Beyond the Palio: urbanism and ritual in Renaissance Siena
1. Introduction: Beyond the Palio: Urbanism and Ritual in Renaissance Siena: Philippa Jackson and Fabrizio Nevola. 2. 'Sotto uno Baldachino Trionfale': the Ritual Significance of the Painted Canopy in Simone Martini's Maesta: Diana Norman. 3. Enter the Emperor: Charles IV and Siena between Politics, Diplomacy and Ritual (1355 and 1368): Gerrit Schenk. 4. Altars on the Street: The Arte della Lana, the Carmelites and the Feast of Corpus Domini in Siena 1356-1456: Machtelt Israels. 5. Ritual Geography: Housing the Papal Court of Pius II Piccolomini in Siena (1459-60): Fabrizio Nevola. 6. Peace-making Rituals in Fifteenth-Century Siena: Christine Shaw. 7. Pomp or Piety? The Funeral of Pandolfo Petrucci: Philippa Jackson. 8. The Rise of the New Civic Ritual of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin in 16th Century Siena: Mauro Mussolin.
“Per Ornato Della Città”: Siena's Strada Romana and Fifteenth-Century Urban Renewal
During the fifteenth century, urban policies aimed at renewing the architectural form of the Strada Romana, Siena's main street. These policies transformed the street into a showpiece of civic values, by encouraging both state-subsidized minor improvements of private buildings and facilitating patrons of more major projects along it. Such was the success of the renewal campaign that public, institutional, and private patrons jostled for prominent sites along the Strada, developing varied and inventive solutions in order to extend the visual impact of their individual buildings' facades on the street.
Mucoadhesive Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery to the Anterior Eye
While the use of topical drops for the delivery of drugs to the anterior of the eye is well accepted, it is far from efficient with as little as 5% of the drug instilled on the eye actually reaching the target tissue. The ability to prolong the residence time on the eye is desirable. Based on the acceptability of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate based polymers in contact lens applications, the current work focuses on the development of a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)) nanoparticle system. The particles were modified to allow for degradation and to permit mucoadhesion. Size and morphological analysis of the final polymer products showed that nano-sized, spherical particles were produced. FTIR spectra demonstrated that the nanoparticles comprised poly(HEMA) and that 3-(acrylamido)phenylboronic acid (3AAPBA), as a mucoadhesive, was successfully incorporated. Degradation of nanoparticles containing N,N′-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) after incubation with DL-dithiothreitol (DTT) was confirmed by a decrease in turbidity and through transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanoparticle mucoadhesion was shown through an in-vitro zeta potential analysis.