Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils for Compression Ignition Engines—The Way Toward a Sustainable Transport

The COP26 goals rapidly accelerate the shift of road transport to electric vehicles (EVs). However, the global transition to EVs should be assessed carefully. A forced transition to electric mobility without tailored solutions for each case can increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this context, low-carbon fuels can be considered a promising short-term solution to efficiently reach the carbon neutrality target. This manuscript aims to highlight the competitive advantages of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) over commercial diesel fuel. Recent works on HVO are considered, ranging from exploring the production processes and spray evolution characteristics to the various engine strategies to highlighting the potential. Greater emphasis was placed on environmental impact assessment, considering the results available for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Well-To-Wheel. The main characteristics and influences of HVO in CI engines are assessed on the combustion process, GHGs, and pollutants emissions. The results show the high potential of the HVO to reduce the impact of the road transport sector actively. It is highly compatible with existing engines and fueling systems while ensuring lower CO2, CO, THC, PM emissions, and combustion noise levels with similar efficiency and fuel consumption. Additionally, the residual feedstock can assure up to 75% GHG over the whole life cycle. Therefore, sustainable fuels, such as HVO, combined with advanced technologies could not only support the reduction of tailpipe emissions but also benefit the overall CO2 assessment

Insights on the Multifaceted Roles of Wild-Type and Mutated Superoxide Dismutase 1 in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathogenesis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neurodegenerative disease. Cell damage in ALS is the result of many different, largely unknown, pathogenetic mechanisms. Astrocytes and microglial cells play a critical role also for their ability to enhance a deranged inflammatory response. Excitotoxicity, due to excessive glutamate levels and increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration, has also been proposed to play a key role in ALS pathogenesis/progression. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) behave as key second messengers for multiple receptor/ligand interactions. ROS-dependent regulatory networks are usually mediated by peroxides. Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1) physiologically mediates intracellular peroxide generation. About 10% of ALS subjects show a familial disease associated with different gain-of-function SOD1 mutations. The occurrence of sporadic ALS, not clearly associated with SOD1 defects, has been also described. SOD1-dependent pathways have been involved in neuron functional network as well as in immune-response regulation. Both, neuron depolarization and antigen-dependent T-cell activation mediate SOD1 exocytosis, inducing increased interaction of the enzyme with a complex molecular network involved in the regulation of neuron functional activity and immune response. Here, alteration of SOD1-dependent pathways mediating increased intracellular Ca2+ levels, altered mitochondria functions and defective inflammatory process regulation have been proposed to be relevant for ALS pathogenesis/progression