Iron speciation in ancient Attic pottery pigments: a non-destructive SR-XAS investigation.

The present work reports a detailed investigation on the speciation of iron in the pigments of decorated pottery fragments of cultural heritage relevance. The fragments come from the Gioiosa Guardia archaeological site in the area of the `Strait of Messina' (Sicily, Southern Italy), and date back to VI-V century BC. The purpose of this study is to characterize the main pigmenting agents responsible for the dark-red coloration of the specimens using non-destructive analytical techniques such as synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption spectroscopy (SR-XAS), a well established technique for cultural heritage and environmental subjects.

Motion characterization by self-distribution-function procedure.

In the present paper a procedure for the biomolecular motion characterization based on the evaluation of the Mean Square Displacement (MSD), through the Self Distribution Function (SDF), is presented. In particular it will be shown how the MSD, which represents a good observable for the characterization of the dynamical properties in disordered systems, can be decomposed into partial contributions associated to the system dynamical processes within a specific spatial scale. It will be shown how the SDF procedure allows to evaluate both the total MSD and the partial MSDs through the total SFD and the partial SDFs.

Biomolecular motion characterization by a self-distribution-function procedure in elastic incoherent neutron scattering.

In the present paper we first focus on the role of the instrumental resolution in elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS) where the connection between the self-distribution function (SDF) and the measured EINS intensity profile is highlighted. Second we show how the SDF procedure, previously introduced, allows both the total and the partial mean-square displacement evaluations through the total and the partial SDFs. Finally, we compare the SDF and the Gaussian procedures, by applying the two approaches to EINS data collected, by the IN13 backscattering spectrometer (Institute Laue-Langevin, Grenoble), on aqueous mixtures of two homologous disaccharides, i.

Characterization of molecular motions in biomolecular systems by elastic incoherent neutron scattering.

In the present work the role played by the instrumental resolution function in elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS) experiment is discussed. An important result consists in the definition of an equivalent time t(*), which depends both on the characteristic system time and on the resolution time, for which the spatial Fourier transform of EINS intensity profile and the self-distribution function (SDF) evaluated at t=t(*) are proportional. Then the equivalent time t(*) is introduced in the SDF procedure, an operational recipe for the mean square displacement determination.

Mean square displacement evaluation by elastic neutron scattering self-distribution function.

In the present work an operational recipe for the mean square displacement (MSD) determination, highlighting the connection between elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS) intensity profiles and the associated self-distribution function, is presented. The determination of the thermal behavior of the total MSD and of its partial contributions is tested on EINS data collected by the backscattering spectrometer IN13 (ILL, Grenoble) on a model system such as PolyEthylene Glycol with a mean molecular weight of 400 Dalton (PEG 400).

Elastic incoherent neutron scattering on systems of biophysical interest: mean square displacement evaluation from self-distribution function.

In the present work an operational recipe for the mean square displacement (MSD) determination, highlighting the connection between the self-distribution function and average statistical values, is presented. The determination of the MSD and of its contributions associated with different mechanisms, together with their thermal behavior, is performed by evaluating the self-distribution function derived by elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS). The approach is tested on EINS data collected by the backscattering spectrometer IN13 (ILL, Grenoble, France) on two model systems such as dry myoglobin in trehalose and poly(ethylene glycol) with mean molecular weight M(w) = 400 (PEG 400).

Macro- and microdefinitions of fragility of hydrogen-bonded glass-forming liquids.

In the present paper, the nature of the fragility of liquids with a developed H-bond network is investigated. It is shown that the effective activation energy of the shear viscosity eta and the fragility parameter defined as m=d log eta/d(Tg/T)|t=t+g are immediately connected with the average number nH(T) of the H-bond per molecule. The consistency of the macroscopic (m) and the microscopic [M=d(u(2)(0)/2)>loc)/d(Tg/T)|T=T+8, where 2>loc=2>anharm - 2>harm] definitions of the fragility is established.

Tetrahedral order in homologous disaccharide-water mixtures.

The present work aims at evidencing the "kosmotrope" nature of trehalose through the analysis of inelastic neutron scattering measurements on trehalose and sucrose water solutions at different temperatures. Neutron spectra were collected by using the spectrometer MARI at the ISIS pulsed neutron source of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Chilton, UK). To study the structural modifications induced on the tetrahedral hydrogen-bond network of water by homologous disaccharides, as a first step, the vibrational properties of pure water at different temperatures have been investigated.

Fragility by elastic incoherent neutron scattering.

The present work furnishes an operative definition for the fragility degree by using elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS). Such a definition is based on the relation between viscosity, a macroscopic quantity, and the atomic mean-square displacement, which refers to a nanoscopic property. This procedure has been used to analyze a set of glass-forming systems and it allows to obtain a linear dependence of the fragility parameter M, obtained by EINS, on the fragility parameter m, obtained by viscosity measurements.

Mean-square displacement relationship in bioprotectant systems by elastic neutron scattering.

Neutron intensity elastic scans on trehalose, maltose, and sucrose/H(2)O mixtures as a function of concentration, temperature, and exchanged wave vector are presented. The experimental findings show a crossover in molecular fluctuations between harmonic and anharmonic dynamical regimes. A new operative definition for the degree of fragility of glass-forming systems is furnished by using explicitly the connection between viscosity and mean-square displacement.

Experimental study of the hydration properties of homologous disaccharides.

To get some insight into the hydration mechanisms of homologousdisaccharides, we report measurements on trehalose, maltose, and sucroseaqueous solutions. The interest on these systems is mainly due to theextraordinary properties of disaccharides and especially of trehalose, themost effective bio-protector against freezing and dehydration. To carry outthis study we have investigated the volumetric properties of the threedisaccharide solutions, by performing density and ultrasonic velocitymeasurements at different concentration and temperature values.

Nature of self-diffusion and viscosity in supercooled liquid water.

The nature of the simplest transport processes in water, namely, self-diffusion and shear viscosity, is analyzed on the basis of a version of the microinhomogeneous structure model. The study predicts the existence of locally ordered groups of molecules, taking into account considerations of acoustic properties, light scattering, and computer simulation findings. In particular, it is shown that the anomalous properties of water in supercooled states are mainly connected with the existence of quasiordered regions, which we call clusters.

The proposal of the Italian Committee on Occupational Cardiology.

This paper describes a protocol of assessing specific working fitness of post-myocardial infarction patients proposed by the Italian Committee on Occupational Cardiology. After cardiovascular (cross-sectional echocardiography, Holter monitoring and maximal symptom-limited ergometric test) and psychological evaluation (CBA-2.0), two ambulatory ECGs were used during work to confirm the first judgement of specific work fitness expressed by occupational specialists.