Recycling of solar photovoltaic panels: Techno-economic assessment in waste management perspective

This work assessed the economic sustainability of photovoltaic panels (PV) recycling. The PV throughout and silver (Ag) concentration in PVs are the main factor affecting recycling. For high Ag concentrations (0.2%), the recycling is sustainable without PV recycling fee if the PV throughput is higher than 18,000 t/yr. Lower processing volumes enable sustainability only with recycling fees from 0% up to 46% of the total annualized costs in the throughput range 18,000–9000 t/yr. For low Ag concentrations (0.05%) recycling fees are instead always needed to achieve profitability, unless the throughput is higher than 43,000 t/yr. Given the high Ag revenues, efforts should be done towards its recovery. If however a mixed silver-silicon fraction was sold for more than 50–70% of its actual value depending on the Ag concentration, a simplified process without hydrometallurgical separation could generate higher profitability on the short and long term. Given the decreasing Ag content in PVs, the profitability in recycling also depends on when the investments are realized. In the medium Ag concentration scenario and for Ag prices of 600 $/kg, PV fees are always required for the net present value (NPV) to be higher than CAPEX. The later the investment, the higher the PV throughputs and PV fees required to generate the same NPV. Investing in 2025 under the hypothesis of a regular loss scenario and an Ag price of 750$/kg is the only condition that produces NPVs higher than CAPEX without PV fees if the throughput is at least 30,000 t/yr

Model-Based Compliance Discrimination via Soft Tactile Optical Sensing and Optical Flow Computation: A Biomimetic Approach

Soft tactile optical sensors have opened up new possibilities for endowing artificial robotic hands with advanced touch-related properties; however, their use for compliance discrimination has been poorly investigated and mainly relies on data-driven methods. Discrimination of object compliance is crucial for enabling accurate and purposeful object manipulation. Humans retrieve this information primarily using the contact area spread rate (CASR) over their fingertips. CASR can be defined as the integral of tactile flow, which describes the movement of iso-strain surfaces within the fingerpad. This work presents the first attempt to discriminate compliance through soft optical tactile sensing based on a computational model of human tactile perception that relies on CASR and tactile flow concepts. To this aim, we used a soft optical biomimetic sensor that transduces surface deformation via movements of marked pins, similar to the function of intermediate ridges in the human fingertip. We acquired images of markers' movements during the interaction with silicone specimens with different compliance at different indenting forces. Then, we computed the optical flow as a tactile flow approximation and its divergence to estimate the CASR. Our model-based approach can accurately discriminate the compliance levels of the specimens, both when the sensor probed the surface perpendicularly and with different inclinations. Finally, we used the relation between specimen compliance and the experimentally evaluated CASR to infer the compliance of a new specimen relying on the estimated CASR

Cryo-mechanical treatment and hydrometallurgical process for recycling Li-MnO2primary batteries with the direct production of LiMnPO4nanoparticles

In this work, an innovative hydrometallurgical recycling route for the recovery of all the materials composing Li-MnO2 primary batteries was proposed. End-of-life batteries were mechanically treated in an innovative pilot plant where a cryogenic crushing was performed. The mechanical treatment allowed for the release of the electrodic powder contained in the batteries with the simultaneous recovery of 44 kg of steel and 18 kg of plastics from 100 kg of batteries. Electrodic powder was employed as the raw material for the synthesis of LiMnPO4 nanoparticles. To obtain the synthesis precursors, selective sequential leaching of Li and Mn was performed. Li was extracted via water washing the electrodic powder and Li2CO3 and a purity of 99% was recovered. The black mass containing Mn oxides was leached using phosphoric acid, which gave a Mn-bearing precursor solution that was directly used for the hydrothermal synthesis of LiMnPO4 nanoparticles. A preliminary materials balance of the process was presented, indicating that the proposed process should be an easy hydrometallurgical route for the recycling of primary lithium batteries. In addition, the simultaneous production of high-value-added products that could be reintroduced into the battery manufacturing chain could ensure the economic feasibility of the process

Prognostic impact of Ki-67 proliferative index in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease characterized by complex biological features and poor prognosis. A prognostic stratification of PDAC would help to improve patient management. The aim of this study was to analyse the expression of Ki-67 in relation to prognosis in a cohort of patients with PDAC who had surgical treatment

Electrochemical synthesis of nanowire anodes from spent lithium ion batteries

A novel process is proposed to produce nanostructured batteries anodes from spent lithium-ion batteries. The electrodic powder recovered by the mechanical treatment of spent batteries was leached and the dissolved metals were precipitated as cobalt carbonates. Two different precipitation routes were separately tested producing cobalt carbonates with different Cu and Fe contents. Nanowire anodes were produced by electrodeposition into nanoporous alumina templates from the electrolytic baths prepared by dissolution of the precipitated carbonates. The electrochemical performances of the produced anodes were evaluated as compared to nanowire anodes produced with the same electrodeposition method but using a synthetic cobalt bath. The application of the carbonates produced by directly precipitating all the leached metals gave nanowires with capacity about halved as compared to the nanowires electrodeposited from the synthetic bath. Selectively removing Cu and Fe prior cobalt carbonate precipitation yielded, in contrast, nanowires with capacity initially larger and then gradually approaching that attained by the nanowire electrodeposited from the synthetic bath. A detailed analysis is presented describing the role of metallic impurities in determining the capacity of the produced nanowires. The impact of the illustrated results for the development of sustainable recycling processes of lithium-ion batteries is discussed

Multiple sclerosis treatment and melanoma development

Therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS) with disease-modifying agents such as natalizumab or fingolimod has been associated with the development of cutaneous melanoma. Here we briefly revise literature data and report of a case of a 48-year old woman who developed a melanoma and several atypical naevi after sub sequential treatment with natalizumab (1 year) and fingolimod (7 years). By immunohistochemistry we observed the presence of T cells and leukocyte infiltration as well as of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A expression in the patient melanoma biopsy. Then, we analyzed proliferation, migration and VEGF-A expression in three melanoma cell lines and found out that both natalizumab and fingolimod inhibited tumor cell proliferation but promoted or blocked cell migration depending on the cell line examined. VEGF-A secretion was augmented in one melanoma cell line only after fingolimod treatment. In conclusion, our in vitro data do not support the hypothesis of a direct action of natalizumab or fingolimod on melanoma progression but acting on the tumor microenvironment these treatments could indirectly favor melanoma evolution

Tildrakizumab in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: A multicenter, retrospective, real-life study

New biologic agents targeting interleukin (IL)23/T-helper17 axis, such as tildrakizumab, have been developed for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. To analyze the efficacy and safety of tildrakizumab in a real life setting of patients affected by moderate-to-severe psoriasis over a 28-week treatment period. A multicentric retrospective study was conducted in patients who initiated tildrakizumab between February 2020 and March 2021. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index-PASI was measured at baseline and after 4, 16 and 28 weeks. The percentage change in PASI value from baseline to the considered time-points, proportion of patients with absolute PASI <3 at week 28 and the percentages of achieving a PASI75 or PASI90 response were assessed. Data about potential safety issues and adverse events (AEs) were collected. Statistical analysis were performed for establish clinical efficacy and for variables predicting clinical response. Fifty nine patients with psoriasis were included. Overall mean PASI percentage reduction was of 88% from baseline to week 28 and 47 out of 59 patients (79.7%) at week 28 had an absolute PASI <3. PASI75 and PASI90 responses at week 28 were achieved by 48 (81.40%) patients and 38 (64.4.0%) patients, respectively. No substantial associations between gender, body mass index - BMI, PASI at baseline and prior exposition to biological therapies and the efficacy endpoints were retrieved. No serious safety issues or discontinuations related to adverse events were reported. In our real-life study, tildrakizumab showed high efficacy and a favorable safety profile, regardless of patient- and disease-related factors

Head–neck melanoma. clinical, histopathological and prognostic features of an italian multicentric study

Background: Primitive location of melanoma could be a relevant prognostic factor. As regards the scalp, some studies indicate a particularly aggressive biological behaviour for this anatomical localisation. Objectives: In this multicentric study, data regarding head–neck melanoma (HNM) have been revised. Methods: The design of the study included two main phases. In this retrospective study, data regarding HNM have been collected and analysed. Results: In summary, our data suggest that the posterior neck is the area most affected by thicker melanomas. Cheeks and neck melanoma are associated with reduced disease-free years of life and overall survival compared with all other sites of HNM. Conclusions: This study provides useful information in defining the clinical features of HNM, thus improving diagnosis and treatment strategies