An innovative spinning process for production and characterisation of ring-spun hybrid yarns from recycled carbon fibre

The growing focus on sustainability stresses the importance of using materials derived from manufacturing scraps and end of life. Nowadays, a large amount of carbon fibre waste is available, and therefore, it is pivotal to understand how to use it for value-added applications. This paper introduces an innovative spinning process for ring-spun hybrid yarns composed of recycled carbon fibres (rCFs) from manufacturing scraps and virgin thermoplastic fibres in different blending ratios. The ultimate goal is to assess whether such a process is able to produce ring-spun hybrid yarns suitable for the production of polymer composites for structural applications and to determine the blends range that addresses this goal. The actual innovation in this process lies in the use of a ring-spinning machine for the production of hybrid yarns, which were characterised by tensile tests and thermogravimetric analysis combined with differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that the range of rCFs for the production of ring-spun hybrid yarns with good mechanical and thermal properties lies between 50% and 70%. Fibre orientation is crucial, especially for the card web, as is the blending ratio for the whole process. The increase in the number of draw frame doublings and the actual number of remaining rCFs have an impact on the tenacity of the hybrid yarn. Finally, ring-spun hybrid yarns consisting of 70% rCF exhibit slightly higher tensile strength, but with a lower decrease in the quantity of rCFs than those composed of 50% rCF. Thus, they possess the best mechanical and thermal properties and composites made from ring-spun hybrid yarns with 70% rCF should perform better. Overall, this process has the potential to be industrially transposed but needs to be evaluated from an environmental perspective

Environmental assessment of a spinning process for the production of ring-spun hybrid yarns from recycled carbon fiber: A cradle-to-gate approach

The study of sustainable remanufacturing processes using recycled carbon fiber to enhance its applicability in high-performance materials is a key research direction. To this end, their environmental performance should be assessed. Here, an attributional life cycle assessment combined with environmental life cycle costing is performed for an innovative spinning process recently developed for the production of ring-spun hybrid yarns suitable for manufacturing reinforcements for good-quality polymer composites. Results indicate that the process cumulatively affects approximately 65.4% of the total environmental impact regarding climate change, use of fossils, and use of minerals and metals. The preparing and carding phase predominantly contributes to nearly all environmental impact categories. Greenhouse gas emissions from the process were quantified as 10.5 kg-CO2 eq/kg, significantly below those produced by virgin carbon fiber manufacturing (24-31 kg-CO2 eq/kg). Overall, considering the potential landfilling or incineration of waste used as input, the process brings environmental benefits ranging from 56% to 76%. A sensitivity analysis indicates that replacing manufacturing scraps with recycled carbon fiber from pyrolysis represents the input change with the highest environmental impacts, while thermoplastic fiber use does not significantly alter environmental performance. The study demonstrates that using recycled carbon fiber from manufacturing scraps is preferable to using recycled carbon fiber from pyrolysis when life-cycle impact is considered. The choice between polyamide and polyester should rely on the specific impact category to be addressed and the desired mechanical properties to be achieved in the final composite

Recycling of waste fiber-reinforced plastic composites: A patent-based analysis

Fiber-reinforced plastic composite materials are increasingly used in many industrial applications, leading to an increase in the amount of waste that must be treated to avoid environmental problems. Currently, the scientific literature classifies existing recycling technologies into three macro-categories: mechanical, thermal, and chemical; however, none are identified as superior to the others. Therefore, scholars and companies struggle to understand where to focus their efforts. Patent analysis, by relying on quantitative data as a precursor to new technological developments, can contribute to fully grasping current applications of each recycling technology and provide in-sights about their future development perspectives. Based on these premises, this paper performs a patent technology roadmap to enhance knowledge about prior, current, and future use of the main recycling technologies. The results show that recycling macro-categories have different technology maturity levels and growth potentials. Specifically, mechanical recycling is the most mature, with the lowest growth potential, while thermal and chemical recycling are in their growth stage and present remarkable future opportunities. Moreover, the analysis depicts several perspectives for future development on recycling technologies applications within different industries and underline inter-and intra-category dependencies, thus providing valuable information for practitioners and both academic and non-academic backgrounds researchers interested in the topic

Supplementary light differently influences physico-chemical parameters and antioxidant compounds of tomato fruits hybrids

One of the challenges for agriculture in the coming years will be producing more food avoiding reducing the nutritional values of fruits and vegetables, sources of nutraceutical com-pounds. It has been demonstrated that light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used as a supplementary light (SL) technology improve tomato yield in Mediterranean greenhouses, but few data have been re-ported about SL effects on fruit physio-chemical parameters. In this study, three tomato hybrid (F1) cultivars were grown for year-round production in a commercial semi-closed glasshouse in Southern Italy: red cherry type (“Sorentyno”), red plum type (“Solarino”), and yellow plum type (“Maggino”). From 120 to 243 days after transplant (DAT), Red/White/Blue LEDs were used as SL. The fruits harvested 180 DAT were analyzed and those obtained under LEDs had 3% more dry weight, 15% more total soluble solids, and 16% higher titratable acidity than fruits grown only under natural light. Generally, the antioxidant activity and the mineral profile of the fruits were not negatively influenced by SL. Lycopene content was unchanged and vitamin C content of “Sorentyno” even increased by 15% under LEDs. Overall, LEDs used as SL technology could be one of the tools used by agriculture in Mediterranean basin to produce more food maintaining high quality production

Genome-wide identification of wrky genes in artemisia annua: Characterization of a putative ortholog of ATWRKY40

Artemisia annua L. is well-known as the plant source of artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone with effective antimalarial activity. Here, a putative ortholog of the Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY40 transcription factor (TF) was isolated via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and rapid amplification of cDNA ends in A. annua and named AaWRKY40. A putative nuclear localization domain was identified in silico and experimentally confirmed by using protoplasts of A. annua transiently transformed with AaWRKY40-GFP. A genome-wide analysis identified 122 WRKY genes in A. annua, and a manually curated database was obtained. The deduced proteins were categorized into the major WRKY groups, with group IIa containing eight WRKY members including AaWRKY40. Protein motifs, gene structure, and promoter regions of group IIa WRKY TFs of A. annua were characterized. The promoter region of AaWRKY group IIa genes contained several abiotic stress cis-acting regulatory elements, among which a highly conserved W-box motif was identified. Expression analysis of AaWRKY40 compared to AaWRKY1 in A. annua cell cultures treated with methyl jasmonate known to enhance artemisinin production, suggested a possible involvement of AaWRKY40 in terpenoid metabolism. Further investigation is necessary to study the role of AaWRKY40 and possible interactions with other TFs in A. annua

Primary flap closure of perineal defects to avoid empty pelvis syndrome after pelvic exenteration in gynecologic malignancies: An old question to explore a new answer

: Pelvic exenteration (PE) is a radical oncological surgical procedure proposed in patients with recurrent or persistent gynecological cancers. The radical alteration of pelvic anatomy and of pelvic floor integrity can cause major postoperative complications. Fortunately, PE can be combined with reconstructive procedures to decrease complications and functional and support problems of pelvic floor, reducing morbility and mortality and increasing quality of life. Many options for reconstructive surgery have been described, especially a wide spectrum of surgical flaps. Different selection criteria have been proposed to select patients for primary perineal defect flap closure without achieving any strict indication of the best option. The aim of this review is to focus on technical aspects and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, providing an overview of those most frequently used for the treatment of pelvic floor defects after PE. Flaps based on the deep inferior epigastric artery, especially vertical rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (VRAM) flaps, and gracilis flaps, based on the gracilis muscle, are the most common reconstructive techniques used for pelvic floor and vaginal reconstruction. In our opinion, reconstructive surgery may be considered in case of total PE or type II/III PE and in patients submitted to prior pelvic irradiation. VRAM could be used to close extended defects at the time of PE, while gracilis flaps can be used in case of VRAM complications. Fortunately, numerous choices for reconstructive surgery have been devised. As these techniques continue to evolve, it is advisable to adopt an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach within a tertiary medical center

The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) Endorses the Milan Charter on Urban Obesity

The Milan Charter on Urban Obesity highlights the challenges of urban environments as a battleground for human health, as cities are often organized to subvert public health goals, and promote rather than prevent the development of obesity and consequent non-communicable diseases. The Charter articulates ten principles which detail actions and strategies through which general practitioners, diverse medical specialists, related healthcare professionals, administrators and healthcare practice managers, policy actors - within health systems and at a national level - along with experts across disciplines, and citizens, can work in cooperation to meet this challenge and improve publichealth. The Charter urges the adoption of decisions that deliver the following: (i) policies which enable our cities to become healthier and less obesogenic, more supportive of well-being and less health-disruptive in general, and (ii) policies that fully support primary prevention strategies, that address social stigma, and that ensure fair access to treatment for people living with obesity. The Milan Charter on Urban Obesity aims to raise awareness of our shared responsibility for the health of all citizens, and focuses on addressing the health of people living with obesity - not only as a challenge in its own right, but a gateway to other major non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers

Italian Association of Sleep Medicine (AIMS) position statement and guideline on the treatment of menopausal sleep disorders

Insomnia, vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and depression often co-occur after the menopause, with consequent health problems and reductions in quality of life. The aim of this position statement is to provide evidence-based advice on the management of postmenopausal sleep disorders derived from a systematic review of the literature. The latter yielded results on VMS, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and restless leg syndrome (RLS). Overall, the studies show that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) improves VMS, insomnia, and mood. Several antidepressants can improve insomnia, either on their own or in association with MHT; these include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and mirtazapine. Long-term benefits for postmenopausal insomnia may also be achieved with non-drug strategies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and aerobic exercise. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mandibular advancement devices (MADs) both reduce blood pressure and cortisol levels in postmenopausal women suffering from OSA. However, the data regarding MHT on postmenopausal restless legs syndrome are conflicting