University of Naples Federico II
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ASAH2 deficiency affects sphingolipid homeostasis and neuromotor control, causing a progressive neurological disorder
No full text: Sphingolipids are integral components of cell membranes and modulate cell survival, proliferation, and apoptosis. ASAH2 is a brain- and gut-enriched gene encoding the neutral N-acylsphingosine amidohydrolase 2, a poorly characterized member of the human ceramidase family. This enzyme plays a pivotal role in maintaining the sphingolipid homeostasis, which is crucial for neurogenesis and synaptic function in central and peripheral nervous system. In fact, a dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism is associated with progressive neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Here, we report the identification of biallelic ASAH2 variants in an individual with a neurodevelopmental condition featuring cognitive impairment, neuropathy, ophthalmoplegia, and progressive cerebellar and extraocular muscles atrophy. Through exome sequencing, we identified very rare missense ASAH2 variants, predicted to be deleterious by in silico analyses. Muscle biopsy histopathologic evaluation revealed features suggestive of neuropathic damage. Lipidomic profiling revealed a hyper-accumulation of glucosylceramide in the subject's cells. Then, the functional investigation of the ASAH2 variants in Drosophila showed the production of an unstable protein and consistent loss-of-function neuromotor phenotypes. Our findings support ASAH2 as a candidate gene for a previously uncharacterized neurodevelopmental disorder with neuropathic features and progressive cerebellar atrophy, underscoring the important role of this ceramidase in human nervous system
Enhanced Weibull Formulation for Capturing Fatigue Life Scatter in AM Alloys Supported by Fractographic Analysis
No full textThe fatigue performance of components produced via selective laser melting technology is strongly influenced by several factors as printing process parameters, build orientation and internal defects. This study investigates the fatigue behavior of AlSi10Mg specimens with machined surfaces, emphasizing the unusually high variability in lifetimes observed in samples built in the Z direction. A refined Weibull statistical approach, accounting for defect-induced scatter and supported by fractographic analysis, is proposed. The novel bimodal probabilistic framework, calibrated through maximum likelihood estimation method, distinguishes between two dominant defect types—porosity and lack of fusion—enabling a more accurate description of fatigue life distributions. The model successfully captures defect-specific fatigue limits and offers a robust method for integrating defect morphology into lifetime predictions, with strong implications for engineering design and reliability assessment of additively manufactured components
Toward the efficient utilization of solar energy for hydrogen production through photocatalytic reforming: A literature and patent review
No full textThe increasing global energy demand and urgent need to curb greenhouse gas emissions have intensified efforts to develop solar-driven hydrogen production technologies. Photocatalytic reforming of organic substrates – including biomass-derived compounds, organic species, and wastewater – has emerged as a promising route capable of simultaneously generating hydrogen and degrading pollutants. Recent advances have led to substantial improvements in photocatalyst performance, with reported hydrogen evolution rates ranging from below 1 mmol/gcat‧h for non-metal-doped semiconductors to over 50 mmol/gcat‧h for optimized dye-sensitized and heterojunction systems, and up to 112 mmol/gcat‧h for functionalized COF nanosheets. Apparent quantum yields span a similar breadth, from modest values below 1% to over 80% in state-of-the-art organic frameworks. Wastewater valorization studies demonstrate both environmental and energetic benefits, achieving hydrogen productivities up to 6.5 mmol/L in solar pilot plants and pollutant removal efficiencies exceeding 90% for dyes and pharmaceuticals. Techno-economic analyses indicate that integrated hydrogen–wastewater systems can reduce levelized hydrogen costs, with some configurations achieving internal rates of return above 10% and hydrogen yields approaching 800 L H2 per kg of organic removed. This review integrates scientific literature with international patent trends, providing a unified assessment of photocatalyst development, sacrificial agent strategies, and photoreactor design innovations. Building on these insights, the review delineates a forward-looking roadmap that prioritizes photocatalyst performance, wastewater matrices, scalable reactor architectures, and techno-economic integration as key research and engineering directions required to translate photocatalytic reforming from laboratory studies to commercially viable, large-scale hydrogen production
Comitato scientifico della Scuola Nazionale di formazione socio-politica ”Giorgio La Pira”.
No full textTra tolleranza e divieto: la costruzione giuridica delle immissioni
No full textDal «celebre apostegma» di Aristone riferito da Ulpiano (D. 8.5.8.5): in suo enim alii hactenus facere licet, quatenus nihil in alienum immittat, considerata da Labruna una fra le più celebri e discusse leggi delle Pandette», alla prassi giudiziaria postunitaria, alla norma codicistica introdotta con il compito di definire parametri, soglie e criteri di valutazione delle immissioni tollerabili
eXplainable artificial intelligence for non-visual multiclass recognition of EHDA Modes
No full textElectrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) is a versatile technology applied
to different fields ranging from process industries to materials science
and medicine. Depending on the operating conditions, EHDA provides
different spray modes, which are mostly recognized either by highspeed
imaging or, less frequently, by current measurements. While high-speed
imaging is very successful for lab experiments, it may be difficult to
apply in field applications with limited optical access to the spray. To
this scope, this study specifically uses frequency-domain analysis of
emitted electric current signal data to propose an eXplainable
Artificial Intelligence (XAI)-based approach for multi-class recognition
of EHDA modes, improving the accuracy of electric current-based
classification and allowing an online control of the spray performances.
To this scope, a new dataset of experimental data for various liquid
types with different chemical-physical properties has been built. The
dataset is used to tune the XAI-based method through a supervised
learning approach. By combining advanced feature engineering and a
one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN), the proposed
approach achieves accurate classification, making possible the
identification of dripping, intermittent, cone-jet, and the challenging
multi-jet modes, without the need for visual data. The use of post-hoc
XAI techniques ensures transparency, confirming that the model bases its
decisions on frequency patterns aligned with the physics of the process.
The proposed method demonstrates robustness and a certain adaptability,
being capable of classifying with appreciable accuracy EHDA modes for
liquids with physical properties different from those used for its
training, marking a significant advancement in EHDA process control.
This innovation lays the foundation for integrating AI-based
classification into closed-loop systems for real-time optimization,
addressing both academic and industrial challenges in process efficiency
and automation
Componente del Collegio del dottorato di ricerca di interesse nazionale in Studi europei presso l’Università di Genova.
No full textChemical and size-resolved signatures of firework smoke in an urban atmosphere
No full textAerosol particles significantly influence atmospheric composition and urban air quality, yet episodic and non-conventional anthropogenic sources, such as pyrotechnics, remain less well characterized. These events can emit gaseous pollutants and fine particulate matter containing metals and organic additives, posing acute exposure risks in densely populated areas. This study presents an observational characterization of the atmospheric impact associated with the celebrations following the Italian football championship in Naples on May 23, 2025, providing a real-world case study of large-scale pyrotechnic and smoke-bomb use in an urban environment. Continuous monitoring from 22 to May 31, 2025 employed a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer with a Soot-Particle module and an Optical Particle Sizer. During the peak celebration night, major aerosol constituents increased rapidly. Chemical analysis revealed distinct pyrotechnic signatures, including pronounced chlorine enrichment, concurrent spikes in coloured-formulation metal tracers (Ba, Sr, Cu), enhanced hydrocarbon fragments, and smoke-bomb combustion markers. Elemental analysis indicated a shift toward less-oxidized organic aerosol, consistent with fresh primary-combustion input. Size-resolved data showed that PM mass increased primarily in the accumulation mode. In contrast, particle number increased most strongly in the submicron fraction, implying a dual exposure concern: elevated mass burden and fine-particle concentrations. Although total PM mass decayed rapidly, aerosol chemical composition remained perturbed. These findings demonstrate that large-scale pyrotechnic use creates acute, chemically complex pollution episodes with significant implications for urban air quality. Compared with another major fireworks event, New Year's Eve 2025 in Naples, the celebration exhibited a lower peak in PM2.5 but more persistent compositional anomalies, underscoring the need for integrated chemical- and size-resolved monitoring to assess episodic urban emissions beyond standard regulatory metrics. Unlike typical single-night fireworks, this multi-night, city-wide celebration represents a non-conventional pyrotechnic episode, in which mass concentrations recover quickly while aerosol composition and size properties remain perturbed for several days
EcoRegen. Per una rigenerazione ecologica e circolare del territorio
No full textIl territorio contemporaneo affronta una sfida decisiva: innovare l’urbanistica e il progetto della città attraverso i principi dell’economia circolare e con un approccio ecologico alla rigenerazione urbana. Questo volume raccoglie gli esiti della ricerca “EcoRegen. Economie Circolari e Rigenerazione dei Territori”, condotta da un gruppo multidisciplinare del Dipartimento di Architettura dell’Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, impegnato nella sperimentazione di strategie circolari per la trasformazione urbana e il progetto dello spazio pubblico.
Il libro adotta una prospettiva metabolica per rigenerare la città come organismo complesso attraversato da flussi di risorse, energia e scarti, e come ecosistema sociale capace di contrastare le diseguaglianze e definire nuovi standard di benessere collettivo. Le aree urbane concentrano oltre il 70% del consumo globale di risorse e generano più della metà dei rifiuti mondiali: da questa consapevolezza, la ricerca esplora la trasformazione di aree di scarto, spazi dismessi, quartieri marginali e territori in abbandono, in opportunità concrete per una rigenerazione sostenibile.
La costa orientale di Napoli – tra i territori a maggiore densità abitativa d’Italia, segnata da dismissione industriale e rischio vulcanico – costituisce il laboratorio sperimentale di un modello trasferibile di piano e di progetto. Analizzando i sette comuni costieri tra Napoli e Castellammare di Stabia, la ricerca sviluppa un metodo operativo articolato in vision strategiche, schemi direttori e un abaco di soluzioni circolari, che individua come prioritari i possibili spazi di welfare nei quartieri di edilizia residenziale pubblica.
L’approccio multiscalare proposto – dal territorio al dettaglio urbano – dimostra come rigenerare in chiave circolare: dalla riqualificazione della linea di costa al recupero delle aree agricole periurbane, fino alla creazione di spazi operativi per il riciclo, concepiti come attrezzature pubbliche multifunzionali. Il volume offre a urbanisti, pianificatori, studenti, progettisti e amministrazioni pubbliche una metodologia concreta per costruire città più resilienti, sostenibili ed eque