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Construction is nowadays considered an extremely energy intensive industry and one of the main sources of environmental pollution in the world. Therefore, the research and the development of novel energy-saving manufacturing processes and sustainable construction materials is more than ever urgent and challenging. This paper aims at identifying the industrial process for the production of novel geopolymers to be used as a greener substitute for cement, especially the Portland one, widely used for structural applications to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry. Here, the materials sustainability and the manufacturing process are improved by valorising and reusing wastes, deriving from the pulp-paper industry, as raw materials. This industry generates a great quantity of wastes that represent a real concern both for their environmental impact and cost of disposal. The new industrial process was evaluated after scaling up the laboratory procedure to an industrial dimension. Consequently, each small-scale process was deeply analysed (raw materials involved and processes) and transposed into a massive-production. The most relevant processes that show an elevated environmental impact were identified and the energy consumption of the whole process has been assessed resulting, for the analysed geopolymeric product, an embodied energy of 645 MJ/ton, being about one sixth of the OPC. Moreover, a preliminary economic analysis has been conducted in terms of raw materials involved in the proposed industrial process revealing a decreasing cost per ton increasing the waste recycling. All considered, the main conclusions are that the industrial scale up of the proposed geopolymeric product, assessed for the first time in literature along with the related proposed considerations, could be highly competitive to the Portland production involving greener processes with a much lower energy consumption and a greater financial saving by improving the wastes quantity.
Giada La Scalia; Manfredi Saeli; Luca Adelfio; Rosa Micale. From lab to industry: Scaling up green geopolymeric mortars manufacturing towards circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production 2021, 316, 128164 .
AMA StyleGiada La Scalia, Manfredi Saeli, Luca Adelfio, Rosa Micale. From lab to industry: Scaling up green geopolymeric mortars manufacturing towards circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 316 ():128164.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiada La Scalia; Manfredi Saeli; Luca Adelfio; Rosa Micale. 2021. "From lab to industry: Scaling up green geopolymeric mortars manufacturing towards circular economy." Journal of Cleaner Production 316, no. : 128164.
Nowadays, the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is more and more recognized as a crucial process to be properly managed and continuously improved by every organization. Primarily addressed to prevent workers’ injuries and diseases, it positively impacts on productivity, competitiveness and reputation as well as it contributes to cost savings in general. OHS management is grounded upon the risk assessment results, on the basis of which defining corrective measures to be taken to reduce risks to acceptable values. In this regard, the paper proposes a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) based methodology addressed to the occupational risks prioritization. In order to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional risk matrix, the new methodology considers three evaluation criteria differently weighted by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Among criteria, one specifically refers to the contribution of human factors to the occurrence of accidents, and a combination of Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART) and Standardized Plant Analysis Risk-Human (SPAR-H) techniques is used to this aim. Afterwards, the Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method is applied to rank risks. The proposed approach is implemented in a Sicilian manufacturing company that produces and commercializes wooden products, together with the sale of outdoor furniture. The comparison of the obtained results with the ones arising from previous risk analyses performed by the company highlights the higher ability of the proposed methodology to differentiate risks.
C.M. La Fata; A. Giallanza; R. Micale; G. La Scalia. Ranking of occupational health and safety risks by a multi-criteria perspective: Inclusion of human factors and application of VIKOR. Safety Science 2021, 138, 105234 .
AMA StyleC.M. La Fata, A. Giallanza, R. Micale, G. La Scalia. Ranking of occupational health and safety risks by a multi-criteria perspective: Inclusion of human factors and application of VIKOR. Safety Science. 2021; 138 ():105234.
Chicago/Turabian StyleC.M. La Fata; A. Giallanza; R. Micale; G. La Scalia. 2021. "Ranking of occupational health and safety risks by a multi-criteria perspective: Inclusion of human factors and application of VIKOR." Safety Science 138, no. : 105234.
Construction is recognized as one of the most polluting and energy consuming industries worldwide, especially in developing countries. Therefore, Research and Development (R&D) of novel manufacturing technologies and green construction materials is becoming extremely compelling. This study aims at evaluating the reuse of various wastes, originated in the Kraft pulp-paper industry, as raw materials in the manufacture of novel geopolymeric (GP) mortars whose properties fundamentally depend on the target application (e.g., insulating panel, partition wall, structural element, furnishing, etc.). Five different wastes were reused as filler: Two typologies of Biomass Fly Ash, calcareous sludge, grits, and dregs. The produced samples were characterized and a multi criteria analysis, able to take into account not only the engineering properties, but also the environmental and economic aspects, has been implemented. The criteria weights were evaluated using the Delphi methodology. The fuzzy Topsis approach has been used to consider the intrinsic uncertainty related to unconventional materials, as the produced GP-mortars. The computational analysis showed that adding the considered industrial wastes as filler is strongly recommended to improve the performance of materials intended for structural applications in construction. The results revealed that the formulations containing 5 wt.% of calcareous sludge, grits, and dregs and the one containing 7.5 wt.% of calcareous sludge, grits, dregs, and Biomass Fly Ash-1 have emerged as the best alternatives. Furthermore, it resulted that the Biomass Fly Ash-2 negatively influences the structural performance and relative rank of the material. Finally, this case study clearly shows that the fuzzy Topsis multi-criteria analysis represents a valuable and easy tool to investigate construction materials (either traditional and unconventional) when an intrinsic uncertainty is related to the measurement of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics.
Manfredi Saeli; Rosa Micale; Maria Paula Seabra; João A. Labrincha; Giada La Scalia. Selection of Novel Geopolymeric Mortars for Sustainable Construction Applications Using Fuzzy Topsis Approach. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5987 .
AMA StyleManfredi Saeli, Rosa Micale, Maria Paula Seabra, João A. Labrincha, Giada La Scalia. Selection of Novel Geopolymeric Mortars for Sustainable Construction Applications Using Fuzzy Topsis Approach. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (15):5987.
Chicago/Turabian StyleManfredi Saeli; Rosa Micale; Maria Paula Seabra; João A. Labrincha; Giada La Scalia. 2020. "Selection of Novel Geopolymeric Mortars for Sustainable Construction Applications Using Fuzzy Topsis Approach." Sustainability 12, no. 15: 5987.
In the last decade, the nutritional and health benefits of Opuntia (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) were discussed by academic scientists and private companies. In particular, the introduction of this substance in frequently consumed foods, like, for example, pasta and bakery products, could have a wide diffusion due to its rich composition in polyphenols, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and amino acids. The identified natural cactus compounds are responsible for biologically relevant activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, and neuro-protective properties. The aim of this paper is the evaluation of the best combination of Opuntia quantity and process parameters (recipe) for the production of sustainable functional pasta. The results obtained show that the new functional pasta guarantees the presence of the Opuntia quantity necessary to be considered a healthy food without altering the organoleptic and physical properties of the final product. An important indicator of a sustainable food product is its capacity to contribute to public health while maintaining a high quality of the final product. The selection of the optimal recipe was carried out by means of a multi-criteria decision-making procedure, ELECTRE III. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the stability of the obtained solutions varying the ELECTRE III thresholds, showing that the results obtained are stable under uncertain conditions. Food productions are often affected by qualitative judgments in terms of physical and organoleptic properties of the final product, making the ELECTRE III particularly suitable in an industrial application in which different points of view are involved.
Rosa Micale; Antonio Giallanza; Giuseppe Russo; Giada La Scalia. Selection of a Sustainable Functional Pasta Enriched with Opuntia Using ELECTRE III Methodology. Sustainability 2017, 9, 885 .
AMA StyleRosa Micale, Antonio Giallanza, Giuseppe Russo, Giada La Scalia. Selection of a Sustainable Functional Pasta Enriched with Opuntia Using ELECTRE III Methodology. Sustainability. 2017; 9 (6):885.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosa Micale; Antonio Giallanza; Giuseppe Russo; Giada La Scalia. 2017. "Selection of a Sustainable Functional Pasta Enriched with Opuntia Using ELECTRE III Methodology." Sustainability 9, no. 6: 885.
The reduction of environmental impact and the achievement of economic advantages based on by- product recovery is the aim of applying methodologies for phenolic compounds extraction from Olive Oil Mill Wastewater. Volume reduction of Olive Oil Mill Wastewater could generate important advan- tages in terms of waste disposal cost abatement and, in addition, reuse in the production of foods with health properties could lead to economic benefits. Despite the fact that literature shows that several techniques have been developed, few economic approaches have been presented. This paper assesses the economic feasibility of a system based on membrane filtration and reverse osmosis processes for phenolic compound extraction, considering their subsequent reuse to enrich Extra Virgin Olive Oil during the malaxation phase. In particular, an analysis of investment profitability was presented to establish the break-even point in terms of the incremental cost of olive oil enriched in polyphenols. Results confirm the sustainability of the process, showing a reduction of the waste product greater than 90%, and feasible solutions for the incremental cost of enriched Extra Virgin Olive Oil, considering a positive Net Present Value and a Payback Time not greater than four years
Giada La Scalia; Rosa Micale; Luigi Cannizzaro; Francesco Paolo Marra. A sustainable phenolic compound extraction system from olive oil mill wastewater. Journal of Cleaner Production 2017, 142, 3782 -3788.
AMA StyleGiada La Scalia, Rosa Micale, Luigi Cannizzaro, Francesco Paolo Marra. A sustainable phenolic compound extraction system from olive oil mill wastewater. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2017; 142 ():3782-3788.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiada La Scalia; Rosa Micale; Luigi Cannizzaro; Francesco Paolo Marra. 2017. "A sustainable phenolic compound extraction system from olive oil mill wastewater." Journal of Cleaner Production 142, no. : 3782-3788.
Technologies to acquire and monitor changes in the product shelf life were described.Four different SL predictive models were considered.A simulated transport using a prototype of Smart Logistic Unit was analysed.Real time shelf life prediction system was implemented in a webGIS platform. Shelf-life (SL) prediction and Least Shelf-life First Out (LSFO) stock strategy are important factors in perishable food supply chain in order to reduce quality and economic losses.In particular, distribution represents one of the main critical phases in logistic chain management and only the introduction of monitoring procedure can allow a reduction in food losses. Literature shows several mathematical models for analysing the changes in food quality using environmental/product parameters. However, these models can be very useful decision support tools only if the abovementioned parameters can be processed in real time.This paper focuses on technologies and applications to acquire and monitor changes in product shelf life using different SL predictive models. The paper includes a case study on a simulated transportation of strawberries, using a prototype of Smart Logistic Unit equipped with a GPS module for real time positioning of the truck, a 3G connection as communication system for remote quality supervision, and a shelf life prediction algorithm based on four different models and implemented on a webGIS platform.
Rosanna Sciortino; Rosa Micale; Mario Enea; Giada La Scalia. A webGIS-based system for real time shelf life prediction. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 2016, 127, 451 -459.
AMA StyleRosanna Sciortino, Rosa Micale, Mario Enea, Giada La Scalia. A webGIS-based system for real time shelf life prediction. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 2016; 127 ():451-459.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosanna Sciortino; Rosa Micale; Mario Enea; Giada La Scalia. 2016. "A webGIS-based system for real time shelf life prediction." Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 127, no. : 451-459.
Despite the recent interest towards food safety and control, it is generally difficult to ensure full products traceability through industrial food chains, due to the lack of efficient information and communication systems. Consequently, nowadays, the protection of food products often ends at the gates of the producer without any investigation about the status of their quality at the consumer's location. The aim of this paper was the development of a supply chain monitoring system based on a smart logistic unit (SLU) to support the integrated management of the food supply chain from “farm to fork” in order to guarantee and control food safety and shelf life (SL) of products in agreement with logistic efficiency and system sustainability. For this purpose we have conducted a research involving the selection of a perishable product significantly affected by logistic decisions, the determination of the set parameters representative of its quality and the development of a prototype of SLU, based on a sensor network for monitoring the identified parameters. Finally, an experimental SL model has been determined, based on the volatile organic compounds emitted from fruits and monitored by the SLU. We have validated the model by simulating real transport conditions and assessing the residual SL of the product at different time intervals. The practical application obtainable from our research is the development of a prototype of a smart logistic unit able to translate the acquired parameters into valuable information for supply chain management. In particular the proposed research establishes a correlation between volatile organic compounds and bacterial growth to obtain a mathematical model to predict the residual shelf life of the products and to assess the effects of vibration, caused by simulated transport. The knowledge of the residual shelf life in real time could finally be exploited for developing advanced supply chain strategies e.g., picking and transport routing policies.
G. La Scalia; A. Nasca; Onofrio Corona; L. Settanni; R. Micale. An Innovative Shelf Life Model Based on Smart Logistic Unit for an Efficient Management of the Perishable Food Supply Chain. Journal of Food Process Engineering 2015, 40, e12311 .
AMA StyleG. La Scalia, A. Nasca, Onofrio Corona, L. Settanni, R. Micale. An Innovative Shelf Life Model Based on Smart Logistic Unit for an Efficient Management of the Perishable Food Supply Chain. Journal of Food Process Engineering. 2015; 40 (1):e12311.
Chicago/Turabian StyleG. La Scalia; A. Nasca; Onofrio Corona; L. Settanni; R. Micale. 2015. "An Innovative Shelf Life Model Based on Smart Logistic Unit for an Efficient Management of the Perishable Food Supply Chain." Journal of Food Process Engineering 40, no. 1: e12311.
Giada La Scalia; Giuseppe Aiello; Rosa Micale; Mario Enea. Coverage analysis of RFID indoor localization system for refrigerated warehouses based on 2D-ray tracing. International Journal of RF Technologies 2012, 3, 85 -99.
AMA StyleGiada La Scalia, Giuseppe Aiello, Rosa Micale, Mario Enea. Coverage analysis of RFID indoor localization system for refrigerated warehouses based on 2D-ray tracing. International Journal of RF Technologies. 2012; 3 (2):85-99.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiada La Scalia; Giuseppe Aiello; Rosa Micale; Mario Enea. 2012. "Coverage analysis of RFID indoor localization system for refrigerated warehouses based on 2D-ray tracing." International Journal of RF Technologies 3, no. 2: 85-99.
Pancreatic islet transplantation consists of replacing insulin-producing cells to restore normal glycemia in diabetic patients. This is a minimal invasive procedure that has been proved successful. Unfortunately unpredictability of islet transplant outcome remains a frustrating and costly issue limiting the clinical implementation of this procedure. Multiple variables are involved in the procedure and assessment is subjective to individual operators. The aim of this study was to generate a system expressing the probability of transplant success in relation to four classes of identified variables (donor, organ, isolation and recipient). We have proposed the utilization of Multi-Criteria Decision Making methods (MCDM) as a powerful tool for evaluating pancreatic islet transplant-related information with the goal to achieve optimal decision. Technique Ordered Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), one of the most widely used MCDM methods in decision support systems, was here utilized with modification to fit better in a medical system. In our modified method, we have utilized fuzzy logic in order to consider uncertain and vague data.
Giada La Scalia; Giuseppe Aiello; Cristiana Rastellini; Rosa Micale; Luca Cicalese. Multi-Criteria Decision Making support system for pancreatic islet transplantation. Expert Systems with Applications 2011, 38, 3091 -3097.
AMA StyleGiada La Scalia, Giuseppe Aiello, Cristiana Rastellini, Rosa Micale, Luca Cicalese. Multi-Criteria Decision Making support system for pancreatic islet transplantation. Expert Systems with Applications. 2011; 38 (4):3091-3097.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiada La Scalia; Giuseppe Aiello; Cristiana Rastellini; Rosa Micale; Luca Cicalese. 2011. "Multi-Criteria Decision Making support system for pancreatic islet transplantation." Expert Systems with Applications 38, no. 4: 3091-3097.
Giuseppe Aiello; Giada La Scalia; Rosa Micale. Simulation analysis of cold chain performance based on time–temperature data. Production Planning & Control 2011, 23, 468 -476.
AMA StyleGiuseppe Aiello, Giada La Scalia, Rosa Micale. Simulation analysis of cold chain performance based on time–temperature data. Production Planning & Control. 2011; 23 (6):468-476.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiuseppe Aiello; Giada La Scalia; Rosa Micale. 2011. "Simulation analysis of cold chain performance based on time–temperature data." Production Planning & Control 23, no. 6: 468-476.
Recent developments in maintenance planning and\ud management demonstrate that the establishment of optimized\ud maintenance policies may drastically improve the\ud performance and reduce the operating cost of facilities.\ud However maintenance activities are typically outside of the\ud core business of production facilities, hence enterprises often\ud fail to catch the opportunities that may originate by properly\ud optimized management strategies. A strategic maintenance\ud management should hence encompass the possibility of\ud outsourcing maintenance activities to ensure the necessary\ud perfomance of production systems, while allowing\ud enterprises to concentrate their resources on their core\ud activities. In order to be effectively undertaken an\ud outsourcing strategy must be supported by a proper\ud performance oriented contract. The present paper aims to\ud provide an adequate methodology to address such issues and\ud to define a framework for the definition of the relevant\ud contract variables such as availability levels, penalty\ud policies, rewards and service cost. The methodology here\ud proposed is based upon the evaluation of the expected profit\ud function of both the outsourcer and the provider, by\ud performing a trade-off analysis on the basis of the\ud transaction costs
Roberto D. Cigolini; Jappe Van Der Zwan; Ad Straub; David Martinez; Giuseppe Aiello; Valeria Mazziotta; Rosa Micale. Facility Management, Outsourcing and Contracting Overview. Recent Advances in Maintenance and Infrastructure Management 2009, 225 -290.
AMA StyleRoberto D. Cigolini, Jappe Van Der Zwan, Ad Straub, David Martinez, Giuseppe Aiello, Valeria Mazziotta, Rosa Micale. Facility Management, Outsourcing and Contracting Overview. Recent Advances in Maintenance and Infrastructure Management. 2009; ():225-290.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto D. Cigolini; Jappe Van Der Zwan; Ad Straub; David Martinez; Giuseppe Aiello; Valeria Mazziotta; Rosa Micale. 2009. "Facility Management, Outsourcing and Contracting Overview." Recent Advances in Maintenance and Infrastructure Management , no. : 225-290.