Field survey data on the effectiveness of agrometeorological services for smallholder farmers in Niger

The dataset contains the answers of smallholder farmers to a semi-structured field survey and the 2020 yield plot measurements conducted in 8 municipalities of the Dosso and Tillabéri regions in Niger. It is a systematic sampling of about 320 questionnaires and 192 yield plot samples equally distributed in eight municipalities of intervention. The dataset contains several pieces of information about the uptake and the impacts of a tailored climate service (CS) produced by the National Meteorological Service (NMS) and disseminated through a network that involves Ministry of Agriculture extension services at the municipal level developed in the context of the AdaptatioN Au changement Climatique, prévention des catastrophes et Développement agrIcole pour la sécurité Alimentaire du Niger (ANADIA) Project. The material gathered by the survey gives a picture of the preferences of local farmers in the broadcasting of climate services information and their consequent strategical and tactical decisions in farm practices. Moreover, the survey investigates the preferences regarding the information that farmers would like to receive during the cropping season. Furthermore, the measurement of yield and its relation to the farmers' access to climate information and participation in training initiatives gives an indication of the impact of the CS on agricultural production in these regions. The dataset could benefit further studies and investigations about CSs for smallholder farmers in semi-arid regions. This article is a co-submission of the article: "Effectiveness of agrometeorological services for smallholder farmers: the case study in the regions of Dosso and Tillabéri in Niger" submitted to the journal Climate Services.

Application of Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy on Plastics in Cultural Heritage Collections: A Comparative Assessment of Two Portable Mid-Fourier Transform Infrared Reflection Devices

Plastics have been increasingly used to create modern and contemporary art and design, and nowadays, museum collections hold numerous objects completely or partially made of plastics. However, the preservation of these materials is still a challenging task in heritage conservation, especially because some plastics show signs of degradation shortly after their production. In addition, different degradation mechanisms can often take place depending on the plastic composition and appropriate environmental and packaging conditions should be adopted. Therefore, methods for in situ and rapid characterization of plastic artifacts' composition are greatly needed to outline proper conservation strategies. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, such as attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR), is a well-established method for polymeric material analysis. However, ATR FT-IR requires an intimate contact with the object, which makes its application less appropriate for the in situ investigation of fragile or brittle degraded plastic objects. Mid-FT-IR reflectance spectroscopy may represent a valid alternative as it allows in situ measurements with minimum or even no contact, and IR data can be acquired rapidly. On the other hand, spectral interpretation of reflectance spectra is usually difficult as IR bands may appear distorted with significant changes in band maximum, shape, and relative intensity, depending on the optical properties and surface texture of the material analyzed. Presently, mid-FT-IR reflection devices working in external reflection (ER FT-IR) and diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) modes have been used in cultural heritage research studies. As the collected vibrational information depends on the optical layout of the measuring system, differences between ER FT-IR and DRIFT spectra are thus expected when the same polymer is analyzed. So far, ER FT-IR and DRIFT spectroscopy have been individually explored for the identification of plastic objects, but comparative studies between the application of two reflectance FT-IR modes have not been presented yet. In this work, the use of two portable FT-IR spectrometers equipped with ER FT-IR and DRIFTS modes were compared for plastics identification purposes for the first time. Both references of polymeric materials and historical plastic objects (from a Portuguese private collection) were studied and the differences between ER FT-IR and DRIFT spectra were discussed. The spectra features were examined considering the two different optical geometries and analytes' properties. This new insight can support a better understanding of both vibrational information acquired and practical aspects in the application of the ER FT-IR and DRIFTS in plastic analysis.

Ethyl Glucuronide and Ethyl Sulphate in Urine: Caution in their use as markers of recent alcohol use

AIM

To clarify the role of the ethanol metabolites, ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and ethyl sulfate (EtS), in monitoring alcohol consumption.

METHOD

We recruited 7 female and 17 male volunteers who were instructed to consume a quantity of beer (containing 48 gm ethanol) with food in one session. We examined urinary excretion of EtG and EtS over time and looked for correlations between the concentrations of the metabolites EtG and EtS.

RESULTS

EtG concentrations in urine varied between 0.026 and 430.372 μg/ml with average values between 11.85 μg/ml (SD 19.75), 30 min after alcohol intake, and 100.39 μg/ml (SD 101.34), 4.5 h after alcohol intake. EtS urinary concentration ranged from 0.006 to 101.432 μg/ml with average values between 4.77 μg/ml (SD 5.42), 30 min after alcohol intake, and 30.14 μg/ml (SD 27.20), 4.5 h after alcohol intake. Spearman's test showed that urinary EtG and EtS correlated significantly at several time points.

CONCLUSION

The great interindividual variability in their excretion suggests caution in the use of urinary measurement of these metabolites in forensic investigations.

Drug Checking as Strategy for Harm Reduction in Recreational Contests: Evaluation of Two Different Drug Analysis Methodologies

Introduction: Drug checking as a part of drug harm-reduction strategies represents an essential aspect of public health policies. It focuses on rapid identification of drugs that individuals intend to use during night events, in order to implement health-protective behaviors. Chemical drug analysis techniques vary considerably, from simple colorimetric reagents to advanced forensic methods such as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Materials and Methods: In 2019, drug-check services were offered at some night events in Umbria (Central Italy). One hundred and twenty attendees directly delivered unidentified substances to a harm-reduction worker, who collected a few milligrams of the substances on ceramic plates and added a drop of colorimetric reagent. Multiple reagents were used to increase the diagnostic capacity of a substance, which may react with a specific drug or a few drugs. Later, a fraction of the samples was analyzed by GC/MS. The concordance of the results obtained using these two methodologies and the intended behaviors of consumers after being informed of the test result was evaluated. Results: We analyzed 120 samples by colorimetric test: 32 MDMA, 25 ketamine, 10 amphetamine, 11 cocaine, 8 heroin, and 4 LSD samples. The results were inconclusive for 29 samples. The GS/MS analysis confirmed MDMA in 84%, ketamine in 78%, amphetamine in 91%, cocaine in 92%, heroin in 88%, and LSD in 100% of the samples. The results of samples with inconclusive results were as follows: 2, MDMA; 7, ketamine; 2, amphetamine; 2, cocaine; 2, heroin; 2, mephedrone; 6, mixes; 1, debris; and 5, adulterants as the main component. Twenty-one of 29 participants reported that they had no intention of consuming the unidentified substance. Discussion: The high percentage of individuals who claimed no intention of consuming the unidentified drugs indicates that drug checking is viable as a part of drug harm-reduction strategies. Overall, colorimetric reagents showed a good performance with regard to samples being unadulterated (LSD) or minimal in quantity, but failed to identify mixtures of substances and the adulterants present in them. Therefore, the use of more discriminatory on-site methods such as Raman or infrared spectrometry is strongly recommended.

A New System for Assessing Visual Disability Using a Digital Visor

Background: Considering the lack of universally accepted visual requirements for driving and for defining various grades of visual disability, the aim of this study is to propose a new method that provides a numerical score resulting from a combined assessment of the visual field and visual acuity loss obtained using a digital technology visor. Methods: This study presents a new system for calculating the percentage of visual disability by combining binocular visual acuity and binocular visual field assessments. A new Global Vision Evaluation System digital technology visor uses standardized, reproducible criteria to produce well-defined, numerically expressed test results. Through a specific algorithm, the device produces a numerical value expressing the percentage of visual disability. Results: Eighty-six subjects with various types of visual impairment underwent visual acuity and visual field test examinations carried out employing both traditional methods and the new digital visor. The two methods provided homogeneously similar results regarding the positioning of the subjects on the visual disability scale. Conclusions: The new digital visor seems to be a valid method to ensure that visual disability assessments are more homogeneous and reliable, and that, consequently, the resources available for this purpose are more fairly distributed.

Pregabalin Abuse in Combination With Other Drugs: Monitoring Among Methadone Patients

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, there has been an increase in the non-medical use of psychoactive prescription drugs including pregabalin (PGB). Studies have shown that multiple drug users and patients in methadone treatment programs administered PGB at high dosages in order to achieve euphoria, reduce withdrawal symptoms, or potentiate the effects of methadone. For these reasons, accurate toxicological monitoring is required for these high-risk individuals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study investigated whether PGB could be detected in the hair samples of 250 patients with a history of opiate dependency, and under toxicological surveillance assess their compliance with methadone maintenance therapy.

RESULTS

Opiates were found in 54/250 of all hair samples, while cannabis was present in 74/250 patients, cocaine was detected in 21/250 patients, and benzodiazepines without prescription were identified in 49/250 patients. As expected, methadone was present in all 250 patients (100%). PGB without prescription was found in the hair samples of 35/250 patients (14%). Of these, 91.43% were male, 48.57% were <30 y old, and 45.71% were between ages 30 and 50 y. There were no apparent associations among PGB use, daily methadone dosage, and duration of methadone maintenance therapy. Psychiatric comorbidities were present in 25.71% of the patients abusing PGB. Anxiety (55.56%) and depression (33.33%) were the most prevalent psychiatric disorders.

DISCUSSION

Most of the patients taking PGB (57.14%) used other drugs (especially opiates) concurrently. The utility of hair analysis is explained by easy and rapid sample collection and the ability of the hair to reflect long-term drug use and incorporate drug metabolites. The findings of this study suggested that PGB has significant potential for abuse by high-risk populations such as opioid users and patients with dual diagnosis. These risks are particularly high in cases of poly-drug use and drug intake that are not in compliance with prescription guidelines.

Lactate modulates CD4+ T-cell polarization and induces an immunosuppressive environment, which sustains prostate carcinoma progression via TLR8/miR21 axis

Leukocyte infiltration plays an active role in controlling tumor development. In the early stages of carcinogenesis, T cells counteract tumor growth. However, in advanced stages, cancer cells and infiltrating stromal components interfere with the immune control and instruct immune cells to support, rather than counteract, tumor malignancy, via cell-cell contact or soluble mediators. In particular, metabolites are emerging as active players in driving immunosuppression. Here we demonstrate that in a prostate cancer model lactate released by glycolytic cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) acts on CD4⁺ T cells, shaping T-cell polarization. In particular, CAFs exposure (i) reduces the percentage of the antitumoral Th1 subset, inducing a lactate-dependent, SIRT1-mediated deacetylation/degradation of T-bet transcription factor; (ii) increases T_reg cells, driving naive T cells polarization, through a lactate-based NF-kB activation and FoxP3 expression. In turn, this metabolic-based CAF-immunomodulated environment exerts a pro-invasive effect on prostate cancer cells, by activating a previously unexplored miR21/TLR8 axis that sustains cancer malignancy.

Induction of Lung Tumors and Lymphomas in BALB/c Mice by Metronidazole

Metronidazole, which is widely used in the treatment of «Trichomonas vaginalis», «Entamoeba histolytica» and «Giardia lamblia» infections, was administered to BALB/c mice by stomach tube in an aqueous solution at a dose rate of 2 mg/day for 100 days (total 200 mg) to test its carcinogenicity. The treatment induced a significant increase in lung tumors in male mice (p < 0.001) and provoked the appearance of lymphomas in females (p < 0.001). Although there is insufficient evidence to pass judgement on the potential carcinogenicity of metronidazole in man, the results of this and other investigations reported in the literature have demonstrated that metronidazole develops carcinogenic activity in rats and mice.

Induction of Mammary Tumors with Metronidazole in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats

Sprague-Dawley rats were administered low doses of metronidazole similar to those used in humans, and then subjected to a long-term follow-up. Metronidazole caused a significant rise in mammary tumors in the female rats (p < 0.001) after a mean latency period of 100.5 weeks.

Monitoring people at risk of drinking by a rapid urinary ethyl glucuronide test

Alcohol and illicit drug abuse are major public health problems worldwide. Since alcohol is the predominant substance of choice in polydrug abusers, monitoring its use, along with urinary drug screening in patients in rehabilitation programs, appeared to be crucial in identifying patients at risk of alcohol disorders leading to impaired quality of life. Ethyl β-D-6-glucuronide, a non-oxidative, non-volatile, stable and minor direct ethanol metabolite, has a 6h to 4 day window of detection in urine after the last alcohol intake. Each of the 119 subjects (85 males, 34 females) registered with the Public Health Service for Drug Dependence Treatment provided a urine sample for ethylglucoronide (EtG) determination in an immunochemical test with a 500 ng/ml cutoff. All results were evaluated with confirmation criteria of a fully validated gas chromatography/mass spectrometry assay. The diagnostic performance of the EtG immunochemical test was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve analysis. The immunochemical test specificity was 100% for EtG urinary values above 500 ng/ml. No false positive results were found. With levels below 500 ng/ml, 12% of the samples were classified as negative. The average consumption of the incorrectly classified subjects was 171 ng/ml, with a misclassification error of 6.5% to 18.5%. High agreement between EtG as determined in an immunochemical test and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, suggests that the rapid EtG test is a reliable, cost-effective alcohol monitoring assay for patient management in many non-forensic settings, such as drug rehabilitation programs.

GC-MS/MS detects potential pregabalin abuse in susceptible subjects' hair

Pregabalin, a GABA analogue, binds to the alpha 2 delta subunit of voltage-dependent calcium channels. It is recognised as efficacious in pathologies such as epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and anxiety disorders. Since pregabalin prescriptions have increased worldwide, reports of its abuse have been accumulating, mainly in patients with opioid abuse disorders. The present study investigated potential pregabalin abuse by means of hair analysis, a matrix that provides valuable retrospective information. Half of the pool of 280 susceptible patients had been occasional drug users and were being monitored for driving licence renewals. The other 140 patients had a history of opiate dependency and were monitored to assess compliance with methadone therapy. In view of determining pregabalin in hair samples, it was extracted in methanol, successfully derivatised to give the ethyl chloroformate derivative, and finally pregabalin was analysed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Selectivity, linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, recovery, intra- and inter-day precision, and accuracy of the quantification procedure were appraised. Pregabalin limits of detection and quantification were 30 pg/mg and 50 pg/mg, respectively. We found 10.7% of hair samples from methadone patients and 4.29% from occasional drug users were positive to pregabalin without medical prescription. The mean pregabalin concentration in hair was higher than in consumers with medical indications (1.45 ng/mg vs 0.74 ng/mg). These results suggest that pregabalin possesses a significant abuse potential particularly among individuals attending opiate dependence services and that pregabalin abuse is a serious emerging issue, which should be carefully monitored.

Suicide behaviour and arsenic levels in drinking water: a possible association?: A review of the literature about the effects of arsenic contamination in drinking water on suicides

BACKGROUND

A considerable part of the global population is exposed to arsenic-contaminated drinking water which is the main source of inorganic arsenic(As) exposure in humans. Arsenic exposure interferes with the action of enzymes, essential cations, and transcriptional events in cells throughout the body, and a multitude of multisystemic non-cancer effects might ensue. The aim of our review was to evaluate the effects of arsenic contamination in drinking water on suicides rates.

METHODS

A systematic literature search (English written literature) was conducted in electronic databases MEDLINE, SCOPUS. Evidences dating from 1999 till 2016 have been collected. A manual search of reference lists of included studies and review articles was successively performed. All references of the retrieved studies were also reviewed to avoid missing relevant publications. The key search terms included: "arsenic AND water AND suicide".

RESULTS

The literature search yielded 13 publications, but we identified 2 manuscripts available for this systematic review. The 2 studies included in the review, were published in 2015 and in 2017 and settled in Italy and Hungary. The levels of arsenic in the waters ranged from 0.016 μg/l to >50 μg/l. The findings of the two studies are conflicting, in fact Pompili et al. reported an apparently beneficial effect of arsenic on suicides rates, with an inverse correlation of arsenic concentration and local suicide rates, in contrast to a positive correlation with natural-cause mortality rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Our review led to conflicting results, so the diatribe about the real effects of arsenic intake of suicidal behaviors is still open. Therefore, we encourage other colleagues to conduct further studies in other locations in order to have more reliable results.

Contemporary artists' spinel pigments: Non-invasive characterization by means of electronic spectroscopy

The identification of artistic materials represents a fundamental step in supporting the conservation of cultural heritage objects. The importance of their appropriate characterization is particularly relevant in modern-contemporary art, since they could be affected by the occurrence of rapid changes in chemical formulation over time. This paper focuses on an investigation of a series of contemporary blue-green commercial acrylic paints constituted of spinel pigments, using non-invasive spectroscopic techniques. The spectroscopic and color measurements obtained make it possible to characterize the acrylic paints under investigation and to compare the results obtained with those reported in the literature and in spectral databases. To be more precise, the proposed UV-vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopic technique was sensitive enough to characterize the acrylic paints according to their d-d ligand field and the charge transfer (CT) electronic transitions involved in the spinel structures. In addition, an overview of this class of inorganic pigments is also given.

Fatal Clostridium perfringens Septicemia After Colonoscopic Polypectomy, Without Bowel Perforation

Since its introduction, colonoscopy has played an important role as a diagnostic, therapeutic, and screening tool. In general, colonoscopy is regarded as a safe procedure, but complications may occur. The most dreaded of these complications is colonic perforation. Bacteremia postprocedure may occur, and although it is not uncommon, it rarely results in clinically significant complications. Patients with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) are a high-risk population for bacteremia, which may leads to bowel wall overstepping by the bacteria. With regard to that, we report a fatal case of gas gangrene complicating colonoscopy polypectomy without bowel perforation in a healthy adult. To the best of our knowledge, only two other cases of retroperitoneal gas gangrene associated with colonoscopy polypectomy without bowel perforation have been described in international literature, but none of which was completed by a molecular biology analysis.

Prevalence of the genus Cladosporium on the integument of leaf-cutting ants characterized by 454 pyrosequencing

The relationship of attine ants with their mutualistic fungus and other microorganisms has been studied during the last two centuries. However, previous studies about the diversity of fungi in the ants' microenvironment are based mostly on culture-dependent approaches, lacking a broad characterization of the fungal ant-associated community. Here, we analysed the fungal diversity found on the integument of Atta capiguara and Atta laevigata alate ants using 454 pyrosequencing. We obtained 35,453 ITS reads grouped into 99 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). Data analysis revealed that A. capiguara drones had the highest diversity of MOTUs. Besides the occurrence of several uncultured fungi, the mycobiota analysis revealed that the most abundant taxa were the Cladosporium-complex, Cryptococcus laurentii and Epicoccum sp. Taxa in the genus Cladosporium were predominant in all samples, comprising 67.9 % of all reads. The remarkable presence of the genus Cladosporium on the integument of leaf-cutting ants alates from distinct ant species suggests that this fungus is favored in this microenvironment.

De novo assembly and characterization of leaf and floral transcriptomes of the hybridizing bromeliad species (Pitcairnia spp.) adapted to Neotropical Inselbergs

We present the leaf and floral transcriptomes of two hybridizing bromeliad species that differ in their major pollinator systems. Here we identified candidate genes responsible for pollinator attraction and reproductive isolation in these two species. We searched for candidate genes involved in floral traits, such as colour. Approximately 34 Gbp of cDNA sequence data were produced from both tissues and species, resulting in a total of 424 506 914 raw reads. The de novo-assembled transcriptomes consisted of a total of 263 955 contigs, further clustered into 110 977 unigenes. Over 58% of the unigenes were functionally annotated and assigned to one or more Gene Ontology terms. The transcriptomes revealed 144 unique transcripts that encode key enzymes in the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways. The domain/family annotation and phylogenetic analysis allowed us to infer, by homology, potential functions of the genes encoding MYB, HD-ZIP and bZIP-HY5 transcription factors, as well as WD40 protein, which may be involved in anthocyanin and flavonoid regulation in these species. These candidate genes are associated with natural regulation in flower colour in other plant species and will facilitate future studies aimed at elucidating the molecular basis of adaptive differentiation and the evolution of mechanisms of pollinator-mediated reproductive isolation in these two bromeliads. In addition, we identified a total of 49 439 microsatellite loci. These resources will assist future research into adaptation and speciation events in bromeliad species, thus providing a starting point for investigation of the molecular mechanisms of the traits responsible for their reproductive isolation.

Norcocaine and cocaethylene distribution patterns in hair samples from light, moderate, and heavy cocaine users

Even though hair analysis often seems to be the best choice for retrospective monitoring of cocaine intake, differentiating between incorporated cocaine and external contamination is widely debated. In this study we report results obtained in 90 hair samples from addicts. All samples were analyzed for cocaine, benzoylecgonine, norcocaine, cocaethylene, and tropococaine by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) techniques coupled with direct immersion solid‐phase micro‐extraction. Cocaine concentrations were stratified into three classes of usage: light (0.5–3 ng/mg), moderate (3.1–10 ng/mg) and heavy (10.1–40 ng/mg). The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration cut‐off criteria for establishing active cocaine use were applied to the results. For all samples criteria were cocaine levels above 0.5 ng/mg (ranging from 1.63 to 39.29 ng/mg, mean 9.49 ng/mg), benzoylecgonine concentrations ≥ 0.05 ng/mg (ranging from 0.19 to 5.77 ng/mg, mean 1.40), and benzoylecgonine to cocaine % ratio ≥5% (from 6.43 to 26.09%). Norcocaine was present in 58.9% of samples (concentration range: 0.22–3.14 ng/mg) and was strongly predictive only of heavy cocaine use (sensitivity 100% for cocaine concentrations above 9.58 ng/mg). Twenty hair samples from moderate and heavy users tested positive for cocaethylene (concentration range: 0.22–1.98 ng/mg, mean 0.73 ng/mg). This study on hair samples with no chance of false positive cases highlights the very limited applications of testing minor cocaine metabolites for definitive proof of active cocaine consumption. © 2015 The Authors. Drug Testing and Analysis Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Giant Diaphragmatic Lipoma: Two Autopsy Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Lipomas are common benign tumors most frequently found within the subcutaneous areas of the body. Deep-seated lipomas are rare and tend to be larger than cutaneous ones. Lipomas are rarely seen in the thoracic cavity, and they are usually located in the mediastinum, bronchiole, and lungs. Diaphragmatic lipomas have been occasionally reported in the literature, the first being described by Clark et al. in 1886. The authors report two rare cases of giant diaphragmatic lipoma incidentally found during forensic autopsies. In the first case, a Caucasian 85-year-old woman burned to death with another passenger, after her methane-fueled car collided with another car on a highway near Terni, Umbria, Italy. In the second case, a Caucasian 45-year-old man collapsed while walking through the countryside of Perugia. In either case, a large mass in the thorax was observed. The definitive pathologic diagnosis was giant intrathoracic diaphragmatic lipoma without evidence of malignancy. The authors also review the relevant literature and discuss differential diagnoses. These case reports contribute to the establishment of the actual incidence of diaphragmatic lipomas.

Cocaine Addiction Treatment and Home Remedies: Use of the Scopolamine Transdermal Patch

Recently, there has been an enormous increase in the number of people seeking treatment for cocaine addiction. Fifteen male cocaine users aged 20-30 years who requested hair analysis from our forensic toxicology laboratory (Perugia, Italy) from March to June 2012, reported using scopolamine without medical supervision to reduce the anxiety associated with cocaine withdrawal. Self-reports were verified with the results obtained from the hair analysis. We discuss whether the use of scopolamine in cocaine abusers could be supported by a neurobiological and pharmacological point of view.

Sweat testing to monitor drug exposure

It may be advantageous to use sweat, rather than blood or urine, to monitor individuals' drug exposure for the purposes of drug treatment programs, employment initiatives, and forensic investigations. Forty-eight patients receiving methadone at the Public Service for the Treatment of Drug Dependence of Perugia (Italy) were monitored for 14 days by the analysis of methadone and cocaine present in two sweat patches, each worn for 7 days. The results were compared to those from the analysis of urine samples collected at the beginning of the study and after 7 days, as well as those from the analysis of hair collected on the fourteenth day. Sweat patch analysis was positive for methadone and its metabolite EDDP in 100% of patients. Some individuals were positive for cocaine in urine, sweat, and hair while others were positive for cocaine in only one of those samples. Results suggest analysis of a sweat patch indicates an individual's drug use or drug washout for the previous week, and provides an alternative to blood or urine analyses.

Library of UV-Vis-NIR reflectance spectra of modern organic dyes from historic pattern-card coloured papers

An accurate characterisation of the organic dyes used in artworks, especially those made of paper, is an important factor in designing safe conservation treatments. In the case of synthetic organic dyes used in modern works of art, for example, one frequently encountered difficulty is that some of these dyes are not still commercially available. Recognizing this problem, the authors of this paper present the results of an analysis of UV-Vis-NIR fibre optic reflectance spectra of 82 samples of dyed paper prepared with 41 dyes. The samples come from a historic book, The Dyeing of Paper in the Pulp, which was published by Interessen-Gemeinschaft (I.G.) Farbenindustrie in 1925. The dyes used in the paper pulp belong to the azo compounds, acridine, anthraquinone, azine, diphenylmethane, indigoid, methine, nitro, quinoline, thiazine, triphenylmethane, sulphur and xanthene classes.