Multi-decadal tree-ring stable isotope records of apple and pear trees indicate coherent ecophysiological responses to environmental changes in alpine valleys.

The ecophysiological and ecohydrological impacts of climate change and progressively increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO) concentration on agroecosystems are not well understood compared to the forest ecosystems. In this study, we utilized the presence of old apple and pear trees in the alpine valleys of Northern Italy (maintained for cultural heritage purposes) to investigate climate-scale physiological responses. We developed long-term tree-ring stable isotopic records (δC and δO) from apple (1976-2021) and pear trees (1943-2021).

Impact of accumulation of organic acids on the degradation of cellulose in historic paper.

The acidity of historic paper, a property crucial for its preservation, is thought to mainly depend on the type of sizing. However, this research shows that during its degradation, paper acidity increases mainly due to the formation of non-volatile carboxylic acids, which accelerate acid-catalysed hydrolysis. Whether and how this accumulation depends on paper composition has not been studied systematically so far.

Bees on the run: spp. (Microsporidia) in and related products, Italy.

Introduction: The decline of the European/western honeybee () population is on account of a plethora of microorganisms, such as and , two microsporidian fungi responsible of nosemosis that affects welfare and production of the bee industry. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the presence of both pathogens in bees, pollen and honey from apiaries in Southwestern Italy.

Methods: From March to July 2022 and 2023, apiaries ( = 10) were selected and classified as High Impact Areas (HIAs,  = 5) and Low Impact Areas (LIAs,  = 5) according to a 5-point environmental risk index based on factors affecting bee health sand related productions.

Rapid screening of pottery lipid residue profile via comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography.

Background: Pottery lipid residue analysis has been extensively practiced worldwide as an important part of archaeometry studies, but in some cases, the complexity of archaeological residue cannot be fully revealed by one-dimensional gas chromatography (1D GC) separation. Although the development of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) has offered another way to achieve better separation and higher resolution, GCxGC separation has rarely been applied to pottery residue analysis. Clearly, GCxGC separation needs to be explored to examine and scrutinize the complexity of pottery lipid residue profile as well as rapid data treatment workflow.

Unlocking the potential of azide-phosphine Staudinger reaction for the synthesis of poly(arylene iminophosphorane)s and materials therefrom.

Iminophosphoranes with the general formula (RP═NR') have great potential in synthetic chemistry as valuable precursors/intermediates in organic synthesis or as building blocks for various organic compounds. However, the synthetic approaches and conditions to prepare iminophosphoranes are still poorly understood, limiting the utility of this chemistry for organic materials. In this article, a simple and efficient synthesis of previously unattainable poly(arylene iminophosphoranes) is reported.

Ontology-based construction of embroidery intangible cultural heritage knowledge graph: A case study of Qingyang sachets.

The fine-grained mining and construction of semantic associations within multimodal intangible cultural heritage (ICH) resources are crucial for deepening our understanding of their knowledge content and ensuring their systematic protection and transmission in the digital and intelligent era. This paper addresses the urgent need for the digital preservation and transmission of ICH resources. Following a review of current research on Qingyang sachets and ICH, the study introduces an ontology-based approach to constructing a semantic description model for the multimodal digital resources related to Qingyang sachets.

Exploring the Effects of Ionic Liquid on the Toughness of Palm Leaf Manuscripts.

Palm leaf manuscripts, crafted from specially treated palm leaves, are invaluable historical documents. However, they degrade and tend to become brittle over time. To date, plant essential oils and glycerin are the used materials to improve the flexibility of palm leaf manuscripts, but the effective duration of these materials is short due to their volatility.

Study on the Aging Effects of Relative Humidity on the Primary Chemical Components of Palm Leaf Manuscripts.

Palm Leaf Manuscripts represent a significant component of the world's cultural heritage. Investigating their primary chemical components and understanding the transformations these materials undergo under environmental influences are crucial for elucidating their material characteristics and aging mechanisms and developing effective strategies for preventive conservation. This study utilized infrared absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis to examine changes in the primary chemical components of Palm Leaf Manuscripts under varying relative humidity conditions over extended periods.

Multi-Omics on Traditional Medicinal Plant of the Genus : Current Progress and Prospect.

stands out among the Ranunculaceae family for its notable use as an ornamental and medicinal plant. Diterpenoid alkaloids (DAs), the characteristic compounds of , have been found to have effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Despite their medicinal potential, the toxicity of most DAs restricts the direct use of in traditional medicine, necessitating complex processing before use.

Swimming Into Future Breakthroughs From Kyoto, Japan: Report of the 18th International Zebrafish Conference (IZFC2024).

The 18th International Zebrafish Conference (IZFC2024) took place from August 17 to 21, 2024, at Miyako Messe in Kyoto, Japan. This conference attracted 641 researchers from around the world along with 83 virtual participants, making it the largest gathering since the COVID-19 pandemic. The event featured two keynote lectures, three award lectures, 36 plenary talks, 90 oral presentations, and 374 poster presentations.

Low-cost 3D human body reconstruction under limited views and girth measurement for the apparel customisation.

To enhance the convenience of human body 3D modelling, this study proposes a low-cost method for 3D body reconstruction under limited views, aiming to easily acquire client body size information through smart phone photography. The human body photos of the front, side and back view are captured, and background removal is performed using the U-Net human segmentation model. The PIFuHD model is utilised to obtain single-view point cloud patches, which are then mapped onto 2D images.

Detecting Early Degradation of Wood Ultrastructure with Nonlinear Optical Imaging and Fluorescence Lifetime Analysis.

Understanding the deterioration processes in wooden artefacts is essential for accurately assessing their conservation status and developing effective preservation strategies. Advanced imaging techniques are currently being explored to study the impact of chemical changes on the structural and mechanical properties of wood. Nonlinear optical modalities, including second harmonic generation (SHG) and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF), combined with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), offer a promising non-destructive diagnostic method for evaluating lignocellulose-based materials.

Chemical Compositions and Chromatic Mechanism of High-Temperature Iron-Series Glazed Wares from the Guangyuan Kiln in Sichuan Province, Southwest China During the Song Dynasty.

The Guangyuan kiln, located in the Sichuan Province, Southwest China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), is renowned for its high-temperature iron-series glazed wares, including pure black glazed ware, hare's fur glazed ware, glossy brown glazed ware, and matte brown glazed ware.

A Collaborative and Scalable Geospatial Data Set for Arctic Retrogressive Thaw Slumps with Data Standards.

Arctic permafrost is undergoing rapid changes due to climate warming in high latitudes. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS) are one of the most abrupt and impactful thermal-denudation events that change Arctic landscapes and accelerate carbon feedbacks. Their spatial distribution remains poorly characterised due to time-intensive conventional mapping methods.

Downscaling of ERA5 reanalysis land surface temperature based on attention mechanism and Google Earth Engine.

Land Surface Temperature (LST) is widely recognized as a sensitive indicator of climate change, and it plays a significant role in ecological research. The ERA5-Land LST dataset, developed and managed by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), is extensively used for global or regional LST studies. However, its fine-scale application is limited by its low spatial resolution.

Non-consumptive value of hilsa fishery restoration in West Bengal, India: An application of contingent valuation method.

The study focuses on the socio-cultural importance of hilsa fishery in West Bengal, which extends beyond mere sustenance, symbolising heritage, identity, and community spirit, particularly in South 24 Parganas district. As the state fish and a crucial livelihood source for many fishers, grave concerns have recently been flagged due to reduced catches and increased prices, highlighting the need for restoration. This study seeks to measure the non-consumptive value of hilsa fishery by involving 200 participants, 100 fishers and 100 consumers, utilising the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) with a payment card.

FAIR data - the photon and neutron communities move together towards open science.

The topic of data storage, traceability, and data use and reuse in the years following experiments is becoming an important topic in Europe and across the world. Many scientific communities are striving to create open data by the FAIR principles. This is a requirement from the European Commission for EU-funded projects and experiments at EU-funded research infrastructures (RIs) and from many national funding agencies.

The Once and Future Fish: Assessing a Millennium of Atlantic Herring Exploitation Through Mixed-Stock Analysis and Ancient DNA.

Small pelagic fish support profitable fisheries and are important for food security around the world. Yet, their sustainable management can be hindered by the indiscriminate impacts of simultaneous exploitation of fish from multiple distinct biological populations over extended periods of time. The quantification of such impacts is greatly facilitated by recently developed molecular tools-including diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels for mixed-stock analysis (MSA)-that can accurately detect the population identity of individual fish.

Insight into the microbial diversity and community in the sacrificial pits of Sanxingdui site (Sichuan, China).

Introduction: The Sanxingdui site (Sichuan, China) is the typical representative of the ancient Shu culture, which lasts from the late Neolithic to early Western Zhou. The sacrificial pits are located in the core region of Sanxingdui site, and numerous artifacts are unearthed including ivory, seashells, bronzes, pottery, jade, stone, gold, bone, and horn products. The function of the pits and buried artifacts has always been the focus, but the microbiome around artifacts attracts less attention.

Unravelling hidden text and figures in paper-based archival documents with micro-spatially offset Raman spectroscopy imaging.

The preservation of paper-based archival documents is crucial for safeguarding historical and cultural heritage. Some records possess visually inaccessible text or images because of previous conservation measures, their method of construction, or historic damage. Micro-spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (micro-SORS) has emerged as a promising method for probing below or through opaque material substrates non-invasively.

Metagenome-resolved functional traits of Rubrobacter species implicated in rosy discoloration of ancient frescoes in two Georgian Cathedrals.

Pink biofilm formation on stone monuments and mural paintings poses serious harm to cultural heritage preservation. Pink biofilms are globally widespread and recalcitrant to eradication, often causing recurrences after restoration. Yet, the ecological drivers of pink biofilm formation and the metabolic functions sustaining the growth of pigment-producing biodeteriogens remain unclear.

[Textual research on ancient geo-authentic producing areas of Chaenomeles speciosa based on literature and historical records from materia medica and local chronicles].

Chaenomeles speciosa, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) material, has the effects of stimulating the circulation of the blood and causing the muscles and joints to relax, as well as harmonizing the stomach and resolving dampness. It was first recorded in the Ming Yi Bie Lu during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and its cultivation history can be traced back to the Bencao Tujing in the Song Dynasty. Modern research mainly focuses on the producing areas of Ch.

[Cultivation history and cultivars of medicinal Paeonia lactiflora in China].

Paeoniae Radix Alba, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine derived from the dried roots of Paeonia lactiflora, is mainly produced in Anhui, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Shandong, and Hunan provinces. Since this plant has been cultivated for a long period, various cultivars have been formed in different producing areas. Based on systematic herbal textual research and a review of local chronicles, this study investigated the germplasm resources of medicinal P.