In the darkest hour: Analyses of a black spot on the last page of the diary of polar explorer Jørgen Brønlund (d. 1907)

The three members of Sledge Team 1 in the Denmark Expedition of 1906–08 died in the fall of 1907 trying to return to the basecamp in Danmarkshavn in north-east Greenland. In their final approach they attempted to make it across 79-Fjord towards a depot on Lambert's Land on their dog sledges, but were impaired in doing so by rough ice scape, exhaustion and hunger. The last to die was Jørgen Brønlund. His body was found four months later, along with his diary, which on the last page gave a short explanation of what happened. Below his signature was adhered a foreign black spot. The spot has been analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence, synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry, which cast a light on the last hours of Brønlund's life. The analyses confirmed the presence of key minerals used in the production of natural rubber. Furthermore, traces of fat and petroleum derivatives combined with the sample morphology suggest that the spot originated from a rubber gasket, accidentally charred on Brønlund's attempt to preheat his Lux kerosene stove with different flammable materials in want of methylated spirits

Convento di San Francesco a Folloni: The function of a medieval franciscan friary seen through the burials

Background: The Franciscan Friary in Montella near Avellino in Southern Italy is of special interest because according to historical sources it was founded by St. Francis himself in AD 1221-1222. Human remains of several hundred individuals interred in the cloister walk have been unearthed during two excavation campaigns conducted in 2007-2008 and 2010. The environs of the friary have remained rural since the foundation preventing much modern contamination. The state of preservation of the skeletons is fair to good making a suite of analyses worthwhile. Results: The skeletons have been examined anthropologically and tissue samples have been subjected to radiocarbon dating, stable isotope measurements and trace element analyses by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Conclusions: The radiocarbon dates are consistent with the historical sources and show that the cemetery in the cloister walk has been in uninterrupted use from the foundation of the friary in AD 1221-1222 and until the cemetery went out of use in AD 1524. The anthropological investigations show that the individuals interred at the friary would have been shorter than other Italians from the same time, and it seems that tuberculosis was more prevalent than leprosy. Isotopic measurements show a mixed agricultural and pastoral diet and none of the individuals were consuming marine protein. Based on the trace element analysis it seems that the people resided mainly at two distinct geographical areas, one of which was Montella. One individual stands out from the rest, because he was born and raised at some third geographical location distinct from Montella and because he sports the second oldest radiocarbon date of AD 1050-1249 (two sigma calibrated range). This date is consistent with the first generation of the founders of the friary-perhaps one of St. Francis' fellow travellers from Assisi

Correction to: Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome (Heritage Science, (2021), 9, 1, (14), 10.1186/s40494-021-00481-9)

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors identified an error in an author’s name. The incorrect name was: Erika Ribercini. The correct author name is: Erika Ribechini. The author group has been updated above and the original article [1] has been corrected

Use of Peptide Arrays for Identification and Characterization of LIR Motifs

The mammalian ATG8 proteins (LC3A-C/GABARAP, GABARAPL1, and GABARAPL2) are small ubiquitin-like proteins critically involved in macroautophagy. Their processed C-termini are posttranslationally conjugated to a phosphatidylethanolamine moiety, enabling their insertion into the lipid bilayers of both the inner and outer membranes of the forming autophagosomes. The ATG8s bind a diverse selection of proteins including cargo receptors for selective autophagy, members of the core autophagy machinery, and other proteins involved in formation, transport, and maturation (fusion to lysosomes) of autophagosomes. Protein binding to the ATG8s is in most cases mediated by short, conserved sequence motifs known as LC3-interacting regions (LIRs). Here, we present a protocol for identifying putative LIR motifs in a whole protein sequence using peptide arrays generated by SPOT synthesis on nitrocellulose membranes. The use of two-dimensional peptide arrays allows for further identification of specific residues critical for LIR binding