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This study investigates airborne bacterial and fungal communities in south-eastern Italy and Albania using advanced DNA-based techniques and compositional data analysis (CoDa). We assess the significance of airborne microbial communities, detailing our methodologies for site selection, sample collection, DNA extraction, and data analysis. Our results reveal distinct differences in microbial composition between the two regions, driven by local environmental factors. Specifically, Albanian samples showed higher abundances of bacterial species such as Rubellimicrobium roseum and Sphingomonas cynarae, while Italian samples were characterized by a prevalence of Truepera radiovictrix and Rubrobacter radiotolerans. In terms of fungi, Albanian sites exhibited greater abundance of Mycosphaerella tassiana, Aureobasidium pullulans, and Ascochyta herbicola. Aitchison distance-based dendrograms and principal component analysis (PCA) biplots, utilizing singular value decomposition, clearly delineated a geographical separation of microbial communities, underscoring the impact of regional atmospheric conditions on microbial composition. In the discussion, we interpret these findings in the context of regional environmental factors, highlighting their implications for understanding regional differences in airborne microbial communities. The conclusion emphasizes the effectiveness of advanced DNA techniques and CoDa in environmental microbiology, offering insights into how local environmental conditions shape microbial communities and suggesting directions for future research and public health considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigated the structure of the airborne bacterial community obtained by 16S rRNA gene sequencing performed on aerosol samples from different indoor and outdoor locations. The 48-h aerosol samples were collected in two laboratories, in the corridors, and on the roof of the Mathematics and Physics Department of the University of Salento (Italy). The investigation was carried out through the application of an innovative compositional data analysis approach, mainly based on a centered log-ratio transformation as a standardization procedure, the Aitchison distance for data ordination, and the principal component analysis via singular value decomposition for data clustering. This methodology allowed us to explore the main relationships among samples, identifying different results between indoor and outdoor samples both at the genus level and at the species level. Bacillus and Pseudomonas represented the most abundant genera identified in the analyzed samples. Out of the 21 identified bacterial species with the highest abundances in the collected aerosol samples, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Propionibacterium acnes, Diplorickettsia massiliensis, and Corynebacterium tuberculostearicum were the only four commonly classified as human opportunistic pathogens. Among the genera mostly associated with indoor environments, Hymenobacter and Arthrobacter could be noted as including many species that are unique in being radiation resistant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes experimental results concerning the chemical composition of the alloy patina and inlays from the medieval copper alloy door of the cathedral of Troia (southern Italy), dating back to 1127 CE. The analyses were conducted in situ with no sampling or sample preparation required, using a portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) instrument. The compositional results show that the two door leaves were made using a binary alloy of copper and lead, while the nails, lion protomes, and handles have a different chemical composition. Moreover, the analyses revealed uniform concentrations of chlorine, probably due to cleaning treatments during the restoration. It is important to emphasise that the obtained results are the only ones related to this valuable masterpiece analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the restoration work promoted by the FAI foundation (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) of the abbey of Santa Maria di Cerrate (Lecce, Apulia, South Italy), multidisciplinary analyses have been realized to support conservators and art historians for the safeguard and valorization of the most important byzantine evidence (12th–13th century) in Apulia. In this paper, mortar samples have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to characterize the observed materials, directing conservators for the integration interventions with compatible realizations. Moreover, the samples were compared with specimens taken from local quarries and the nearest coastline area, and vegetal fibers, embedded into the mortars were analyzed by applying radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). It was thus possible to give a contribution to the historical-artistic research related to the building techniques, the ratio aggregates/binder and the employed materials of the mortars and the dating of the mural paintings between the end of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the analyses carried out on the medieval copper alloy door (1111–1118 AD) of the mausoleum of Boemondo d'Altavilla in Canosa di Puglia (Southern Italy). The studied door is the smallest medieval bronze door extant in Italy and, unlike the other Byzantine doors, was most probably made in Canosa di Puglia and not in Constantinople. Analyses were performed to assess the chemical composition of the alloy patinas using a portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) instrument designed at the University of Salento. The experimental results suggested that the two door leaves have the same chemical composition, even if they appear different in both style and size. Furthermore, the alloy used for the door is different from the other previously-analyzed Byzantine bronze doors. The obtained results can be used in the future to compare the chemical composition of other Byzantine doors in order to better understand the manufacture of these precious artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper (Cu) dyshomeostasis plays a pivotal role in several neuropathologies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Metal accumulation in the central nervous system (CNS) could result in loss-of-function of proteins involved in Cu metabolism and redox cycling, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, neurodegenerative disorders imply the presence of an excess of misfolded proteins known to lead to neuronal damage. In PD, Cu accumulates in the brain, binds α-synuclein, and initiates its aggregation. We assessed the correlation between neuronal differentiation, Cu homeostasis regulation, and α-synuclein phosphorylation. At this purpose, we used differentiated SHSY5Y neuroblastoma cells to reproduce some of the characteristics of the dopaminergic neurons. Here, we reported that differentiated cells expressed a significantly higher amount of a copper transporter protein 1 (CTR1), increasing the copper uptake. Cells also showed a significantly more phosphorylated form of α-synuclein, further increased by copper treatment, without modifications in α-synuclein levels. This effect depended on the upregulation of the polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2), whereas the levels of the relative protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) remained unvaried. No changes in the oxidative state of the cells were identified. The Cu dependent alteration of α-synuclein phosphorylation pattern might potentially offer new opportunities for clinical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]