University of Basilicata

The efficiency of anaerobic digestion (AD) is often constrained by the kinetic bottleneck of interspecies hydrogen transfer. This study investigates multilayer graphene (MG), a conductive carbon material, as a strategy to promote direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET). Batch AD experiments were conducted with MG dosages of 0, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 g/L. All MG-amended reactors demonstrated accelerated volatile fatty acid (VFA) consumption and higher methane yields compared to the control. However, a saturation effect was observed above 2.5 g/L, with no statistically significant increase in methane production (p > 0.05), establishing this concentration as the most resource-efficient dosage under the tested conditions. Microbial community analysis revealed a mechanistic shift: MG addition suppressed the hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanoculleus while enriching the DIET-associated syntroph Syntrophomonas and mixotrophic Methanosarcina . These findings suggest that MG redirects metabolism from a sensitive hydrogen-based syntrophy to a more direct and resilient DIET pathway, providing a strong proof-of-concept for enhancing AD performance. • MG selectively accelerated methanogenesis, not hydrolysis or protein degradation • A 2.5 g/L dose maximized CH 4 production rate and shortened lag phase • Methane yield increased by15%, with performance saturating at a 2.5 g/L dosage • MG enriched DIET-syntroph Syntrophomonas and mixotroph Methanosarcina

The European Environment Agency believes that circular economy strategies could substantially contribute to CO2 emissions reduction. Therefore, it is necessary that the agro-industrial sector identifies sustainable technologies for side-stream management. The scope of this review was to compare the sustainability of available biological treatments for by-product biomasses and organic waste. A total of 147 studies, all Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Techno-Economic Analyses (TEAs), were selected through PRISMA-ScR methodology, on Scopus and Web of Science, and were bibliographically mapped on VOSviewer (Version 1.6.20) Anaerobic digestion and integrated energy recovery systems were found to be the most environmentally robust options. Integrated biorefineries and multi-product systems have emerged as the highest long-term sustainability potential, especially when process integration and co-product recovery were also implemented. Importantly, the most sustainable systems were found to have required considerable start-up investments. Thus, sustainable deployment of biological treatment technologies was clearly dependent on time-consistent policy frameworks that have been fertile to capital-intensive infrastructures via incentives and fiscal measures and that have embraced circular bioeconomy systems. Finally, this paper has demonstrated that the sustainability of biological treatments has resulted from optimal relationships between biomass characteristics, system boundaries, process integration, and market value of co-product, while no single technology has been sufficient in isolation.

Il contributo propone un’analisi critica della letteratura sulla scultura in cartapesta nel Sud Italia tra Settecento e primi del Novecento, un argomento che solo recentemente è stato oggetto di attenzioni specifiche. Si indicano quindi alcune prospettive per ulteriori ricerche, concentrando l’attenzione su un territorio, quello della Basilicata, per il quale sono stati ancora meno numerosi gli interventi di studio. Si segnalano quindi alcune sculture in cartapesta inedite o poco note nell’area lucana, proponendo attribuzioni o specificando l’ambito in cui furono realizzate.

Coastal dune systems are fundamental transitional geomorphological features that function not only as natural barriers for coastal protection but also as valuable geo-archives capable of recording the evolutionary dynamics of coastal landscapes. Along the Italian coasts, the formation and stabilization of these systems during the Holocene and historical periods have been shaped by a complex interplay between post-glacial sea-level rise, variability in fluvial sediment supply, and increasingly significant anthropogenic impacts. This contribution provides a systematic review of dated coastal dune systems across the Italian peninsula and its major islands. The primary objective is to synthesize current knowledge and establish a consistent chrono-stratigraphic framework. By integrating geomorphological data, radiometric dating (OSL and 14C), geoarchaeological evidence, and historical cartography, this study analyzes the spatial and temporal distribution of dune ridges. This integrated approach allows for the identification of synchronous phases of stabilization and progradation at a regional scale, offering a comprehensive perspective on how Mediterranean shorelines have responded to Late Quaternary forcing factors. A key focus of this ongoing research involves utilizing these dated dune sequences as high-resolution proxies for quantifying coastal progradation rates. By correlating the spatial position of dune bodies with their absolute ages, it is possible to derive estimates of shoreline advancement rates across diverse physiographic settings, such as deltaic lobes, open coastal plains, and embayed sectors. This methodology enables a distinction between periods of rapid progradation often linked to high sediment supply or sea-level stabilization—and phases of coastal stability or erosion. In conclusion, this review demonstrates that the integrated study of Italian coastal dunes is not only essential for paleogeographic reconstruction but also provides vital quantitative parameters (progradation rates) for understanding coastal resilience. Such data are crucial for calibrating evolutionary models in response to contemporary sea-level rise and decreasing sediment delivery, aligning with the core themes of proxy identification and process understanding in past and present interglacials.

Soil hydraulic behavior is fundamental for determining water flow dynamics within the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum. Soil Hydraulic Properties, SHP, govern essential processes, including soil water storage within the root zone and the entire soil profile, evapotranspiration, plant water and nutrient uptake, runoff generation, deep percolation, groundwater recharge, as well as the transport of solutes and contaminants. There are several laboratory and field methods to characterize SHP. Laboratory measurements are generally more straightforward than field tests. However, their reliability depends on the selection of sample sizes that adequately represent the present heterogeneity in natural soils. In-situ methods for determining SHP are often labor-intensive and time-consuming due to the need for detailed spatial and temporal data. Because SHP exhibit significant spatial variability, many measurements are required to accurately characterize the SHP. This variability highlights the need for faster and more efficient methods to characterize SHP across multiple sites. This study proposes a fast in-situ method for SHP characterization called TDR-2D. It combines Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) with soil water modelling in a wetted bulb under a dripper. The TDR-2D method was simultaneously applied to multiple sites across an experimental field to estimate their SHP. The same sites were characterized using the Tension Infiltrometer Method, TIM. The soil hydraulic parameters estimated by TDR-2D were evaluated by comparing them to those obtained by TIM. Parameter correlation matrices were employed to assess uncertainty in parameter estimation. An additional sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the influence of different dripper nominal flow rates (2, 4, and 6 l/h) on parameter estimation. The results indicate that the TDR-2D method reliably estimates soil water retention parameters across all tested flow rates. Estimation of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K0) was particularly accurate at flow rates of 2 and 4 l/h whereas accuracy declined at 6 l/h. Furthermore, model output sensitivity to soil hydraulic parameters decreased with increasing dripper flow rate. Overall, for the soils investigated, the findings suggest that the TDR-2D method performs optimally at a nominal flow rate of 4 l/h, providing accurate SHP estimates while minimizing parameter uncertainty. Since the TDR-2D and TIM methods yield Russo–Gardner (RG) and van Genuchten–Mualem (vGM) parameters, respectively, direct comparison required conversion between the two parameter sets. The results demonstrate that conversion from vGM to RG parameters is generally feasible, whereas the reverse conversion is less straightforward and should be approached with caution.

Abstract This paper sheds light on the artistic heritage of today’s Basilicata region by analyzing different forms of representation of patrons in medieval artworks. It focuses on portraits, heraldic symbols and allegorical figures, inscriptions and epigraphs in order to probe the identity of those who commissioned artworks in Basilicata during the Middle Ages, their motives for doing so, the way they wanted to be remembered, and the role they played in their production. In this way, this paper aims to contribute to a more in-depth understanding of medieval patronage in a cultural context largely sidelined by artistic historiography.

This study presents an intercomparison of planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) estimates derived from three distinct approaches: the Morphological Image Processing Approach (MIPA) algorithm applied to ground-based lidar measurements, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Reanalysis 5th Generation (ERA5) and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2) reanalysis model outputs, and radiosonde (RS) observations, this latter being taken as reference. The intercomparison was conducted during three measurement episodes, encompassing a total of 153 h (6 days), as part of the Boundary Layer Extensive Campaign with muLti-instrumentaL Analysis (BELLA), carried out in spring and early summer 2024 at the CNR-IMAA Atmospheric Observatory (CIAO) in southern Italy (40.60N, 15.72E). The study provides insights into the performance and reliability of these PBLH estimation approaches under diverse atmospheric scenarios. Visual and statistical analyses of selected case studies indicate that MIPA often tracked the aerosol layering structure and diurnal PBLH evolution more closely than ERA5 and MERRA-2, particularly during convective growth and evening transitions. On the other hand, it is found that ERA5 provides more accurate estimates of the nighttime PBLH, where MIPA shows poor nighttime estimation capabilities. Quantitative comparison against radiosonde data reveals that MIPA reaches a weighted root mean square error (RMSEw) of 380±41 m with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.68±0.16, while ERA5 shows an RMSEw of 292±72 m and an R2 of 0.81±0.11; and MERRA-2 shows an RMSEw of 631±124 m and an R2 of 0.34±0.21. By combining MIPA daytime and ERA5 nighttime PBLH, the overall results are improved, obtaining an R2=0.86±0.08 and an RMSEw of 213±40 m. This intercomparison highlights the strengths and limitations of each method and demonstrates the benefits of combining complementary PBLH retrieval techniques. The findings contribute to refining boundary layer monitoring methodologies and provide guidance for operational atmospheric observation networks.

The Castle of Uggiano located in Ferrandina (MT),Italy, is evidently an emblematic example of fragile and inaccessible castle ruins within the landscape of the mediterranean coasts. The information of this architectural heritage appears fragmented and its ruins require early restoration actions due to its abandonment and the associated risk of disappearance. For this reason, a team of three architects, two engineers, a surveyor and an archaeologist were commissioned to carry out an executive restoration project by the Municipality of Ferrandina. This team proposes an integrated multidisciplinary methodology structured in the three main steps of data acquisition, data development and data dissemination, with the aim of identifying specific restoration project interventions and effective dissemination strategies. The systematization process of the data acquired by the archival and literature searches and UAV photogrammetry, allowed tocreate a detailed 3D digital model. This model was used to carry out remote site inspections, to develop studies of its historical building techniques and materials and toanalyse its specific structures, understanding their transformations over time, due to critical events such as landslides, earthquakes and sieges. The proposed methodology provides a dissemination strategy that develops along two parallel paths: the interactive fruition on Virtual Reality,through the use of an existing open-sourceweb platformfor tourism promotion, and the realization of innovative laboratory activities at the Elementary School to sensitize children to respect and care for the local historical heritage.