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This present work focuses on the mapping of marbles, decorative patterns and area of the mosaics of the St. Nicola's Basilica in Bari (Italy) by their photogrammetric survey. The extraordinary importance of these mosaics is due to the stylistic uniqueness and the undisputed workmanship and to the employed materials for tesserae. These mosaics include the white and polychrome marbles, used in the Roman age and reused in medieval artistic production, and imitation stones used as substitutes during the past restorations. The digital survey was realised by the photogrammetric reconstruction of mosaics collecting a photo dataset, after the mosaics redrawing by an image processing software and finally implemented it with lithological identification marbles. It allowed to obtain a punctual mapping of materials, through which to identify original areas and restoration areas, decorative patterns, recurring geometries. The research carried out, supported by the photogrammetric reconstruction as established method for high resolution digital reproduction and mapping, not only ensures the conservation and improvement of the enjoyment of the mosaic floors of the St. Nicola's Basilica, but allows to conduct studies on materials, decorative patterns and restoration areas directly on the digitized product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the use of the photogrammetric method to obtain 3D model of artworks for their characterisation and conservation. The high-resolution reproduction of a piece of art allows both the identification of constituent materials, decorative elements and detailed features and its digitalisation and enjoyment and then enhancement. In this study the approach was applied to the polychrome marble altars in the crypt of the St. Sabino's cathedral and in the St. Giacomo's church, both in Bari (Italy), significant evidences of virtuosity of Baroque sculptors and of use and reuse of precious Roman marbles combined with more recent and local stones. For this purpose, firstly, a three-dimensional model and high definition survey were performed by collection of numerous photographs and their processing using photogrammetric method and digital survey software; in addition, identification of Roman marbles and other decorative stones was carried out in terms of lithological classification, provenance locality, the historical period of employ. Results, obtained through an inexpensive, fast and complete survey, allowed to produce a high definition representation of the altars for a complete mapping of used material and decorative features and to guarantee their conservation, sharing and enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At Ustica island (Palermo, Italy), in the area of Casa dei Francesi, 119 fragments of obsidian artifacts were collected on the surface of an agricultural field at an altitude of 50 m asl. In the same area, until now, scientific literature reports only the presence of late Roman pottery (4th–6th centuries AD), and no evidence has appeared that it could be the site of a prehistoric settlement. The most important prehistoric settlement, the Faraglioni Village (Middle Bronze Age) is located 700 m further north, overlooking the sea. Obsidian provenance analyses, performed on the 119 samples with absolutely non-destructive techniques WD-XRF and SEM-EDS, indicate two sources areas: Lipari (93 samples, 78%) and Pantelleria (26 samples, 22%). Concerning the obsidians from the island of Pantelleria, it was possible to also establish the sub-source of Salto la Vecchia. The typological and functional analyses of the 119 obsidian fragments point out that 115 are debitages, some of which show evidence of percussion bulbs, and only 4 are tools with micro-retouching. This work focuses on the geochemical and typological characterization of the obsidian assemblage collected, the characteristics of which suggest the existence of a prehistoric settlement in the area of the Casa dei Francesi or nearby.

In the last twenty years, obsidian artefacts have been found in important and often extensive karst cavities in Southern Italy: three located in Calabria (Grotta della Monaca, and Grotta del Tesauro, in Sant’Agata di Esaro, Cosenza; Grotta Pietra Sant’Angelo in San Lorenzo Bellizzi, Cosenza), one in Puglia (Grotta di Santa Barbara in Polignano a Mare, Bari) and another in Campania (Grotta di Polla, Salerno). All these sites, that have returned a total of 151 obsidian tools, were connected to human frequentation of the underground environments that occurred during the Holocene, which can be precisely located in the vast period between the Neolithic and the Eneolithic (6th–4th millennium BC). They are mainly blades and bladelets, but also burins together with scrapers and cores, generally of small dimensions. SEM-EDS and WD-XRF absolutely non-destructive analyses carried out on these items have shown that all samples have a source area in the obsidian outcrops of the island of Lipari (Messina, Italy). These data confirm that the Aeolian island of Lipari furnished the privileged obsidian extraction outcrops for most of the Neolithic and Eneolithic archaeological sites of Southern Italy.

The island of Antiparos belongs to the Aegean volcanic arc. The obsidian outcrops here contain pieces of excellent tool-making quality, but of small size making the raw material less attractive. Geological samples collected at Soros beach, at Blaco and Mastichi, in the southern part of the island, were analysed using Optical Microscopy, XRF (whole rock) and SEM-EDS (glass and microliths-microphenocrysts). The results obtained demonstrate the potential for distinguishing the Antiparos obsidian from other major central-western Mediterranean sources in an absolutely non-destructive way, using an XRF spectrometer or alternatively with an SEM equipped with an ED spectrometer.

The new mineral jakobssonite, ideally CaAlF5, was first found in crusts collected in 1988 from a fumarole on the Eldfell volcano, Heimaey Island, Iceland. It was subsequently found in similar crusts collected in 1991 from a fumarole on the Hekla volcano, Iceland. It is associated with leonardsenite (IMA2011-059), ralstonite, heklaite, anhydrite, gypsum, jarosite, hematite, opal and several fluoride minerals that have not been fully characterized. Jakobssonite occurs as soft white fragile crusts of acicular crystals <50 μm long. Its calculated density is 2.89 g cm–3. Chemical analyses by energy-dispersive spectrometry on a scanning electron microscope produced a mean elemental composition as follows: Ca, 18.99; Al, 18.55; Mg, 1.33; Na, 0.33; F, 50.20; O, 10.39; total 99.79 wt.%. The empirical chemical formula, calculated on the basis of 7 atoms per formula unit with all of the oxygen as OH, is (Ca0.73Mg0.09Na0.02)S 0.84Al1.06F4.09(OH)1.01. Jakobssonite is monoclinic, space group C2/c, with a= 8.601(1), b= 6.2903(6), c= 7.2190(7) Å, β = 114.61(1)o, V= 355.09(8) Å3and Z= 4. The crystal structure contains chains of [AlF6] octahedra which run parallel to the caxis. These chains are interconnected by chains of [CaF7] pentagonal bipyramids. Jakobssonite is isostructural with several other CaMIIIF5compounds. The eight strongest lines in the powder diffraction diagram [din Å (I) (hkl)] are as follows: 4.91 (18) (110), 3.92 (76) (200), 3.15 (68) (020), 3.13 (100) (112), 2.27 (22) (222), 1.957 (21) (400), 1.814 (20) (132), 1.805 (22) (204). The chemical and crystal-structure analyses of jakobssonite are similar to synthetic CaAlF5with minor substitutions of light elements (e.g. Na) or vacancies for Ca, and OH for F. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five sherds of green glazed pottery excavated at Canosa (Apulia) in Italy have been analysed by scanning electron microscopy. The aim of the investigation was to determine the chemical composition of the glazes and thus obtain information on the methods used in their production. The glazes were all of the high-lead type, coloured green by the addition of copper. Intermediate layers, observed at the interface between the glaze and body and giving the appearance of an applied white slip, were the result of the crystallization of lead feldspar from the molten glaze. Non-calcareous clays were used in the production of the pottery bodies. Concentration profiles from the glaze exterior to the body suggested that the glazes were produced by applying a suspension consisting of lead oxide plus silica to the bodies. On the basis of the glaze and body compositions, it is suggested that the Canosa glazed pottery was produced locally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beach sands from the Rosa Marina locality (Adriatic coast, southern Italy) were analysed mainly microscopically in order to trace the source areas of their lithoclastic and bioclastic components. The main cropping out sedimentary units were also studied with the objective to identify the potential source areas of lithoclasts. This allowed to establish how the various rock units contribute to the formation of beach sands. The analysis of the bioclastic components allows to estimate the actual role of organisms regarding the supply of this material to the beach. Identification of taxa that are present in the beach sands as shell fragments or other remains was carried out at the genus or family level. Ecological investigation of the same beach and the recognition of sub-environments (mainly distinguished on the basis of the nature of the substrate and of the water depth) was the key topic that allowed to establish the actual source areas of bioclasts in the Rosa Marina beach sands. The sedimentological analysis (including a physical study of the beach and the calculation of some statistical parameters concerning the grain-size curves) shows that the Rosa Marina beach is nowadays subject to erosion.

Cryptorchidectomy is the most commonly performed laparoscopic procedure in horses. However, its use for the extraction of an abdominal testis has disadvantages such as loss of a resected testis from grasp and fragmentation of the specimen because of the excessive tension required for extraction through a thick body wall. The ring wound retractor laparoscopic port system was recently used in human and small animal surgery to perform laparoscopic-assisted procedures and retrieve large specimens from the abdomen. In the present case, the wound retractor was placed as the ventral port in the right flank through a minilaparotomy. Thereafter, the cap with the gas inlet and instrument port was connected. The other two ports were placed dorsally using 10-mm stainless steel cannulas. Grasping forcep was introduced through the ventral port, and the laparoscope and vessel-sealing devices were introduced through the dorsal ports. After the testis was resected, it was retrieved from the abdomen through the retractor without the grasping forceps jaw being released. This is the first case report describing the use of the wound retractor laparoscopic port system for standing cryptorchidectomy in a horse. This system can be a feasible and safe option for flank laparoscopy in horses, and it facilitates specimen retrieval from the abdominal cavity, but further studies should confirm this preliminary report. • This is the first case report describing the use of the wound retractor laparoscopic port system for standing cryptorchidectomy in a horse. • The wound retractor laparoscopic system can be a feasible and safe option for flank laparoscopy in the horse. • This system facilitated specimen retrieval from the abdominal cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]