Parthenope University of Naples
Archivio della ricerca - Università degli studi di Napoli "Parthenope"Not a member yet
29604 research outputs found
Sort by
An IMEX scheme for a nonlinear PDE model of tumor angiogenesis
No full textThis paper presents a numerical analysis of an Implicit–Explicit scheme for a non-linear parabolic PDE model of tumor angiogenesis. The model describes the evolution of endothelial cells, proteases, inhibitors, and extracellular matrix through coupled equations incorporating diffusion, chemotaxis, haptotaxis, and reaction kinetics. We design a numerical approach that manages stiff linear terms implicitly while handling non-stiff nonlinear terms explicitly. Theoretical analysis establishes main features of the scheme such as stability properties, second-order convergence, and preservation of conservation laws. Moreover, the computational complexity is analyzed, demonstrating an efficiency gains compared to fully explicit methods. Numerical experiments validate these findings and show the ability of the method to accurately capture complex biological phenomena
Effects of polyphenolic extracts from Mediterranean forage crops on cholinesterases and amyloid aggregation relevant to neurodegenerative diseases
No full textAlzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are the most common neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous
system, characterized by progressive neuronal death and neurological dysfunction. There is currently no treatment
that effectively slows the disease progression, and the synthetic drugs proposed to alleviate the symptoms often
cause side effects. Many studies are now focused on neuroprotective properties exhibited by natural agents, such
as polyphenols, whose action on different cell signaling pathways is well known. In this article, we analyzed
the composition and the properties of polyphenolic extracts from forage plants, such as Lotus ornithopodioides,
Hedysarum coronarium, Medicago sativa, and Cichorium intybus. The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/
mass spectrometry analysis on the extracts allowed the identification of total 24 phenolic acids and 25 flavonoids.
The effects of the extracts on key enzymes of cholinergic neurotransmission, such as acetylcholinesterase and butyryl
cholinesterase, were examined, together with an investigation on the aggregation and disaggregation of amyloid fibrils.
The polyphenols acted as inhibitors of the considered enzymes and interfered with the amyloidogenesis process, with
differences depending on the specific extracts. The inhibition constants towards cholinesterases ranged in the 60–240
μM interval; the extracts showed different inhibition mechanisms, from competitive to non-competitive. Differences
also emerged in the amyloidogenesis process, with IC50 values comprised in a large interval. Finally, the extract
from M. sativa significantly reduced the cell viability of the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. These results
suggest that polyphenols extracted from these plants may behave as multitargeting agents against key factors of
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Therefore, they can be considered as promising candidates for the prevention
and management of symptoms of these neurodegenerative disorders in combination with pharmacological therapies
Reduced graphene oxide/geopolymer composite for adsorption of methylene blue
No full textEmerging contaminants, such as methylene blue, pose significant environmental and health risks due to their widespread presence in water sources and their persistence in the environment. This study focuses on developing composite adsorbing materials based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and metakaolin-based geopolymer, aiming to enhance the removal of methylene blue from wastewaters. The composites were prepared with rGO amounts of 0.5 % and 1 % w/w and were extensively characterized to evaluate their structural and adsorption properties. Adsorption kinetics and binding isotherms were analyzed, revealing that the process follows a monolayer adsorption model with a physisorption mechanism, described by the Pseudo-First Order model. The kinetic parameters suggest a strong increase in the adsorption rate as the amount of graphene oxide within the composite increases. The Langmuir adsorption isotherms indicate that the composite with 1 wt% rGO achieved a maximum adsorption capacity qmax of 22.7 mg/g, nearly twice that of the unmodified geopolymer (qmax = 13.2 mg/g). Furthermore, desorption and adsorption cycles were conducted to assess the sustainability of the composites’ performance over time. The results demonstrate that all materials maintain approximately 55 % of their initial adsorption capacity up to the fifth cycle, with a maximum of cumulative capture capacity of 60.9 mg/g for the sample with 1 wt% rGO; this shows almost 80 % of capture capacity at the fourth cycle, highlighting the great potential these composites have for industrial wastewater treatment applications
Eat mindfully, live spiritually, sustain our world
No full textBACKGROUND: This study investigates the relationship between spirituality and sustainable eating behaviours, addressing a gap in the Italian literature. Although food sustainability is often examined through economic, environmental or health-related lenses, recent research has highlighted the growing importance of ethical and spiritual values in shaping consumer choices. Spirituality, understood as a personal connection with nature, a sense of duty and inner balance, can motivate individuals to adopt more environmentally conscious dietary habits. Based on a modified Norm Activation Model and incorporating spiritual constructs, the research examines if (and how) spirituality aspects affect sustainable consumer behaviours. An online survey was administered to individuals responsible for household grocery decisions, using validated psychometric scales to assess environmental attitudes, ecological identity, spirituality and eating behaviours. Data were analysed through confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical multiple regression.
RESULTS: The findings demonstrate that spiritual dimensions, especially duty orientation and equanimity, positively affect personal norms, which significantly predict sustainable eating behaviours. Additionally, awareness of environmental consequences and a sense of personal responsibility emerged as key mediators.
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that spirituality can serve as a powerful motivational driver for sustainability, supporting more ethical, mindful and low-impact food choices. Educational and policy interventions that recognize and engage with spiritual values may enhance their effectiveness in promoting sustainable food systems
From Waste to Wear: A Digital Circular Innovation for Sustainable Industry
No full textIndustrial sustainability remains constrained by fragmented data ecosystems and static life-cycle models that fail to connect real-time digital intelligence with circular resource flows. Conventional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approaches quantify impacts retrospectively rather than guiding operational decisions. The research responds to the problem of fragmented data architectures and isolated life-cycle models that prevent continuous optimization of energy, material, and environmental performance. It aims to develop a cyber-physical decision framework capable of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, and Digital Twin technologies into a unified control architecture that enables cross-sector sustainability governance and transforms sustainability indicators into controllable variables through digital-twin intelligence, integrating circular economy principles directly within production and logistics systems. The central research question guiding this work is how these digital technologies can be systematically integrated with circular-economy analytics to achieve real-time, adaptive optimization of sustainability performance across industrial symbiosis networks. Methodologically, the study adopts a hybrid, multi-layered approach beginning with the Hybrid Decision-Support Framework (HDSF), which fuses Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Machine Learning (ML), and IoT-based data streams to identify, prioritize, and quantify sustainability variables. This analytical layer feeds into a Triple Life Cycle Assessment (LCA, LCC, SLCA) model applied to the coffee supply chain, forming the multi-dimensional sustainability baseline of the research. The optimization layer combines Physical Internet (PI), Multi-Agent Systems (MAS), and AI-driven predictive control for logistics and production efficiency, while a digitalization layer built on Blockchain, RFID, and mobile traceability ensures transparent and verifiable data governance. The validated system is extended through Waste Flow Mapping (WFM) and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) analytics to demonstrate industrial symbiosis between the coffee and textile sectors, culminating in a federated Digital Twin that integrates Sustainability Efficiency Index (SEI) computation and feedback-based optimization aligned with ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and UN SDGs 9, 12, and 13. Empirical validation confirms that the DigiCircular Twin-Transition (DT2) model achieves approximately 30% reduction in overall environmental footprint, 18% lower energy use, and 17% less water consumption, with resource efficiency gains of 25–30% and an estimated 38% increase in return on investment (ROI) over a decade of adoption. The results demonstrate that the DT2 framework transforms sustainability from a static indicator into a dynamic control parameter within industrial operations, offering a reproducible and policy-ready mechanism for implementing the digital–green twin transition envisioned by Industry 5.0. Nonetheless, full-scale deployment depends on the availability of high-quality, interoperable datasets and cloud infrastructure for real-time monitoring. Social LCA components remain partially qualitative, requiring broader regional datasets for full automation. Simulation environments were validated in controlled industrial pilots rather than multi-plant scale. Future research should extend federated digital twins across additional sectors such as biopolymers, construction, and packaging, enhance AI-based uncertainty modeling, and embed regulatory compliance and carbon-credit monitoring into the SEI for autonomous sustainability governance
Sulla liquidazione giudiziale della società incorporata (o fusa)
No full textThe essay critically analyses the consolidated favorable position of the Italian Supreme Court on a merged company’s independent bankruptcy procedure, focusing on the contradiction of this solution both: to the legal creditor protection and to the irreversibility of merger effects by one side; and to the new rules of Codice della crisi e dell’insolvenza on extraordinary operations and on the relation within insolvency proceedings and the termination of the debtor’s business, on the other side
Higher Education Sector for Halting Biodiversity Loss: Insights for Achieving SDG 15 from Italian Universities
No full textThis chapter investigates the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in halting terrestrial biodiversity loss through the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land), with a specific focus on Italian universities. Grounded in institutional, stakeholder, and legitimacy theories, the study examines how non-financial disclosure (NFD) documents reflect universities’ actions and initiatives aimed at biodiversity conservation, particularly in relation to SDG target 15.2 on sustainable forest management and ecosystem restoration. Adopting a multiple-case research design, the chapter analyses three public Italian universities selected according to geographical balance, institutional relevance, and commitment to SDG15. An automated content analysis is conducted using Leximancer (version 5) on a dataset comprising sustainability reports and website disclosures published between 2018 and 2023. The findings reveal that while sustainability and SDGs are prominent themes in universities’ disclosures, biodiversity and SDG15-specific actions are weakly articulated and lack conceptual centrality. Teaching, research, and community engagement emerge as the main channels through which universities contribute to biodiversity protection; however, these contributions are not consistently or explicitly reported. The chapter highlights a significant gap between universities’ declared commitment to SDG15 and the clarity, depth, and effectiveness of their biodiversity-related disclosures. It concludes by emphasising the need for more structured, transparent, and standardised NFD practices—aligned with emerging biodiversity reporting frameworks—to enhance accountability, stakeholder understanding, and the legitimacy of HEIs’ contributions to halting biodiversity loss
Polyphenol-Enriched Extracts from Leaves of Mediterranean Plants as Natural Inhibitors of Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)-A and MAO-B Enzymes
No full text: Background: Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease are multifactorial disorders causing severe disability, rising with the increase in life expectancy. Currently, the identification of natural compounds useful against these disorders is becoming an urgent necessity. In this study, we used polyphenol-enriched extracts obtained from leaves of Mediterranean plants, which are important in animal feeding (Lotus ornithopodioides, Hedysarum coronarium, Medicago sativa) and in the human Mediterranean diet (Cichorium intybus). Objectives: The aims of this study were as follows: (i) tentative identification of the organic compounds present in the extracts; (ii) determination of their effect on the activity of monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A and MAO-B, key enzymes involved in the metabolism of aminergic neurotransmitters, as well as on protein expression level of these enzymes in cell lines expressing basal MAO-A and MAO-B. Methods: The ability of plant polyphenol extracts to inhibit MAO-A and MAO-B activity was assessed by in vitro enzyme assays. The protein expression level was analyzed by Western blotting. Results: Our data demonstrate that all the extracts behaved as MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors, although to a different extent and enzyme inhibition mechanism; among them, the extract from L. ornithopodioides induced a decrease in MAO-A protein level in human AGS gastric adenocarcinoma and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell lines. Conclusions: These data reinforce the hypothesis that a plant-based diet and/or integrative supplementation of pharmacological treatments can be considered for preventing and relieving symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases
