University of Bari Aldo Moro
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Prefazione
No full textprefazione al volume che sottolinea il legame trasversale fra storia della musica e della letteratura tedesca
MODELLI DI BIORAFFINERIA SOSTENIBILE A PARTIRE DAGLI SCARTI CASEARI: VALORIZZAZIONE A CASCATA DEL PERMEATO DI SIERO DI LATTE IN BIOETANOLO E BIOENERGIA MEDIANTE BIOTECNOLOGIE MICROBICHE
No full textIl permeato di siero di latte è un sottoprodotto dell'industria lattiero-casearia ricco di lattosio e pone notevoli sfide ambientali ed economiche a causa del suo alto contenuto organico e dei costi di smaltimento. Questo progetto di dottorato innovativo con caratterizzazione industriale ha mirato a sviluppare un concetto sostenibile di bioraffineria per valorizzare il permeato di siero di latte integrando la produzione di bioetanolo e di biometano attraverso un approccio di valorizzazione della biomassa a cascata. Questo è stato condotto in collaborazione con la Distilleria Bartin S.r.l (San Basilio, Mottola, Taranto) un impianto di bioraffineria pugliese che oltre alle attività di distilleria è coinvolta nella gestione dei rifiuti agroindustriali producendo biometano e bioenergia.
Nella prima fase, i tratti fisiologici del lievito non convenzionale K. marxianus sono stati caratterizzati in condizioni di rilevanza industriale, concentrandosi sulla loro capacità di fermentazione del lattosio del permeato di siero di latte in etanolo ad alte temperature e ad elevate concentrazioni di lattosio. I ceppi di K. marxianus DSM 5422, DSM 7239 e DSM 5572 sono stati caratterizzati confrontando le loro prestazioni con il ceppo di riferimento industriale K. marxianus CBS 397. Gli esperimenti hanno evidenziato una variabilità significativa nel l'attività β-galattosidasi, nella cinetica di crescita, nelle rese di etanolo e nella tolleranza agli stress, ponendo le basi per la selezione e l'ottimizzazione dei ceppi.
La seconda fase, condotta in collaborazione con il laboratorio di ricerca sui lieviti del l'University College Cork, guidato dal prof. John P. Morrissey, ha impiegato strategie di ingegneria metabolica per migliorare le prestazioni dei ceppi in condizioni industriali. La tecnologia CRISPR-Cas9 è stata utilizzata per modificare le vie correlate allo stress di membrana, prendendo come target i geni coinvolti nell'integrità della membrana e nella regolazione metabolica della stessa. L’over-espressione dei geni fattori di trascrizione quali UPC2, MSN2 e RRI1 nei ceppi ingegnerizzati ha portato a una migliore tolleranza agli stress termici e acidi. La citometria a flusso e l'analisi HPLC sono state utilizzate per valutare la robustezza della membrana e l'utilizzo del substrato, confermando il valore delle modifiche genetiche nei ceppi di lievito.
Nella terza fase, condotta presso i laboratori di Distilleria Bartin, il residuo di fermentazione dalla produzione di etanolo è stato sottoposto a prove di digestione anaerobica per valutare se fosse possibile produrre biometano da questo scarto di processo mai caratterizzato prima. Il processo di digestione anaerobica in laboratorio ha dimostrato l'efficienza della conversione dei residui di fermentazione in biometano, suggerendo la compatibilità con le applicazioni industriali di questo processo.
I risultati integrati hanno dimostrato che l'approccio di valorizzazione a cascata è tecnicamente ed economicamente fattibile, trasformando il permeato di siero di latte da prodotto di scarto in preziosi biocarburanti. La combinazione della fermentazione alcolica e la digestione anaerobica del permeato di siero di latte offre un quadro solido per bioprocessi sostenibili, allineati ai principi della bioeconomia circolare. Inoltre, l'applicabilità industriale del concetto di bioraffineria proposto evidenzia il suo potenziale per ridurre l'impronta ambientale dei sottoprodotti lattiero-caseari generando bioenergia e valore economico. Questa ricerca sottolinea l'importanza di sfruttare i progressi biotecnologici per affrontare le sfide locali nella gestione dei rifiuti e nella produzione di energia rinnovabile. La strategia di valorizzazione a cascata presentata in questa tesi potrebbe servire come modello scalabile per altri sottoprodotti agroindustriali, aprendo la strada all'adozione di questi sistemi sostenibili di bioraffineria da parte della Distilleria Bartin.Cheese whey permeate (CWP) is a lactose-rich effluent by-product of the dairy industry and poses significant environmental and economic challenges due to its high organic content and disposal costs. This Innovative PhD project with Industrial characterization aimed to develop a sustainable biorefinery concept to valorise CWP by integrating bioethanol and biomethane production through a cascade biomass valorisation approach. This was led in collaboration with Distilleria Bartin S.r.l (San Basilio, Mottola, Taranto) an Apulian biorefinery plant that besides the distillery activities is involved in the agri-industrial waste management producing biomethane and bioenergy.
In the first phase, the physiological traits of the non-conventional yeast K. marxianus, were characterized under industrially relevant conditions, focusing on their ability to ferment CWP into ethanol at high temperatures and high lactose concentrations. K. marxianus strains DSM 5422, DSM 7239, and DSM 5572, were characterized by comparing their performance to the industrial reference strain CBS 397. The experiments highlighted significant variability in β-galactosidase activity, growth kinetics, ethanol yields, and stress tolerance, laying the foundation for strain selection and optimization.
The second phase, conducted in collaboration and at University College Cork, Yeast Research Lab led by Prof. John P. Morrissey, employed metabolic engineering strategies to improve strain performance under challenging industrial conditions. CRISPR-Cas9 technology was used to modify stress-related pathways, targeting genes involved in membrane integrity and metabolic regulation. The overexpression of transcription factors such as UPC2, MSN2 and RRI1 in the engineered strains resulted in improved tolerance to thermal and acid stresses. Flow cytometry and HPLC analyses were used to assess membrane robustness and substrate utilization, confirming the value of the genetic modifications.
In the third phase, conducted at Distilleria Bartin, the fermentation residue from ethanol production was subjected to anaerobic digestion (AD) test to evaluate whether was viable to produce biomethane from this never-characterised before side stream, closing the loop of resource recovery. The AD process at lab-scale demonstrated efficient conversion of fermentation residues to biomethane suggesting the compatibility with industrial applications of this process.
The integrated results demonstrated that the cascade valorisation approach is technically and economically viable, transforming CWP from a waste product into valuable biofuels. The combination of CWP to ethanol fermentation with anaerobic digestion offers a robust framework for sustainable bioprocesses, aligning with the principles of the circular bioeconomy. Moreover, the industrial applicability of the proposed biorefinery concept highlights its potential to reduce the environmental footprint of dairy byproducts while generating bioenergy and economic value. This research underscores the importance of leveraging biotechnological advancements to address local challenges in waste management and renewable energy production. The cascade valorisation strategy presented in this thesis could serve as a scalable model for other agro-industrial byproducts, paving the way for the adoption of these sustainable biorefinery systems by Distilleria Bartin
La responsabilizzazione della polizia in Italia. Report di ricerca REPOLITY n. 2
No full textIl presente report di ricerca esamina il rapporto tra polizia, democrazia e diritti nel contesto italiano, concentrandosi sui meccanismi di accountability – o responsabilizzazione – delle forze di polizia. La polizia è un attore centrale dello Stato di diritto, incaricato di tutelare le libertà fondamentali, ma al tempo stesso dotato di poteri che possono costituire una minaccia per le stesse libertà che è chiamata a proteggere. A partire da una distinzione tra controllo politico-amministrativo e responsabilità individuale degli agenti, il report analizza i limiti e le potenzialità delle forme di controllo attualmente in vigore nel sistema italiano
NORMALIZED GROUND STATES FOR NLS EQUATIONS WITH MASS CRITICAL NONLINEARITIES
No full textWe study normalized solutions (μ, u) ∈ R × H1(RN) to nonlinear
Schrödinger equations
−Δu + μu = g(u) in R^N,
\int^R^N u^2dx = m,
where N ≥ 2 and the mass m > 0 is given. Here, g has an L2-critical growth,
both at the origin and at infinity, that is, g(s) ∼ |s|p−1s as s ∼ 0 and s ∼ ∞,
where p = 1 + 4
N . We continue the analysis started in [11], where we found two
(possibly distinct) minimax values b ≤ 0 ≤ b of the Lagrangian functional. In
this paper, we furnish explicit examples of g satisfying b < 0 < b, b = 0 < b,
and b < 0 = b; notice that b = 0 = b in the power case g(t) = |t|p−1t. Moreover,
we deal with the existence and non-existence of a solution with minimal energy.
Finally, we discuss the assumptions required on g to obtain the existence of a
positive solution for perturbations of g
Plasmonic Single‐Molecule Affinity Detection at 10−20 Molar
No full textDNA can be readily amplified through replication, enabling the detection of a single-target copy. A comparable performance for proteins in immunoassays has yet to be fully assessed. Surface-plasmon-resonance (SPR) serves as a probe capable of performing assays at concentrations typically around 10−9 molar. In this study, plasmonic single-molecule assays for both proteins and DNA are demonstrated, achieving limits-of-detections (LODs) as low as 10−20 molar (1 ± 1 molecule in 0.1 mL), even in human serum, in 1 h. This represents an improvement in typical SPR LODs by eleven orders-of-magnitude. The single-molecule SPR assay is achieved with a millimeter-wide surface functionalized with a physisorbed biolayer comprising trillions of recognition-elements (antibodies or protein–probe complexes) which undergo an acidic or alkaline pH-conditioning. Potentiometric and surface-probing imaging experiments reveal the phenomenon underlying this extraordinary performance enhancement. The data suggest an unexplored amplification process within the biomaterial, where pH-conditioning, driving the biolayer in a metastable state, induces a self-propagating aggregation of partially misfolded proteins, following single-affinity binding. This process triggers an electrostatic rearrangement, resulting in the displacement of a charge equivalent to 1.5e per 102 recognition elements. Such findings open new opportunities for reliable SPR-based biosensing at the physical detection limits, with promising applications in point-of-care plasmonic systems
Cisplatin, the Timeless Molecule
No full textCisplatin was the first metal-based anticancer drug introduced into clinical use. It is a "small" molecule, but it represented a very "big" discovery. Since it was introduced on the market, it has not been withdrawn, despite being not free of side effects, owing to its peculiarity of being highly effective in the treatment of cancer. Anticancer activity of the platinum-based complexes was discovered with this molecule; since then, several other platinum-based drugs have been developed and tested in preclinical studies against cancer cells; however, only a few of them reached clinical trials, and their side effects are not much less than cisplatin. Despite the constraints of drug resistance and side effects, chemotherapy remains a fundamental strategy in cancer treatment. Nowadays, cisplatin remains one of the most-used anticancer agents in treating lung, colon, ovary, testicles, bladder, cervix, and many more cancers, although cisplatin resistance represents a major hurdle in cancer treatment. Will there ever be another drug that can overcome the side effects of cisplatin but at the same time be able to block tumors as does cisplatin
Robustness of Actual Evapotranspiration Predicted by Random Forest Model Integrating Remote Sensing and Meteorological Information: Case of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus, (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, 1916)
No full textWater scarcity, exacerbated by climate change and increasing agricultural water demands, highlights the necessity for efficient irrigation management. This study focused on estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa) in watermelons under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions by integrating high-resolution satellite imagery and agro-meteorological data. Field experiments were conducted in Rutigliano, southern Italy, over a 2.80 ha area. ETa was measured with the eddy covariance (EC) technique and predicted using machine learning models. Multispectral reflectance data from Planet SuperDove satellites and local meteorological records were used as predictors. Partial least squares, the generalized linear model and three machine learning algorithms (Random Forest, Elastic Net, and Support Vector Machine) were evaluated. Random Forest yielded the highest predictive accuracy with an average R2 of 0.74, RMSE of 0.577 mm, and MBE of 0.03 mm. Model interpretability was performed through permutation importance and SHAP, identifying the near-infrared and red spectral bands, average daily temperature, and relative humidity as key predictors. This integrated approach could provide a scalable, precise method for watermelon ETa estimation, supporting data-driven irrigation management and improving water use efficiency in Mediterranean horticultural systems
A comprehensive analysis of the Italian school system using harmonised open data via the SchoolDataIT R package
No full textWe present the SchoolDataITR library, which provides an overview on the current status of the Italian educational system by gathering relevant open data on school infrastructure through web scraping and harmonises them into an organic database. In addition to infrastructural information, the software retrieves the results of the Invalsi census survey, which is typically considered a thorough indicator of education quality nationwide. The package is composed of four main groups of functions. The first group retrieves the inputs from the source web pages; the second one is employed for basic data editing; the third one aggregates the data at a given territorial level, either municipalities (LAU) or provinces (NUTS-3); lastly, mapping functions are included to render the final datasets through static or interactive maps. We show the potential application of the software by providing a practical example that highlights the importance of spatial statistics to model data about the educational system at the territorial level. Indeed, territorial disparities can be found across several dimensions of both infrastructure endowment and education quality, representing a significant challenge to territorial sustainability
Detection of the Geminga pulsar at energies down to 20 GeV with the LST-1 of CTAO
No full textContext. Geminga is the third gamma-ray pulsar firmly detected by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) after the Crab and the Vela pulsars. Most of its emission is expected at tens of giga-electronvolts, and, out of the planned telescopes of the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), the Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) are the only ones with optimised sensitivity at these energies. Aims. We aim to characterise the gamma-ray pulse shape and spectrum of Geminga as observed by the first LST (hereafter LST-1) of the Northern Array of CTAO. Furthermore, this study confirms the great performance and the improved energy threshold of the telescope, as low as 10 GeV for pulsar analysis, with respect to current-generation Cherenkov telescopes. Methods. We analysed 60 hours of good-quality data taken by the LST-1 between December 2022 and March 2024 at zenith angles below 50 degrees. Additionally, a new Fermi-LAT analysis of 16.6 years of data was carried out to extend the spectral analysis down to 100 MeV. Lastly, a detailed study of the systematic effects was performed. Results. We report the detection of Geminga in the energy range between 20 and 65 GeV. Of the two peaks of the phaseogram, the second one, P2, is detected with a significance of 12.2 sigma, while the first (P1) reaches a significance level of 2.6 sigma. The best-fit model for the spectrum of P2 was found to be a power law with a spectral index of Gamma = (4.5 +/- 0.4(stat))(-0.6sys)(+0.2)(sys), compatible with the previous results obtained by the MAGIC Collaboration. No evidence of curvature is found in the LST-1 energy range. The joint fit with Fermi-LAT data confirms a preference for a sub-exponential cut-off over a pure exponential, even though both models fail to reproduce the data above several tens of giga-electronvolts. The overall results presented in this paper prove that the LST-1 is an excellent telescope for the observation of pulsars, and improved sensitivity is expected to be achieved with the full CTAO Northern Array