A cross-sectional study on benzene exposure in pediatric age and parental smoking habits at home

After the introduction of the smoke-free legislation, household smoking has become the major source of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure for children. In our previous research, we found a strong association between urinary unmodified benzene (u-UB) levels and passive smoking exposure related to the home smoking policies (HSP). The aim of the study is to further investigate the impacts of several factors on ETS-exposure in childhood by using u-UB as tobacco-related carcinogen biomarker of exposure. Two cross-sectional studies were performed on the same target population of our previous research, in summer and winter season of the years 2017 and 2018, respectively. A questionnaire and a head space–solid phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) analytical method were used as investigative procedures. The improvement found in smoking habits, when compared to our previous surveys, reduced the levels of u-UB in children. However, significant dierences related to the high number of smokers and smoked cigarettes, in total and at home, still persist. These dierences are more relevant in the winter season. Finally, the only eective way for making homes completely smokefree is to develop public health policies for encouraging people to quit or drastically reduce smoking

Suggestive evidence of a multi-cytokine resistin pathway in humans and its role on cardiovascular events in high-risk individuals

In cells and tissues resistin affects IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 and TNF-α expression, thus suggesting the existence of a multi-cytokine "resistin pathway". We investigated whether such pathway does exist in humans and, if so, if it is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Serum cytokines were measured in 280 healthy subjects from the Gargano Study 2 (GS2) whose BMI, waist circumference, HOMA IR, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure data were available and in 353 patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease from the Gargano Heart Study (GHS)-prospective design (follow-up 5.4 ± 2.5 years; 71 MACE). In GS2, cytokines mRNA levels in white blood cells were also measured. In GS2, resistin mRNA was correlated with all cytokines expression (all p < 0.001), but IL-12B. Consistently, serum resistin was correlated with all serum cytokines (all p < 0.001), but IL-12. Expression (eRPS) and serum (sRPS) resistin pathway scores (excluding IL-12) were each other correlated (p < 0.001) and both associated with cardiovascular risk factors (all p < 0.01). In GHS, sRPS was independently associated with MACE (HR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.10-1.90). Our data indicate the existence of a resistin pathway, which is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and which strongly and independently predicts MACE

Freight distribution with electric vehicles: A case study in Sicily. RES, infrastructures and vehicle routing

Abstract This paper deals with the issue of the production of electricity required for an electric delivery van to carry out its daily mission. In particular, the technical solutions adopted for the generation and management of energy from renewable energy sources will be illustrated. Subsequently a vehicle routing problem with time windows is formulated in order to optimize the freight distribution at urban level completing the exploration of two aspects, infrastructures and management of the service, considered fundamental for dealing with the distribution of freight in a system scenario. The article describes a case study for the delivery of freight within the last mile in which the installation of renewable energy production plants is proposed in the same place where the urban distribution center has been planned. The area dedicated to freight handling is thus proposed in the work as an energy platform as well as logistics. The optimization of a freight delivery service is performed in order to reduce the energy used by the vehicle in its daily travels and some aspects related to the governance (i.e. time windows allowed for the delivery/pick-up operations) are included in the problem constraints. A test application, considering a set of 84 retailers, has been carried out as case study in the Capo d'Orlando municipality (Sicily, Italy)

Freight distribution with electric vehicles: A case study in Sicily. Delivery van development

Abstract A change in the logistics sector in terms of environmental sustainability is necessary to support the achievement of the social challenges associated with freight transport. Unfortunately, the policy responses to solving congestion and emissions issues are mainly dedicated to the movement of people. The most valued opportunities to reduce the negative effects of freight delivery (the goal of EU policy is CO2 free urban logistics by 2030) regards both the use of electric vehicles to perform the distribution and the introduction of distribution centres that encourage the use of light commercial vehicles. However, the combination of zero emission vehicles in logistic and transportation activities requires some additional challenges from the organizational and operational point of view. In order to avoid the delocalization of polluting emissions it is necessary that the production of electricity related to the new needs comes from renewable sources preferably distributed throughout the territory. This paper explores the integration of electric vehicles in logistics operations executed through light commercial vehicles, taking into consideration, during the design phase of a new concept delivery van, the technical connections with the production systems and its possible applications also in areas other than urban. The results of the case study presented encourage the development of a type of vehicle with features not yet covered by the market and which are of particular relevance for sustainable logistics applied to small towns or small islands, which are widespread in Italy

dynamic simulation of a multi generation system for electric and cooling energy provision employing a sofc cogenerator and an adsorption chiller

Abstract Aim of this work is the dynamic simulation of the operation of a small-scale multi-generation system, based on a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) micro-cogenerator (μCHP) coupled to an adsorption chiller, to provide electric and cooling energy to a telecommunication shelter. The dynamic simulation model has been implemented in TRNSYS environment. The μCHP has nominal electric power of 2.5 kW and its thermal output is used to drive a thermally driven adsorption chiller, with nominal cooling power of 10 kW. The performance of both components were experimentally validated under controlled lab conditions. The developed model allowed to optimize the system configuration and to perform an energy and environmental analysis. This analysis demonstrated the possibility of achieving global energy efficiency up to 63% with a CO2 reduction proportional to the electric and cooling load of the telecommunication shelter

STOCHASTICITY AND PERSISTENCE OF SOLAR CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

The study of the statistical properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) reveals that their properties depend on the period of solar activity. In particular, when investigating the origin of the waiting time distribution between CMEs, a significant departure from a Poisson process during periods of high solar activity has been found, thus suggesting the existence of at least two physical processes underlying the origin of CMEs. One acts continuously, perhaps related to randomly occurring magnetic reconfigurations of the solar corona at large scales. The other plays a role only during the solar maximum, probably due to the photospheric emergence of magnetic flux as a statistically persistent mechanism, which generates long correlation times among CME events strong enough not to be destroyed by the former random process

STATISTICS OF DENSITY FLUCTUATIONS DURING THE TRANSITION FROM THE OUTER SOLAR CORONA TO THE INTERPLANETARY SPACE

This paper investigates the evolution of the plasma density fluctuations of the fast and slow solar wind from the solar corona into the interplanetary space. The study is performed by comparing the low-frequency spectra and the phase correlation of the proton density oscillations, measured in the inner heliosphere with the Helios 2 in situ instrumentation, with those due to the large-scale density perturbations observed with UVCS/SOHO in the outer corona. We find that the characteristics of density fluctuations of the fast solar wind are maintained in the transition from the outer corona to the inner heliosphere, thus suggesting a coronal imprint for the heliospheric large-scale 1/f 2 noise spectrum. In contrast, a quick dynamical evolution is observed in the slow wind, which, starting from large-scale fluctuations with strong phase correlations in the outer corona, gives rise to a Kolmogorov-like spectrum and an accumulation of density structures at small scales at 0.3 AU. This can be explained in the framework of nearly incompressible turbulence

Development of a New Concept Electric Vehicle for Last Mile Transportations

Within European cities, where 68% of the EU population lives using 70% of the energy, an integrated and sustainable urban approach is needed. In order to meet the increasingly complex challenges of urban areas new, efficient, and user-friendly technologies and services, in particular in areas of energy, transport, and ICT are required. In the transport sector electric urban mobility and synergy between different transport systems (ITS) and infrastructures must be supported strongly in order to improve life conditions of citizens in terms of i) emissions, ii) services, iii) traffic congestion (an ambitious challenge is reduction of journey times). With the aim of improving the city logistic more efficient peopletransport and freight-distribution systems have to be used, so electro-mobility for transport in the “last mile” must be supported. In the i-NEXT (Innovation for greeN Energy and eXchange in Transportation) project, in which CNR ITAE is directly involved as coordinator, activities are addressed to implementation of new concept modular electric vehicles having different upper-bodies able to be used both for people (public transport) and freight in urban areas. The project aims to develop a not commercial vehicle characterized by new design in which the challenge is to reach the lowest ratio between total weight and load capacity (europallet for freight and seats for people). Other important aspects are to define specific mission of use, range of autonomy, recharge times and cost in terms of batteries and recharge systems technologies. In conclusion synergy of electro-mobility with renewable energy plants and smart grids is essential for sustainability of smart city concept. Document type: Articl