Planning the Integrated Management of Organic Waste Flows and Agricultural Residues for a Circular Economy

In the recent years, the production, management and disposal of both organic waste and agricultural residues has become significantly difficult in Italy, due to the lack of suitable facilities. Very often, indeed, within the different regions, there are no treatment plants for the organic fraction of municipal solid waste or agricultural residues treatment centres, so as to give them a second life in the perspective of a circular economy. The lack of proximity treatment centres, forces local administrations to send these flows to plants outside their territorial area, with a consequent increase for transport and treatment costs. This paper, with reference to the study area of the Matera municipality (Basilicata region - Southern Italy), taking into consideration the organic waste flows of non-domestic users from separate collection and agricultural residues - especially those coming from the wine production chain - provides a state-of-the-art analysis of the problems related to their collection, management and disposal. Subsequently, an alternative model feasibility study - called "proximity composting", aimed at a more sustainable management of these flows based on their “zero-kilometers treatment” – has been implemented. The results obtained have demonstrated that the proposed scenario is much more sustainable when compared to the current situation, both from an economic and environmental point of view. Indeed, thanks to the use of calculation tools, the economic (€/year) and environmental (Kg CO2 avoided/year) advantages, due to the save of transport and disposal of flows outside the region, have been quantified, with consequent reduction of waste tax for citizens (€/year). In addition, the implementation of maps using a Geographical Information System (GIS) has demonstrated a better optimization of the system. Finally, it was highlighted the social utility of the proposed model, because citizens become an active part in the process and self-produce soil fertilisers

GIScience and Historical Cartography for Evaluating Land Use Changes and Resulting Effects on Carbon Balance

Multi-chronological examination of territory using GIScience and historical cartography may reveal a strategic tool for investigating changes in land use and the surrounding landscape structure. In this framework, the soil plays a key role in ecosystem evolution, since it governs all the mechanisms at the basis of vegetal growth, as well as all components of the total environment contributing to the formation of a rural landscape, including the balance of carbon dioxide. The present study was developed using a GIS approach applied to historical maps and aims to assess the environmental impact of land-use change, with particular attention to its effects on agricultural soil and atmospheric carbon dioxide balance. Thanks to a comparison between historical cartographic maps of different periods, this geospatial approach has enabled the assessment of the evolution of the rural land of the study area in the municipality of Ruoti (Basilicata Region—Southern Italy). This area, indeed, has been affected by deep land-use transformations, mainly caused by agricultural activities, with a resulting impact on the atmospheric CO2 balance. These transformations have been analyzed and quantified in order to contribute to the understanding on how the changes in land use for agricultural purposes have led to unforeseen changes in the rural landscape, ecosystems and the environment. The results showed that the greatest changes in land use were caused by the abandonment of large rural areas, resulting in the expansion of urban areas, a decrease in orchard and arable land (about less 25%), and an increase in woodland (more than 30%). These changes have resulted in a doubling in soil carbon fixation value. The final results have therefore confirmed that historical cartography within a GIS approach may decisively offer information useful for more sustainable agricultural activities, so as to reduce their negative contribution to climate change

Concrete Blocks Reinforced with Arundo donax Natural Fibers with Different Aspect Ratios for Application in Bioarchitecture

In recent decades, the construction industry has advanced in its use of natural green resources, such as vegetable fibers (e.g., flax, hemp, jute, etc.) added in concrete mixtures, to create building materials that are both economically and environmentally sustainable. The pricing, low energy cost, and environmental sustainability of these natural fibers are driving this interest. The quantity of fibers and the ratio of fiber length to its transverse diameter (aspect ratio) are critical characteristics that have a decisive impact on concrete’s mechanical qualities. The influence of the aspect ratio of Arundo donax fibers on the tensile characteristics of concrete blocks was specifically investigated in this study. These fibers were collected from the outer section of the stem of this plant, which grows commonly in Mediterranean locations, but that is also found all over the world. Experiments were carried out on cylindrical concrete blocks with a constant amount of fiber (1 percent by weight) and different aspect ratios: 30, 50, and 70 (mm/mm) respectively, to assess their tensile strength, even when compared with concrete blocks without any fiber addition. Tensile tests on Arundo donax fibers were also conducted, with the aim to contribute to the analysis of their interaction with cementitious matrices, and to assess differences between the various compositions. The results showed a direct impact of the aspect ratio on the final tensile strength of concrete blocks, with higher aspect ratios producing superior tensile properties

Experimental analysis on concrete blocks reinforced with Arundo donax fibres

Over the last decades, there has been growing attention in research and development on non-conventional building materials, such as vegetable fibres (e.g., flax, hemp, jute, etc.), to be used as eco-friendly materials in a wide range of applications in civil construction. The main reasons for this interest are related to the specific properties, price, and sustainability of natural fibres, which can be considered ‘green’ building materials. In this article, the tensile strength of a new type of fibre extracted from the stem of the Giant Reed Arundo donax L. has been investigated. First, these fibres, which widely grow in Mediterranean areas but are diffused worldwide as well have been extracted from the outer part of the plant stem. Then, in order to have an initial idea of their influence on the mechanical properties of concrete, some experimental bricks have been prepared, with the addition of different weight percentages of this vegetal fibre. Compression and tensile tests on the whole block have been performed to assess the mechanical properties of these bricks. Hence, the differences between concrete bricks without fibre and those reinforced with different weight percentages of natural fibre have been analysed, assessing their potential applications in bio-architecture

Experimental analysis on concrete blocks reinforced with Arundo Donax fibers.

Over the last decade, there has been a growing attention in research and development on non-conventional building materials and technologies, such as vegetable fibers (e.g., flax; hemp; jute; etc.), to be used as eco-friendly materials in a wide range of applications in civil construction. The main reasons of this interest are related to the specific properties, price and sustainability of natural fibers, which can be considered as “green” building materials. In this article, a new kind of fibers, extracted from stem of the Giant Reed Arundo donax L., has been investigated as a potential reinforcement of construction materials. These fibers, which widely grow in Mediterranean areas, but that are diffused all around the world as well, have been extracted from the outer part of plant stem. Then, some experimental concrete bricks, have been prepared with the addition of different weight percentages of vegetal fiber. To assess the mechanical properties of these bricks, tensile tests on single fiber have been performed, as well as compression tests on the whole block. Hence, the differences between concrete bricks without any fiber and those reinforced with different weight percentages of natural fiber have been analyzed, and their potential applications in bio-architecture have been assessed

Insect antimicrobial peptides: potential weapons to counteract the antibiotic resistance

Misuse and overuse of antibiotics have contributed in the last decades to a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance which is currently considered one of the principal threats to global public health by the World Health Organization. The aim to find alternative drugs has been demonstrated as a real challenge. Thanks to their biodiversity, insects represent the largest class of organisms in the animal kingdom. The humoral immune response includes the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are released into the insect hemolymph after microbial infection. In this review, we have focused on insect immune responses, particularly on AMP characteristics, their mechanism of action and applications, especially in the biomedical field. Furthermore, we discuss the Toll, Imd, and JAK-STAT pathways that activate genes encoding for the expression of AMPs. Moreover, we focused on strategies to improve insect peptides stability against proteolytic susceptibility such as D-amino acid substitutions, N-terminus modification, cyclization and dimerization

Insect antimicrobial peptides: potential weapons to counteract the antibiotic resistance

Misuse and overuse of antibiotics have contributed in the last decades to a phenomenon known as antibiotic resistance which is currently considered one of the principal threats to global public health by the World Health Organization. The aim to find alternative drugs has been demonstrated as a real challenge. Thanks to their biodiversity, insects represent the largest class of organisms in the animal kingdom. The humoral immune response includes the production of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are released into the insect hemolymph after microbial infection. In this review, we have focused on insect immune responses, particularly on AMP characteristics, their mechanism of action and applications, especially in the biomedical field. Furthermore, we discuss the Toll, Imd, and JAK-STAT pathways that activate genes encoding for the expression of AMPs. Moreover, we focused on strategies to improve insect peptides stability against proteolytic susceptibility such as D-amino acid substitutions, N-terminus modification, cyclization and dimerization

Fracture stratigraphy of Mesozoic platform carbonates, Agri Valley, southern Italy

The outcropping platform carbonates form a layered succession crosscut by a dense array of bed-parallel pressure solution seams and veins, oblique-to-bedding pressure solution seams, and high-angle joints, veins, and pressure solution seams. Altogether, these structural elements form sub-seismic heterogeneities that formed during the polyphase tectonic evolution of the southern Apennines fold and-thrust belt, Italy. Aiming at assessing the role exerted by the primary carbonate architecture on failure modes and fracture geometry and distribution, we conduct a multi-disciplinary study by performing stratigraphic, petrographic, mineralogical, and mesoscale structural analyses. Based on carbonate rocks textures and fossil associations, three bed package associations associated to Pliensbachian-Toarcian, low-to-high energy open lagoonal, and Cenomanian, medium-to-high lagoonal-tidal depositional settings are assessed. Based upon specific failure modes, the aforementioned structural elements pertain to burial diagenesis, an early thrusting, a thrusting and a transtensional structural assemblages. Computed P20 (2D fracture density) and P21 (2D fracture intensity) values show that the primary interfaces present in the well bedded, low energy, open lagoonal carbonates compartmentalized fractures within single carbonate beds and bed packages. On the contrary, the aforementioned values show the absence of efficient mechanical interfaces in the medium-to-high energy lagoonal-tidal carbonates. This conclusion is confirmed by considering the P10 (1D fracture intensity) values computed for the most common diffuse fracture set. Moreover, the higher values are computed for the coarse grained lithologies, which is consistent with the control exerted by early chemical and physical compaction and cementation processes in the fracture stratigraphy of the study platform carbonates