The uronic acid content of coccolith-associated polysaccharides provides insight into coccolithogenesis and past climate.

Unicellular phytoplanktonic algae (coccolithophores) are among the most prolific producers of calcium carbonate on the planet, with a production of ∼1026 coccoliths per year. During their lith formation, coccolithophores mainly employ coccolith-associated polysaccharides (CAPs) for the regulation of crystal nucleation and growth. These macromolecules interact with the intracellular calcifying compartment (coccolith vesicle) through the charged carboxyl groups of their uronic acid residues. Here we report the isolation of CAPs from modern day coccolithophores and their prehistoric predecessors and we demonstrate that their uronic acid content (UAC) offers a species-specific signature. We also show that there is a correlation between the UAC of CAPs and the internal saturation state of the coccolith vesicle that, for most geologically abundant species, is inextricably linked to carbon availability. These findings suggest that the UAC of CAPs reports on the adaptation of coccolithogenesis to environmental changes and can be used for the estimation of past CO2 concentrations.

[[The Lactéol's laboratory of Dr Boucard (Laboratoire du Dr Boucard]. / Le laboratoire du Lactéol du Docteur Boucard.

Shortly before 1910, Dr Boucard creates his laboratory in Paris. It manufactures and sells a drug based on lactic ferments the " Lactéol du Dr Boucard" (Dr's Boucard Lactéol) that will make the fortune of the physician. The article explains Dr Boucard's life and his relationship with the arts (painting and photography), and tells the story of his laboratory until the 2000s, referring to the pharmacists who succeeded them, as well as the various buildings where were elaborated Lactéol's variants.

Analysis of wall plasters and natural sediments from the Neolithic town of Çatalhöyük (Turkey) by a range of analytical techniques.

Wall plaster sequences from the Neolithic town of Çatalhöyük have been analysed and compared to three types of natural sediment found in the vicinity of the site, using a range of analytical techniques. Block samples containing the plaster sequences were removed from the walls of several different buildings on the East Mound. Sub-samples were examined by IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence to determine the overall mineralogical and elemental composition, whilst thin sections were studied using optical polarising microscopy, IR Microscopy and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. The results of this study have shown that there are two types of wall plaster found in the sequences and that the sediments used to produce these were obtained from at least two distinct sources. In particular, the presence of clay, calcite and magnesian calcite in the foundation plasters suggested that these were prepared predominantly from a marl source. On the other hand, the finishing plasters were found to contain dolomite with a small amount of clay and no calcite, revealing that softlime was used in their preparation. Whilst marl is located directly below and around Çatalhöyük, the nearest source of softlime is 6.5km away, an indication that the latter was important to the Neolithic people, possibly due to the whiter colour (5Y 8/1) of this sediment. Furthermore, the same two plaster types were found on each wall of Building 49, the main building studied in this research, and in all five buildings investigated, suggesting that the use of these sources was an established practice for the inhabitants of several different households across the site.

Wall paintings studied using Raman spectroscopy: a comparative study between various assays of cross sections and external layers.

This work describes a comparative study between in situ applications of portable Raman spectroscopy and direct laboratory measurements using micro-Raman spectroscopy on the surface of small samples and of cross sections. The study was performed using wall paintings from different sites of the Alcazar of Seville. Little information was obtained using a portable Raman spectrometer due to the presence of an acrylic polymer, calcium oxalate, calcite and gypsum that was formed or deposited on the surface. The pigments responsible for different colours, except cinnabar, were not detected by the micro-Raman spectroscopy study of the surface of small samples taken from the wall paintings due to the presence of surface contaminants. The pigments and plaster were characterised using cross sections. The black colour consisted of carbon black. The red layers were formed by cinnabar and white lead or by iron oxides. The green and white colours were composed of green emerald or atacamite and calcite, respectively. Pb3O4 has also been characterised. The white layers (plaster) located under the colour layers consisted of calcite, quartz and feldspars. The fresco technique was used to create the wall paintings. A wall painting located on a gypsum layer was also studied. The Naples yellow in this wall painting was not characterised due to the presence of glue and oils. This study showed the advantage of studying cross sections to completely characterise the pigments and plaster in the studied wall paintings.

Cleopatra's cocktail.

Pliny the Elder's account of Cleopatra consuming a cocktail of vinegar and a pearl in order to win a bet with Antony was considered credible in the ancient world, but many modern scholars have relegated the anecdote to the realm of fantasy. This paper identifies possible reasons for this skepticism, including the visual tradition of the story and the belief that increasing concentration always increases reaction rate. Experiments reveal that, in the case of acetic acid and pearls, the concentration found in vinegar made from wine is ideal.

Marbles in the façade of the "Certosa di Pavia": a physico-chemical study.

In the framework of an interdisciplinary research project on the well known monastery "Certosa di Pavia", the thermal and structural properties of marbles employed in the construction of the façade of the basilica were investigated in order to detect the main decomposition phenomena occurring on the monument surface. The results obtained by means of thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses, as well as by means of X-ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy, allowed one to characterize samples taken from various sculptures of the façade and to bring out the degradation phenomena occurring in some of them, in particular the formation of "black crusts" with a high content in gypsum. The present findings are in fair agreement with those reported by other research groups which also studied with different techniques the construction materials of this monument.

The weathering of natural and artificial stones in the baroque church of S. Pietro in Valle (Fano-Italy).

The church of San Pietro in Valle in Fano is with good reason considered one of the outstanding examples of baroque art in Central Italy. Currently the church is in a serious degradation status. For this reason, and in order to devise a correct conservative restoration project, a scientific study has been carried out, aimed at characterizing mortars used for the application of marble decorations and the different degradation products occurring in the church (i.e. pulverizations, encrustations, salt efflorescences, and condensation water). In the following, results obtained analyzing the different sample typologies by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron scanning microscopy with energy-dispersion micro-analytical system, ion chromatography, and head-space solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry will be reported.

Identification of different types of imperial age marble finds using instrumental chemical analysis and pattern recognition analysis.

A physical-chemical characterisation of several marbles frequently used in ancient times for artistic or decorative purposes was performed in support the work of historians and restorers. The data were obtained using several different types of instrumental chemical methods (Thermogravimetry, Differential Thermal Analysis, X-ray Diffractometry and ICP Plasma Emission Spectroscopy) and have been summarised in short tables. The data have already proved useful in the identification of a small number of finds (statues or architectonic elements) from Ancient Rome (Imperial Age, 2nd-3nd cent. A.D.) for the purpose of which also a well-known pattern recognition analysis software package was used for data processing. In practice, the research showed that an organised set of chemical data obtained using several modern instrumental methods can provide a valid basis for the reasonably rapid and reliable identification of the type of marble used to make artistic artifacts that have not yet been subjected to typological study.

Evaluation of barium hydroxide treatment efficacy on a dolomitic marble.

The Arch of Peace, by Luigi Cagnola, is one of the most famous neoclassical monuments in Milan. It has been subjected to conservative intervention in 1998. In the present paper the efficacy of the consolidation by means of barium hydroxide has been evaluated. The stone material showed severe degradation phenomena as: erosion, pulverisation, exfoliation. The analytical data acquired through X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), allowed to compare the conditions of stone before and after the treatment with barium hydroxide. The presence of barium has been put in evidence mainly on the surface as barium sulphate, whereas barium is only sporadically present within the thickness of the decayed material. The treatment was judged not satisfying and its inefficacy is, most probably, due to a not suitable cleaning procedure carried out before the consolidation.

The wall paintings in the Oratorio of San Giovanni Battista in Urbino: a study finalized to a correct conservation project.

The walls of the Oratorio of San Giovanni Battista in Urbino are decorated with outstanding mural paintings dating back to the 15th century. Due to degradation processes that have occurred in the past years, such paintings require a conservative restoration project. In order to evaluate reasons of the decay, some scientific studies have been performed. They consist of macroscopic observations and chemical (EDS), morphological (SEM) and mineralogical (XRD) analyses of samples both from the original preparatory layers under the painted layers and from the restored plasters at the surbase of the wall. In addition, environmental studies have been performed to verify microclimatic conditions of the church in which the mural paintings are located. Finally, a conservative restoration project was proposed.

ESR spectroscopy as a tool for identifying joining fragments of antique marbles: the example of a pulpit by Donatello and Michelozzo.

ESR spectroscopy is one of the physicochemical techniques used to characterize archaeological white marbles and obtain information about their quarries of provenance. This is done by measuring selected spectral features of the Mn(2+) impurity ubiquitously present in marbles and developing a statistical classification rule from the variable vectors measured for a significant number of samples of known provenance (the quarry database). Now we show that the overall variability exhibited by the same spectroscopic features decreases rapidly with the linear dimensions of the sampled block and can be used to distinguish fragments belonging to the same piece of stone from those simply originating from the same quarry. Application of the method to the seven marble panels of the Donatello pulpit in Prato (Tuscany) shows that they have all been cut from the same single block and their different degradation must be ascribed to differential weathering and to the different conservation treatments undergone in the past. The limits and possible drawbacks of the method are also discussed.