Innovative transition from traditional pyrolysis to catalytic pyrolysis for bioenergy: Optimizing bio-oil production from renewable biomass

The exploration of catalytic influences on biomass pyrolysis for bio-oil production encompasses zeolites, metal oxides, and metallic salts. Zeolites, notably ZSM-5, play a pivotal role in enhancing monoaromatic compound production, with modifications addressing concerns related to deactivation. Metal oxides like CaO and MgO exhibit varied properties, impacting ketone formation, deacidification, and overall product yields. Additionally, metallic salts, such as nickel and iron salts, are studied for their catalytic impact on gas, biochar, and bio-oil yields. These investigations underline the nuanced effects of catalysts on bio-oil composition, quality, and calorific value, highlighting the importance of selecting tailored catalysts for optimizing pyrolysis processes. Developing pyrolysis technology from lignocellulosic biomass offers promise for energy diversification and carbon emission mitigation. Enhancing bio-oil production is crucial with abundant low-quality feedstock and high product demand. Understanding the conversion process's complexity, including biomass structure and reactions, is vital for designing cost-effective pyrolysis processes. This review manuscript discusses biomass structure, pyrolysis behaviors, the impact of process parameters, and pretreatment techniques. Advanced catalytic pyrolysis is emphasized for selective product production, including co-pyrolysis with polymers to improve yield and quality. Challenges and future research directions for effective pyrolysis are also addressed, paving the way for significant breakthroughs

PROFILI GIURIDICI DELLA RESPONSABILITÀ CIVILE PER DANNI ALL’AMBIENTE MARINO

La salvaguardia dell’ambiente marino costituisce una condizione imprescindibile per garantire la qualità della vita umana. Essa non risponde a un’esigenza puramente estetica o idealistica, ma nasce proprio da un bisogno concreto: garantire un habitat sano e vitale in cui l’uomo possa vivere e operare. Questa esigenza trova fondamento nei principi costituzionali, in particolare negli articoli 9 e 32 della Costituzione, che riconoscono nell’ambiente un bene primario della collettività, da proteggere per il benessere presente e futuro dei cittadini. A fronte delle molteplici minacce legate all’attività antropica (inquinamento da idrocarburi, scarichi industriali e urbani, pesca intensiva, traffico marittimo, plastiche e microplastiche, nonché incidenti marittimi con conseguente sversamento di sostanze tossiche) che ne possono compromettere gravemente l’equilibrio ecologico, la biodiversità e la capacità di rigenerazione naturale, si rende indispensabile un sistema giuridico efficace volto alla prevenzione dei danni e, qualora questi si verifichino, alla loro effettiva riparazione attraverso l’attribuzione di obblighi chiari e vincolanti a carico di soggetti pubblici e privati. L’ordinamento giuridico italiano si è evoluto in linea con le Direttive comunitarie e le Convenzioni internazionali, adottando una visione più ampia e consapevole del danno ambientale che non è più visto esclusivamente come un danno a beni privati o interessi individuali ma come una lesione al patrimonio collettivo

A Quantitative Method for 3D Scan Quality Assessment Under Different Surface Conditions for Reverse Engineering of Shipyard Components

Shipyards are transitioning toward Industry 4.0 more slowly than other industrial sectors, and this inertia often limits the adoption of reliable digital workflows for reverse engineering. Within the wider research aimed at supporting the digital transition of shipbuilding operations, this study presents a dedicated methodology for evaluating 3D scan quality by combining three complementary indicators describing geometric completeness, agreement with a reference model, and measurement accuracy and variability. A purpose-designed test sample representative of shipbuilding geometrical challenges was manufactured in metal by CNC methods and in PLA through additive manufacturing. Two scanning systems, a field-oriented portable device and a metrology-oriented fixed system, were evaluated under raw surface conditions and with tracking enhancement strategies (optical markers and scanning spray). Results show that reflective surfaces represent a critical scenario, where tracking enhancement is essential to obtain continuous reconstruction and reliable dimensional correspondence. Conversely, with low-reflectivity surfaces, high-quality reconstructions can also be achieved with portable systems, with tracking enhancements mainly improving uniformity and repeatability. Overall, the proposed workflow provides a quantitative basis to support scanner selection, which involves a compromise between portability and achievable metrological performance, for shipyards reverse engineering applications

When Volatility Turns, Recessions Follow

Do shifts into high stock-market volatility foreshadow recessions rather than merely accompany them? Prior work shows volatility rises in downturns and can help shorthorizon forecasts, but the timing of discrete volatility regime changes relative to business-cycle turning points is less understood. Using quarterly data for the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Italy, and France (1960–2019; country-specific start dates), we estimate a bivariate Markov-switching model that jointly classifies high/low output growth and high/low return volatility, and tests restrictions on the transition structure. In the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and France, entry into the high-volatility state typically precedes recession onset by one to two quarters. For Germany and Italy, the output and volatility state processes are approximately independent. These results suggest that volatility-regime switches are a medium horizon early-warning signal, consistent with uncertainty and risk-premium repricing that tighten funding conditions in more market-based financial systems

Dieci anni di consulenza linguistica; le FAQ sulla punteggiaura nell'archivio di DICO

Il contributo indaga i caratteri comuni di una serie di domande poste da utenti al sito di consulenza linguistica DICO – Dubbi sull’Italiano Consulenza Online (https://dico.unime.it). In particolare, seleziona un gruppo di domande relative alla punteggiatura, mettendole in relazione alla trattazione del tema nei manuali scolastici attuali. Si mette in evidenza che i manuali di grammatica disconoscono alla punteggiatura il valore di componente dell’organizzazione testuale e di veicolo dell’intenzione comunicativa. Si mostra, quindi, quale corrispondenza esista tra i dubbi espressi dagli utenti del servizio e gli argomenti trattati (o non trattati) dai manuali

Cyberchondria and complexity: a systems-level exploration of anxiety and informational instability in the digital age

Background: Cyberchondria, defined as excessive or compulsive online searching for health-related information, has emerged as a paradigmatic condition at the intersection of health anxiety, digital behavior, and cognitive vulnerability. Increasingly observed in clinical settings, it reflects a maladaptive strategy to manage uncertainty and bodily symptoms, exacerbated by algorithm-driven content, emotional salience, and informational overload in digital environments. Cyberchondria may have important implications for medical outcomes, including inappropriate healthcare utilization, reduced adherence to medical advice, disruption of the doctor-patient relationship, and impaired quality of life, especially in individuals managing chronic or recurrent health conditions. Aim: This article proposes an integrative framework for understanding cyberchondria that combines clinical psychology, cognitive science, and complexity theory. We argue that cyberchondria should not be viewed solely as an individual pathology, but as an emergent property of a dynamic system destabilized by recursive feedback loops, epistemic instability, and algorithmic bias. Methods: A narrative synthesis of empirical and theoretical literature was conducted, drawing from studies on health anxiety, online behavior, metacognition, and systemic models of mental disorders. Sources were selected from PubMed, Scopus, and interdisciplinary publications in psychiatry, cognitive science, and digital ethics. Results: Cyberchondria is consistently associated with intolerance of uncertainty, reassurance-seeking, and dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs. Its persistence is sustained by cognitive distortions and by the structure of digital health information, which prioritizes emotionally salient or sensational content over clinical reliability. The phenomenon can be theoretically modelled using concepts such as psychological entropy, nonlinear amplification, and cognitive decoherence under informational stress. Conclusion: Effective responses to cyberchondria must operate across multiple levels: psychological (CBT and metacognitive strategies), educational (digital health literacy), relational (doctor–patient alliance), and systemic (ethical design of digital platforms). Integrating complexity-based perspectives may offer new pathways for understanding and mitigating the destabilizing effects of cyberchondria in the digital age

A Two-Year Pharmacovigilance Analysis of Adverse Drug Reactions Reported from a University Allergy Setting

Background: Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are a significant public concern because of their impact on healthcare systems. Spontaneous reporting of ADRs is crucial for monitoring drug safety and recognizing possible risk factors. The objective of this study was to characterize ADR reports from the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit of the G. Martino University Hospital, Messina, Italy. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted, including all ADRs spontaneously reported from patients attending the clinic because of at least one previous ADR, from June 2022 to June 2024. Results: A total of 388 reports were collected, mainly from females (71.1%) and adult patients (84.3%). ADRs were mostly immediate, from antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs (61.5%), with a high prevalence of cutaneous and respiratory disorders. Delayed reactions were mostly from endocrine therapies, vaccines, and antiepileptics. Anaphylactic shock was present only in 13 ADR reports (3.35%). A higher risk of developing serious ADRs was found in elderly patients aged ≥65 years (p = 0.012). An original finding was that a positive history of allergies (p = 0.023) and past medical history of ADRs (p = 0.045) were negatively correlated to the occurrence of a serious ADR, probably because patients had been previously followed in an allergy setting and alerted about ADRs. Conclusions: This study underlines the role of ADR follow-up in allergy settings to identify preventable traits and related risk factors; appropriate ADR reporting and collaboration between allergists and pharmacovigilance centers can be a winning strategy for ADR prevention