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Considering the current geopolitical situation that has hindered the gas supply gas from Russia, Europe’s main supplier, it is necessary to find alternative routes to guarantee the Italian gas stocks in winter at a reasonable cost. Such energetic strategies should consider the environmental sustainability of the different available options, fitting the targets of the EU environmental policy. With the aim of supplying a quantitative tool to support the European green transition, this paper reports the entire life cycle assessment (LCA) of three different options for the production and supply of natural gas/methane in Italy: the production of biomethane from biogas (considering a real-scale plant in Italy), the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplied by Qatar by vessel, and the use of compressed gas delivered from Algeria via pipeline. The application of the LCA standardized method allowed for the quantification of the environmental benefit provided by the first option, against all the considered impact categories, thanks to a combination of several advantages: (a) its low-impact anaerobic production, (b) its exploitation of a waste product from the food/agriculture industries, and (c) its production of valuable by-products, which can be considered environmental credits. The results proved the possible environmental gain resulting from an integrated energy supply system that would be able to enhance the economic fabric of specific areas.

The work presented here focused on the extraction of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and palladium (Pd) from electronic waste using a solution of ammonium thiosulfate. Thiosulfate was used as a valid alternative to cyanide for precious metal extractions, due to its non-toxicity and high selectivity. The interactions between sodium thiosulfate, total ammonia/ammonium, precious metal concentrations and the particle size of the waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) were studied by the response surface methodology (RSM) and the principal component analysis (PCA) to maximize precious metal mobilization. Au extraction reached a high efficiency with a granulometry of less than 0.25 mm, but the consumption of reagents was high. On the other hand, Ag extraction depended neither on thiosulfate/ammonia concentration nor granulometry of WPCBs and it showed efficiency of 90% also with the biggest particle size (0.50 < Ø < 1.00 mm). Pd extraction, similarly to Au, showed the best efficiency with the smallest and the medium WPCB sizes, but required less reagents compared to Au. The results showed that precious metal leaching is a complex process (mainly for Au, which requires more severe conditions in order to achieve high extraction efficiencies) correlated with reagent concentrations, precious metal concentrations and WPCB particle sizes. These results have great potentiality, suggesting the possibility of a more selective recovery of precious metals based on the different granulometry of the WPCBs. Furthermore, the high extraction efficiencies obtained for all the metals bode well in the perspective of large-scale applications.

Introduction: Intradiploic pseudomeningoceles, also called intradiploic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistulas, are abnormal CSF collections between the two bony tables of the calvaria resulting from postsurgical CSF leakage. To date, only six cases of intradiploic pseudomeningocele have been reported, all occurring in the occipital area. In this paper, we report the seventh case of late-onset occipital intradiploic pseudomeningocele (OIP) occurring in a young female patient who underwent surgery for the removal of a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma. In this regard, we also review the literature on the few recognized cases of OIP. Case Presentation: The case of an 18-year-old female patient known to our institute for an operation 12 years earlier to remove a pilocytic astrocytoma is illustrated. At admission, the patient complained only of occasional orthostatic headache. Brain imaging demonstrated a pseudomeningocele extended intradiploically from the occipital squama to the condylar and clivus regions, thinning both occipital bone tables and dilating the CSF-filled diploe. Watertight duroplasty and cranioplasty were effectively performed. Conclusion: Pediatric patients undergoing posterior cranial fossa craniotomy/craniectomy may postoperatively develop OIP. In this setting, treatment of any dural CSF fistula should be considered because of the risk of progressive extension and bone erosion.

Bio-based lacquers prepared from an underutilized tomato processing residue such as pomace have been investigated as sustainable alternatives to bisphenol A (BPA)-based coatings for metal food packaging. The fabrication methodology consisted of a two-step process: spray-coating of a paste of the lipid fraction of tomato pomace with a mixture ethanol:H2O (3:1, v:v) on common metal substrates, used for food canning, such as aluminum (Al), chromium-coated tin-free steel (TFS), and electrochemically tin-plated steel (ETP), followed by the self melt-polycondensation of such lipid fraction. The polymerization reaction was conducted at 200 ◦C for different times (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min) and was monitored by specular infrared spectroscopy, resulting in maximum degrees of esterification of ~92% for Al and ~85% for TFS and ETP substrates. The anticorrosion performance of the coatings was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy at different immersion times (time intervals of 2–5 h during an overall stability test up to 170 h) in an aqueous solution of 1 wt% NaCl. The degree of polymerization and the physical properties of the coatings showed a strong dependence on the metal substrate used. In general, the best results were found for tomato pomace-based lacquers applied on aluminum, achieving higher mechanical strength (critical load of 1739 ± 198 mN for Al, 1078 ± 31 mN for ETP, and 852 ± 206 mN for TFS), hydrophobicity (water contact angle ~95◦ for Al, ~91◦ for ETP, and ~88◦ for TFS), and improved anticorrosion performance (coating resistance of 0.7 MΩcm2 after 170 h of immersion for Al, 0.7 MΩcm2 after 70 h of immersion for TFS, and negligible coating resistance for ETP). In view of the technical innovation proposed in the present paper, the estimation of the environmental sustainability of the process has been considered relevant to fit the circular economy target. For this purpose, a life cycle analysis (LCA) was applied to the overall process, revealing multiple advantages for both the environment and human health.

BACKGROUND Takotsubo syndrome (TS) represents a form of nonischemic cardiomyopathy characterized by sudden and temporary weakening of the myocardium. Many data suggest a primary role for sympathetic overstimulation in its pathogenesis. Nevertheless, these correlates are less easily identified during anesthesia. OBSERVATIONS A 50-year-old female patient with a 4-year history of drug-resistant left trigeminal neuralgia. She was scheduled for surgical microvascular decompression. In the operating room, after induction of general anesthesia and oral intubation, the electrocardiogram revealed a significant ST segment elevation along with a sudden decrease in systolic blood pressure and heart rate. Administration of atropine caused a conversion into ventricular tachycardia. The advanced cardiac life support protocols were applied with prompt defibrillation and rapid recovery at sinus rhythm. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed apical akinesia with ballooning of the left ventricle with a reduction of systolic function. An emergency coronary arteriography was performed, showing normal epicardial coronary vessels. After 4 days, echocardiography revealed normalization of the left ventricular function with improvement of the ejection fraction. LESSONS In patients affected by trigeminal neuralgia, chronic pain can lead to a state of adrenergic hyperactivation, which can promote TS during the induction of general anesthesia, probably through the trigeminocardiac reflex.

Introduction Macular neovascularization (MNV) is a common complication of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although several biomarkers may help to estimate the risk of MNV onset, neovascular complication is difficult to predict. Previous studies showed that the quantitative assessment of choroidal and choriocapillaris changes is useful for the assessment of atrophy expansion. On the other hand, scant data are available regarding the role of this kind of assessment in the setting of MNV. The aim of the study is to analyze choroidal and choriocapillaris changes occurring before the onset of MNV in patients affected by AMD using quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). Methods The study was designed as a retrospective case series. Patients affected by AMD, categorized in eyes complicated by MNV and eyes not developing MNV, were retrospectively analyzed for 1 year of follow-up. Choroidal thickness (CT), Sattler layer thickness (SLT) and Haller layer thickness (HLT) were measured on OCT scans. Vessel density (VD) and choriocapillaris (CC) porosity were quantified on OCTA reconstructions. The main outcome measure was the relationship between choroidal and CC parameters, and MNV onset. Results We included 50 eyes of 50 AMD patients (28 male; mean age 74 ± 5 years). Over the 1-year follow-up, 15/50 eyes developed MNV (9 type 1; 3 type 2; 3 mixed type 1–2). Mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.15 ± 0.15 logMAR at baseline, remaining stable in eyes not developing MNV (0.15 ± 0.12 logMAR; p > 0.05), and worsening to 0.38 ± 0.20 logMAR in eyes developing MNV (p

PURPOSE Macular neovascularization (MNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration can be characterized by quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography. The aim of the study was to assess the evolution of quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography parameters after 1 year of antivascular endothelial growth factor injections. METHODS Naive age-related macular degeneration-related MNV eyes were prospectively recruited to analyze optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography parameters, including MNV vessel tortuosity (VT) and reflectivity, at baseline and at the end of the follow-up. Macular neovascularization eyes were categorized by a MNV VT cutoff, and quantitative parameter variations were documented after 1 year of treatment. We divided MNV eyes into Group 1 (MNV VT 8.40). RESULTS Thrity naive age-related macular degeneration-related MNV eyes (30 patients) were included. Our cohort included 18 Type 1 MNV and 12 Type 2 MNV lesions. Baseline central macular thickness (411 ± 85 µm) improved to 323 ± 54 µm at 1 year (P < 0.01). Only Group 1 MNV displayed significant visual improvement. Macular neovascularization VT values remained stable over the follow-up in both subgroups. Group 2 MNV eyes showed increased MNV reflectivity and increased MNV area at the end of the follow-up. Quantitative retinal capillary plexa parameters were found to be worse in Group 2 MNV. Outer retinal atrophy occurred in 2 of the 18 eyes in MNV Group 1 (11%) and in 6 of the 12 eyes in MNV Group 2 (50%) after 1 year. Vessel density proved to be always worse in Group 2 than in Group 1. CONCLUSION Macular neovascularization VT provides information on the blood flow and identifies two subgroups with different final anatomical and visual outcomes, regardless of the treatment effect.

Background: To perform a quantitative optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography (OCTA) analysis of macular neovascularization (MNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD), with the aim of highlighting quantitative features indicating different clinical entities. Methods: Study design: prospective, interventional. We recruited patients affected by AMD, CSC or BVMD, complicated by naive MNV. All patients underwent complete ophthalmologic examination and multimodal imaging. They were treated with anti-VEGF injections, following a pro-re-nata regimen. The ensuing follow-up lasted 1 year. Quantitative dye-based angiography, OCT, and OCTA parameters were analysed to obtain cutoff values able to distinguish two clinically different patient subgroups for each retinal disease. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness, vessel density of superficial, deep and choriocapillaris plexa, vessel tortuosity (VT) of MNV, vessel dispersion of MNV, number of injections, MNV/leakage ratio, MNV size, speckled fluorescence, and outer retinal atrophy. Results: Ninety-eight eyes affected by MNV (98 patients) were analysed. These included 66 eyes affected by AMD, 18 displaying CSC, and 14 eyes with BVMD. BCVA was alike in the three groups, both at baseline and after 1 year (p > 0.05). An MNV VT cutoff of 8.40 at baseline detected two patient subgroups differing significantly in terms of morpho-functional features, found both at baseline and at the end of the follow-up. Conclusions: Quantitative OCTA suggested that the MNV’s VT might be able to provide a better characterization of two different morpho-functional manifestations in AMD, CSC and BVMD.

To assess the relationship between choroidal overall and sublayer thickness and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) stage progression.A prospective, observational case series was performed. Two hundred and sixty-two eyes of 262 patients with different stages of AMD were imaged by optical coherence tomography. Age-related macular degeneration stage, choroidal thickness, Sattler layer-choriocapillaris complex thickness (SLCCT), and Haller layer thickness were determined at the baseline visit, at a 1-year follow-up visit, at a 2-year follow up visit, and at a final visit (performed after a mean of 5 ± 1 year from the baseline visit).Baseline AMD stages were distributed as follows: early AMD (30 eyes; 12%), intermediate AMD (97 eyes; 39%), and late AMD (126 eyes; 49%). At the final follow-up, AMD stages were so distributed: early AMD (14 eyes; 6%), intermediate AMD (83 eyes; 33%), and late AMD (156 eyes; 61%). Each group showed a statistically significant decrease in choroidal thickness values over the entire follow-up ( P0.001), and SLCCT reduction was associated with AMD progression ( P0.001). Moreover, SLCCT quantitative cutoffs of20.50 µ m and10.5 µ m were associated with a moderate and high probability of AMD progression, respectively, and SLCCT quantitative cutoffs of18.50 µ m and8.50 µ m implied a moderate and high probability of macular neovascularization onset, respectively.Progressive choroidal impairment contributes to AMD progression. Among choroidal layers, a reduced SLCCT is a promising biomarker of disease worsening, and its quantitative evaluation could help to identify patients at higher risk of stage advancement.

To describe the future steps and advances in the field of ocular imaging in uveitis.Narrative review.There have been numerous advances in the field of imaging in uveitis in the past decade. Advanced techniques of imaging of the vitreous, vitreo-retinal interface, retinochoroid, and the sclera can provide significant information that helps in understanding the disease pathogenesis and manifestations. Imaging also helps in establishing a diagnosis in challenging cases, along with the laboratory and other assays. Notable developments in ocular imaging include wide-field and ultra-wide field imaging (including angiographies), automated quantification of the retinochoroidal vasculature using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography, quantification of vitreous cells, and intraoperative use of imaging in uveitis, among others.We have summarized several technological achievements in ocular imaging in the field of uveitis and provided insights into the potential future developments.

Drawing on learning and generational theory, we investigate the effect of socio-economic and contextual conditions on managerial learning and organizational development. Using data from 3657 managers across 20 countries, we untangle the interactive effect of national culture and generational cohort on learning goal orientation (LGO). Managers from younger generations (e.g. generation X) had a stronger LGO than those in older generations (e.g. Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1959). Performance orientation (PO) moderated the relationships so that the gap was stronger in high PO cultures. A validation of a model using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) supports a cross-level moderation model of PO on LGO. Our study provides important first evidence of the value of the multilevel analysis to understanding LGO in different groups of managers, improving scholarly capacity to understand the multilevel and cross-level effects that govern the workplace. It also supports cross-level studies for the development of global managers from different generational groups. We extend LGO research by identifying the contextual influence and how this impacts on the behaviour of managers across different societal ‘structures’ (e.g. generations) and societies (e.g. cultures). The results provide practical suggestions that make a difference in the workplace.

To investigate the morphological retinal parameters associated with retinal sensitivity status in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) through a quantitative multimodal imaging approach.The study was designed as an observational, prospective case series, including RP patients and healthy controls. Multimodal imaging included fundus autofluorescence (FAF), structural optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA) and microperimetry (MP). The follow-up lasted 12 months. For each imaging modality, we performed an overall quantitative analysis and a detailed investigation based on the ETDRS-9 sectors grid. Quantitative parameters included the thickness of each retinal and choroidal layer, vessel density (VD), choriocapillaris porosity (CCP), FAF intensity and MP retinal sensitivity.We included 40 eyes (40 patients) affected by RP and 40 healthy eyes (40 controls). Mean baseline BCVA was 0.14 ± 0.18 LogMAR, with 0.18 ± 0.24 LogMAR after 1-year of follow-up. RP eyes showed statistically significant alterations of retinal and choroidal layers on the ETDRS-9 sectors grid, significant reduction of VD values and MP retinal sensitivity, and significantly higher CCP than controls. The inner retinal layers proved closely associated with the functional integrity of the posterior pole. In addition, our ROC analysis provided quantitative cutoffs connected significantly with a high probability of observing a partial sparing of MP retinal sensitivity.The inner retinal layers are closely associated with the functional integrity of the posterior pole in RP. FAF intensity reduction may be interpreted as lipofuscin metabolism impairment inducing increased phototoxic distress for retinal structures. Vascular involvement contributes to the morpho-functional deterioration of the macular region in RP.

Literature on the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the mental health of Health Care Workers (HCWs) is mostly based on cross-sectional surveys. We designed a longitudinal study to assess work-related stress and mental health before and after the pandemic onset in a university-hospital in Lombardia region, Italy. We report on sample representativeness and structural validity of questionnaires assessing work stress (HSE Indicator Tool, HSE-IT) and work satisfaction (WS), which were not validated in the HCWs population. n = 1287 HCWs from 67 hospital wards/offices were invited to an online survey in summer 2019 (pre-COVID-19 wave) and again during winter 2020 (COVID-19 wave). Selected hospital wards/offices did not differ from the remaining wards for turn-over and down-sizing rates, overload, sick leaves, and night shifts (Wilcoxon rank tests p-values > 0.05). Participation rates were 70% (n = 805) and 60% (n = 431) in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 waves, respectively. Socio-demographic and work-related characteristics did not impact data completeness nor participation to the COVID-19 wave. While confirming a 7-component structure for HSE-IT, we identified a new factor related to participation in work organization. A one-factor model for WS had satisfactory fit. Our longitudinal study based on a representative sample and adopting validated questionnaires is well-suited to elucidate the role of work conditions on the development of mental health disorders in HCWs.

Within management studies and practice, the construct of organizational climate has long been studied, its theoretical value, support to human resource management and organizational development. Despite the sustained interest in this construct, theoretical and terminological inconsistencies have hindered the development of a shared framework. For the vested interest of companies and their persistent use for change management, a summative framework is essential. This study is a systematic review of the major frameworks that are available in the field, and it attempts to surface and summarize the major components of organizational climate. Thirteen compelling dimensions consistently emerged at the foundation of the construct, and these dimensions are Communication, Supervision/Leadership, Team Cohesion, Autonomy/self-governance, Psycho-Physical Environment, Reward Systems/Structures, Innovation, Decision-making, Job Description, Role Meaning and Goals, Coherence between Strategy and Operational Implementation/Fairness, Integration and Dynamism and Freedom of Expression. For each dimension, an operational definition is provided. Therefore, a comprehensive map of the construct is provided for the benefit of academics and practitioners to have a common language and for the development of analytics to be validated across and beyond hierarchy, sector and regional boundaries and an instrument of benchmark.

Background: Gene therapy cannot be yet considered a far perspective, but a tangible therapeutic option in the field of retinal diseases. Although still confined in experimental settings, the preliminary results are promising and provide an overall scenario suggesting that we are not so far from the application of gene therapy in clinical settings. The main aim of this review is to provide a complete and updated overview of the current state of the art and of the future perspectives of gene therapy applied on retinal diseases.Methods: We carefully revised the entire literature to report all the relevant findings related to the experimental procedures and the future scenarios of gene therapy applied in retinal diseases. A clinical background and a detailed description of the genetic features of each retinal disease included are also reported.Results: The current literature strongly support the hope of gene therapy options developed for retinal diseases. Although being considered in advanced stages of investigation for some retinal diseases, such as choroideremia (CHM), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), gene therapy is still quite far from a tangible application in clinical practice for other retinal diseases.Conclusions: Gene therapy is an extremely promising therapeutic tool for retinal diseases. The experimental data reported in this review offer a strong hope that gene therapy will be effectively available in clinical practice in the next years.

Background: The aim was to study the relationship between quantitative information provided by optical coherence tomography (OCT) angiography (OCTA) and conventional angiography in macular neovascularization (MNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Methods: The research was designed as an interventional, prospective study. We included 66 eyes (66 patients) affected by naïve MNV. Multimodal imaging included structural OCT, OCTA, fluorescein angiography (FA), and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). The follow-up lasted 1 year. Patients were treated by PRN anti-VEGF injections. Based on FA/ICGA examinations, we divided the patients into two categories: low vessel tortuosity (VT) (8.40), correlating VT with the MNV area, leakage area, speckled fluorescence (SF) quadrants and MNV area/leakage area ratio.Results: Mean baseline BCVA was 0.50 ± 0.61 LogMAR, improved to 0.31 ± 0.29 LogMAR after 1 year (p < 0.01), with a mean number of 7 ± 2 anti-VEGF injections. The patients revealed type-1 MNV in 36 eyes (55%), mixed type 1 and 2 MNV in 18 eyes (27%), and type-2 MNV in 12 eyes (18%). MNV eyes in high-VT MNV featured poorer BCVA, CMT, and OCTA parameters, higher SF quadrants, and less exudation, compared with low-VT MNV (p < 0.01). Moreover, 30% of high-VT MNV eyes developed outer retinal atrophy.Conclusions: Low VT MNV turned out to be more exudative at the baseline but less damaging to the outer retinal structures, whereas high VT MNV proved to be less exudative but more prone to lead to atrophic changes and visual function deterioration. VT may be usefully applied to artificial intelligence-based models designed to characterize MNV secondary to AMD.

One of the most significant effects of an earthquake is the production of a huge amount of waste. An incorrect management of the rubbles causes relevant environmental damages, economic losses and a psychological impact for the population. In this context, the present manuscript assesses different strategies of waste management, estimating the carbon footprint and the economic impact, in order to define the best choices. Overall, different management options can be applied, that have different costs and impacts on the environment: a temporary storage site could be used, rubbles can be treated through different technologies (either simple crushing or advanced refining), and the treatment can be carried out at different distances from the site of the event. The environmental impact assessment evidenced the importance of an in-situ pre-treatment of the rubbles and of an enhanced refining, addressed at the achievement of high quality inert. On the other hand, the economic analysis suggests that the best option is to transport everything to the treatment site, and to carry out a simple treatment of the rubbles. Consequently, our assessment resulted in conflicting conclusions, where an enhanced treatment of the rubbles is positive, from an environmental point of view, but negative, for the increase in the management costs. The economic criteria are currently pushing any decision taken by the emergency managers; however, the environmental load may have a long-term effect with even more significant economic consequences, and it cannot be neglected.

Background: In this study, we aimed to discriminate high reflectivity and low reflectivity macular neovascularization (MNV) lesions secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD)and to assess the influence of blood flow features on the amount of MNV detected by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).Methods: The study was designed as observational, cross-sectional. Type 1 and type 2 MNV lesions were included. All the patients underwent fluorescein angiography (FA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and OCTA. MNV size was calculated on early FA for type 2 MNV and on both early and late phases of ICGA for type 1 lesions. From OCTA, we calculated both MNV size and MNV reflectivity. We assessed the agreement between FA/ICGA and OCTA MNV sizes. Moreover, we studied the relationship between MNV reflectivity properties and MNV OCTA detection.Results: Fifty eyes (50 patients) were included. MNV was identified as follows: 35 /70%) type 1 and 15 (30%) type 2. We found a good agreement between early ICGA size and OCTA size for type 1 MNV (2.10 ± 1.91 mm2 vs 2.09 ± 1.87 mm2; p > 0.05), whereas MNV lesions turned out to be remarkably bigger on late ICGA phase (3.41 ± 2.87 mm2; p < 0.01). Interestingly, OCTA well-matched with FA in terms of MNV size for type 2 lesions (2.36 ± 2.15 mm2 vs 2.37 ± 2.25 mm2). MNV reflectivity was higher in type 2 MNV and it was strongly associated with the OCTA ability to reconstruct the neovascular network.Conclusion: Our study quantitatively showed that MNV filling pattern and MNV blood flow reflectivity features influence the OCTA detection of the MNV in its entirety.

Acetic acid is an organic acid of great importance globally and the demand of this product is currently increasing. The production of this acid has consequently aroused more and more interest over the years, especially for more sustainable processes. From a biological point of view, acetic acid can be produced by acetogenesis using inorganic substrates like CO2 or CO (with acetogenic bacteria) and aerobic fermentation (with acetic acid bacteria or fungi). With the aim of investigating the progress of technological innovation, the methodology applied by this review was an analysis of the international patents with the Espacenet platform, which ensured a worldwide invention overview. Another criterion was the selection of a precise period of time, from 1990 to 2020. A patent review is able to create an overview of the inventions designed for the real scale implementation, providing a whole picture of the state of the art of the technological innovation change. In addition, the most representative works of literature, that consider the influence of operating conditions (T, pH, oxygenation), have been analysed for each process. The present review, with an innovative approach focused on the technological innovation change, highlighted the ongoing interest for acetic acid bioproduction by acetogenic and acetic acid bacteria. The number of patents related to acetic acid bacteria was consistent also in the past years, but recently the interest is moving forward the utilization of genetic engineering (36% of the patents) and new substrates, like agriculture waste (26% of the patens), responding to circular economy principles. On the other hand, the acetic acid production by acetogenic bacteria is most recent, with over the 90% of the patents developed in the last 10 years. In this case the interest is mainly focused on the use of synthesis gas as substrate, that could increase the process sustainability.

This study compared the sustainability of six alternatives for the treatment of industrial wastewater from a gasifier, considering both environmental and economic aspects by the approaches of: uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost (LCC). The processes have been developed under the zero liquid discharge approach and included a chemical removal of pollutants by using Fenton and neutralization, evaporation and crystallization to concentrate salts and stripping for the removal of ammonia from distillate of evaporation step and recover water useful for industrial reuses. The scenarios differed for the type of utilities used for the operation (steam and hot water from thermal waste) and from an optimization of the crystallization that provided a reduction of the amount of waste and an energy recovery from distillate. LCA indicated that the six scenarios produced comparable results, since the common chemical treatment (raw material and waste disposal) causes the highest contribution. The optimal scheme used hot water as utilities and had an optimization of the crystallization section (scenario B2), this options allowed a decrease of emission to air of 25% and reduction of 15% of deposited goods. Scenario B2 is much more financially attractive than the other proposed treatment, having a total cost of 123 €/t, with a reduction of 17% respect to the current disposal of 150 €/t. LCA and LCC results prove the effectiveness of thermal waste use as utilities for the wastewater treatment operations and the optimization of crystallization unit is the most environmentally and economically favourable alternative.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the associations between food literacy, consumer profiling and purchasing behaviour in a sample of Italian consumers.Design/methodology/approachParticipants (N = 194) completed an online survey including personal data, two questionnaires on purchase behaviour and food consumption, the General Trust Scale (GTS), a questionnaire assessing individual chronotype and two scales about food literacy: one investigating nutritional knowledge (short food literacy questionnaire, SFLQ) and the other focussing on procedural skills (self-perceived food literacy scale, SPFL). Associations between food literacy, consumer profiling and purchase behaviour were analysed with linear regression models.FindingsParticipants with specific education in nutrition reported higher scores in food literacy. The final score of food literacy was predicted by a greater attention to nutritional content and nutritional properties of products. Women paid more attention to nutritional properties than men, and they obtained higher scores in SFLQ. Evening types obtained lower scores in SFPL compared to intermediate and morning chronotypes. Body mass index (BMI) was negatively correlated to SPFL score, while it was associated with the easy availability of a product, so that obese (BMI ≥ 30) subjects considered the easy availability of a product more important compared to non-obese ones (BMI < 30).Originality/valueThis study investigates the influence of personal and psychometric variables of consumer profiling on food literacy and consequently on purchase behaviour, paving the way for implementing healthier food consumption policies. These findings reinforce the primacy of specific education in building healthy eating habits.

Outer retinal tubulations (ORT) are a relatively new finding characterizing outer retinal atrophy. The main aim of the present study was to describe ORT development in advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to assess its relationship with disease’s severity. Patients with advanced AMD characterized either by macular neovascularization or geographic atrophy, showing signs of outer retinal disruption or retinal pigment epithelium atrophy on structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) at the inclusion examination were prospectively recruited. All the patients underwent complete ophthalmologic evaluation, structural OCT scans and fundus autofluorescence imaging. The planned follow-up was of 3-years. Main outcome measures were ORT prevalence, mechanism of ORT formation, mean time needed for complete ORT formation, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), definitely decreased autofluorescence (DDAF) area, questionably decreased autofluorescence (QDAF) area, retinal layer thickness, foveal sparing, number of intravitreal injections. We also assessed the possible role of external limiting membrane (ELM) and Müller cells in ORT pathogenesis. Seventy eyes (70 patients) were included; 43 showed dry AMD evolving to geographic atrophy, while 27 displayed the features of wet AMD. Baseline BCVA was 0.5 ± 0.5 LogMAR, decreasing to 0.9 ± 0.5 LogMAR at the 3-year follow-up (p p p p