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Urban and metropolitan settlements, due to the growing impacts of climate change, are highly at risk from critical hydro-meteorological hazards (HMHs), such us floods and heatwaves.Future climate change scenarios require the implementation of resilient design solutions taking into account the climate projections, as well as vulnerability and exposure. In this context, we propose a GIS-based framework aimed at supporting decision-makers in designing long-term climate adaptive design solutions. The framework is developed starting from input data assimilation; then, using AI machine learning and decision-making techniques, are executed aggregations and classifications of urban physical features in order to assess the spatial distribution of vulnerability and risk indicators.In particular, it is proposed a method to verify the resilient efficacy of nature-based solutions in reducing potential economic damages produced by coastal floods events, and simultaneously improving the open spaces heatwave vulnerability.

Il contributo propone un modello di valutazione dell’efficienza ecologica delle aree verdi urbane a supporto della meta-progettazione di ‘infrastrutture verdi’. Il modello è stato implementato con un framework GIS-based per l’estrazione di carte di efficienza ecologica. È stata compiuta una sperimentazione del modello sull’area di studio della città di Napoli correlando i livelli di efficienza ecologica con gli scenari di impatto all’ondata di calore a medio e lungo termine sulla popolazione soggetta a povertà energetica. I risultati della sperimentazione evidenziano il valore aggiunto del modello sia in termini di usabilità e replicabilità sia come strumento di supporto per i decisori, in particolare per la meta-progettazione di interventi di infrastrutture verdi in ambito urbano.

Natural hazards and the long-term effects of climate change could have disastrous consequences for urban settlements, in this context, risk assessment is a key factor in supporting urban designers and planners. The research proposes a simplified model for the assessment of coastal risk on built environment expressed in terms of potential, direct and tangible, economic damages. The Coast-RiskBySea (COASTal zones RISK assessment for Built environment bY extreme SEA level) is developed in GIS and the risk is evaluated based on the IPCC AR5 and AR6 frameworks through an equation that combines exposure, vulnerability and hazard. The first step is the creation of the land use grid derived from the Copernicus Coastal Zones database, after which then damage scenarios are calculated using depth-damage functions that enable to translate climate impacts into economic damages (exposure). Vulnerability is then assessed in relation to coastal elevation through the DTM and, finally, climate projections of Extreme Sea Level (ESL) are introduced (hazard). To test and verify the approach, the model is applied to the metropolitan city of Naples, Italy, the results show multiple areas at medium and high risk for ESL events with significant economic impacts. From the output maps it is possible to identify the higher risk areas and to understand how, with significant mitigation actions, the risks could be significantly reduced. In conclusion, the Coast-RiskBySea, as it has been developed with input data characterised by a homogeneous spatial coverage, it can be replicable in all EU coastal zones that dispose of a DTM with adequate vertical accuracy.

We present a hierarchical model developed for assessing the climate vulnerability and impact on the urban system to heat wave and pluvial flooding phenomena, which allows measuring the “urban performances” under extreme climate conditions by applying physical, environmental and socioeconomic indicators. The model is structured in five levels, from the knowledge of heterogeneous urban characteristics extracted from different sources to the vulnerability indicators; each level provides a synthesis of the information of the previous level. Moreover, given the complexity of the urban system, the model is based on the identification of three subsystems, in order to gradually synthesize information from one level to another. Each indicator, and the associated data and characteristics, are related to a specific subsystem, which represents technological/environmental (building, open spaces) or socioeconomic dimension (population). Finally, we assess the impacts related to a climate hazard scenario by evaluating the combination of the hazard with the exposure and the vulnerability of the subsystems with which the exposure interacts. We test our method on the study area of East Naples (Italy) by considering heat wave and pluvial flooding climate hazard scenarios; specific functions are performed in a GIS environment to implement the spatial analysis processes need to build the vulnerability indicators and impact scenarios. The results show that the distribution of vulnerability and impacts are related to the local urban context and to the hazard scenario considered. The proposed model can be applied to assess the benefits of adaptive solution design.

This research implements a GIS framework model aimed at evaluating the ecological efficiency of urban green areas. The model classifies urban green areas by identifying those that can provide ecosystem services to sustain green infrastructure at an urban district level. This model can also guide decision makers in the proper placement of the green infrastructure. The model works on the interrelation of four indicators of size, shape, vegetation structure and vegetation diversity, and it was tested in the case study of the Western Urban Districts of Naples (Italy). The selection of this study area is because it presents four urban districts that are different for physiography, urban patterns, land use, land cover and for the existing building stock. The proposed GIS-based framework can be a useful tool for planning actions and measures to protect, implement and restore existing green areas through integration into urban green infrastructure.

The increase in CO2 emissions from residential buildings in recent years in Italy requires the development of alternative solutions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. A strong increase in the rate of retrofitting of the existing residential building stock will be essential to achieve the emission reduction targets set by Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals set by 2030 Agenda. Although the use of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) has been a reality for several decades, it has not yet managed to become a widespread solution. Third generation BIPV solutions are developing rapidly, offering a wide variety of multifunctional products that allow the use of BIPV to reduce the use of non-renewable sources. The paper aims to evaluate the applicability of BIPV solutions on a sample of residential buildings in the Italian context, with the aim of assessing the integrability in relation to different urban contexts, types of buildings and type-morphological features, estimating the potential energy outcomes.

The scenario that emerges from scientific research on the use of BIPV systems in architecture shows that photovoltaic technologies and systems have reached a significant development in production and installation, becoming a strategic approach in the field of energy efficiency and enabling a progressive decarbonisation of the building stock. Still, knowledge and methods of architectural integration are not fully developed, especially in Italy. The present paper reports the results of a research activity that, systematising the main criteria and indicators for assessing the integrability of BIPVs in architecture, has led to the development of BIPV Product and Case Study Catalogues that define an up-to-date state of the art on aspects of design and technological innovation using BIPV systems and components. Catalogues have been created with the objective of contributing to the growth of knowledge on the most up-to-date methods of design by implementing a ‘technology transfer’ from good practice, in which photovoltaic systems are an integral part of the design concept and construction techniques of the architecture. The analysis related to the production of BIPV systems and components and their application in architectural projects allows one to highlight the main critical factors in the diffusion throughout the country and to identify the main research demand arising from the specific national situation.

Il capitolo descrive l’approccio ottimale sperimentato durante le attività di progetto finalizzato al rilievo della forma della piaga da decubito nell’immagine scattata al paziente. Esso è composto da tre fasi: una fase di compressione lossy dell’immagine basata sull’impiego della Fuzzy Transform bidimensionale, che permette di ridurre la complessità computazionale necessaria alla segmentazione delle immagini, una fase successiva in cui è impiegato un metodo ibrido di Fuzzy clustering per l’image segmentation e, una terza fase in cui è applicato il metodo di Canny con soglie di isteresi di image detection per il riconoscimento della forma della piaga. Viene, inoltre, presentato un approccio basato su metodi decisionali multi-criterio per valutare contemporaneamente una molteplicità di aspetti, spesso tra loro contrastanti, sia nella classificazione e diagnosi delle piaghe del paziente che nella successiva personalizzazione del percorso terapeutico assistenziale. Allo scopo di ottimizzare i tempi di guarigione, differenti aspetti, quali ad esempio costi, qualità della vita del paziente e numero di accesi in cure domiciliari, possono essere valutati. Infine, sono mostrati i risultati di uno studio svolto sull’intero territorio campano della distribuzione e della concentrazione di popolazione residente anziana, maggiormente soggetta al fenomeno delle piaghe da decubito. Tale studio è successivamente focalizzato sui cinque capoluoghi e sui centri urbani più densi per analizzare la presenza di aree urbane dove è maggiormente o massicciamente presente popolazione di fascia di età anziana con condizioni peggiorative legate ad elevato impatto all’ondata di calore, al fine di rilevare le zone maggiormente colpite dalla malattia e in cui è necessario un maggior presidio medico una maggiore frequenza di cure domiciliari.

The paper reports the results of PLANNER project "Platform for the manage-ment of natural risks in urbanized environments", Regional Operational Program POR Campania FESR 2014/2020. The project produced the development of innovative models of knowledge of the urban context that allow, with the use of open source data, to assess the levels of climatic vulnerability of the built heritage in order to identify strategies - compatible with the context - for risks adaptation and mitigation. In order to assess the validity of PLANNER methodology in areas of historical and cultural value, the research has developed an experimental test in the area of Naples UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sewage sludge is a type of urban waste generated as a byproduct of wastewater treatment in quantities ranging from 9 to 9.5 million tons (dry substance) in Europe. This waste can be considered a source of lipids, which can be converted into biofuels. Recovery of lipids from sludge is a critical step in the overall process, and the choice of the extracting solvent should satisfy efficiency as well as sustainability criteria. This study reports experimental optimisation of lipid extraction from sewage sludge using ethyl butyrate, a green bio-derivable solvent. Extraction conditions were optimised using the desirability function applied to the response surface methodology analysis of a Box–Behnken factorial design of experiments. By carrying out the extraction at 70 °C for 7 h, using an amount of solvent equal to the wet sludge, and without using any acids, 93.7% of the starting lipids were recovered. The extracted lipids were then efficiently converted into biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) through direct esterification promoted by AlCl3∙6H2O (catalyst). Furthermore, the residual sludge obtained after the extraction, different to that obtained using hexane, was found to be anaerobically digestible without any inhibition.

Il contributo propone la sperimentazione di un framework in ambiente GIS finalizzato alla creazione di carte di vulnerabilità al fenomeno dell’heat wave in ambito urbano, a partire da una base di conoscenza costituita da dati spaziali opensource. Il processo `e stato attuato mediante l’utilizzo di tecnologia GIS in grado di facilitare la gestione, consultazione ed elaborazione di informazioni georiferite in relazione al sistema degli edifici residenziali e degli spazi aperti. Al fine di rendere il processo replicabile sull’intero territorio nazionale, il modello di stima della vulnerabilit`a climatica al fenomeno dell’ondata di calore `e stato elaborati con l’utilizzo esclusivo di open data con restituzione dei risultati alla scala della sezione censuaria e, al fine di verificare l’affidabilit`a del modello, i risultati ottenuti sono stati confrontati con i dati di dettaglio elaborati dal progetto “METROPOLIS – MEtodologie e Tecnologie integRate e sOstenibili Per l’adattamentO e La sIcurezza di Sistemi urbani”. Il contributo si inserisce nell’ambito del progetto di ricerca “PLANNER – Piattaforma per la gestione dei rischi naturali in ambienti urbanizzati”, POR 2014-2020. La sperimentazione del modello di vulnerabilità climatica, sviluppato dal gruppo di ricerca del Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università degli studi di Napoli Federico II, `e stata effettuata sull’area campione della città di Napoli.

In this work, the transesterification of methyl estolides (ME) extracted from the lipid component present in the sewage scum was investigated. Methyl 10-(R)-hydroxystearate (Me-10-HSA) and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs) were obtained in a single step. A three-level and four factorial Box–Behnken experimental design were used to study the effects of methanol amounts, catalyst, temperature, and reaction time on the transesterification reaction using aluminum chloride hexahydrate (AlCl3·6H2O) or hydrochloric acid (HCl) as catalysts. AlCl3·6H2O was found quite active as well as conventional homogeneous acid catalysts as HCl. In both cases, a complete conversion of ME into Me-10-HSA and FAMEs was observed. The products were isolated, quantified, and fully characterized. At the end of the process, Me-10-HSA (32.3%wt) was purified through a chromatographic separation and analyzed by NMR. The high enantiomeric excess (ee &gt, 92%) of the R-enantiomer isomer opens a new scenario for the valorization of sewage scum.

La ricerca Metropolis si è focalizzata su una parte per ora poco approfondita negli scenari europei e nazionali che riguarda gli effetti di tipo adattivo degli interventi diffusi di progettazione ambientale nei contesti locali. Nel passaggio di scala tra la pianificazione di area vasta e il livello progettuale locale fino alla scala edilizia, emergono altre problematiche e modalità di definizione di sotto-processi legati all’acquisizione e alla gestione di dati, alla loro elaborazione e alla individuazione degli interventi di retrofit urbano e ambientale necessari per ridurre la vulnerabilità climatica del sistema fisico della città. Nel passaggio circoscritto alla scala distrettuale urbana emerge, inoltre, la necessità di misurare gli effetti dei processi di adattamento. I valori riscontrati consentono di sviluppare livelli decisionali e di supporto agli indirizzi strategici per l’allocazione delle risorse. Nel corso della ricerca è stato elaborato il Modello operativo del processo decisionale di adaptive design realizzando un sistema geo-computazionale di supporto alle decisioni per la riduzione dei rischi climatici che consente di stimare i contributi delle azioni di adattamento alla riduzione degli impatti sul sistema urbano.

The project Whale HUB is dedicated to the recently-created permanent exhibition entitled “Tales of a Whale” at the Museum of Natural History of the University of Florence, centered around a fossilized whale skeleton. The exhibition, balanced between scientific research and dissemination of knowledge for non-expert audiences, deals with the themes of environmental sustainability, cross-cutting different fields of knowledge, such as palaeontology, zoology and ethnography, and promoting pro-environmental concern and behavior. Aiming to develop the Museum public and engage higher education students through new media strategies and non-canonical approaches, Whale HUB involves a selection of creative students from some of the major educational institutions in Florence to conduct an analysis on their perception of the themes dealt with by the exhibition. By means of a competition, the students create a communication prototype which popularizes the fragile stability of marine ecosystems, affected by plastic pollution. The project involves also three young contemporary artists who participate to an expedition in the marine protected area of Pelagos Sanctuary, hosting the largest population of large mammals of the Mediterranean and a problematic environmental site, highly impacted by marine plastic pollution. They produce artistic research in dialogue with scientists and biologists, sharing it with creative students of the university and of other important higher education institutions of Florence, fostering their engagement in sustainability through informal education or free-choice learning.

Felt-tip pens are frequently used for the realization of sketches, drawings, architectural projects, and other technical designs. The formulations of these inks are usually rather complex and may be associated to those of modern paint materials where, next to the binding medium and pigments/dyes, solvents, fillers, emulsifiers, antioxidants, plasticizers, light stabilizers, biocides, and so on are commonly added. Felt-tip pen inks are extremely sensitive to degradation and especially exposure to light may cause chromatic changes and fading. In this study, we report on the complete chemical characterization of modern felt-tip pen inks that are commercially available and commonly used for the realization of artworks. Three brands of felt-tip pens (Faber-Castell, Edding, and Stabilo) were investigated with complementary analytical techniques such as thin-layer chromatography (TLC), VIS-reflectance spectroscopy, μ-Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), GC-MS, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The use of TLC proved to be very powerful in the study of complex mixtures of synthetic dyes. First derivatives of the reflectance spectra acquired on the TLC spots were useful in the preliminary identification of the dye, followed by Raman spectroscopy and SERS, which allowed for the unambiguous determination of the chemical composition of the pigments (phthalocyanines, dioxazines, and azo pigments) and dyes (azo dyes, triarylmethanes, xanthenes). FTIR spectroscopy was used especially for the detection of additives, as well as for confirming the nature of solvents and dyes/pigments. Finally, (Py-)GC-MS data provided information on the binders (styrene-acrylic resins, plant gums), solvents, and additives, as well as on pigments and dyes.

Ethanolysis carried out under Lewis-Bronsted acid catalysis was investigated as a possible process to valorize the organic fraction of urban sewage sludge, with the aim of selectively obtaining liquid biofuels. In a single reactive step, the conversion of lipids into fatty acid ethyl esters, of carbohydrates into ethyl levulinate, furanic compounds and ethyl glycosides and of proteins into ethyl ester of amino acids was achieved. The optimization of reactive conditions was conducted using pure chemicals as model compounds. The effect of the co-presence of water was also considered. Then, real samples of sewage sludge (as dried and wet centrifuged samples) were reacted in ethanol in the presence of the appropriate combination of homogeneous Lewis-Bronsted acid catalysts, namely 1 %wt aluminium chloride hexahydrate and sulfuric acid respect to ethanol. After 6 h at 453 K, 99% of lipids and almost 60% of initial complex sugars were effectively converted into the abovementioned target products. Conversions and yields were quite similar to those obtained by reacting pure compounds singularly, confirming the robustness of the process and its applicability to differently composed sludge. At the end of the reaction, products were easily recovered and purified from the alcoholic phase, whereas only a very limited amount of solids remain as inert materials. Final refined biofuels have high calorific values (37 and 40 MJ kg−1) and actually represent the 68.5 and 59.2% of the initial energy content of starting sludge, respectively. This strategy combines valorization of the starting organic fraction of sewage sludge and a considerable reduction of final solid waste (in a stabilised form) to be disposed of. Finally, through a preliminary feasibility study, this acid ethanolysis resulted in a competitive alternative to the anaerobic digestion of mixed sewage sludge to obtain biofuels.

I fenomeni urbani sono oggi caratterizzati da una crescente complessità costitutiva che richiede di affrontare i processi di conoscenza della realtà fisica basandosi su due presupposti principali. Il primo è relativo alla integrazione dei saperi sia nel campo tecnico operativo che delle scienze umane; il secondo riguarda la necessità di agire in maniera multiscalare e interdisciplinare per attuare modalità di conoscenza differentemente strutturate rispetto ai più convenzionali processi di tipo lineare e circoscritti in perimetri disciplinari connotati da ampi margini di autonomia. Il modello proposto nella ricerca integra approcci consolidati e metodologie avanzate, come quelle del telerilevamento e del processamento tramite funzionalità evolute di modellistica spaziale, restituendo un quadro di conoscenze articolato e complesso alla scala di dettaglio che si rivolge a tipologie di dati e di componenti specialistiche integrate in maniera originale e non contemplate nell’approccio per protocolli all’analisi e alla valutazione della vulnerabilità climatica. Nel modello, la conoscenza dettagliata del sistema urbano nelle sue componenti edilizie e sociali è il passo preliminare per una efficace gestione della vulnerabilità ed è finalizzata a definire quadri di dati e informazioni che possono essere migliorati nel tempo attraverso l’incremento del monitoraggio e del reporting degli eventi climatici estremi e dei danni da essi apportati, sviluppando in maniera consapevole la valutazione delle azioni di adattamento.

many studies sustained that the clock drawing test (CDT) was not able to accurately detect people with CDR = 0.5. Other researchers have promoted the use of scoring approaches with multiple scales that rate quantitative and qualitative features of the production. Nevertheless, these scoring systems are complex and time-consuming. We propose a new brief CDT’ scoring system in order to find a good measure for mild cognitive decline which is at the same time easy to administer. we enrolled 719 subjects: n. 181 with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD); n. 200 with amnesic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and n. 338 healthy elderly subjects (C). our CDT-three-cluster scoring system demonstrated a good sensitivity and an excellent specificity to discriminate MCI subjects from normal elderly (76 and 84 %, respectively) and an excellent sensitivity and specificity to discriminate patients affected by mild Alzheimer disease (CDR: 1) from normal elderly (91 and 90 %, respectively). We found that CDT’ score = 1.30 discriminate people with MCI, whereas a score = 4.38 discriminate AD patients. The three-cluster-scoring-system demonstrated a good diagnostic accuracy, taking into account those error-items more predictive of cognitive decline: omission of numbers or hands, writing numbers or hands in a wrong position and writing numbers or hands in a different code. Our CDT’ scoring system is very short and easy method which can be used also by non-specialist.

Il Cile e l’Italia condividono un comune scenario multirischio nel quale gli emergenti fenomeni di rischio climatico si sommano a quelli geofisici che ciclicamente affettano gli insediamenti e la popolazione stressando interventi pubblici e il governo del territorio verso un’agenda per la resilienza. Le esperienze di entrambe i paesi nel campo della riduzione del rischio di disastri e ricostruzione mostrano una tendenza a intraprendere soluzioni a breve termine per rispondere alla fase di emergenza piuttosto che promuovere azioni di pianificazione e progettuali a lungo termine che integrino la cultura della resilienza nelle pratiche di progettazione urbana e nei processi di apprendimento. Tale integrazione dal punto di vista dell’architettura e del disegno urbano richiede una sintesi progettuale in cui le dimensioni settoriali delle infrastrutture e tecnologie architettoniche sottendono a una visione multidimensionale a livello politico, scientifico, progettuale e comunitario. A partire dal caso italiano e cileno, la discussione è articolata circa la definizione di tale multidimensionalità all’interno dei processi di trasferimento di conoscenza tra ricerca scientifica e politiche pubbliche sperimentati in un contesto di apprendimento ed azione mirato a relazionare conoscenze locali, attori istituzionali e settore privato con processi di rigenerazione urbana sostenibile orientata alla resilienza.

Le consequenzialità tra le fasi analitico-conoscitive, vale a dire il rilievo, e quelle previsionali, cioè il progetto di restauro, si devono interfacciare sensibilmente per far sì che il carattere peculiare di un intervento migliorativo sia in rapporto di prosecuzione con quelle relazioni che si sono instaurate tra le parti di un luogo, nel tempo e nello spazio, fino a comporre quell’insieme ricco di identità che definiamo ambiente e più specificamente paesaggio urbano. In tale rapporto analisi-progetto-riqualificazione la strumentazione che meglio risponde in termini di velocità e accuratezza costituisce un incommensurabile vantaggio per chi deve realizzare i processi migliorativi e ottenere i risultati migliori in termini di realizzazione dei progetti.

Le agende urbane, nell’affrontare temi complessi e attuali quali il contrasto ai cambiamenti climatici, rendono evidente l’esigenza di un approccio alla ricerca e alle politiche territoriali sempre più incentrato su un forte dialogo tra discipline, tecniche e saperi. La settorialità non mai è risolutiva per affrontare questioni che riguardano la società, la città e il territorio, soprattutto nella condizione contemporanea caratterizzata da una forte interdipendenza di questioni sociali, economiche e ambientali. Il saggio affronta le implicazioni che è possibile individuare tra un'idea di "città resiliente" e la ricerca contemporanea nel campo della pianificazione urbanistica e territoriale.