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Hydrothermal synthesis of Ag/Ni15O16 nanocomposite: Exploiting green chemistry for environmental and biomedical applications.
No full textNanomaterials have remarkable potential to open novel opportunities in materials science, biological research, and the photocatalytic industry. Globally increasing threats, health issues, and environmental problems have driven ambitious research toward sustainable resolutions. Nanomaterials possess promise; yet, their efficacy is
limited by inadequate conductivity and conventional synthesis methods. Novel oxygen-rich nickel oxide (Ni15O16) nanoparticles (NPs) were obtained in the present research work, replacing stochiometric NiO, and their properties were improved by forming a nanocomposite (NC) with silver metal using a facile green hydrothermal method. Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad dry fruit extract was used as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized nanomaterials were approximately characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The synthesized nanoparticles and nanocomposites have been evaluated for their potential to degrade organic dyes and their antimicrobial effects. The Ag/Ni15O16 NCs demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic degradation against the Congo red (CR) dye, with 99.6 % degradation achieved in 70 min, as reported in the results. With a percentage zone of inhibition (ZOI) of 96.057 % against the Phytophthora infestans fungal strain and a ZOI of 27 ±0.4 mm for the E. coli and 24 ±0.5 mm for the S. aureus bacterial strains, Ag/Ni15O16 NCs show remarkable antifungal and antibacterial potential. Ag/Ni15O16 exhibits significant antioxidant potential with a scavenging capacity of 81.90 % and 90.3 % for 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl Radical Scavenging Capacity (DPPH RSC) and Hydroxyl Radical Scavenging Capacity (HRSC), respectively
Minimum Urban Units (MUUs): A Data-Driven Methodology for Adaptive and Climate-Responsive Urban Planning
No full textMinimum Urban Units (MUUs) offer a promising approach for adaptive urban planning, facilitating sustainable city development and improving residents’ quality of life. Building upon the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification, MUUs delineate and characterise a city’s physical and environmental attributes, integrating land cover; building morphology; and social, population, mobility, and health data. By using a GIS-based platform and parametric processes, MUUs combine various data types to identify zones that require immediate attention for active intervention. This methodology expands the LCZ classification to introduce risk levels and the projected climate for the next mid-century, serving as a recipe for building climate-resilient cities. Preliminary analyses revealed MUUs’ effectiveness of MUUs in categorising urban zones and identifying areas prone to specific environmental stressors or socioeconomic challenges. The flexibility of MUUs allows the incorporation of climate change considerations, sustainable resource use, and community planning. Neural networks will be integrated to identify the complex relationships among environmental factors, socioeconomic indicators, and urban morphology, enabling the prediction of different urban planning scenarios. The MUU project’s achievements address data collection and microclimatic analysis challenges, confirming their potential as valuable tools for policymakers and urban planners. Further research and collaboration are needed to refine the open MUU framework, but preliminary findings suggest that MUUs offer a promising pathway towards more adaptive, sustainable, and resilient urban environments
N. LAZZERINI, Le conseguenze giuridiche per le istituzioni dell’Unione europea dell’accertamento dell’illegittimità dei propri atti
No full textLa recensione analizza la monografia della Prof.ssa Nicole Lazzaroni in tema di annullamento degli atti europe
Diritto comparato. A proposito di un libro recente
No full textIl contributo, in occasione del recente volume di Von Sachsen Gessaphe dedicato al diritto comparato, pone una serie di riflessioni sulla micro e macro comparazione, sulla sistemologia, e sui sistemi giuridici di civil e common law
Stability of large-scale probabilistic Boolean networks via network aggregation
No full textLarge-scale probabilistic Boolean networks (LSPBNs) are a modeling tool used to simulate and analyze the dynamics of complex systems with uncertainty. However, due to its high computational complexity, previous research methods cannot be directly applied to study such systems. Inspired by network aggregation, this paper conducts network aggregation on LSPBNs to investigate its global stability with probability 1. It is worth mentioning that the stability conclusion proposed in this article holds for any form of network aggregation. First, the entire network is partitioned and the algebraic expressions for each subnetwork are given through the semi-tensor product of matrices. And then, a set of iterative formulas is constructed to describe and reflect the input-output coordination relationship among the subnetworks, and based on which, a sufficient condition for the global stability of LSPBNs is derived, greatly reducing computational complexity. The feasibilities of the proposed method and results are verified through examples
Forest structure and understory functional diversity at multiple scales: The importance of median tree height
No full textThe understorey holds most of the vascular plant diversity in temperate forests. Functional diversity is a key aspect, commonly linked to forest age and management practices, but its relationship to specific structural features such as tree height and canopy cover is understudied.
We studied 28 beech forest plots in an Italian National Park encompassing coppice, high forest and unmanaged old-growth stands. Using a novel multiscale approach (increasing grain size by combining adjacent sampling units), we assessed functional diversity at plot scale (γ), in small-scale subunits (α), between subunits (β), further decomposing β into functional redundancy, uniqueness and clustering. Forest structural features and canopy cover were quantified via terrestrial laser scanning and digital cover photography and related to understorey functional diversity across scales.
We found that higher median tree height at the plot scale—though not canopy cover—is associated with increased functional diversity at scales up to ∼10 m. This is accompanied by greater redundancy and functional clustering. However, no changes in functional diversity or redundancy were observed at the plot scale, meaning that small scales host a greater portion of trait diversity.
Our findings highlight the ecological relevance of median tree height, often overlooked in favour of canopy cover as a structural indicator of understorey functional diversity, for monitoring and management. Furthermore, our sampling design enabled the detection of scale-specific relationships that may have been missed by conventional plot-level vegetation surveys, i.e., an increase in diversity at the α level that does not translate to the plot level
Bridging the Theory–Practice Gap: A Design Methodology for Green Infrastructure Implementation in Mid-Adriatic Coastal Cities
No full textGreen Infrastructure (GI) is crucial for urban climate adaptation, providing ecosystem services like mitigating the urban heat island effect and enhancing stormwater management, alongside benefits for public health and biodiversity. Effective GI implementation remains challenging, particularly in dense, rapidly urbanized mid-Adriatic coastal cities, classified as climate hotspots like other Mediterranean contexts. This paper presents a replicable applied trans-scalar methodology for detailed GI design scenarios, developed through the EU-funded LIFE+ A_GreeNet project to bridge the theory–practice gap and enable pilot implementations in multiple Italian mid-Adriatic coastal municipalities. The research details a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, five-phase process applied to the Sant’Antonio district of San Benedetto del Tronto—a dense, trafficked urban area projected to face “extremely strong heat stress” by 2050. Design interventions included spatial optimization, strategic species replacement, the creation of vegetated bioretention basins, and systematic pavement de-sealing. The application of the model demonstrated significant improvements: a substantial increase in permeable surface area (+194%), a measurable reduction in the UTCI index (average ENVI-MET simulated reduction of 1.17 °C by 2030), and a series of benefits resulting from increased green space and enhanced meteorological water management. This research offers local authorities a tangible model to accelerate climate-adaptive solutions, showing how precise GI design creates resilient, comfortable, and human-centered urban spaces
Comparative study of three anaesthetic protocols (dexmedetomidine/ketamine, dexmedetomidine/midazolam, midazolam/ketamine) in dwarf rabbits undergoing elective orchiectomy
No full textThis prospective clinical study aimed to compare three different anaesthetic protocols in dwarf rabbits and analyse the effects of these pharmacological combinations from premedication to complete recovery. Twenty-one pet rabbits were randomly allocated in study groups – MKM (7 rabbits): midazolam (0.2 mg/kg), ketamine (20 mg/kg), and methadone (0.3 mg/kg) were administered subcutaneously (SC); DKM (7 rabbits): received dexmedetomidine (25 μg/kg), ketamine (20 mg/kg), and methadone (0.3 mg/kg) SC; MDM (7 rabbits): received midazolam (0.2 mg/kg), dexmedetomidine (25 μg/kg), and methadone (0.3 mg/kg) SC. Ten minutes before premedication and every 5 min for 20 min (T5, T10, T15, and T20, respectively), heart rate, respiratory rate, and sedation score (SS) were recorded. Cases of ataxia/incoordination were also reported. After induction of general anaesthesia, main cardiovascular and respiratory parameters were monitored during skin incision, testicular traction, and suture placement. At the end of the procedure, extubation time, recovery of sternal recumbency and quadrupedal stance, and quality of recovery (QR) were recorded. The DKM group showed higher SS at T10 than the other two groups; however, 4 out of 7 subjects manifested ataxia and incoordination, compared to the MDM, in which no episodes occurred. Time to extubation in the MKM was longer (6.8 ± 3.5 min) compared to the MDM (2.6 ± 2.07 min); moreover, QR was worse in the DKM and MKM groups compared to MDM. The combination of dexmedetomidine/ketamine provides better sedation; however, it frequently induces ataxia/incoordination. The further addition of midazolam could promote muscle relaxation and tranquillisation, reducing handling stress in pet rabbits
Fondamenti di Business Process Management
No full textLa gestione dei processi di business, tradizionalmente nota come Business Process Management (BPM), è un approccio sistematico che si propone di monitorare ed ottimizzare l’esecuzione dei processi aziendali. Gli interventi di ottimizzazione possono perseguire diversi obiettivi, tra cui la riduzione dei costi operativi, dei tempi di esecuzione o il conseguimento di un vantaggio competitivo. Questo volume affronta in maniera esaustiva l’intero ciclo di vita del BPM, partendo dall’identificazione dei processi fino al loro monitoraggio, passando per le fasi di modellazione, analisi, riprogettazione e automazione. Attraverso un approccio rigoroso ma accessibile, il volume propone un approccio interdisciplinare che integra concetti, metodologie e strumenti provenienti dai campi della gestione aziendale, dell’ingegneria informatica e industriale. L’esposizione è supportata dall’utilizzo dello standard BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation), definito all’Object Management Group e largamente riconosciuto e adottato da professionisti e strumenti commerciali in tutto il mondo. Oltre a fornire una solida base teorica, il testo propone numerosi esempi pratici, molti corredati di soluzioni, e una ricca selezione di letture consigliate per approfondimenti. Pensato per manager aziendali, consulenti, studiosi, studenti e docenti universitari, il libro nasce da anni di esperienza didattica condivisa tra gli autori, maturata sia nell’insegnamento universitario, sia nella formazione professionale
From ashes to old-growth forests: How do long-term changes in forest structure affect understory plant diversity after wildfires in Yellowstone National Park?
No full textThe increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires are having a profound and lasting impact on forest structure, succession, and biodiversity. Understanding these processes is essential for predicting successional trajectories and developing management and conservation strategies. We aim to investigate the long-term (> 140 years) dynamics of understory plant diversity following wildfires and assess how post-fire changes in forest structure influence these diversity patterns in Lodgepole pine forests of Yellowstone National Park, USA. We surveyed 25 forest stands representing five post-fire successional stages, including old-growth forests. At each plot, we measured forest structure, canopy features, and plant diversity (richness, composition, and between-community beta diversity) to assess how post-fire succession shapes forest structure-diversity relationships. Additionally, we assessed the association between successional stages and beta-diversity. Species richness and compositional diversity exhibited a U-shaped pattern along post-fire successional stages, with greater diversity observed in the early and late phases of forest succession. Between-community beta diversity did not show any trend with increasing temporal distance. Species turnover was the dominant component of beta diversity variation. Forest structure and canopy features influenced plant diversity. Deadwood amount and heterogeneity-related variables (e.g., variability of Leaf Area Index) had a positive relationship with species richness and compositional diversity. These findings suggest that maintaining or enhancing structural heterogeneity through deadwood retention, canopy structural complexity, and variability in tree size can promote plant diversity in fire-affected forests. Conservation strategies should recognize the ecological value of early and late successional stages and avoid management practices that reduce structural complexity