Water footprint of a large-sized food company: The case of Barilla pasta production

The water footprint is an indicator of freshwater use taking into account both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or a producer. The concept of water footprint can be applied to business companies to provide indications about the sustainability of their production process. We considered the case of pasta production from a large-sized company, Barilla. The water footprint of 1. kg of Barilla pasta has been shown to range between 1.336 and 2.847. l of water, depending on the production site, local environmental conditions and agricultural techniques used to cultivate durum wheat. Relevant virtual water fluxes, involved in pasta and durum wheat trade among different countries, were also quantified and analysed, demonstrating the need to consider water-related production processes on a global scale when examining the water footprint of an international food company. © 2013 The Authors

Partnering for sustainability in agri-food supply chains: the case of Barilla Sustainable Farming in the Po Valley

This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this recordAvailability of data and materials: Not applicableThe objective of the paper is to understand the process of designing a multi-stakeholder partnership in the adoption of sustainable innovations in value chains. More specifically, the focus is on the design of feasible types of horizontal agreements and contractual formulas to be implemented in the agri-food supply chain in order to introduce sustainable agricultural practices. To this purpose, the Barilla Sustainable Farming initiative, which is currently in the first phase of designing an MSP, is used as a case study.European Union Horizon 202

Measuring thermal conductivity of nanostructures with the 3ω method: the need for finite element modeling

Conventional techniques of measuring thermal transport properties may be unreliable or unwieldy when applied to nanostructures. However, a simple, all-electrical technique is available for all samples featuring high-aspect-ratio: the 3? method. Nonetheless, its usual formulation relies on simple analytical results which may break down in real experimental conditions. In this work we clarify these limits and quantify them via adimensional numbers and present a more accurate, numerical solution to the 3? problem based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). Finally, we present a comparison of the two methods on experimental datasets from InAsSb nanostructures with different thermal transport properties, to stress the crucial need of a FEM counterpart to 3? measurements in nanostructures with low thermal conductivity

Optical coherence tomography for patch test grading: A prospective study on its use for noninvasive diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis

Background: The diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis should be confirmed by skin patch tests. Distinguishing between irritant and allergic reactions is sometimes difficult. Objectives: To analyse the in vivo morphological changes in patch test reactions compared to healthy skin, and to detect subclinical changes in doubtful reactions using optical coherence tomography (OCT). To develop an OCT-based algorithm to support patch-test grading. Methods: One hundred twenty-nine skin patch-test areas were scanned with OCT to evaluate the following features: architectural and vascular morphology, epidermal thickness, optical attenuation coefficient (AC), and blood flow at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.35 mm depth. Results: Most common OCT features of acute contact allergic reactions in patch tests were spongiosis with microvesicles (94.8%), macrovesicles (60.3%), and coalescing vesicles (46.6%), the latter useful in differentiating acute allergic from irritant dermatitis (P-value <.05). Objective quantitative parameters correlated well with the severity grade: epidermal thickness due to spongiosis, AC (P-value <.05) and blood flow at 0.2 and 0.35 mm (P-value <.01). Conclusions: OCT as a noninvasive diagnostic tool, established for skin cancer diagnosis, is useful for evaluating contact allergic patch-test reactions. Not only morphological but also objective features such as blood flow and AC correlate with the reaction severity. Further studies are needed to explore the differences in irritant and allergic contact dermatitis

Line-field optical coherence tomography: in\ua0vivo diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma subtypes compared with histopathology

Background: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer in the general population. Treatments vary from Mohs surgery to topical therapy, depending on the subtype. Dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have gained a foothold in daily clinical practice to optimize diagnosis and subtype-oriented treatment. The new technique of line-field confocal OCT (LC-OCT) allows imaging at high resolution and depth, but its use has not yet been investigated in larger studies. Aim: To evaluate the main LC-OCT criteria for the diagnosis and subtyping of BCC compared with histopathology, OCT and RCM. Methods: In total, 52 histopathologically confirmed BCCs were evaluated for imaging criteria. Their frequency, predictive values and ROC curves were calculated. A multinominal regression with stepwise variables selection to distinguish BCC subtypes was performed. Results: Nodular BCCs were mainly characterized by atypical keratinocytes, altered dermoepidermal junction (DEJ), tumour nests in the dermis, dark clefting, prominent vascularization and white hyper-reflective stroma. Superficial BCCs showed a thickening of the epidermis due to a series of tumour lobules with clear connection to the DEJ (string of pearls pattern). Infiltrative BCCs were characterized by elongated hyporeflective tumour strands, surrounded by bright collagen (shoal of fish pattern). The overall BCC subtype agreement between LC-OCT and conventional histology was 90.4% (95% CI 79.0\u201396.8). Conclusion: LC-OCT allows noninvasive, real-time identification of BCCs and their subtypes in vertical, horizontal and three-dimension mode compared with histology, RCM and OCT. Further larger studies are needed to better explore the clinical applications of this promising device

Line-Field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography Increases the Diagnostic Accuracy and Confidence for Basal Cell Carcinoma in Equivocal Lesions: A Prospective Study

Diagnosing clinically unclear basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) can be challenging. Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is able to display morphological features of BCC subtypes with good histological correlation. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of LC-OCT in diagnosing clinically unsure cases of BCC compared to dermoscopy alone and in distinguishing between superficial BCCs and other BCC subtypes. Moreover, we addressed pitfalls in false positive cases. We prospectively enrolled 182 lesions of 154 patients, referred to our department to confirm or to rule out the diagnosis of BCC. Dermoscopy and LC-OCT images were evaluated by two experts independently. Image quality, LC-OCT patterns and criteria, diagnosis, BCC subtype, and diagnostic confidence were assessed. Sensitivity and specificity of additional LC-OCT were compared to dermoscopy alone for identifying BCC in clinically unclear lesions. In addition, key LC-OCT features to distinguish between BCCs and non-BCCs and to differentiate superficial BCCs from other BCC subtypes were determined by linear regressions. Diagnostic confidence was rated as \u201chigh\u201d in only 48% of the lesions with dermoscopy alone compared to 70% with LC-OCT. LC-OCT showed a high sensitivity (98%) and specificity (80%) compared to histology, and these were even higher (100% sensitivity and 97% specificity) in the subgroup of lesions with high diagnostic confidence. Interobserver agreement was nearly perfect (95%). The combination of dermoscopy and LC-OCT reached a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 81.2% in all cases and increased to sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 94.9% in cases with a high diagnostic confidence. The performance of LC-OCT was influenced by the image quality but not by the anatomical location of the lesion. The most specific morphological LC-OCT criteria in BCCs compared to non-BCCs were: less defined dermoepidermal junction (DEJ), hyporeflective tumor lobules, and dark rim. The most relevant features of the subgroup of superficial BCCs (sBCCs) were: string of pearls pattern and absence of epidermal thinning. Our diagnostic confidence, sensitivity, and specificity in detecting BCCs in the context of clinically equivocal lesions significantly improved using LC-OCT in comparison to dermoscopy only. Operator training for image acquisition is fundamental to achieve the best results. Not only the differential diagnosis of BCC, but also BCC subtyping can be performed at bedside with LC-OCT

In vivo examination of healthy human skin after short-time treatment with moisturizers using confocal Raman spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography: Preliminary observations

Skin is our barrier against environmental damage. Moisturizers are widely used to increase hydration and barrier integrity of the skin; however, there are contrasting observations on their in vivo effects in real-life settings. In cosmetic studies, cor- neometers and tewameters are traditionally used to assess skin hydration. In this study, two novel noninvasive diagnostic techniques, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal Raman spectroscopy, were used to analyze stratum corneum and epidermal thickness (ET), water content, blood flow in function of depth, skin roughness, attenuation coefficient, natural moisturizing factor, ceramides and free fatty acids, cholesterol, urea, and lactates in 20 female subjects aged between 30 and 45 before and after 2 weeks application of a commercially available mois- turizing lotion on one forearm. The untreated forearm served as control. A third measurement was conducted 1 week after cessation of moisturizing to verify whether the changes in the analyzed parameters persisted. We noticed a reduction in skin roughness, an increase in ceramides and free fatty acids and a not statistically sig- nificant increase in ET. As a conclusion, short time moisturizing appears insufficient to provide significant changes in skin morphology and composition, as assessed by OCT and RS. Novel noninvasive imaging methods are suitable for the evalu- ation of skin response to topical moisturizers. Further studies on larger sample size and longer treatment schedules are needed to analyze changes under treat- ment with moisturizers and to standardize the use of novel noninvasive diagnostic techniques

Utilizing digital technologies to promote well-being in university students: the ‘DigiWell’ research protocol

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the well-being of university students, particularly those in healthcare and medical programs. Psychological interventions rooted in positive psychology have proven effective in enhancing mental health, with online and digital delivery methods proving to be equally viable. This study aims to enhance mental health among Italian university students through digital interventions, including virtual reality, utilizing a stepped care approach. Specific objectives include implementing online positive interventions for students experiencing mild distress (DigiWell_Step 1), evaluating a Virtual-Reality intervention for moderate distress (DigiWell_Step 2), and identifying students experiencing high distress or optimal well-being. Cluster analyses and linear models will assess intervention outcomes. It is anticipated that students undergoing these steps will experience significant improvements in well-being and distress reduction, with sustained benefits at a three-month follow-up. This research contributes to understanding the efficacy of mental health interventions for university students, leveraging digital technologies to enhance accessibility and user engagement. The integration of digital technologies enhances the cost-effectiveness and engagement of interventions delivered through a stepped care approach tailored to the targeted population

Optical properties and charge-transfer excitations in edge-functionalized all-graphene nanojunctions

We investigate the optical properties of edge-functionalized graphene nanosystems, focusing on the formation of junctions and charge transfer excitons. We consider a class of graphene structures which combine the main electronic features of graphene with the wide tunability of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. By investigating prototypical ribbon-like systems, we show that, upon convenient choice of functional groups, low energy excitations with remarkable charge transfer character and large oscillator strength are obtained. These properties can be further modulated through an appropriate width variation, thus spanning a wide range in the low-energy region of the UV-Vis spectra. Our results are relevant in view of designing all-graphene optoelectronic nanodevices, which take advantage of the versatility of molecular functionalization, together with the stability and the electronic properties of graphene nanostructures.Comment: J. Phys. Chem. Lett. (2011), in pres