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Background: SARS-CoV-2 is associated with an increased risk of venous and arterial thrombosis, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of platelet function in 25 SARS-CoV-2 and 10 healthy subjects by measuring Nox2 (NADPH oxidase 2)-derived oxidative stress and thromboxane B 2 , and investigated if administration of monoclonal antibodies against the S protein (Spike protein) of SARS-CoV-2 affects platelet activation. Furthermore, we investigated in vitro if the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 or plasma from SARS-CoV-2 enhanced platelet activation. Results: Ex vivo studies showed enhanced platelet Nox2-derived oxidative stress and thromboxane B 2 biosynthesis and under laminar flow platelet-dependent thrombus growth in SARS-CoV-2 compared with controls; both effects were lowered by Nox2 and TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4) inhibitors. Two hours after administration of monoclonal antibodies, a significant inhibition of platelet activation was observed in patients with SARS-CoV-2 compared with untreated ones. In vitro study showed that S protein per se did not elicit platelet activation but amplified the platelet response to subthreshold concentrations of agonists and functionally interacted with platelet TLR4. A docking simulation analysis suggested that TLR4 binds to S protein via three receptor-binding domains; furthermore, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence showed S protein-TLR4 colocalization in platelets from SARS-CoV-2. Plasma from patients with SARS-CoV-2 enhanced platelet activation and Nox2-related oxidative stress, an effect blunted by TNF (tumor necrosis factor) α inhibitor; this effect was recapitulated by an in vitro study documenting that TNFα alone promoted platelet activation and amplified the platelet response to S protein via p47phox (phagocyte oxidase) upregulation. Conclusions: The study identifies 2 TLR4-dependent and independent pathways promoting platelet-dependent thrombus growth and suggests inhibition of TLR4. or p47phox as a tool to counteract thrombosis in SARS-CoV-2.

Purpose Current patterns of household goods consumption generate relevant environmental pressures and impacts. Environmental impacts are not only limited to the European territory but also to third countries from where products are imported. Assessing the entire life cycle of products enables considering trade-related transboundary effects along supply chains. The goal of this paper is to illustrate the assessment of the environmental impacts of household goods consumption in Europe, modelled through the consumption footprint indicator. Methods The consumption footprint indicator was designed to assess the environmental impact of household consumption by covering five areas of consumption (food, mobility, housing, household goods and appliances), each of them modelled as a basket of products (BoP) representing the most consumed products by EU citizens. This paper focuses on the BoP household goods, entailing a large variety of products from clothes to personal care products. Consumption intensity was obtained from consumption statistical data for years 2010 and 2015. Life cycle inventory data for 30 representative products were obtained from EU Ecolabel background reports, screening reports of the Product Environmental Footprint pilots and literature. The 16 impact categories of the Environmental Footprint 3.0 method were employed for the impact assessment. Results and discussion Main impacts generated by household goods in EU (calculated after normalization and weighting) were on climate change, fossil resource use and water use. Components’ manufacture was the most impacting stage for several impact categories. Paper products, detergents, furniture and clothes were the product groups contributing the most due to a combination of consumption intensity and environmental profile of products. Environmental impacts due to household goods consumption were higher in 2015 than in 2010. Conclusions The impacts of EU household goods consumption are driven by both consumption intensity and the environmental impact profile of products. Therefore, sustainable actions should focus not only on the environmental profile of products, but also on consumer choices and behaviours. Recommendations The BoP household goods model can be used as a baseline to assess the effect of consumer choices, by creating and comparing consumers’ profiles that differ in the composition of the BoP and in the apparent consumption (defined as Production—Exports + Imports). The availability of detailed inventories for all the life cycle phases allows for modelling scenarios to assess the potential effect of innovations in the production phase and of the choice of alternative raw materials and ingredients.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to assess whether gut-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) could affect platelet function in HIV-1 patients with residual viral load. METHODS In 23 HIV-1 patients on effective antiretroviral treatment, 10 treatment-naive HIV-1 subjects and 20 healthy subjects (HS), LPS, zonulin, markers of platelet activation and oxidative stress were evaluated. In vitro, platelets from HS were exposed to plasma from HIV-1-infected treated and untreated patients. RESULTS Compared with HS, LPS was higher in treated and treatment-naive subjects with HIV-1 (7.7 ± 2.9, 80.9 ± 13.7 and 75.3 ± 22.6 pg/mL, P

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is associated with portal venous thrombosis (PVT) in roughly 20% of cirrhotic patients but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Low-grade endotoxemia by lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a component of outer gut microbiota membrane, is detectable in the portal circulation of LC and could predispose to PVT. LPS may translocate into systemic circulation upon microbiota dysbiosis-induced gut barrier dysfunction, that is a prerequisite for enhanced gut permeability and ensuing endotoxemia. Experimental and clinical studies provided evidence that LPS behaves a pro-thrombotic molecule so promoting clotting and platelet activation. Experiments conducted in the portal circulation of cirrhotic patients showed the existence of LPS-related enhanced thrombin generation as well as endothelial dysfunction, venous stasis, and platelet activation. The review will analyze 1) the pro-thrombotic role of endotoxemia in the context of LC 2) the biological plausibility linking endotoxemia with PVT and 3) the potentially interventional tools to lower endotoxemia and eventually hypercoagulation.

Background: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) improves post-prandial glycemia, but the underlying mechanism has not been fully elucidated. We tested the hypothesis that EVOO improves post-prandial glycemia by reducing gut permeability-derived low-grade endotoxemia. Methods: Serum levels of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), zonulin, a marker of gut permeability, glucose, insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) were measured in 20 patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and 20 healthy subjects (HS) matched for sex and age. The same variables were measured in IFG patients (n = 20) and HS (n = 20) before and after a Mediterranean diet with 10 g EVOO added or not (n = 20) or in IFG patients (n = 20) before and after intake of 40 g chocolate with EVOO added or not. Results: Compared to HS, IFG had higher levels of LPS and zonulin. In HS, meal intake was associated with a significant increase of blood glucose, insulin, and GLP1 with no changes of blood LPS and zonulin. Two hours after a meal intake containing EVOO, IFG patients showed a less significant increase of blood glucose, a more marked increase of blood insulin and GLP1 and a significant reduction of LPS and zonulin compared to IFG patients not given EVOO. Correlation analysis showed that LPS directly correlated with blood glucose and zonulin and inversely with blood insulin. Similar findings were detected in IFG patients given a chocolate added or without EVOO. Conclusion: Addition of EVOO to a Mediterranean diet or chocolate improves gut permeability and low-grade endotoxemia.

NOX2 has a key role for cellular production of reactive oxidant species (ROS) and although the mechanism of its activation is well known, little is known about its regulation. Metallo-proteinases (MMPs) regulate numerous protein activities both in physiological and pathological conditions but their interplay with NOX2 and ROS formation is still unclear. We performed experimental studies in human platelets and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) to investigate the interplay of MMP2 with NOX2 activity. In collagen-stimulated platelets and in PMA-stimulated PMNs from healthy subjects, an immediate burst of ROS was detected at 10 min to then decline at 20 min. Coincidentally, sNOX2-dp, a split-off product of NOX2, increased and peaked at 10 min. ROS production was persistent whereas sNOX2dp is not released in cells treated with MMP2 inhibitor compared to other MMPs inhibitors. Western blot analysis showed the highest MMP2 expression on the cell membrane 10 min after stimulation. Moreover, the co-immunoprecipitation assay confirms the interaction between MMP2 and NOX2 that formed an active immuno-complex. Treating cells with NOX2ds-tat, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, significantly reduced ROS formation, sNOX2-dp, MMP2 expression and MMP2-NOX2-complex, which were all restored if cells were added with H2O2. The study provides the first evidence that MMP2 has a key role in blunting platelet NOX2 activity and eventually ROS formation.

The Mediterranean diet (Med-Diet) is considered the most effective dietary patterns to obtain weight loss in NAFLD patients. Previous evidence suggested that Med-Diet adherence could reduce cardiovascular risk and have a beneficial effect on NAFLD severity. Aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between Med-Diet adherence, platelet activation (PA), and liver collagen deposition. The study was performed in 655 consecutive NAFLD outpatients from the PLINIO study, a prospective observational cohort study aimed to identify non-conventional predictors of liver fibrosis progression in NAFLD. PA was measured by the serum thromboxane B2 (TxB2), and liver collagen deposition by N-terminal propeptide of type III collagen (Pro-C3). Adherence to the Med-diet was investigated by a short nine-item validated dietary questionnaire. Patients with high Med-Diet adherence were older and had less metabolic syndrome and lower serum triglycerides, GGT, TxB2, and Pro-C3. At multivariate regression analyses, in the linear model, the Med-Diet score negatively correlated with both TxB2 (Beta = −0.106; p = 0.009) and Pro-C3 (Beta = −0.121; p = 0.002) and in the logistic model high adherence inversely correlated with higher TxB2 tertiles (II tertile: OR = 0.576, p = 0.044; III tertile: OR = 0.556, p = 0.026) and Pro-C3 tertile (III tertile: OR = 0.488, p = 0.013). Low consumption of red meat inversely correlated with higher TxB2 tertile (II tertile: OR = 0.448, p < 0.001, III tertile: OR = 0.567, p = 0.004). In conclusion, NAFLD patients with high adherence to the Med-Diet show lower PA and liver collagen deposition, suggesting a protective role of the Med-Diet against NAFLD progression and cardiovascular risk. In addition, the correlation between TxB2 and Pro-C3 suggests a link between NAFLD severity and cardiovascular risk.

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) lower LDL-cholesterol and slow atherosclerosis preventing cardiovascular events. While it is known that circulating PCSK9 enhances platelet activation (PA) and that PCSK9i reduce it, the underlying mechanism is not still clarified. Methods: In a multicenter before–after study in 80 heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) patients on treatment with maximum tolerated statin dose ± ezetimibe, PA, soluble-NOX2-derived peptide (sNOX2-dp), and oxidized-LDL (ox-LDL) were measured before and after six months of PCSK9i treatment. In vitro study investigates the effects of plasma from HeFH patients before and after PCK9i on PA in washed platelets (wPLTs) from healthy subjects. Results: Compared to baseline, PCSK9i reduced the serum levels of LDL-c, ox-LDL, Thromboxane (Tx) B2, sNOX2-dp, and PCSK9 (p &lt, 0.001). The decrease of TxB2 correlates with that of ox-LDL, while ox-LDL reduction correlated with PCSK9 and sNOX2-dp delta. In vitro study demonstrated that wPLTs resuspended in plasma from HeFH after PCSK9i treatment induced lower PA and sNOX2-dp release than those obtained using plasma before PCSK9i treatment. This reduction was vanished by adding ox-LDL. ox-LDL-induced PA was blunted by CD36, LOX1, and NOX2 inhibition. Conclusions: PCSK9i treatment reduces PA modulating NOX2 activity and in turn ox-LDL formation in HeFH patients.

Background: High levels of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) is predictive of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that PCSK9 may directly induce platelet activation (PA). Methods: We measured platelet aggregation, recruitment, Thromboxane B2 (TxB2) formation and soluble P-selectin levels as markers of PA and soluble Nox2-derived peptide (sNox2-dp), H2O2, isoprostanes and oxidized Low-Density-Lipoprotein (oxLDL) to analyze oxidative stress (OS) in 88 patients having PCSK9 values &lt, (n = 44) or &gt, (n = 44) 1.2 ng/mL, balanced for age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, we investigated if normal (n = 5) platelets incubated with PCSK9 (1.0&ndash, 2.0 ng/mL) alone or with LDL (50 &micro, g/mL) displayed changes of PA, OS and down-stream signaling. Results: PA and OS markers were significantly higher in patients with PCSK9 levels &gt, 1.2 ng/mL compared to those with values &lt, 1.2 ng/mL (p &lt, 0.001). Levels of PCSK9 significantly correlated with markers of PA and OS. Platelets incubation with PCSK9 increased PA, OS and p38, p47 and Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) phosphorylation. These changes were amplified by adding LDL and blunted by CD36 or Nox2 inhibitors. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed an immune complex of PCSK9 with CD36. Conclusions: We provide the first evidence that PCSK9, at concentration found in the circulation of AF patients, directly interacts with platelets via CD36 receptor and activating Nox2: this effect is amplified in presence of LDL.

Assessing the environmental impact due to consumption of goods and services is a pivotal step towards achieving the sustainable development goal related to responsible production and consumption (i.e. SDG 12). Household appliances plays a crucial role and should be assessed in a systemic manner, namely considering all life cycle stages, technological efficiency, and affluence aspects. The present study assess the impact of such household appliances used in Europe, and tests scenarios of potential impact reduction at various scales. Life cycle assessment is applied to 14 different household appliances (ranging from dishwashers to television devices) selected to build a set of representative products, based on their economic value and diffusion in households in Europe. Related impacts are calculated with the Environmental Footprint method for calculating a Consumer Footprint “appliances” for the baseline year 2010. A number of scenarios encompassing eco-solutions on a technical level, changes in consumption pattern, behavioral changes, as well as the combination of all these aspects are run to estimate the Consumer Footprint related to household appliances for the year 2030, compared against this baseline scenario. The baseline Consumer Footprint is confirming the importance of the use phase in leading the impacts in almost all impact categories. Testing different scenarios concludes that there is a reduction of the impact for most of the categories (with up to 67% for the ozone depletion potential, and still around 35% for the global warming potential), while two of the here examined impact categories (i.e. land-use and mineral resource depletion) show an overall potential that is even negative – i.e. the results of all scenarios are higher than the ones of the 2010 baseline scenario. The increase in purchase and use of such appliances may offset energy efficiency benefits in some of the examined categories. Hence, the assessment of sustainability of appliances consumption should always include several scales, from the efficiency of the products (micro scale), to the improvement of the energy mix (meso scale), up to accounting for socio-economic drivers and patterns of consumption affecting the overall appliances stock (macro scale)., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Life cycle-based assessment of household appliances consumption by an average European citizen. • Testing of eco-innovations scenarios due to technological and consumers’ behavior changes. • Total reduction potential due to eco-innovations for 2030 reaches 35% for the Global Warming Potential. • Relevant role of the underpinning energy mix is highlighted. • Increased usability contributes least to the overall potential among the tested scenarios.

AIMS Extra virgin olive oil lowers postprandial glycaemia. We investigated if oleuropein, a component of extra virgin olive oil, exerts a similar effect on postprandial glycaemia and the underlying mechanism. METHODS Twenty healthy subjects were randomly allocated in a cross-over design to 20 mg oleuropein or placebo immediately before lunch. Postprandial glycaemia along with blood insulin, dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and glucagon-like peptide-1 and oxidative stress, which included soluble NADPH oxidase-derived peptide activity (sNox2-dp), 8-iso-prostaglandin-2α and platelet p47phox phosphorylation, were analysed before and 2 h after meal. RESULTS After 2 h, subjects who assumed oleuropein had significantly lower blood glucose, DPP-4 activity and higher insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 compared to placebo. Furthermore, sNox2-dp, 8-iso-PGF2α and platelet p47phox phosphorylation were significantly lower in oleuropein- compared to placebo-treated subjects. DPP-4 significantly correlated with sNox2-dp [Spearman's rho (Rs) = 0.615; P

Highlights • The waste hierarchy is not enough for prioritizing food waste prevention measures. • The methodology proposed prioritizes measures using LCA and mathematical programming. • The methodology identifies quick wins – actions with low cost and high impact avoided. • The relevance of the weighting set used in the prioritization is limited. • Targets for food waste prevention must be set at the level of environmental impact., Food waste has gained prominence in the European political debate thanks to the recent Circular Economy package. Currently the waste hierarchy, introduced by the Waste Framework Directive, has been the rule followed to prioritize food waste prevention and management measures according to the environmental criteria. But when considering other criteria along with the environmental one, such as the economic, other tools are needed for the prioritization and optimization. This paper addresses the situation in which a decision-maker has to design a food waste prevention programme considering the limited economic resources in order to achieve the highest environmental impact prevention along the whole food life cycle. A methodology using Life Cycle Assessment and mathematical programing is proposed and its capabilities are shown through a case study. Results show that the order established in the waste hierarchy is generally followed. The proposed methodology revealed to be especially helpful in identifying “quick wins” – measures that should be always prioritized since they avoid a high environmental impact at a low cost. Besides, in order to aggregate the environmental scores related to a variety of impact categories, different weighting sets were proposed. In general, results show that the relevance of the weighting set in the prioritization of the measures appears to be limited. Finally, the correlation between reducing food waste generation and reducing environmental impact along the Food Supply Chain has been studied. Results highlight that when planning food waste prevention strategies, it is important to set the targets at the level of environmental impact instead of setting the targets at the level of avoided food waste generation (in mass).

Endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress are among the most relevant mechanisms underlying the atherosclerotic process in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM). Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) reduces postprandial glycemia with a mechanism counteracting oxidative stress-mediated incretin down-regulation in healthy subjects and in patients with impaired fasting glucose. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the intake of chocolate enriched by EVOO had positive effects on endothelial function and oxidative stress in patients with T2 DM.In this study we enrolled and randomly assigned 25 consecutive patients with T2 DM to receive 40 g of EVOO-enriched chocolate or 40 g of control chocolate spread. Participants were assessed at baseline and 2 h after chocolate intake. Endothelial function was assessed by arterial brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD); oxidative stress was evaluated by the measurement of serum nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-2 (Nox2) levels, nitric oxide availability, and serum hydrogen peroxide breakdown activity (HBA).We observed a significant increase of FMD, nitric oxide (NO) availability, and HBA in the EVOO-enriched chocolate group (P0.001). Conversely, soluble Nox2-derived peptide (sNox2-dp) levels significantly decreased (P0.001). No significant change was observed in the control chocolate group. To assess the relation of EVOO-enriched chocolate to endothelial function and oxidative stress, a general linear model (GLM) analysis was performed; a significant difference for treatments was found with respect to FMD, NO availability, HBA, and sNox-dp.Administration of 40 g of EVOO-enriched chocolate is associated with increased endothelial function and reduction of oxidative stress in patients with T2 DM. Future studies are needed to analyze the effect of chronic assumption of EVOO-enriched chocolate on vascular function, oxidative stress, and cardiovascular complications in patients with T2 DM.

Food consumption is amongst the main drivers of environmental impacts. On one hand, there is the need to fulfil a fundamental human need for nutrition, and on the other hand this poses critical threats to the environment. In order to assess the environmental impact of food consumption, a lifecycle assessment (LCA)-based approach has been applied to a basket of products, selected as being representative of EU consumption. A basket of food products was identified as representative of the average food and beverage consumption in Europe, reflecting the relative importance of the products in terms of mass and economic value. The products in the basket are: pork, beef, poultry, milk, cheese, butter, bread, sugar, sunflower oil, olive oil, potatoes, oranges, apples, mineral water, roasted coffee, beer and pre-prepared meals. For each product in the basket, a highly disaggregated inventory model was developed based on a modular approach, and built using statistical data. The environmental impact of the average food consumption of European citizens was assessed using the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD) methodology. The overall results indicate that, for most of the impact categories, the consumed foods with the highest environmental burden are meat products (beef, pork and poultry) and dairy products (cheese, milk and butter). The agricultural phase is the lifecycle stage that has the highest impact of all the foods in the basket, due to the contribution of agronomic and zootechnical activities. Food processing and logistics are the next most important phases in terms of environmental impacts, due to their energy intensity and the related emissions to the atmosphere that occur through the production of heat, steam and electricity and during transport. Regarding the end-of-life phase, human excretion and wastewater treatments pose environmental burdens related to eutrophying substances whose environmental impacts are greater than those of the agriculture, transports and processing phases. Moreover, food losses which occur throughout the whole lifecycle, in terms of agricultural/industrial and domestic food waste, have also to be taken into consideration, since they can amount to up to 60% of the initial weight of the food products. The results of the study go beyond the mere assessment of the potential impacts associated with food consumption, as the overall approach may serve as a baseline for testing eco-innovation scenarios for impact reduction as well as for setting targets.

Food production and consumption have been identified among the human interventions generating huge pressures and impacts on the environment. Policies aiming at sustainable production and consumption need to identify hotspots in order to decide where and how to act to steer eco-innovation and to reduce impacts. This could be achieved by applying a life cycle perspective and having a thorough and systematic interpretation of the results of the assessment within and beyond LCA (life cycle assessment) results. The present study aims at presenting a life cycle based method for hotspots analysis focussing on the life cycle impact assessment steps (characterization, normalization and weighting). These steps, which support a correct interpretation of the results, are often performed superficially and not in a systematic way. Hence, in this study, we propose a procedure for supporting the interpretation of LCA results, complementing the assessment with an analysis of hotspots of impact beyond those identified by LCA, to avoid excluding potential hotspots only because they are not fully captured by the current LCIA (life cycle impact assessment) methods. A case study on hotspot analysis and interpretation of results is presented, building on the results of a previous study, which assessed the impact of EU (European Union) food consumption based on the LCA of 17 representative food products. The present study includes: i) a hotspots analysis on characterized and normalized results, ii) the check of un-characterized elementary flows, iii) a sensitivity analysis of the results applying several LCIA methods, normalization references and weighting factors. For all the analyses, product group contribution and impact category relevance are assessed. The results of the hotspot analyses are generally convergent in identifying the most impacting product groups (meat and dairy), whereas they are sometimes diverging in identifying the most relevant impact categories. In this case study, the identification of the most relevant impact categories is mainly influenced by the selection of the set of normalization references compared to that of the weighting sets.

Purpose: Energy consumption of buildings is one of the major drivers of environmental impacts. Life cycle assessment (LCA) may support the assessment of burdens and benefits associated to eco-innovations aiming at reducing these environmental impacts. Energy efficiency policies however typically focus on the meso- or macro-scale, while interventions are typically taken at the micro-scale. This paper presents an approach that bridges this gap by using the results of energy simulations and LCA studies at the building level to estimate the effect of micro-scale eco-innovations on the macro-scale, i.e. the housing stock in Europe. Methods: LCA and dynamic energy simulations are integrated to accurately assess the life cycle environmental burdens and benefits of eco-innovation measures at the building level. This allows quantitatively assessing the effectiveness of these measures to lower the energy use and environmental impact of buildings. The analysis at this micro-scale focuses on 24 representative residential buildings within the EU. For the upscaling to the EU housing stock, a hybrid approach is used. The results of the micro-scale analysis are upscaled to the EU housing stock scale by adopting the eco-innovation measures to (part of) the EU building stock (bottom–up approach) and extrapolating the relative impact reduction obtained for the reference buildings to the baseline stock model. The reference buildings in the baseline stock model have been developed by European Commission-Joint Research Centre based on a statistical analysis (top–down approach) of the European housing stock. The method is used to evaluate five scenarios covering various aspects: building components (building envelope insulation), technical installations (renewable energy), user behaviour (night setback of the setpoint temperature), and a combined scenario. Results and discussion: Results show that the proposed combination of bottom–up and top–down approaches allow accurately assessing the impact of eco-innovation measures at the macro-scale. The results indicate that a combination of policy measures is necessary to lower the environmental impacts of the building stock to a significative extent. Conclusions: Interventions addressing energy efficiency at building level may lead to the need of a trade-off between resource efficiency and environmental impacts. LCA integrated with dynamic energy simulation may help unveiling the potential improvements and burdens associated to eco-innovations. ispartof: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment vol:24 issue:6 pages:1-20 status: Published online

Background and aims Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) is emerging as a novel risk factor for cardiovascular events (CVEs). Furthermore, in vitro evidence suggested that LPS may elicit proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) expression, but their relationship in vivo has not been investigated. Methods We conducted a post-hoc analysis of a prospective, single centre cohort study of 907 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). At baseline, PCSK9, LPS and NADPH oxidase (sNox2-dp) were measured. PCSK9 and LPS were correlated with the incidence of CVEs. Results Median PCSK9 and LPS were 1200 [900–1970] and 49.9 [15.0–108.2] pg/ml, respectively. LPS and PCSK9 were significantly correlated (rS 0.378, p Patients with concomitant high PCSK9 and LPS (LPS ≥88 pg/ml and PCSK9 ≥1570 pg/ml) had an increased risk of CVEs compared to those with low levels (LPS Conclusions This study demonstrated, for the first time in vivo, that circulating levels of PCSK9 and LPS are associated with a mechanism possibly involving NADPH oxidase activation. Patients with concomitant increase of PCSK9 and LPS showed a higher risk of CVEs.

The goal of the study was to identify the environmental hotspots of an experimental research work at lab scale consisting in the physical vapor deposition magnetron sputtering of aluminum titanium nitride based thin coatings onto commercial laminated steel. The findings can provide useful insights for supporting the design of future experimental research campaigns, or instrumentation set-ups, with lower environmental impacts. Results highlighted that the main driver of impacts in the analyzed laboratory activities was the electricity used for instruments operations, in particular for the vacuum keeping. Thus, several optimization strategies were evaluated to reduce the overall electricity consumption, and to improve the environmental profile of experimental activities.

This study describes the results of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) applied to 24 statistically-based dwelling archetypes, representative of the EU housing stock in 2010. The aim is to quantify the average environmental impacts related to housing in Europe and to define reference values (baseline scenario) for policies development. The average environmental impacts have been calculated taking into consideration the number of dwellings (clustered per typology, year of construction and climate zone) related to each representative model. System boundaries include production, construction, use (energy and water consumption), maintenance/replacement, and end-of-life phases of each dwelling. The environmental life cycle impact assessment was carried out using the ILCD method. EU average annual environmental impact per person, per dwelling, and per m2 were calculated. Results show that the average life cycle greenhouse gases emissions related to housing per person per year are 2.62 t CO2eq and related to a representative dwelling per year are of 6.36 t CO2eq. The use phase (energy and water consumption) is the most relevant one, followed by the production and the maintenance/replacement phases. Single-family houses are responsible for the highest share of impacts related to housing in Europe. The same type of building has different impacts in different climatic zones, due to the differences in the need for space heating. In general, electricity use and space heating are the activities that contribute more to the overall impacts. The final results could be used as a baseline scenario for testing eco-innovation scenarios and setting targets toward impact reduction.

The development of distributed energy systems has important environmental, social and economic implications. Local decision-making processes must be guided by a careful evaluation of the sustainability of production chains and alternative choices. The aim of this study is to explore if and how an integrated assessment can quantify the extent to which bioenergy supply chain development contributes to rural development and energy policy objectives. We applied a Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) for local bioenergy development in the alpine area of Lake Como (Italy). We modeled the local bioenergy chain in 2008 and eleven scenarios considering different biomass utilizations, mechanization levels, combustion technologies, and subsidies schemes at 2020. We calculated economic, social and environmental indicators. We interpret and discuss the scenario analysis in order to support the bioenergy planning under the light of its implications for the different policy aims and concerns.

In the context of a circular economy, sustainable consumption is often seen as the antithesis of current consumption patterns, which have led to the definition of the so-called throwaway society. Reuse may provide a preferred alternative to other waste management options, because it promotes resource efficiency and may significantly reduce environmental impacts. To appraise the environmental benefits related to reuse of goods, a methodology adopting life cycle assessment (LCA) has been developed. A standardized procedure has been developed, identifying reference products within product category subject to reuse, and collecting reliable inventory data as a basis for calculating environmental impact through LCA. A case study on a second-hand shop is presented, and the avoided impacts are quantified. Inventory data were taken both from the literature and directly from sales and surveys submitted to customers. The results are presented, highlighting: 1) for each product category, the average avoided impacts for 1 unit of reused product considered; and 2) for the overall activities of the second-hand shop, the cumulative avoided impacts in 1 yr. In the case study, the higher contribution to avoided impacts comes from the apparel sector, due to the high amount of items sold, followed by the furniture sector, because of the high amount of environmental impacts avoided by the reuse of each single item.

Background and Objective: The cardioprotective properties of Mediterranean Diet were demonstrated for the first time from the Seven Country Study. In the last few decades, numerous epidemiological studies, as well as intervention trial, confirmed this observation, pointing out the close relationship between the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular diseases. In this context, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), the most representative component of this diet, seems to be relevant in lowering the incidence of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke. From a chemical point of view, 98-99% of the total weight of EVOO is represented by fatty acids, especially monounsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid. Tocopherols, polyphenols and other minor constituents represent the remaining 1-2%. All these components may potentially contribute to ”health maintenance” with their beneficial effects by EVOOO. Methods: Studies that examined the effect of EVOO supplementation in healthy subjects and in individuals at cardiovascular risk were included. Conclusion: The studies analyzed demonstrated the role of EVOO as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and vasodilatory nutrient that may contribute to lower the atherosclerotic burden.

Sustainable and responsible production and consumption are at the heart of sustainable development, explicitly mentioned as one of the sustainable development goals (SDG12). Life cycle assessment, with its integrated holistic approach, is considered a reference method for the assessment of the environmental impact of production and consumption. This paper presents a study on the environmental impacts of final consumption in Europe in five areas of consumption: food, mobility, housing, household goods, and appliances. Based on the selection of a set of representative products to meet food, mobility, housing, and other consumers’ needs, environmental impacts of products are assessed over their full life cycle: from raw material extraction to production, distribution, use, and end-of-life phase. Life cycle inventories of representative products are multiplied by consumption statistics to assess the impact of an average European citizen in 2010 and 2015. Impacts are assessed considering the sixteen impact categories of the Environmental Footprint method. Results reveal that food is the most relevant area of consumption driving environmental impacts. Use phase is the most important life cycle stage for many impact categories, especially for the areas of consumption housing, mobility, and appliances. For the areas of consumption food and household goods, the most important life cycle phase is related to upstream processes, which corresponds to agricultural activities for food and manufacturing of products components for household goods. Apart from the results, the paper includes a detailed discussion on further methodological improvements and research needs to make use of the Consumer Footprint as an indicator for monitoring SDG 12 and for supporting sustainable production and consumption policies., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • A method for assessing the Consumer Footprint using life cycle assessment and covering 16 environmental impact categories is proposed. • Impacts of five areas of consumption are assessed: food, mobility, housing, household goods, and appliances. • The indicator allows for assessing impacts of changes in consumption over time. • Food is the area of consumption driving the overall impact for several impact categories. • The indicator may be useful to monitor the Sustainable Development Goal 12 (responsible production and consumption).

The environmental impacts generated by household consumption are generally calculated through footprints, allocating the supply-chain impacts to the final consumers. This study compares the result of the Consumer Footprint indicator, aimed at assessing the impacts of household consumption in Europe, calculated with the two standard approaches usually implemented for footprint calculations: (i) a bottom-up approach, based on process-Life cycle assessment of a set of products and services representing household consumption, and (ii) a top-down approach, based on environmentally extended input-output tables (EXIOBASE 3). Environmental impacts are calculated considering 14 environmental impact categories out of the 16 included in the EF2017 impact assessment method. Both footprints show similar total values regarding climate change, freshwater eutrophication and fossil resource use, but in the meantime very large differences (more than a factor 2) regarding particulate matter, photochemical ozone formation, land use and mineral resource use. The exclusion of services in the bottom-up approach can explain only to some extent these differences. However, the two approaches converge in identifying food as the main driver of impact in most of the impact categories considered (with a generally lower contribution in top-down compared to bottom-up). Housing and mobility are relevant as well for some impact categories (e.g. particulate matter and fossil resource depletion). Some substances are identified as hotspot by both approaches, e.g. the emission of NH3 to air (for acidification and terrestrial eutrophication), of NOx to air (for acidification, marine and terrestrial eutrophication, and, to some extent, photochemical ozone formation), of P to water and to soil (for freshwater eutrophication) and of fossil CO2 to air (for climate change). Significant differences at the inventory side are key drivers for the differences in total impacts. These include: (i) differences in the intensity of emissions, (ii) differences in the coverage of elementary flows, (iii) differences in the level of detail relative to elementary flows. Overall, the key converging results from both approaches (in particular regarding most contributing areas of consumption and substances) can be considered as a robust basis to support the definition of policies aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of household consumption in Europe., Highlights • EU Consumer Footprint is assessed comparing a bottom-up and a top-down approach. • Environmental impacts calculated with the two approaches are different in absolute terms. • The two approaches converge in identifying food consumption as a key driver of environmental impacts. • Housing and mobility are relevant as well for some impact categories. • A specif assesment of the relevance of the use phase over the life cycle impacts is conducted.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) practices in Europe have been traditionally applied to assess potential environmental impacts due to socio-economic drivers implying specific land use (viz. infrastructure, building and industrial development). However, other socioeconomic drivers related to citizen behavior, such as household consumption, may significantly contribute to the overall local impacts, but are usually neglected in SEA. Aiming at enlarging the traditional approaches adopted in SEA, the present study integrates two environmental sustainability indicators capturing different aspects of consumption patterns: ecological footprint and carbon balance. The two indicators are calculated in addition to a more traditional set of environmental indicators in order to: (i) understand if the level of consumption of the local community exceeds the limits of natural resources of the area (in a perspective of self-sustainment at the local scale), and (ii) identify the role of spatial planning choices in determining the environmental sustainability of the entire system. The two indicators are calculated and discussed in the context of the SEA of the urban master plans of four municipalities in northern Italy. The two indicators may represent a good proxy for lifestyle impacts, even if some strengths and weaknesses arose from the application to the case study.

Purpose: Biomass provides an attractive solution for residential heating systems based on renewable fuels, even though biomass-based domestic heating systems are recognized as significant particulate matter emitters; thus, a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used in the study to compare two different appliances: a wood stove and a pellet stove, both modeled according to the best available technologies definition. Methods: System boundaries of each scenario refer to a cradle-to-grave approach, including production, use and disposal of the heating appliance, as well as the preparation of biomass feedstock. The assessment of environmental impacts was performed assuming 1 MJ of thermal energy as the reference flow, considering the categories of particulate matter formation, human toxicity, climate change, and fossil fuel depletion, according to the ReCiPe 1.07 method. Finally, the comparison was extended to certain innovative heating systems in order to qualitatively evaluate potential improvements in residential heating performances. Results and discussion: The results show that the wood stove reaches the highest scores in the categories of particulate matter formation and negative effects for human toxicity, as a consequence of the stove's lower combustion efficiency, which would lead to a preference for the pellet stove. However, when climate change affecting human health and the ecosystem, and fossil depletion are considered, the choice appears more uncertain due to the energy consumption from the pelletizing step. Alternative technologies (e.g., solar panels in combination with a gas boiler) show better scores related to fine particles emission reduction, even if a worsening in other categories is observed. The results were validated by a sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: The study suggests that a LCA approach can support the choice of the best domestic heating system, helping to promote policy initiatives on a sound basis and to understand which are the main key levers to act for reducing the total environmental burdens of biomass-based heating appliances. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Purpose: In this study, a life cycle assessment of a bioplastic based diaper was performed. The product has several innovative elements, due to the implementation of eco-design principles, such as: (1) introduction of biopolymers (namely polylactic acid (PLA) and Mater-bi®), (2) relevant reduction of petrochemical plastics, and (3) minimization of energy consumptions and use of renewable energy in manufacturing. The aim of the study is to evaluate the environmental benefits gained through eco-innovation, while identifying further areas of improvement. Methods: The bio-based diaper has been evaluated using a "cradle-to-gate" analysis. The functional unit is one diaper, assuming an average size among the different commercial options. A case study of an enterprise in Italy (WIP S.p.A) was carried out to collect as much reliable primary data as possible. In order to highlight potential areas of improvement and to compare the environmental performance of the product, a sensitivity analysis based on three different impact assessment methods (adopting ReCiPe 2008, IMPACT 2002+ and Cumulative Energy Demand (CED)) and a comparison with a standard commercial diaper were performed. Finally, three possible end-of-life scenarios including composting of WIP diaper were hypothesized and tested. Results and discussion: Contribution analysis suggested that sourcing and production of raw materials used in WIP diaper manufacturing contributed most significantly to the potential environmental impacts. Adopting ReCiPe method, pulp, and sodium polyacrylate present the highest environmental burdens in WIP diaper system. Applying IMPACT2002+ method, PLA relative contribution to the toxicity increases, due to the generation of the electricity used in corn production and in PLA production phases. For both methods, impacts related to energy consumption of the WIP diapers' production process look to be negligible. WIP diaper performance has room for improvement, since critical points were detected in the life cycle stages of raw materials used. However, the results of the normalization step, according to ReCiPe method, state that WIP diapers can bring environmental benefits, compared to standard ones. Moreover, if composting end-of-life scenario is included in the assessment, there is a significant improvement in WIP diaper environmental performance compared to a standard diaper. Conclusions: Integrating eco-innovation and eco-design principles in the production of the bio-based diaper leads to a better environmental profile, compared to the standard one. Nevertheless, there are several areas of concerns to be considered in order to further improve its environmental performance. So far, the possible improvements identified from the case study are: (1) the selection of biopolymers suppliers with better production systems from an environmental point of view, (2) the reduction of distances along the supply chain, and (3) the implementation of composting procedures for the end of life. In conclusion, the introduction of biopolymers in diaper composition could lead them to be preferable compared to standard diapers, but criticisms arise, which need to be solved, to avoid the risk of burdens shifting. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Enhancing and promoting eco-innovation solutions in cosmetic industry requires robust methods for assessing the environmental impacts and reducing burden shifting amongst life cycle stages and typology of impacts. This study aims at comparing the environmental profile of eco-innovation options for a cosmetic product by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. We present a case study in which synthetic ingredients are replaced by others derived from natural compounds, following green chemistry principles. A C16–18 triglycerides mixture (INCI name “palmitic/stearic triglycerides”) derived from olive oil industry by-products is used both as single ingredient (Innovation I) and as part of a preformulated one (Innovation II), replacing the starting formulation (Benchmark) caprylic/capric triglyceride. Options are compared through LCA applying International Life Cycle Data impact assessment focusing the analysis to water and energy consumption, sources of raw materials and previous manufacturing stages thereof. In order to test the robustness of the results, we performed a set of sensitivity analyses: i) changing assumptions about transports and irrigation of olive trees; ii) comparing results of the application of two life cycle impact assessment methods (CML and IMPACT 2002). The results show that the impacts derived from the selection of ingredients are more significant than those due to water and energy consumption. Applying different methods, results show significant differences, especially in toxicity-related impact categories. Overall, an alleged “eco-friendly” ingredient (such as a natural by-product derived one) could result in a less preferable environmental profile if assessed in a life cycle perspective. This supports the need of adopting life cycle based methods to ensure that green chemistry options respond to the need of reducing environmental in all life cycle stages.

Considering climate issues, the Kyoto Protocol is the most important worldwide reference aimed at reducing greenhouse gases that cause climate change; going further, the recent European Climate and Energy Policy defi nes binding targets for 2020, that include increasing use of renewable energy (wind, solar, biomass, etc.) to 20% of total energy production. In order to identify the most suitable strategies to achieve this objective, an evaluation of some relevant issues that can affect the sustainability of possible renewable energy options is necessary. This study focus on technology sustainability assessment of energy production from forest biomass, defi ning a set of indicators to provide a decision support system (DSS) for local decision makers, enabling them to evaluate the environmental impacts, the resource availability and renewability, the feasibility of the technology in the local context and the social acceptance of the plant among the local community. The case study presented in this article refers to an Italian mountain community (Comunita Montana delle Alpi Lepontine) in northern Italy, where the assessment of environmental, economic and social sustainability of a plant producing electricity powered by Syngas coming from gasifi cation of forest biomass was performed. The aim of the research was to develop a multidisciplinary DSS to assess the feasibility of the application and to defi ne guidelines for sustainability assessment of technologies for energy production using forest biomass, identifying critical issues and potential areas of optimization.

Development of sustainable tourism policies could be a useful way of encouraging new forms of business, increasing employment and promoting the conservation of landscapes; in this regard, the application of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas represents a referential methodology for local development and a possibility to involve local stakeholders in the definition of sustainability policy. In many cases, integrated sustainability indicators are developed within a participatory process; the present study represents an innovative attempt to evaluate sustainability holistically, by defining specific targets through the definition of indicators suitable to measure and evaluate the temporal evolution of development policies, mainstreaming sustainability to reduce adverse effects on the environment and promoting conservation of local and traditional values. Application of sustainability indicators to measure welfare and development at local scales is strategic to evaluate the short and long term effects of strategies developed through the European Charter participatory process.

Wood fuels are recognized as a crucial energy source whose sustainable use should be ensured. To ensure sustainability, the calculation of the annual available biomass is one of the bases of forest management. The novelty of our study stem from an extended evaluation of the carrying capacity for taking into account different site-specific – as well condition-specific – aspects usually neglected. In the case of natural mixed forests, local management plans define the criteria to be adopted in the land management identify the main functions of the forest plots. However, for ensure sustainable forest management, ecological and technical local constraints should be assessed in details in order to quantify wood potentially available. As a standardized procedure for this comprehensive wood availability is missing, the present study propose a GIS-based decision support system (DSS) and methodology for calculating the biomass availability while supporting the local resource planning. In particular, we focus on the environmental sustainability of bio-energy production. In fact, applying the DSS, it is possible to calculate three indicators: operational carrying capacity (OCC), chip potential (CP) and technical potential (TP). Those indicators are related, respectively, to the availability of wood from forests according to local plans criteria, the potential of wood chips production, and the comparison of total available biomass with current uses. The DDS considers the actual uses of the resource, supporting local planners in properly assess the forestry sector and its possible developments. Two case studies on alpine mountain areas are presented and discussed in light of contributing to face the challenge of energy planning at local scale. The DDS allow calculating the number of chip fueled boilers which could be installed in the areas, using local resource below their carrying capacity. DSS application helps highlighting some challenges in resource planning and use at local scale.

In the context of a circular economy, sustainable consumption is often seen as the antithesis of current consumption patterns, which have led to the definition of the so-called throwaway society. Reuse may provide a preferred alternative to other waste management options, because it promotes resource efficiency and may significantly reduce environmental impacts. To appraise the environmental benefits related to reuse of goods, a methodology adopting life cycle assessment (LCA) has been developed. A standardized procedure has been developed, identifying reference products within product category subject to reuse, and collecting reliable inventory data as a basis for calculating environmental impact through LCA. A case study on a second-hand shop is presented, and the avoided impacts are quantified. Inventory data were taken both from the literature and directly from sales and surveys submitted to customers. The results are presented, highlighting: 1) for each product category, the average avoided impacts for 1 unit of reused product considered; and 2) for the overall activities of the second-hand shop, the cumulative avoided impacts in 1 yr. In the case study, the higher contribution to avoided impacts comes from the apparel sector, due to the high amount of items sold, followed by the furniture sector, because of the high amount of environmental impacts avoided by the reuse of each single item.

Ecoinnovation strategies are increasingly adopted to ensure the minimization of environmental impacts. Nonetheless, only a comprehensive integrated assessment along the life cycle stages of a product may ensure a robust analysis of the benefit of the innovation. The object of the present study is the environmental assessment of furniture prototypes produced using certified wood and integrating eco-design criteria in their conception. The aim of the study was twofold: firstly, to evaluate the environmental profile of the furniture, highlighting possible hot-spots of impacts; and secondly, to evaluate the capability of LCA to identify the environmental benefit associated to the adoption of life-cycle management and ecodesign strategies, such as: ensuring short supply chain from raw material to production; using wood coming from certified forests (according to PEFC scheme); and the implementation of ecodesign principles, also associated with green public procurement requirements. Methods LCA has been applied in a case study related to the wood furniture sector in the alpine region of Northern Italy is presented. Every activity was modeled using primary data, related to the inputs and outputs of the processes, provided directly by the designers and by woodworking firms. Input data related to forestry activities and wood extraction were collected and processed in a previous phase of the study. The life cycle of a prototype school-desk from the cradle-to-gate perspective was analyzed. A woodworking plant was examined in detail, dividing the whole manufacturing process into four phases: panels production, woodworking, painting and steel parts processing. The system boundaries included all the activities which take place inside the plant as well as energy inputs, transports and ancillary products used. Results and discussion The results highlighted that the working phases showing the greatest environmental burdens were: the production of solid wood panels and the processing of iron parts. No concerns about chemicals, glues and paints were raised, due to the eco-design principles implemented in the production of the furniture. The choice of a short supply chain allowed for drastic reductions in the impacts associated to long distance transports. Three sensitivity analyses were carried out to test the robustness of results concerning: 1) glue options; 2) drying phase and VOC emissions; 3) transport options. Conclusions This study proves to which extent eco-design criteria implemented in practice improve the environmental performance of products. All positive effects due to decisions taken in school desk design and conception were supported by evidence., JRC.H.8-Sustainability Assessment

The production of food waste covers all the food life cycle: from agriculture, up to industrial manufacturing and processing, retail and household consumption. In developed countries, 42% of food waste is produced by households, while 39% losses occur in the food manufacturing industry, 14% in food service sector and remaining 5% in retail and distribution. Increasingly, industrial ecology concepts such as cradle to cradle and circular economy are considered leading principle for eco-innovation, aiming at "zero waste economy" in which waste are used as raw material for new products and applications. The large amount of waste produced by the food industry, in addition to being a great loss of valuable materials, also raises serious management problems, both from the economic and environmental point of view. Many of these residues, however, have the potential to be reused into other production systems, trough e.g. biorefineries. The present work focuses on the use of food waste coming from food manufacturing (FWm). Through extensive literature review, the authors present feasibility and constraints of applying industrial symbiosis in recovering waste from food processing, focusing on recycling (excluding energy recovery) of the solid and liquid waste from food processing industry. The main uses of functional ingredients derived from this transformation are presented and discussed, highlighting mainstream sectors of application, e.g. in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Purpose: Biotic resources are considered a key element of bio-economy. In the present study we focus on the forest supply industry, assessing environmental sustainability through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. We explored and evaluated forestry operations in order to support decision-makers in choosing the best operational modes for site-specific conditions. Main aims of the study are: 1) a LCA-based systematic comparative analysis of different operational modes and technological options associated with wood extraction considering site-specific conditions; 2) the quantification of impacts associated with transport of wood material. Methods: A case study on the alpine region of Italy (Intelvi Valley) is presented and discussed. Different forestry activities were investigated, comparing the traditional operational method with a more mechanized one (advanced mechanization). All operations were included within the system boundaries, from felling to transport to sawmill. Regarding the traditional operational method, different options were evaluated, considering that: 1) the extraction could be performed by cable-yard or winch; and 2) the delimbing phase could be performed before or after extraction phase. Each activity was modeled using primary data, assuring that real forest conditions are taken into account and assessed. Results: In spite of the expectations associated with advanced mechanization, the hypothesis to choose traditional mechanization was preferable for Intelvi Valley conditions. Fuel consumption and related emissions proved to be the main source of impacts. Sensitivity analyses highlighted that advanced mechanization could be the best method to perform forestry operations, if used in proper conditions (i.e. at the top productivity rate) and that the choice of a short supply chain drastically reduces the impacts induced by long distance transportation. Conclusions: The choice of the best technological options should be based on a site-specific and context- related assessment. It is very important to give priority to the operational mode which minimizes the hours necessary to perform each operation. It was also found that the technological option should be chosen according to the geomorphology and topography and the site-specific characteristics of the area investigated, and no one option can be considered as the most suitable for all conditions.Furthermore, current impact assessment methods are still lacking in the evaluation of potential impact to biodiversity in the specific context were the extraction takes place. Further investigations related to the environmental profile of a product will be object of a second study that will concern the design of green furniture pieces, starting from certified wood as raw material. © 2014 Springer-Verlag.

Energy policies from local to global scale are increasingly questioned in terms of sustainability. Evidence- and science-based decision making in this field needs a robust and transparent integrated assessment of policy options. Nevertheless, scientific findings do not lead straight to political conclusions, and the relationship between science and decision making is a debated issue. The article discusses the main barriers to effective interaction and communication between scientific enquiry and decision making and proposes some effective ways to overcome these barriers, starting from experiences in the biomass energy sector. The article discusses the case of wood fuel, focusing on one of the European hot spots for air pollution, namely the Po Valley in Northern Italy. It proves to be an interesting case, especially because of the ambiguity between the positive and the negative aspects of wood burning, which, if not adequately integrated by information about the specific conditions that influence pollution levels, can lead to opposite political decisions about the use of wood in local energy plans. Starting from scientific findings, it is possible to derive guidelines about the best practices to adopt in order to reduce environmental impacts along the whole wood fuel chain. In this regard, associations of producers and of consumers and other existing networks (e.g., forestry consortia) can be very useful, either as a source of information not published in the scientific literature and as intermediaries for translating the knowledge into a more usable format and to convey information to the final targets identified (e.g., policy makers, firms, and final users).