Towards a circular economy for the plastic packaging sector: Insights from the Italian case

Achieving a circular economy (CE) has become a strategic priority for the plastic packaging industry to imple-ment long-term business sustainability while meeting legislative requirements. In this view, the evolution of cir-cularity practices in relation to technological, regulatory, and socio-economic factors and the implications for different value chain actors are open streams of research. This study aims to assess trends and meaningful changes in the adoption of circularity practices from the perspective of different value chain actors, under the ef-fects of leading CE barriers and enablers. A longitudinal analysis of the influence of these factors in relation to CE practices adopted by the Italian plastic packaging sector was conducted for the years 2011, 2015, and 2019. The involvement in plastic recovery became a predominant CE strategy over time, thanks to technological availability and a more mature regulatory framework. Our results suggest a gradual shift from scattered CE implementations to a more systemic approach to CE integrating upstream and downstream solutions. However, this transition oc-curred at different speeds and levels across the supply chain, as companies perceived factors differently and, con-sequently, implemented different types of CE practices. Therefore, increased collaboration and alignment across the supply chain are still required to overcome existing challenges. Based on our analysis, a focus group with stakeholders and experts of the plastic industry drew possible future avenues for the plastic packaging sector. Suggested priority actions include advancement of new and emerging recycling technologies, prioritization of economically viable and closed-loop alternatives to recover plastic waste, and alignment between national and international CE directives. These results extend our understanding of the CE transition and shed new light on the ways in which the industry can address existing barriers in different tiers for a system-wide impact. (c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Uno spettacolo a misura dei “particolari”: “Con chi vengo vengo” a palazzo Girifalco (Napoli 1665)

En el año 1665 el palacio del duque de Girifalco acoge a unos nobles napolitanos seleccionados para exhibir su magnificencia y su lealtad a la corona de España con un espectáculo muy rico sobre la obra de Calderón “Con quien vengo vengo”. Esta ocasión atestigua el mito de Calderón en Nápoles a lo largo del siglo XVII y las técnicas representativas en las casas aristocráticas. El texto fue puesto en escena utilizando las estrategias típicas del teatro napoletano, con prólogos y «licenze» musicales, bailes entre los actos e idiomas múltiples, y entregado a una compañía de valientes diletantes y profesionales talentosos. Entre «mensajes» performativos y otros se celebra una liturgia de propaganda, en la que se encuentran todos los elementos que amplifican y subrayan el homenaje del duque y de sus huéspedes, que se reconocen en él, al poder español. El esplendor y el mito de la «cattolicissima» ciudad se constituye a través de ocasiones parecidas, que unen los lenguajes más diferentes y la experimentación más atrevida. En este tiempo Nápoles anda perfeccionando y definiendo un papel artístico que en unas décadas se convertirá en una primacía absoluta en toda Europa.In 1665 the palace of the Duke of Girifalco hosts a selected group of aristocratic people for a rich performance inspired to Calderón’s “Con quien vengo vengo”, in order to show the magnificence of the house as well as its loyalty to the Spanish king. This event testifies both to the myth of Calderón in Naples in the 17th century and to the performing strategies in private houses. The text was staged using typical resources of Neapolitan theatres, such as prologues, musical insertions, dances between the acts and multiple language scenes, and was entrusted to a troupe formed by talented amateurs and skilled practitioners. Technical solutions and other «messages» constitute a propagandistic «liturgy» aimed at emphasizing the tribute of the Duke (and of his entourage) to the Spanish power. The glamour and the myth of the «catholic» nation is based also upon such events, where different «languages» and bold experiments are combined. At that time Naples is gaining (and bringing to perfection) an artistic role, which will soon turn into an absolute primacy in Europe

Targeting the MET oncogene by concomitant inhibition of receptor and ligand via an antibody-“decoy” strategy

MET, a master gene sustaining "invasive growth," is a relevant target for cancer precision therapy. In the vast majority of tumors, wild-type MET behaves as a "stress-response" gene and relies on the ligand (HGF) to sustain cell "scattering," invasive growth and apoptosis protection (oncogene "expedience"). In this context, concomitant targeting of MET and HGF could be crucial to reach effective inhibition. To test this hypothesis, we combined an anti-MET antibody (MvDN30) inducing "shedding" (i.e., removal of MET from the cell surface), with a "decoy" (i.e., the soluble extracellular domain of the MET receptor) endowed with HGF-sequestering ability. To avoid antibody/decoy interaction-and subsequent neutralization-we identified a single aminoacid in the extracellular domain of MET-lysine 842-that is critical for MvDN30 binding and engineered the corresponding recombinant decoyMET (K842E). DecoyMET(K842E) retains the ability to bind HGF with high affinity and inhibits HGF-induced MET phosphorylation. In HGF-dependent cellular models, MvDN30 antibody and decoyMET(K842E) used in combination cooperate in restraining invasive growth, and synergize in blocking cancer cell "scattering." The antibody and the decoy unbridle apoptosis of colon cancer stem cells grown in vitro as spheroids. In a preclinical model, built by orthotopic transplantation of a human pancreatic carcinoma in SCID mice engineered to express human HGF, concomitant treatment with antibody and decoy significantly reduces metastatic spread. The data reported indicate that vertical targeting of the MET/HGF axis results in powerful inhibition of ligand-dependent MET activation, providing proof of concept in favor of combined target therapy of MET "expedience.

Three-year observations of halocarbons at the Nepal Climate Observatory at Pyramid (NCO-P, 5079 m a.s.l.) on the Himalayan range

A monitoring programme for halogenated climate-altering gases has been established in the frame of the SHARE EV-K<sup>2</sup>-CNR project at the Nepal Climate Laboratory – Pyramid in the Himalayan range at the altitude of 5079 m a.s.l. The site is very well located to provide important insights on changes in atmospheric composition in a region that is of great significance for emissions of both anthropogenic and biogenic halogenated compounds. Measurements are performed since March 2006, with grab samples collected on a weekly basis. The first three years of data have been analysed. After the identification of the atmospheric background values for fourteen halocarbons, the frequency of occurrence of pollution events have been compared with the same kind of analysis for data collected at other global background stations. The analysis showed the fully halogenated species, whose production and consumption are regulated under the Montreal Protocol, show a significant occurrence of "above the baseline" values, as a consequence of their current use in the developing countries surrounding the region, meanwhile the hydrogenated gases, more recently introduced into the market, show less frequent spikes. <br><br> Atmospheric concentration trends have been calculated as well, and they showed a fast increase, ranging from 5.7 to 12.6%, of all the hydrogenated species, and a clear decrease of methyl chloroform (−17.7%). The comparison with time series from other stations has also allowed to derive Meridional gradients, which are absent for long living well mixed species, while for the more reactive species, the gradient increases inversely with respect to their atmospheric lifetime. The effect of long range transport and of local events on the atmospheric composition at the station has been analysed as well, allowing the identification of relevant source regions the Northern half of the Indian sub-continent. Also, at finer spatial scales, a smaller, local contribution of forest fires from the Khumbu valley has been detected

Polymorphism of Genetic variability of gene in sheep

MUC1 gene encodes the polypeptide of a mucin present on the apical surface of the secreting mammary cells during lactation and on the surface of the milk fat globules (Mather, 2000). MUC1 contains a minisatellite region: the sequence, coding for the extracellular protein domain, consists mostly of a motif of 60 bp that in human, cattle and goat is tandemly repeated a variable number of times (VNTR polymorphism), giving rise to molecular variants of different size (Patton et al., 1995)

Development of two multiplex PCRs for microsatellite analysis in Alpine chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra)

The study of the genetic diversity gives important information about structure, subdivision in subunits and evolution of populations. Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra, Linneus 1758) are mountain ungulates belonging to the subfamily Caprinae. They are presently distributed over most of the medium to high altitude mountains in the Southern Europe. Ten distinct geographical populations have been recognised as subspecies (Masini and Lovari, 1988); one of this subspecies, R. r. rupicapra, includes also the chamois living on the Italian Alps

Structural assessment of the EU-DEMO WCLL Central Outboard Blanket segment under normal and off-normal operating conditions

Within the framework of the EUROfusion design activities concerning the EU-DEMO Breeding Blanket (BB) system, a research campaign has been carried out at the University of Palermo with the aim of investigating the structural behaviour of the DEMO Water-Cooled Lithium Lead (WCLL) Central Outboard Blanket (COB) segment. The assessment has been performed considering three different loading scenarios: the Normal Operation (NO), the Over-Pressurization (OP) and the Upward Vertical Displacement Event (VDE-up). In particular, NO scenario represents the loading case referring to the nominal operating conditions, whereas the OP scenario refers to the loading conditions due to an in-box LOCA accident, listed as one of the BB design basis accidental events. Lastly, the VDE-up scenario is an off-normal event reproducing the plasma disruption caused by an uncontrolled vertical motion of the plasma volume. This event brings the plasma in contact with the upper part of the plasma chamber, generating a sudden energy discharge accompanied by Electro Magnetic (EM) forces acting on the structure. The study has been carried out following a theoretical-numerical approach based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and adopting the quoted ABAQUS v. 6.14 commercial FEM code. In particular, a detailed 3D FEM model of the whole COB segment, including the back-supporting structure and its attachment system to the vacuum vessel, has been set up. Several simulations have been run to assess the thermo-mechanical performances of the segment under the afore-mentioned loading scenarios, also taking into account the impact of the tungsten (W)-armour on the overall structural response. EM loads have been considered in all the assessed scenarios. In the first two, only magnetization forces have been taken into account, while in the VDE-up scenario Lorentz's forces have been also taken into account. The structural response has been evaluated according to the RCC-MRx structural design rules. The obtained results are herewith presented and critically discussed