Nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate and nitrite in the polluted surface waters from the Arno River Basin (Central Italy)

The Arno River Basin (Central Italy) is affected by a considerable anthropogenic pressure due to the presence of large cities and widespread industrial and agricultural practices. In this work, 26 water samples from the Arno River and its main tributaries were analyzed to assess the water pollution status. The geochemical composition of the Arno River changes from the source (dominated by a Ca-HCO3 facies) to the mouth (where a Na-Cl(SO4) chemistry prevails) with an increasing quality deterioration, as suggested by the Chemical Water Quality Index, due to anthropogenic contributions and seawater intrusion before flowing into the Ligurian Sea. The Ombrone and Usciana tributaries introduce anthropogenic pollutants into the Arno River, whilst Elsa tributary supplies significant contents of geogenic sulfate. The concentrations of dissolved nitrate and nitrite (up to 63 and 9 mg/L, respectively) and the respective isotopic values of δ15N and δ18O were also determined to understand origin and fate of the N-species in the Arno River Basin surface waters. The combined application of δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 and N-source apportionment modelling allowed the identification of soil organic nitrogen and sewage and domestic wastes as primary sources for dissolved NO3-. The δ15N-NO2 and δ18O-NO2 values suggest that the nitrification process affects the ARB waters, thus controlling the abundances and proportion of the N-species. Our work indicates that additional efforts are needed to improve management strategies to reduce the release of nitrogenated species to the surface waters of the Arno River Basin, since little progress has been made from the early 2000s

Investigation into Knowledge and Adherence To Vaccination and Screening Campaigns among Immigrants in the Marche Region, Central Italy

Promoting preventive health through vaccination and screening is a key public health goal. Immigrant populations often show lower uptake compared to the general population, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. This study examines knowledge and adherence to vaccination and screening programs among immigrants residing in the Marche Region, Central Italy. To evaluate the socio-economic and cultural characteristics of immigrants, as well as their participation in vaccination and screening programs. A structured questionnaire was developed ad hoc. Data collection was conducted via assisted interviews with a convenience sample of immigrants in the Province of Pesaro-Urbino. The study sample was mostly female 59 (84.3%), with participants primarily from Ukraine 30 (42.9%) and Moldova 15 (21.4%). The average age was 53 years, and they had lived in Italy for 17 years on average. The majority of immigrants had a high school diploma or higher degree 56 (52.9%). Most immigrants 66 (96%) reported receiving all mandatory childhood vaccinations in their country of origin, however, vaccination coverage declined after migration to Italy. Although 89% of participants were aware of disease prevention through screening, only 27% had participated in screening programs in their country of origin, whereas, 71% had a cancer screening in Italy, primarily through public health invitations. Screening and vaccine hesitancy were mainly linked to lack of information or absence of invitations (76%), time constraints (14%), low trust in screening efficacy (7%). This study highlights the low adherence to vaccination programs among the immigrant population in Italy, emphasizing the need for policymakers and health authorities to design local level interventions to improve communication strategies, enhance healthcare accessibility and ultimately contribute to better health outcomes, cost savings, and more equitable healthcare systems

The Role of Entrepreneurship in the Development of Peripheral Areas: Combining Business Network View and Entrepreneurship Studies

This doctoral thesis analyses the process of entrepreneurship development and resource interaction in Peripheral Areas (PAs), that is, those places far from large urban and industrial centres that suffer from the effects of unequal territorial development. The thesis poses strong bridges between entrepreneurship and IMP literature, which have been considered in developing the issue. The thesis is structured as a collection of four stand-alone papers and three intermediary sections. Overall, the thesis contributes to expanding the research field of study contextualised in PAs, particularly focusing on the role that business networks and entrepreneurial activities play in the development and resilience of these places. Second, we contribute to the entrepreneurship field of research by analysing the resource mobilisation processes enabled by business network activities and relationships in PAs. Third, we contribute to IMP research by expanding studies on the emerging topic of place in business network analyses, presenting it as a resource bundle other than a feature of resources.This doctoral thesis analyses the process of entrepreneurship development and resource interaction in Peripheral Areas (PAs), that is, those places far from large urban and industrial centres that suffer from the effects of unequal territorial development. The thesis poses strong bridges between entrepreneurship and IMP literature, which have been considered in developing the issue. The thesis is structured as a collection of four stand-alone papers and three intermediary sections. Overall, the thesis contributes to expanding the research field of study contextualised in PAs, particularly focusing on the role that business networks and entrepreneurial activities play in the development and resilience of these places. Second, we contribute to the entrepreneurship field of research by analysing the resource mobilisation processes enabled by business network activities and relationships in PAs. Third, we contribute to IMP research by expanding studies on the emerging topic of place in business network analyses, presenting it as a resource bundle other than a feature of resources

The Approach of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to the Gender Equality Certification System UNI/PdR 125:2022

In 2022, the Italian government introduced a national gender equality (GE) certification system called UNI/PdR 125:2022 Practice. Its objective is to promote the adoption of gender equality policies in enterprises and provide guidelines for setting up a management system for an inclusive and gender-equal workplace. Due to the recent introduction of the UNI/PdR 125:2022 Practice, research on this subject is still minimal. This research contributes to filling this gap by exploring the approach of Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) toward this tool in order to understand if its purpose, potential, and actual benefits have been fully grasped. A survey has been conducted covering six manufacturing and service sectors with a female- or male-dominated workforce to compare approaches from different organizations. The administration of the survey took place by CAWI and CATI in December 2023, involving 866 companies and reaching a response rate of 11.5%. The sample is stratified by sectors and geographical localization. The findings show that gender equality certification is little widespread among Italian SMEs. Only 2.7% of the sample are UNI/PdR 125:2022 certified. Additionally, Italian SMEs know a little about the practice of UNI/PdR 125:2022 but less about the public benefits and incentives to support the certification process. The main driver of the certification process is the willingness to promote a fair and inclusive working environment for Italian SMEs. Therefore, the top management’s or the entrepreneur’s will to move in this direction can make a difference. The main perceived benefits are improving the company’s image, reputation, and work environment. However, SMEs see the high cost of getting certified and uncertainty about the effectiveness of certification as the main barriers. Thus, the results indicate the UNI/PdR 125:2022’s possible positive impact on the company but, at the same time, the companies’ low awareness of gender certification systems and their low propensity toward this tool

Optimized microfluidic blow spinning process for single-step manufacturing of crosslinked chitosan nanofilaments using a quality-by-design approach

Nanofibrous patches composed of chitosan (CS) present promising solutions for wound healing by supporting cell growth and enabling controlled drug release. This study introduces a new single-step microfluidic blow-spinning process that blends CS with polyethylene oxide (PEO) and crosslinks it with tripolyphosphate (TPP) using a series of laminar flow chips integrated into a blow-spinning apparatus. The microfluidic mixing between PEO and CS solutions at different concentrations was simulated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This manufacturing process was optimized through a Design of Experiment Approach (DOE) consisting of a 24 full-level screening design followed by a Box-Behnken optimization design. Design spaces correlating the CS concentration, the flow rate ratio between TPP solution and CS/PEO solution, and the air pressure with the filaments' mean diameter, diameter distribution, and deposition time were defined." These design spaces were used to select the process conditions suitable to obtain filaments with a mean diameter of 295 nm, a diameter distribution width approaching 150 nm, and a deposition time higher than 30 min. The good agreement between the predicted and experimental properties validated the design spaces. The crosslinked sample presented a higher water stability than the uncrosslinked one, retaining the fibrous structure with a swelling ratio of 470 ± 60 %. The cytotoxicity test on HaCaT keratinocyte cells showed no significant reduction in cell viability or protein content, confirming the patch's safety and compatibility for biomedical applications