctions. In particular, thrombin was identified as a key mediator of the effects induced by SW620Exos in target cells, in which we also found a significant increase of RhoA activity. Overall, our results demonstrate that in a heterogeneous context exosomes released by aggressive sub-clones can contribute to accelerate tumor progression by spreading malignant properties that affect both the tumor cell plasticity and the endothelial cell behavior.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The majority of patients are diagnosed in advanced disease stage. Bone metastasis is the most frequent complication in NSCLC resulting in osteolytic lesions. The perfect balance between bone-resorbing osteoclasts and bone-forming osteoblasts activity is lost in bone metastasis, inducing osteoclastogenesis. In NSCLC, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway is constitutively activated. EGFR binds Amphiregulin (AREG) that is overexpressed in several cancers such as colon, breast and lung. Its levels in plasma of NSCLC patients correlate with poor prognosis and AREG was recently found as a signaling molecule in exosomes derived from cancer cell lines. Exosomes have a key role in the cell-cell communication and they were recently indicated as important actors in metastatic niche preparation. In the present work, we hypothesize a role of AREG carried by exosomes derived from NSCLC in bone metastasis induction. We observed that NSCLC-exosomes, containing AREG, induce EGFR pathway activation in pre-osteoclasts that in turn causes an increased expression of RANKL. RANKL is able to induce the expression of proteolytic enzymes, well-known markers of osteoclastogenesis, triggering a vicious cycle in osteolytic bone metastasis.

The SE part of Turkey is characterized by a transtensional regime within the complex collision zone between the Anatolian, Arabian and African plates, which is bounded by two main faults, Dead Sea Fault and its splays on east and the Karasu Fault on west. In this tectonic and geodynamic context developed the Amik and further North, Erzin and Toprakkale districts, which are located onshore the Iskenderun Gulf, with the occurrence of a widespread and young alkaline volcanism dated from 1.57 to 0.05 Ma in Amik, and 2.25 to 0.61 Ma in Toprakkale. Here we present the results of a petrochemical and noble gases (He Ar) study performed in basalts and basanites from the Basins in order to constrain the features of the mantle source. The major and trace elements composition indicate that the involved mafic melts could be the result of 0.8–2% partial melting of a predominantly spinel and garnet + spinel mantle, which has typical features of intra-plate OIB magmatism. The 4 He/ 40 Ar* ratios display two distinct ranges, roughly 1, for basalts and basanites respectively. The 3 He/ 4 He ratio of fluid inclusions in olivine crystals ranges from 7.29 to 8.03 Ra (being Ra the atmospheric 3 He/ 4 He ratio of 1.39 × 10 − 6 ), which implies a rather homogenous helium isotope signature of the mantle source. Such values are commonly recorded in MORB-like reservoirs (namely 8 ± 1 Ra), confirming that lavas erupted in SE Turkey did not suffer any important process of crustal contamination. Combining the main evidences from the geochemical data of both rocks and noble gases of fluids inclusions, we suggest that the melt generation of the alkaline magmas was triggered by a stretching lithosphere resulting from asthenosphere upwelling and decompression melting, analogous to geodynamic models of the coeval Syrian alkaline volcanic rocks and the older NW Anatolian rocks, rather than by subduction or plume-related processes. Finally, the combined results of noble gas-rock geochemistry point to a widespread mantle metasomatism as well as absence of crustal assimilation and negligible crustal contamination in contrast to former conclusions based only on the solid rock geochemistry.

Use of thin glass modular optics is a technology currently under study to build light, low cost, large area X-ray telescopes for high energy astrophysics space missions. The angular resolution of such telescopes is limited by local deviations from the ideal shape of the mirrors. One possible strategy to improve it consists in actively correcting the mirror profile by gluing thin ceramic piezo-electric actuators on the back of the glasses. A large number of actuators, however, requires several electrical connections to drive them with the different needed voltages. We have developed a process for depositing conductive paths directly on the back of non-planar thin foil mirrors by means of a photolithographic process, combined with metal thin film evaporation and selective removal. We have also designed and built a modular multichannel electronic driver with each module capable of driving simultaneously up to 16 actuators with a very low power consumption. Here we present our electrical interconnections technology and the solutions adopted in the implementation of the electronics.