Non-invasive analysis of reference glass and historical mosaic tesserae by means of reflectance infrared spectroscopy.

Within vibrational spectroscopy techniques, Raman is much more employed than infrared spectroscopy for the study of glassy materials belonging to cultural heritage. This could be due to both a less straightforward interpretation of the spectra and a more difficult application of the technique with portable instrumentations. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) can be exploited in archaeometric investigations because portable and non-invasive.

XRF analysis searching for fingerprint elemental profile in south-eastern Sicily tomatoes.

The implementation of analytical techniques able to certify food quality and origin in a fast and non-destructive way is becoming a widespread need in the agri-food sector. Among the physical non-destructive techniques, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is often used to analyze the elemental composition of biological samples. In this study, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental profiles were measured on tomato samples belonging to different geographical areas in Sicily (Italy).

Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) as a potential on site tool to test geopolymerization reaction.

Geopolymers, synthesized starting from aluminosilicate precursors activated with alkaline solutions, constitute a class of materials of high interest as potential substitutes of traditional, cementitious, binders. Infrared spectroscopy is one of the routine analytical techniques employed to study these materials and to verify the occurrence of geopolymerization; on the other hand, its portable version working in diffuse reflection is not enough exploited for their characterization. The aim of this work is therefore to assess the potentiality of Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) in the study of geopolymers.

Surface reactivity of Etna volcanic ash and evaluation of health risks.

This work is a part of a research project conducted in order to characterize the volcanic ash from Mount Etna, focusing in particular on the surface reactivity of ashes and possible consequence for human health. In this framework, a sampling campaign began on 16 March 2013, taking advantage of the intense volcanic activity on Etna. The interaction between volcanic ash and human organism was simulated treating two classes of representative Etnean particles with ultrapure water (grainsize of 850 um) and Gamble's solution mimic lug fluids (grainsize <38 μm) with the aim to evaluate the risk due to gastric and respiratory exposure to volcanic particles.

Neutron Radiography Study of Laboratory Ageing and Treatment Applications with Stone Consolidants.

A nano-silica consolidant and nano-titania modified tetraethyl-orthosilicate were applied on two building stones, a carbonate and a silicate, by brush, poultice or capillary absorption. Neutron radiography was used to monitor capillary water absorption, and to analyse changes in physical properties caused by heat treatment of specimens for the purposes of artificially ageing and different treatment applications with stone consolidants. Moreover, ultrasonic pulse velocity and gravimetrically determined water absorption were analysed to cross-validate neutron radiography.

Mediterranean Diet and Particulate Matter Exposure Are Associated With LINE-1 Methylation: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study in Women.

Emerging evidence suggests that air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and metabolic disorders, adding to the global burden of disease attributable to lifestyle and behavioral factors. Although long interspersed nucleotide elements 1 (LINE-1) methylation has been associated with these disorders, no studies have simultaneously examined the effects of diet and air pollution exposure on DNA methylation. Herein, we evaluated the association of particulate matter (PM with aerodynamic diameters of less than 10 mm) exposure and adherence to Mediterranean Diet (MD) with LINE-1 methylation.

Integrated approach of nutritional and molecular epidemiology, mineralogical and chemical pollutant characterisation: the protocol of a cross-sectional study in women.

Introduction: Environmentally-related health and disease are the result of the exposome, the totality of a person's environmental exposures, from all sources and routes, across their lifespan. Epigenetic phenomena, including DNA methylation, can be potentially modified by environmental and lifestyle factors, and result in environmental reprogramming of the genome for exposed individuals and for future generations of offspring.

Objective: The objective of the project is to evaluate the risk of DNA hypomethylation due to air pollution, Mediterranean diet adherence, folate intake, and demographic and socioeconomic factors, in healthy women living in the metropolitan area of Catania, Italy.

Raman Investigation of Precious Jewelry Collections Preserved in Paolo Orsi Regional Museum (Siracusa, Sicily) Using Portable Equipment.

This work is a part of a large scientific project aimed at highlighting the potential of portable Raman equipment in characterizing jewelry materials preserved in museums, carried out in collaboration with gemologists and archeologists. In detail, we report the results of a measurement campaign performed for the study of gems and jewels preserved in the well-known Medagliere section at the Paolo Orsi Regional Museum of Siracusa (Sicily). The studied materials consist of exquisite examples of engraved loose gems and really rare examples of Hellenistic-Roman jewels, mainly coming from relevant Sicilian archaeological sites.

13C Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and µ-Raman Spectroscopic Characterization of Sicilian Amber.

(13)C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and µ-Raman spectroscopy were applied to characterize Sicilian amber samples. The main goal of this work was to supply a complete study of simetite, highlighting discriminating criteria useful to distinguish Sicilian amber from fossil resins from other regions and laying the foundations for building a spectroscopic database of Sicilian amber. With this aim, a private collection of unrefined simetite samples and fossil resins from the Baltic region and Dominican Republic was analyzed.

Iron speciation in ancient Attic pottery pigments: a non-destructive SR-XAS investigation.

The present work reports a detailed investigation on the speciation of iron in the pigments of decorated pottery fragments of cultural heritage relevance. The fragments come from the Gioiosa Guardia archaeological site in the area of the `Strait of Messina' (Sicily, Southern Italy), and date back to VI-V century BC. The purpose of this study is to characterize the main pigmenting agents responsible for the dark-red coloration of the specimens using non-destructive analytical techniques such as synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption spectroscopy (SR-XAS), a well established technique for cultural heritage and environmental subjects.

Combined non-destructive XRF and SR-XAS study of archaeological artefacts.

We report on a non-destructive study of Sicilian ceramic fragments of cultural heritage interest, classified as "proto-majolica" pottery and dating back to the twelfth to thirteen centuries AD. The analytical approach used is based on the employment of two totally non-invasive spectroscopic techniques: X-ray fluorescence (XRF), using a portable energy-dispersive XRF analyser, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, using synchrotron radiation as a probe (SR-XAS). XRF measurements allowed us to collect elemental and spatially resolved information on major and minor constituents of the decorated coating of archaeological pottery fragments, so providing preliminary results on the main components characterizing the surface.