Article
Environmental Sciences
Christoph Franzen, Thomas Fischer
Summary: Three historic sculptures from a park in Neschwitz, Germany needed restoration due to the surface being covered in iron rust caused by iron-rich water being pumped to the fountains and oxidizing upon contact with air. The restoration process involved the reduction and removal of the rust using oxalic acid.
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Marco Gaiani, Fabrizio Ivan Apollonio, Andrea Ballabeni
Summary: In the field of architectural heritage, colours play a crucial role in the preservation, conservation, and restoration of heritage artefacts. The reliability of colour acquisition may be influenced by instrumental, environmental, morphological, and material factors, requiring accurate documentation and representation. Challenges also exist in the identification of materials, correctness of colour representation, and fragmentation of visualisation devices for heritage artefacts.
COLORATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Oceanography
Nihan Bulut, Hulya Yuceer
Summary: Managing underwater cultural heritage presents various challenges, including mapping, monitoring, access, presentation, and ownership. Most studies focus on evaluating management examples and policy development, conducted by researchers primarily from universities in Western countries. The importance of public participation, interpretation, and access is emphasized in many publications.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Review
Archaeology
Ranran Jiao, Fuwei Sun, Suyuan Zeng, Jiaxing Li
Summary: Cultural heritage objects, as representative traces left by human beings in social activities, are considered to have important historical, artistic, and scientific values, but they often suffer from deterioration. The main goal for conservators is to prolong the existence of artifacts while preserving their originality as much as possible.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marcie B. Wiggins, Mengyu Liu, Catherine Matsen, Chang Liu, Karl S. Booksh
Summary: This study analyzed the painted ceiling decoration of Lin'xi Pavilion in the Forbidden City during the Ming and Qing dynasties, identifying similar organic and inorganic materials characteristic of both time periods, as well as a shift from natural mineral sources to synthetic copper-based pigments for these larger architectural projects.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Vittoria Guglielmi, Chiara Andrea Lombardi, Giacomo Fiocco, Valeria Comite, Andrea Bergomi, Mattia Borelli, Monica Azzarone, Marco Malagodi, Mario Colella, Paola Fermo
Summary: This research aimed to characterize the pigments used in a 15th-century polychrome earthenware bas-relief artwork. Various analysis methods such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy were used to identify the materials underneath the coating and discover different natural and synthetic pigments. In addition, portable Raman spectrometer measurements revealed the use of specific pigments and previous restoration traces, while the background was made with true gold, highlighting the significance and value of the artwork.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Martyna Glodowska, Magnus Schneider, Elisabeth Eiche, Agnes Kontny, Thomas Neumann, Daniel Straub, Sara Kleindienst, Andreas Kappler
Summary: Fe(III) minerals in arsenic-contaminated aquifers play a crucial role in the release of arsenic and resulting groundwater contamination through microbial reductive dissolution. Biogenic minerals exhibit better performance in Fe(III) reduction and arsenic sorption, but their impact on arsenic mobility remains unclear.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ana Crespo, Gloria Perez, Jose A. Jimenez, Irene Llorente, Sagrario Martinez-Ramirez, Emilio Cano, Ivan Diaz
Summary: Weathering steels are commonly used in various fields due to their mechanical properties, resistance to corrosion, and aesthetic properties. An experiment was conducted to compare the colors and surface evolution of accelerated and natural patinas. The results showed that the colors of the accelerated patinas differed from the natural patina at short exposure times but converged at longer exposure times.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pasquale Spezzano
Summary: This paper evaluates the potential damage of air pollution on different materials throughout Europe, with a focus on UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites. Despite significant improvements in air quality in Europe, air pollution remains a significant factor in the degradation of cultural heritage.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Asieh Erfanian, Mohammad Hadi Moayed, Mostafa Mirjalili, Sohrab Pahlavan
Summary: This paper studies the corrosion of carbon steel induced by elemental sulfur in chloride-bearing media. The reduction of dissolved oxygen was found not to be the main cathodic reaction in the process of sulfur-induced corrosion. Severe corrosion primarily occurred in the peripheral region of sulfur deposition, forming a ring of FeS. However, the accumulation of FeS reduced the corrosion rate over time. In the long term, a galvanic couple was established between the peripheral and remote regions of sulfur deposition, leading to severe corrosion in areas far from the sulfur deposition.
JOURNAL OF THE TAIWAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yihan Xie, Ruixia Yang, Yongqi Liang, Wei Li, Fulong Chen
Summary: This study analyzes the spatial relationship between world cultural heritage sites and neighboring towns at a global scale. The results show that a certain percentage of cultural heritage sites have been incorporated into urban areas, but the overall spatial relationship with neighboring towns has not changed substantially. Additionally, the study finds that the distance between cultural heritage sites and towns has been decreasing, with the variation in distance related to factors such as the income level and urbanization rate of the country.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Alessandra Operamolla, Claudia Mazzuca, Laura Capodieci, Francesca Di Benedetto, Leonardo Severini, Mattia Titubante, Andrea Martinelli, Valter Castelvetro, Laura Micheli
Summary: An innovative consolidation strategy for paper degradation is proposed using cellulose nanocrystals as sustainable fillers to enhance mechanical properties and resistance to further degradation. The efficacy of the treatment is first assessed on pure cellulose paper and then applied to aged paper samples, demonstrating promising potential. The reversibility of the treatment is shown through the removal of nanocrystalline cellulose, fulfilling a fundamental requirement in cultural heritage conservation.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Marchetti, Victoria Beltran, Gert Nuyts, Ferenc Borondics, Steven De Meyer, Marina Van Bos, Jakub Jaroszewicz, Elke Otten, Marjolijn Debulpaep, Karolien De Wael
Summary: Optical photothermal infrared (O-PTIR) is a noninvasive molecular spectroscopy technique that allows for obtaining chemical information on organic and inorganic samples at a submicrometric scale. In this study, the potential of O-PTIR for characterizing small heritage objects was demonstrated by successfully identifying markers of glass-induced metal corrosion processes in 16th century brass and glass decorative elements.
Article
Polymer Science
Elodie Guilminot
Summary: In this study, polysaccharide-based hydrogels such as agar, gellan and xanthan gum were used for metal treatments, providing advantages for targeted chemical or electrochemical treatment. The use of these hydrogels in the restoration of metal cultural heritage objects was explored, with agar gel achieving the best results for cleaning copper alloys. Electrochemical treatments using hydrogels were successful in cleaning silver and dechlorinating ferrous or copper alloys. However, hydrogels were less effective in cleaning archaeological lead. These findings highlight the potential of hydrogel treatments in metal restoration.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Trishelle M. Copeland-Johnson, Charles K. A. Nyamekye, Lynne Ecker, Nicola Bowler, Emily A. Smith, Raul B. Rebak, Simerjeet K. Gill
Summary: Understanding the oxidation process of Inconel 600 (A600) in different environments is important for the development of accident tolerant nuclear fuel rod claddings. This study combines synchrotron-based diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and nano-scale electron microscopy techniques to investigate the oxidation of A600 in steam and air environments. It was found that a Cr2O3-enriched surface layer forms in steam, while a mixed phase oxide layer containing NiFe2O4, Cr2O3, Fe3O4, and Fe((3-x))CrxO(4) forms in air.
Article
Microbiology
Matthias Dreier, Marco Meola, Helene Berthoud, Noam Shani, Daniel Wechsler, Pilar Junier
Summary: This study compared the performance of NGS and HT-qPCR methods in analyzing the microbial composition of cheese DNA samples. The results showed that the normalized microbial composition obtained by both methods agreed for most of the analyzed cheese samples, indicating that they can be considered as complementary and reliable research methods.
Article
Microbiology
Aline Adler, Simon Poirier, Marco Pagni, Julien Maillard, Christof Holliger
Summary: This study sequenced and analyzed the metagenomes of aerobic granular sludge bioreactors containing Ca. Accumulibacter. It found that the microdiversity of Ca. Accumulibacter poses challenges in recovering high-quality MAGs, but it also reflects the panmictic lifestyle of these bacteria.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lea S. Bernier, Pilar Junier, Guy-Bart Stan, Claire E. Stanley
Summary: In this paper, recent developments in 'spores-on-a-chip' technologies are reviewed, highlighting their potential in driving new frontiers in spore research. The suitability of microfluidic technologies for understanding different aspects of spore research is discussed.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Demosthenes P. Morales, Aaron J. Robinson, Andrew C. Pawlowski, Caitlyn Ark, Julia M. Kelliher, Pilar Junier, James H. Werner, Patrick S. G. Chain
Summary: This study evaluates the challenges in resolving bacterial-fungal interactions and proposes the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for microscopy imaging to obtain more conclusive evidence on the nature of specific relationships between bacteria and fungi.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Corona Ramirez, Guillaume Cailleau, Mathilda Fatton, Cristina Dorador, Pilar Junier
Summary: This study investigated the diversity of lysis-resistant cells in the polyextreme environment of Salar de Huasco, revealing a high diversity of lysis-resistant cells in both bacteria and archaea. While spore-forming phyla such as Firmicutes and Actinobacteria showed distinct lysis resistance compared to the overall community, lysis resistance was more widespread in archaea, suggesting a generalized resistance comparable to dormant cells in bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Lorenzo Cimmino, Adrien W. Schmid, Christof Holliger, Julien Maillard
Summary: This study investigates the stoichiometry of pceABCT individual gene products in organohalide respiration bacteria. The results reveal differences in transcription levels of these genes, which may be explained by post-transcriptional events. Additionally, the similar abundance of PceA and PceB suggests the formation of a membrane-bound PceA(2)B protein complex, contradicting the proposed model that includes PceC.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Fabio Palmieri, Angela Koutsokera, Eric Bernasconi, Pilar Junier, Christophe von Garnier, Niki Ubags
Summary: Fungal infections are a major cause of death worldwide, but their pathogenicity has been largely neglected. This is especially true for pulmonary fungal infections, which are difficult to diagnose and treat. The emergence of antifungal resistance is reducing the chances of survival for affected patients. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are needed to combat these life-threatening fungal infections.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Mathilda Fatton, Sevasti Filippidou, Thomas Junier, Guillaume Cailleau, Matthieu Berge, Daniel Poppleton, Thorsten B. Blum, Marek Kaminek, Adolfo Odriozola, Jochen Blom, Shannon L. Johnson, Jan Pieter Abrahams, Patrick S. Chain, Simonetta Gribaldo, Elitza Tocheva, Benoit Zuber, Patrick H. Viollier, Pilar Junier
Summary: This study discovered the production of spore-like structures in Kurthia strain 11kri321, which was previously considered as asporogenic. These cryptospores, however, did not offer protection against heat or UV damage and were lost after successive sub-culturing. These findings suggest that cryptosporulation might have been a prevalent ancestral developmental state in Firmicutes under harsh environmental conditions.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Alessio Leins, Danae Bregnard, Andrea Vieth-Hillebrand, Pilar Junier, Simona Regenspurg
Summary: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in geothermal reservoirs plays a crucial role in providing nutrients for microorganisms, affecting chemical properties of fluids, revealing hydraulic connections and fluid flow, and optimizing geothermal operation.
Article
Microbiology
Fabio Palmieri, Pauline Udriet, Shannon L. Johnson, Karen Davenport, Patrick S. G. Chain, Saskia Bindschedler, Pilar Junier
Summary: In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the complete genome of the soil oxalotrophic bacterium Cupriavidus oxalaticus Ox1 and a genetically modified strain with mCherry tag. The genome is approximately 6.69 Mb in size, with a GC content of 66.9%. The genome of C. oxalaticus Ox1 contains a complete operon responsible for the degradation and assimilation of oxalate.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Corona Ramirez, Danae Bregnard, Thomas Junier, Guillaume Cailleau, Cristina Dorador, Saskia Bindschedler, Pilar Junier
Summary: Fungi employ various strategies to form specialized structures in order to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. These structures not only disperse to other environments, but also enable fungi to survive for extended periods of time until favorable growth conditions occur. However, current methods for studying the diversity of fungal structures only target spores dispersing in the air, disregarding the high diversity of these structures in terms of morphology and environmental distribution.
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Corona Ramirez, Kang Soo Lee, Adolfo Odriozola, Marek Kaminek, Roman Stocker, Benoit Zuber, Pilar Junier
Summary: The production of specialized resting cells is a survival strategy developed by organisms to withstand unfavorable environmental factors. Five bacterial taxa are recognized to form specialized resting cells, and they are characterized by low metabolic activity and higher resistance to environmental stress. A cross-species comparison of bacterial sporulation reveals a lack of common chemical signature among the specialized resting cells, with each group having a unique signature. The use of Raman spectroscopy enables the isolation of endospores based on their specific chemical signatures.
Article
Biology
Thierry Kuhn, Pilar Junier, Redouan Bshary, Celine Terrettaz, Diego Gonzalez, Xiang-Yi Li Richter
Summary: Evolutionary game theory offers models to explain competing strategies coexistence, including the rock-paper-scissors game. Escherichia coli strains, consisting of a toxin-producer, a resistant and a sensitive, have been used as a classic model for studying this game. However, previous studies often ignored the influence of ecological factors such as nutrients and toxin dynamics on the game dynamics.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Felix Richter, Saskia Bindschedler, Maryline Calonne-Salmon, Stephane Declerck, Pilar Junier, Claire E. Stanley
Summary: This article highlights the advancements in the field of 'Fungi-on-a-Chip' microfluidics for single-cell studies on fungi and discusses future frontiers where microfluidic technology can aid in understanding fungal biology.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Aislinn Estoppey, Laure Weisskopf, Eva Di Francesco, Armelle Vallat-Michel, Saskia Bindschedler, Patrick S. Chain, Pilar Junier
Summary: This study presents novel experimental platforms for in-vitro experiments with fungal spores to assess the effect of bacteria on germination and fungal growth control. The experiments demonstrated that the bacteria Cupriavidus necator and Cupriavidus oxalaticus were able to control the growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, but only in media in which soluble oxalic acid was detected by the fungus.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
