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The present study reports the conservative first aid concerning the human cranium known as the "Skull with Ears", which is conserved in the crypt of Santa Luciella ai Librai's church in Naples, Italy. These remains have historically been worshipped by devotees within the cult of the "abandoned souls". The skulls were "adopted" by the Neapolitan population and treated with particular care in exchange for divine favors. The critical preservation status of the "Skull with ears" required a multidisciplinary approach aimed at defining the taphonomy and anthropological features of the cranium, while determining the state of its conservation by using a multi-analytical approach. Multispectral imaging, 3D modeling, X-ray imaging, microscopical observations, and microbiological tests enabled the documentation of the cranium while assessing this state of conservation. Electron scanning microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in the attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mode, and radiocarbon dating allowed for essential data to be obtained on the cranium's history and constituent components. The results that were obtained from both the analysis of the cranium and the environmental monitoring of the crypt showed the advanced degradation of the bones due to a significant bacterial attack, which was facilitated by the inadequate environmental conditions at the site of conservation. The acquired data enabled the definition of the most suitable conservation strategy and the securing of the cranium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting energetic and environmental sustainability in the naval sector requires a necessary understanding of the energy demand of vessels and of the factors affecting it. This article shows the results of a study conducted by the shipping company MedMar aimed at acquiring a detailed analysis of the energetic performances of its fleet. The study involved the analysis of fuel consumption and emissions of the fleet using a specific software and under different scenarios, assuming the navigation speed and the cargo level of the vessels as reference parameters. Simulations also provided a comparison, concerning emissions and externalities, between ships and two different means of transport. The purpose of this study was to identify potential areas of improvement, where ad hoc strategies could be used to further optimise the energetic and environmental performance of MedMar fleet and mitigate its impact on the delicate ecosystem of the gulf of Naples, where the fleet sails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a range of chromatographic, spectroscopic, and mass spectrometric analytical techniques, we characterized one of the "edible items" found at the Vesuvius archeological sites and guarded at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) in Naples, Italy. We authenticated the specimen contained in a glass bottle (Mann-S1 sample) as originally olive oil and mapped the deep evolution throughout its 2000 years of storage. Triacylglycerols were completely hydrolyzed, while the resulting (hydroxy) fatty acids had partly condensed into rarely found estolides. A complex pattern of volatile compounds arose mainly from breakdown of oleic acid. With excellent approximation, radiocarbon dating placed the find at the time of the Plinian Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D., indicating that Mann-S1 is probably the oldest residue of olive oil in the world found in bulk amount (nearly 0.7 L). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]