Search

Optimizing high-productivity farming techniques trough mechanization and lower workforce input in terraced olive groves is helpful to preserve local olive oil production, reducing costs and preserving ecosystem functionality. However, efficient work organisation should be provided. Moreover, mechanization can affect environmental sustainability. In this paper operative, economic and environmental performances of four olive harvesting techniques are reported; experimentations were performed in an olive grove in the Sorrento Peninsula (NA) during 2022–2023 productive seasons. Mechanized techniques (Harvesting technique 1 and Harvesting technique 4) performed highest working capacities (159.01 kg h−1 and 200.51 kg h−1) and the lowest unitary costs (630.00 € ha−1 for Harvesting technique 2 and 840.00 € ha−1 for harvesting technique 4), whereas environmental performances were the worst (266.30 kg CO2 eq and 252.59 kg CO2 eq) due to diesel intakes. Thus, their applications are helpful, but morphological or agronomic boundaries may affect their effectiveness in other areas. Among aided methods, Harvesting technique 1 overcame Harvesting technique 3 in any aspect (91.01 kg h−1 vs 76.13 kg h−1: 1822.09 € ha−1 vs 2793.80 € ha−1; 33.01 kg CO2 eq vs 127.21 kg CO2 eq); the absence of diesel inputs in harvesting technique 1 and its superior work capacity explain the environmental impact differences. Thus, the former may be adopted in farms where slope and irregular shape hinder mechanized harvest. Life Cycle Assessment dataset may be helpful to perform similar analysis in other Italian olive oil supply chains.

The study investigated the application of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) as a tool for monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in a city in northern Italy from October 2021 to May 2023. Based on a previously used deterministic model, this study proposed a variation to account for the population characteristics and virus biodegradation in the sewer network. The model calculated virus loads and corresponding COVID-19 cases over time in different areas of the city and was validated using healthcare data while considering viral mutations, vaccinations, and testing variability. The correlation between the predicted and reported cases was high across the three waves that occurred during the period considered, demonstrating the ability of the model to predict the relevant fluctuations in the number of cases. The population characteristics did not substantially influence the predicted and reported infection rates. Conversely, biodegradation significantly reduced the virus load reaching the wastewater treatment plant, resulting in a 30% reduction in the total virus load produced in the study area. This approach can be applied to compare the virus load values across cities with different population demographics and sewer network structures, improving the comparability of the WBE data for effective surveillance and intervention strategies.

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are lysosomal disorders with neurological involvement for which no cure exists. Here, we show that recombinant NK1 fragment of hepatocyte growth factor rescues substrate accumulation and lysosomal defects in MPS I, IIIA and IIIB patient fibroblasts. We investigated PI3K/Akt pathway, which is of crucial importance for neuronal function and survival, and demonstrate that PI3K inhibition abolishes NK1 therapeutic effects. We identified that autophagy inhibition, by Beclin1 silencing, reduces MPS IIIB phenotype and that NK1 downregulates autophagic-lysosome (ALP) gene expression, suggesting a possible contribution of autophagosome biogenesis in MPS. Indeed, metabolomic analyses revealed defects of mitochondrial activity accompanied by anaerobic metabolism and inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which acts on metabolism and autophagy, rescues lysosomal defects. These results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of MPS IIIB physiopathology, supporting the development of new promising approaches based on autophagy inhibition and metabolic rewiring to correct lysosomal pathology in MPSs., Competing Interests: Luigi Michele Pavone has licensed compositions comprising hepatocyte growth factor or variants thereof for use in the treatment of mucopolysaccharidoses (granted Italian patent MI2014A001454)., (© 2024 The Author(s).)