Waste-heat utilization potential in a hydrogen-based energy system - An exploratory focus on Italy

The target of the full decarbonisation by 2050 requires high penetration of renewables, with the development of overgeneration situations in the energy system. Hydrogen and electro-fuels could play a key role in hard-to-abate sectors and in grid balancing. By means of the developed NEMeSI model we study the Italian future energy mix, including several Power-to-X (P2X) options to accommodate high RES introduction. The model is set to solve a linear optimization problem, by optimizing the use of resources through the minimization of the supply costs. The use of excess power from renewables is evaluated in solutions such as hydrogen production and electro-fuels synthesis, coupled to Power-to-Heat and storage systems. The model studies the Italian case in a decarbonised scenario and provides an estimation of potential waste heat recovery from the P2X processes, differentiating from low to high temperature waste heat. Waste heat can be used for district heating purposes or for power generation via organic Rankine cycle. Both high and low temperature heat recovery show a potential in the order of tens of TWh, with a preference for power generation use

A validated method to assess the network length and the heat distribution costs of potential district heating systems in Italy

The evaluation of the district heating network investment costs requires knowledge of its topology. However, when assessing district heating potential, the topology is not known a priori and a simulation is required. One method for the generation of simulated networks involves the use of Minimum Spanning Tree, from the graph theory. In this work a method that simulate the network through MST is presented. The census sections borders and local road networks are used as inputs for the identification of the MST. The method has been validated by running experimental simulations in areas where the district heating is already present, allowing the comparison of the respective lengths. The validation showed a variable but systematic overestimation. The study of the error has brought to defining correlations correcting the length of the MST. The MST has been then used together with real networks lengths to elaborate a novel equation describing the effective width in correlation with the number of building ratio instead of plot ratio. The new expression confirms the exponential tendency of the effective width and gives higher results for Italian cities then for Scandinavian ones, showing an important impact of city structure in the curve. The city of Milano is finally used as a case study to show the effects of using the updated effective width curve

The effects of work on cognitive functions: a systematic review

IntroductionCognitive functions play a crucial role in individual’s life since they represent the mental abilities necessary to perform any activity. During working life, having healthy cognitive functioning is essential for the proper performance of work, but it is especially crucial for preserving cognitive abilities and thus ensuring healthy cognitive aging after retirement. The aim of this paper was to systematically review the scientific literature related to the effects of work on cognitive functions to assess which work-related factors most adversely affect them.MethodWe queried the PubMed and Scopus electronic databases, in February 2023, according to the PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID number = CRD42023439172), and articles were included if they met all the inclusion criteria and survived a quality assessment. From an initial pool of 61,781 papers, we retained a final sample of 64 articles, which were divided into 5 categories based on work-related factors: shift work (n = 39), sedentary work (n = 7), occupational stress (n = 12), prolonged working hours (n = 3), and expertise (n = 3).ResultsThe results showed that shift work, occupational stress, and, probably, prolonged working hours have detrimental effects on cognitive functioning; instead, results related to sedentary work and expertise on cognitive functions are inconclusive and extremely miscellaneous.DiscussionTherefore, workplace health and well-being promotion should consider reducing or rescheduling night shift, the creation of less demanding and more resourceful work environments and the use of micro-breaks to preserve workers’ cognitive functioning both before and after retirement.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023439172, identifier CRD42023439172

Congenital myopathies: Clinical phenotypes and new diagnostic tools

Congenital myopathies are a group of genetic muscle disorders characterized clinically by hypotonia and weakness, usually from birth, and a static or slowly progressive clinical course. Historically, congenital myopathies have been classified on the basis of major morphological features seen on muscle biopsy. However, different genes have now been identified as associated with the various phenotypic and histological expressions of these disorders, and in recent years, because of their unexpectedly wide genetic and clinical heterogeneity, next-generation sequencing has increasingly been used for their diagnosis. We reviewed clinical and genetic forms of congenital myopathy and defined possible strategies to improve cost-effectiveness in histological and imaging diagnosis

Negation in Spanish grammars for Italian university students.

reservedEl presente trabajo tiene como objetivo analizar la negación dentro de las gramáticas de español para estudiantes universitarios italianos. En primer lugar, el estudio profundiza la negación a través de su definición como acto comunicativo y sus características. A continuación, se investiga algunas de las gramáticas monolingües españolas para analizarlas a través de explicaciones y ejemplos proporcionados. Por último, se realiza un análisis de las gramáticas dirigidas a estudiantes universitarios italianos con enfoque en la negación gramatical para comprender las diferencias y similitudes entre las estructuras de negación en italiano y español. En conclusión, en el proyecto se examina la definición, las características y las estructuras de la negación gramatical con un análisis útil para estudiantes universitarios italianos de español

Synergies between buildings retrofit and district heating. The role of DH in a decarbonized scenario for the city of Milano

The goal of this work is to present challenges and opportunities for the development of 4th generation district heating in future decarbonized scenarios for the Italian city of Milano. The work has been developed in the framework of a Climate-KIC project to support Milano municipality in developing decarbonization measures. The first part of the work consists in the evaluation of a geographical distribution of the civil sector heat demand according to a bottom-up approach based on open data. Thanks to this statistical tool, also buildings retrofit can be analysed. Three retrofit scenarios are simulated according to policy goals for 2030 and 2050, foreseeing a retrofit priority of worst energy performances buildings, resulting in 8.8TWh, for the first two scenarios, and 9.4TWh for the last one. The areas characterized by the majority of retrofit can be identified as the most suitable for low temperature district heating development. Renewables and low temperature waste heat sources are also assessed, resulting in 9.8TWh of available heat. The application of district heating in combination with the identified renewables is assessed in these scenarios with a clustering approach. The evaluation of potential diffusion of 4GDH is based on the comparison between the overall cost of district heating and the competing individual systems costs: district heating is considered feasible only in retrofitted buildings where district heating cost is lower than individual systems cost (about 0.7TWh in each scenarios). The retrofitting scenarios combined with the diffusion of renewable based 4GDH are assessed also in terms of environmental impact. The current greenhouse gas emissions related to the actual heating systems, evaluated through the Thermal Systems Regional Cadastre database, is compared to the district heating development scenarios and to individual heat pump system scenarios. The results show the highest reduction of emission in the district heating scenarios (65%)

Assessment of waste and renewable heat recovery in DH through GIS mapping: the national potential in Italy

This work aims at showing the unexploited potential of waste and renewable heat in Italy through detailed mapping of these sources. The ambition is to highlight the areas with an important heat recovery potential that could be exploited through DH expansion. The recoverable heat sources have been analysed in terms of geographical location, and recovery aspects with a special focus on temperature levels and technological implications for temperature upgrades. The methodology presented in this work addresses not only the theoretical potential of waste heat and renewable heat use in DH, but also several technical aspects to get a result as closer as possible to the realistic potential at national level. Two different approaches have been used to map potential heat: one to quantify existing waste heat recovery from industrial processes, waste to energy plants, wastewater treatment plants and one to estimate the energy coming from potential new plants based on biomass, geothermal energy and solar thermal. Results shows that for a total heat demand for the civil sector of 329 TWh, out of which 114 TWh come out being suitable for a DH connection, the national available waste and renewable heat that could be integrated in DH amounts to 156 TWh. These results show the significant unexpressed potential of waste heat use in Italy and how its mapping is essential to properly estimate the utilization potential. This work has been commissioned by AIRU, Italian DH associatio

Patients beliefs on intravenous and subcutaneous routes of administration of biologics for severe asthma treatment: A cross-sectional observational survey study

Background: Understanding how patients generate preferences for administration route alternatives may improve health-care delivery and clinical outcomes. Recently, novel biological therapies with subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous (IV) administration routes have been approved for severe uncontrolled asthma. The aim of our study was to assess the preferred route of biologic therapy administration and related beliefs among patients with severe uncontrolled asthma. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational survey study. Patients answered an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire after an outpatient visit in pulmonary disease clinics located throughout Italy. Socio-demographic and clinical information together with the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12), Work Productivity Impairment Scale and the medical resources utilization module of the Health & Work Survey were collected. Patients beliefs and preference towards SC and IV administration were investigated by means of an ad hoc 13 item questionnaire. Results: the main findings: 150 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and completed the questionnaire (47.3% males). Preference for IV and SC administration was 18.7% and 81.3%, respectively. Compared with patients preferring SC formulation, patients that favored IV were older (p ​= ​0.04), less likely to escalate corticosteroid dose (p ​= ​0.03) and had emergency room (ER) access (p ​= ​0.009) during asthma exacerbations. Patients felt that SC was more convenient than IV, but this belief was not associated with higher likelihood of preferring SC administration. IV formulations were more likely associated with quicker and more effective drug action (p ​= ​0.0001), procedural safety and medical oversight (p ​= ​0.0002) and social support (p ​= ​0.007). Predictors of IV preference were represented by the association of worse asthma control and increased use of ER services, and by beliefs toward formulation effectiveness/efficiency in reducing symptoms (p ​= ​0.04 and p ​< ​0.0001, respectively). The model achieved excellent discrimination of administration route preference (area under the curve ​= ​0.87). Conclusions: Preference is guided by partially misleading beliefs, which may generate wrong expectations that in turn can affect treatment satisfaction and adherence. Convenience and efficacy beliefs for drugs with different routes of administration always should be discussed with patients to achieve informed shared-decision making. Trial registration: Not applicable. Keywords: Subcutaneous, Intravenous, Administration, Severe asthma, Biologic therapy, Preference, Belief, Shared decision makin

Assessment of renewable and waste heat recovery for DH through GIS mapping : the national potential in Italy

This work aims at showing the potential of waste and renewable heat recovery in Italy through detailed mapping of these sources. The ambition of this analysis is to highlight the areas with important heat recovery potential and to show how the matching with suitable heat demand would allow its exploitation through district heating expansion. The importance of waste heat and renewable heat potentially recoverable to reduce primary energy consumption in the civil sector is widely recognized. Nevertheless, these potential is widely unexploited in Italy. The processes and energy sources have been analysed in terms of geographical location, quantification of available heat and recovery costs with a special focus on temperature levels. The main distinction between low temperature and high temperature heat sources has been applied in order to identify the heat recovery characteristics and the consequent additional costs for temperature upgrades. The inputs of the analysis performed in this work come from national database, which has allowed obtaining more detailed and wider results with respect to international existing studies on the same subject. Two different approaches have been used to map potential heat: one to identify and quantify existing waste heat recovery and one to assess and estimate energy coming from potential new plants. The analysed sources belonging to the first category are industrial processes, waste to energy plants, waste water treatment plants and datacentres, while biomass, geothermal energy and electrolysis plants estimation belong to the second one. Results shows that the national available waste and renewable heat amount to 270 TWh which is an important outcome in comparison with a national heat demand for the residential and tertiary sector of 400 TWh. Out of this results, according to a nuts 3 regional aggregation of heat demand, 95 TWh could be recovered in DH. The reduction from theoretical potential of 270 TWh to 95 TWh is due to geographical matching of heat demand and available waste heat and on some hypothesis related to the diffusion of DH. This work shows the huge unexpressed potential of waste heat reutilisation in Italy and how the mapping of recoverable heat and not only its quantification is essential to properly estimate the utilization potential.Consultant Agreement: Dnr. PA 2019/19