9 research outputs found
Advances in Lead-Barium-Zinc-Silicate-Type Glazed Warming Bowl Related to the Chinese Xuande Reign (1426–1435)
No full textDiagnostic investigations were carried out on a rare Chinese polychrome glazed ceramic dating back to the reign of the Xuande Emperor (1426–1435). The double-walled warming bowl was investigated using several non-invasive methods such as portable optical microscopy, endoscopy, portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-radiography, and computed tomography. One microsample was collected and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-ray detector. According to the results, the chemical composition of the paste suggested a porcelain typology, while the glaze belongs to the lead–barium–silicate (PbO-BaO-ZnO-SiO2) system. These unexpected data contrast with common knowledge, which attests that the addition of barium in glass and ceramics manufacturing disappeared soon after the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). Moreover, the combination of PbO-BaO-ZnO-SiO2 seems to be quite rare both in ancient pre-Han times and during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This paper aims to demonstrate that (a) the use of barium for glaze and glass composition, which seems to have its roots in Taoist alchemy, was not totally halted in later periods compared to the Han dynasty; (b) lead–barium–zinc–silicate glaze was used during the Xuande Emperor’s reign. Through a review of ancient Chinese literary sources, we found a lot of unpublished information on the use of barium, lead, and zinc in the production of glazed ceramics during this period. The polychrome glazed warming bowl suggests a particular production that flourished during the brief reign of the Xuande Emperor
An Interview with Joseph D. Novak
No full textJoseph Novak’s career in teaching has spanned over four
decades; he is now professor emeritus of Education and Biology
at Cornell University, visiting senior scientist at the
University of West Florida Institute for Human and Machine
Cognition, and president of Joseph D. Novak Knowledge
Consultants, Inc. He is the author of 26 books, including
Learning How To Learn (1), translated into 9 languages; 29
book chapters; and over 100 articles published in professional
journals. He has consulted for several corporations, federal
agencies, and for more than 400 schools and colleges in the
U.S.A. and abroad. In July 1995 Professor Novak resigned
from active teaching at Cornell and subsequently has been
working with corporations using concept mapping for research
and development efforts to create and transfer knowledge
and information in corporate environments; he also
teaches clients how use concept mapping to capture and
archive expert knowledge. Perhaps this interview will capture
some of his expert knowledge for Journal readers
Colorism and primary school children in Italy: opinions and representation about skin colors
No full textPedagogical, psychological and sociological research about the influence of skin colour among primary school children in Italy is very lacking. Although American literature seems to have focused more on that theme, in Italy the interest in this specific issue seems to be still hindered. The following paper presents some results of a research project in which the author tries to understand if and how prejudices and stereotypes based on skin color are present in primary school children. The research is still ongoing and it has been deepened in the last few years. By asking them to imagine themselves in a different skin color, black or white, the researcher was able to detect opinions and representations about black skin and white skin
Study of ageing and fading in CR-39 detectors for different storage conditions
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ageing and fading on PADC detector response, as a function of the storage time and temperature. Several groups of CR-39 detectors provided by Radosys, Ltd. were exposed at the reference radon chamber of the Istituto Nazionale di Metrologia delle Radiazioni Ionizzanti, at the ENEA centre in Casaccia. The results indicate that low-temperature storage inhibits the effect of both ageing and fading. Finally, the overall reduction in CR-39 sensitivity due to the combined ageing/fading effect was estimated. In particular, the sensitivity of the detectors continuously exposed in air at room temperature over 6 and 3 months was reduced, respectively, by 7.5 and 4 %. © The Author 2014
An international cooperation by using an all-encompassing passive radon monitor
No full textThe recently developed radon film-badge makes it possible to measure radon indoors, in soil, in water and/or in aqueous media (e.g. mud). As a result of its wide response linearity, this monitor has been successfully used to measure radon in-water with concentrations from 10 to ~10 000 Bq/L. By exploiting the unique characteristics of this badge, a mini-survey has been carried out by Health Canada in which radon in water was measured from 12 private wells, as well as in tap water originating from the Ottawa River. Due to the widespread interest of different laboratories in using these passive monitors, laboratories were provided with plastic films to construct their own badges by using in-house CR-39 detectors. Monitors were then irradiated by a known radon concentration at the National Institute of Radiation Metrology (ENEA)'s radon chamber and sent back to each laboratory for processing and counting. Even though these laboratories have been using different etching- and counting-procedures, the film-badge responses varied only within ~12%. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected]
Colorism and primary school children in Italy: opinions and representation about skin colors
No full textPedagogical, psychological and sociological research about the influence of skin colour among primary school children in Italy is very lacking. Although American literature seems to have focused more on that theme, in Italy the interest in this specific issue seems to be still hindered. The following paper presents some results of a research project in which the author tries to understand if and how prejudices and stereotypes based on skin color are present in primary school children. The research is still ongoing and it has been deepened in the last few years. By asking them to imagine themselves in a different skin color, black or white, the researcher was able to detect opinions and representations about black skin and white skin
Wettability of soft PLGA surfaces predicted by experimentally augmented atomistic models
No full textAbstract: A challenging topic in surface engineering is predicting the wetting properties of soft interfaces with different liquids. However, a robust computational protocol suitable for predicting wettability with molecular precision is still lacking. In this article, we propose a workflow based on molecular dynamics simulations to predict the wettability of polymer surfaces and test it against the experimental contact angle of several polar and nonpolar liquids, namely water, formamide, toluene, and hexane. The specific case study addressed here focuses on a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) flat surface, but the proposed experimental-modeling protocol may have broader fields of application. The structural properties of PLGA slabs have been modeled on the surface roughness determined with microscopy measurements, while the computed surface tensions and contact angles were validated against standardized characterization tests, reaching a discrepancy of less than 3% in the case of water. Overall, this work represents the initial step toward an integrated multiscale framework for predicting the wettability of more complex soft interfaces, which will eventually take into account the effect of surface topology at higher scales and synergically be employed with experimental characterization techniques. Impact statement: Controlling the wettability of surfaces has important implications for energy (e.g., self-cleaning solar panels), mechanical (e.g., enhanced heat transfer), chemical (e.g., fluids separation), and biomedical (e.g., implants biocompatibility) industries. Wetting properties arise from a combination of chemical and physical features of surfaces, which are inherently intertwined and multiscale. Therefore, tailoring wettability to target functionalities is a time-intensive process, especially if relying on a trial-and-error approach only. This becomes even more challenging with soft materials, since their surface configuration depends on the solid-liquid interactions at the molecular level and could not be defined a priori. The improved accuracy of atomistic models allows detailing how the effective properties of materials arise from their nanoscale features. In this article, we propose and validate a new molecular dynamics protocol for assessing the wettability of soft interfaces with polar and nonpolar liquids. The prediction capabilities of simulations are augmented by a close comparison with microscopy and contact angle experiments. Since smooth copolymer surfaces are considered, here the effort mainly focuses on the effect of chemical features on wettability. In perspective, the proposed atomistic in silico approach could be coupled with computational models at higher scales to include the effect of surface microstructures, eventually easing the development of multi-scale surfaces with tunable wettability. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2022, The Author(s)
ADAM17 mediates Nox4 expression and NADPH oxidase activity in the kidney cortex of OVE26 mice
No full textMatrix protein accumulation is a prominent feature of diabetic nephropathy that contributes to renal fibrosis and decline in renal function. The pathogenic mechanisms of matrix accumulation are incompletely characterized. We investigated if the matrix metalloprotease a disintegrin and metalloprotease1 7 (ADAM17), known to cleave growth factors and cytokines, is activated in the kidney cortex of OVE26 type 1 diabetic mice and the potential mechanisms by which ADAM17 mediates extracellular matrix accumulation. Protein expression and activity of ADAM17 were increased in OVE26 kidney cortex. Using a pharmacological inhibitor to ADAM17, TMI-005, we determined that ADAM17 activation results in increased type IV collagen, Nox4, and NADPH oxidase activity in the kidney cortex of diabetic mice. In cultured mouse proximal tubular epithelial cells (MCTs), high glucose increases ADAM17 activity, Nox4 and fibronectin expression, cellular collagen content, and NADPH oxidase activity. These effects of glucose were inhibited when cells were pretreated with TMI-005 and-or transfected with small interfering ADAM17. Collectively, these data indicate a novel mechanism whereby hyperglycemia in diabetes increases extracellular matrix protein expression in the kidney cortex through activation of ADAM17 and enhanced oxidative stress through Nox enzyme activation. 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Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Injury in Chronic Multisymptom Conditions: From Gulf War Illness to Autism Spectrum Disorder
No full textBackground: Overlapping chronic multisymptom illnesses (CMI) include Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and Gulf War illness (GWI), and subsets of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). GWI entails a more circumscribed set of experiences that may provide insights of relevance to overlapping conditions.
Objectives: To consolidate evidence regarding a role for oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction (OSMD), as primary mediators in CMI, using GWI as a departure point.
Methods: Exposure relations, character, timecourse and multiplicity of symptoms, and objective correlates of GWI are compared to expectation for OSMD. Objective correlates of OSMD in GWI and overlapping conditions are examined. 
Discussion: OSMD is an expected consequence of known GWI exposures; is compatible with symptom characteristics observed; and accords with objective markers and health conditions linked to GWI, extending to autoimmune disease and infection. Emergent triangulating evidence directly supports OSMD in multisymptom “overlap” CMI conditions, with similarities to, and diagnosed at elevated rates in, GWI, suggesting a common role in each. 
Conclusions: GWI is compatible with a paradigm by which uncompensated exposure to oxidative/nitrative stressors accompanies and triggers mitochondrial dysfunction, cell energy compromise, and multiple downstream effects such as vulnerability to autoantibodies. This promotes a profile of protean symptoms with variable latency emphasizing but not confined to energy-demanding post-mitotic tissues, according with (and accounting for) known properties of multisystem overlap conditions. This advances understanding of GWI; health conditions attending GWI at elevated rates; and overlap conditions like CFS and ASD, providing prospects for vulnerability assessment, mitigation of progression, treatment, and future prevention – with implications germane to additive and excessive environmental oxidative stressor exposures in the civilian setting.

