The aim of this research work was to assess the influence of different scale adjustment conditions on both color measurement and color difference quantification and, in particular, to determine the best procedure to follow for a high-reliability protocol. This issue is very important in the Cultural Heritage field and, above all, in color measurement, which is carried out at different times during conservation and restoration campaigns or during archaeological excavations. Color change evaluation, performed by way of spectrophotometric measurements under different scale adjustment procedures on selected samples represented by colored reflectance standards and colored paintings, aimed to obtain results not only on ideal samples (certified standards) but also on real case studies (paintings). The study was conducted by focusing on the coordinates of the CIELAB color space and, in particular, on the calculation of the ΔE*_ab quantity. The results show the introduction of nonsystematic variation with different scale adjustment procedures independent of materials and hue.

We present some results, obtained using a multi-scale approach, based on the employment of different and complementary techniques, i.e., Optical Microscopy (OM), Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and µ-Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy equipped with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) analyses, Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), and Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS), of an integrated activity focused on the characterization of micro-fragments of original and previously restored paintings of the pictorial cycle at the San Panfilo Church in Tornimparte, sampled from specific areas of interest. The study was aimed, on one hand, at the identification of the overlapping restoration materials used during previous conservation interventions (documented and not), and, on the other hand, at understanding the degradation phenomena (current or previous) of the painted surfaces and the architectural structures. The study of stratigraphy allowed us to evaluate the number of layers and the materials (pigments, minerals, and varnishes) present in each layer. As the main result, the identification of blue, black, yellow, and red pigments (both ancient and modern) was achieved. In the case of blue pigments, original (azurite and lazurite) and retouching (Prussian blue and phthalo blue) materials were recognized, together with alteration products (malachite and atacamite). Traces of yellow ochre were found in the yellow areas, and carbon black in the blue and brown areas. In the latter, hematite and red ochre pigments were also recognized. The obtained results are crucial to support the methodological choices during the restoration intervention of the site, and help to ensure the compatibility principles of the materials on which a correct conservative approach is based.

The main objective of this work is the characterization and observation of the performance of an IoT measurement and monitoring system in the field of cultural heritage conservation for assessing the health condition of artworks. This article also describes the application of this system to the monitoring of a canvas painting applied on a wooden support, an artwork from the 19th century by the painter Giuseppe Patricolo depicting The Deposition, placed inside a niche in the Santa Caterina Monastery in Palermo (Italy). Considering the presence of the wooden structure, it is useful to measure not only microclimatic parameters such as temperature and humidity, but also vibrations that can in fact cause degradation phenomena in these artworks. This is a first step towards the development of mimetic systems integrated in the work of art without causing physical, mechanical or chemical alterations and ensuring that the level of microclimatic parameters is below the threshold values whose exceeding could compromise the entire artefact.

The accurate identification of pigments is of principal relevance in the field of cultural heritage conservation and restoration practices. In this preliminary study, a first attempt to set up a procedure for accurate red pigment identification, based on the assessment of the correlations existing between visible reflectance spectrometry (vis-RS) and Raman data, is presented. The proposed approach involved the realization of a library consisting of data acquired on a set of 35 pure red historical pigments supplied by ^©Kremer Pigmente. In particular, vis-RS data, collected through a Konica Minolta CM-2600d spectrophotometer, were registered, together with the position of the Extrema Points (E.P.s) encompassing both the maximum and minimum points of the first derivative of the % spectral reflectance factor (SRF%) curves. Portable Raman spectroscopy measurements were collected by a B&W Tek Inc. portable Raman spectrometer equipped with a 785 nm laser. For each tested pigment, the positions and relative intensities of the characteristic Raman peaks were considered. The library was then tested for the characterization of the red/reddish painted areas of the medieval wall painting located within The Norman Castle of Aci Castello (Catania, Italy), and was shown to be essential for the unambiguous identification of the pigment used. It is worth noting that this study represents the first novel attempt to establish a reliable and efficient methodology for pigment identification, offering promising prospects in reducing uncertainties and ambiguities arising from the application of a single stand-alone approach.

The main approach to differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) therapy is still empiric, consisting of the administration of fixed activities. Repeated treatments, however, may have a stunning effect. An individualized dosimetric study may represent an important tool to determine the best activity to prescribe, in particular for patients with distant metastases or when therapy with recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH) stimulation is deemed necessary. This study provides a practical operational example for carrying out a dosimetric study, according to the European Directive EURATOM/59/13. Starting from the case of a patient who underwent rhTSH stimulation before radioiodine ablation, we illustrate the necessity of measuring both red marrow (RM) and blood (BL) absorbed dose during the treatment in order to not exceed the dose limit of 2 Gy to the RM, so as to avoid repeating radioiodine treatment several times. Dosimetry to the RM and BL was performed during the treatments, after administration of therapeutic activity without modifying the fixed activity schema, using different approaches. The results suggest the possibility of restricting the number of treatments, reducing thus the risk of stunning effect and, where possible, eliminating an additional source of stress and dejection for patients.