Electrical resistivity tomography for studying liquefaction induced by the May 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake (Mw = 6.1, northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giocoli, A.; Quadrio, B.; Bellanova, J.; Lapenna, V.; Piscitelli, S.

2014-04-01

This work shows the result of an electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey carried out for imaging and characterizing the shallow subsurface affected by the coseismic effects of the Mw = 6.1 Emilia-Romagna (northern Italy) earthquake that occurred on 20 May 2012. The most characteristic coseismic effects were ground failure, lateral spreading and liquefaction that occurred extensively along the paleo-Reno River in the urban areas of San Carlo and Mirabello (southwestern portion of Ferrara Province). In total, six electrical resistivity tomographies were performed and calibrated with surface geological surveys, exploratory boreholes and aerial photo interpretations. This was one of first applications of the electrical resistivity tomography method in investigating coseismic liquefaction.

Etiological [corrected] agents of rickettsiosis and anaplasmosis in ticks collected in Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) during 2008 and 2009.

PubMed

Maioli, Giulia; Pistone, Dario; Bonilauri, Paolo; Pajoro, Massimo; Barbieri, Ilaria; Mulatto, Patrizia; Patrizia, Mulatto; Vicari, Nadia; Dottori, Michele

2012-06-01

Ticks are the main vectors of rickettsiae of the spotted fever group, as well as of a variety of other Rickettsiales, including bacteria of the genus Anaplasma, that might cause diseases in humans and animals. Here we present the result of a survey for ticks and for tick-associated Rickettsiales in the Emilia Romagna region (Northern Italy). The study was focused on ticks collected from wild-hunted animals. Out of 392 ticks collected from these animals, 282 (72%) were identified as Ixodes ricinus, 110 (28%) as Dermacentor marginatus. The former was found on four vertebrate species, whereas the latter appeared more specific for wild boar. The presence of rickettsiae was demonstrated in 22.5% of I. ricinus (57/253) and in 29% of D. marginatus (32/110). Five ticks of the species I. ricinus were also positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum (2%). In addition, we collected ticks by dragging in a natural park of the same region. All of the ticks captured by dragging were identified as I. ricinus. Thirty-six out of 200 analyzed ticks proved positive for Rickettsia monacensis and R. helvetica (16.5 and 1.5%, respectively). Our results highlight that that ticks present in wild areas, widely exploited for recreation and hunting in Emilia-Romagna, represent a risk for the transmission of spotted fevers and anaplasmosis to humans.

Functional structure of marine benthic assemblages using Biological Traits Analysis (BTA): A study along the Emilia-Romagna coastline (Italy, North-West Adriatic Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paganelli, Daniele; Marchini, Agnese; Occhipinti-Ambrogi, Anna

2012-01-01

The functional diversity index has shown that the functional diversity of the macrobenthic community increased along a spatial gradient of distance from the Po river delta (Emilia-Romagna coast, Italy, North-Adriatic Sea), which suggests that riverine inputs have a detrimental effect on community functioning. This study focuses on two different depths along a southward gradient of increasing distance from the Po river delta where the Po river is the main source of freshwater and nutrient inputs in the North-Adriatic Sea. A Biological Traits Analysis (BTA) was used to examine a dataset of 156 soft-bottom macrobenthic species that were collected at eight stations in this area. Instead of comparing communities on the basis of their taxonomic composition, BTA uses a series of life history, morphological and behavioural characteristics of species to indicate aspects of their ecological functioning. The variability of the Emilia-Romagna dataset was governed by relatively few biological traits: growth form, trophic group, type of movement, habit, adult mobility and bioturbation activity. The community closer to the coastline was mainly composed of moderately mobile vermiform organisms with burrowing or tube-dwelling behaviour, and deposit feeding behaviour. However, the offshore community was mainly characterized by organisms with a laterally compressed or globose body and tube-dwelling behaviour; filter feeders and deposit feeders were dominant.

Electrical resistivity tomography for studying liquefaction induced by the May 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake (Mw = 6.1, North Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giocoli, A.; Quadrio, B.; Bellanova, J.; Lapenna, V.; Piscitelli, S.

2013-10-01

This work shows the result of an Electrical Resistivity Tomography survey carried out for imaging and characterizing the shallow subsurface affected by the coseismic effects of the Mw = 6.1 Emilia-Romagna (North Italy) earthquake occurred on 20 May 2012. The most characteristic coseismic effects were ground failure, lateral spreading and liquefaction that occurred extensively along the paleo-Reno river in the urban areas of San Carlo, a hamlet of Sant'Agostino municipality, and of Mirabello (south-western portion of the Ferrara Province). Totally, six Electrical Resistivity Tomography were performed and calibrated with surface geological surveys, exploratory borehole and aerial photo interpretations. This was one of the first applications of the Electrical Resistivity Tomography method in investigating coseismic liquefaction.

[Mortality study of asbestos cement workers in Emilia-Romagna].

PubMed

Luberto, Ferdinando; Amendola, Plinio; Belli, Stefano; Bruno, Caterina; Candela, Silvia; Grignoli, Mario; Comba, Pietro

2004-01-01

The present study updates to 06/30/1998 the cohort mortality study of 3358 workers employed in 10 asbestos cement production plants in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna. The cohort includes 2712 males and 646 females. Overall mortality was significantly increased (SMR=131, IC95%:108-127). Excess mortality has been observed for all malignant neoplasms (SMR=131, IC95%: 115-149, 250 observed) and for respiratory diseases (SMR=153, IC: 105-216, 32 observed), 3 deaths due to asbestosis. Mortality for all respiratory tract neoplasms (SMR=179, IC: 148-215, 114 observed), pulmonary cancer (SMR=157, IC: 126-192, 90 observed) and pleural cancer (SMR=1922, IC: 1139-3038, 18 observed) are significantly increased. This study confirms the previous cohort study observation of increased mortality for all causes, all neoplasm and cancer affecting lungs and pleura.

Sensitivity of sea-level forecasting to the horizontal resolution and sea surface forcing for different configurations of an oceanographic model of the Adriatic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bressan, Lidia; Valentini, Andrea; Paccagnella, Tiziana; Montani, Andrea; Marsigli, Chiara; Stefania Tesini, Maria

2017-04-01

At the Hydro-meteo-climate service of the Regional environmental agency of Emilia-Romagna, Italy (Arpae-SIMC), the oceanographic numerical model AdriaROMS is used in the operational forecasting suite to compute sea level, temperature, salinity and 3-D current fields of the Adriatic Sea (northern Mediterranean Sea). In order to evaluate the performance of the sea-level forecast and to study different configurations of the ROMS model, two marine storms occurred on the Emilia Romagna coast during the winter 2015-2016 are investigated. The main focus of this study is to analyse the sensitivity of the model to the horizontal resolution and to the meteorological forcing. To this end, the model is run with two different configurations and with two horizontal grids at 1 and 2 km resolution. To study the influence of the meteorological forcing, the two storms have been reproduced by running ROMS in ensemble mode, forced by the 16-members of the meteorological ensemble COSMO-LEPS system. Possible optimizations of the model set-up are deduced by the comparison of the different run outputs.

Prevalence of nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy in the adult population of Bologna and Modena, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy.

PubMed

Vignatelli, Luca; Bisulli, Francesca; Giovannini, Giada; Licchetta, Laura; Naldi, Ilaria; Mostacci, Barbara; Rubboli, Guido; Provini, Federica; Tinuper, Paolo; Meletti, Stefano

2015-03-01

To estimate the prevalence of nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (NFLE) in the adults of two areas of the Emilia-Romagna region (northeast Italy) and to describe the clinical features from a population-based perspective. Population-based retrospective cohort study including adults with NFLE. Two areas of the Emilia-Romagna region: the city of Bologna (330,901 adult residents) and five districts of the province of Modena (424,007). Prevalence day: December 31, 2010. Patients with NFLE collected from multiple databases of neurologic hub centers of the districts involved. Diagnostic criteria: clinical history of sleep related bizarre motor attacks and videopolysomnographic recording confirming the typical features of NFLE. Inclusion criteria for prevalence calculation: residence in one of the two geographic areas on the prevalence day and an "active" or "in remission with treatment" form of NFLE. Six subjects from Bologna and eight from Modena were included. Crude prevalence (per 100,000 residents) was 1.8 (95% confidence interval 0.7-4.0) in Bologna and 1.9 (0.8-3.7) in Modena. Similarly, the main clinical features were consistent: onset during adolescence (median age 11-13 y), mainly hyperkinetic seizures, nonlesional form in more than two-thirds of cases, an active form of epilepsy in more than two-thirds of cases. A family history of epilepsy was reported only for two patients. This epidemiologic study establishes that NFLE is a rare epileptic condition, fulfilling the definition for rare disease. Because of methodological limitations of our case ascertainment, the estimates we disclose must be considered the minimum prevalence. © 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in children and adolescents of immigrated families in Emilia-Romagna (Italy).

PubMed

Banin, Patrizia; Rimondi, Fiorenza; De Togni, Aldo; Cantoni, Stefano; Chiari, Giovanni; Iughetti, Lorenzo; Salardi, Silvana; Zucchini, Stefano; Marsciani, Alberto; Suprani, Tosca; Tarchini, Luis; Tozzola, Anna; Xella, Rossella; Marsella, Maria; De Sanctis, Vincenzo

2010-12-01

The etiology and natural history of T1DM are still unknown but certainly both genetics and environmental factors contribute to the development of the disease. Migration studies are an important tool to better understand the role of the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate some variables in diabetic children of immigrant families living in Emilia-Romagna compared with Italian diabetic children living in the same region. We recruited 73 diabetic children from immigrant families and 707 Italian diabetic children. All children were cared by Pediatric Diabetes Units of Emilia-Romagna (10 centers). The investigated variables were: gender, current age, place of birth, parents' country of origin, age at diagnosis, HbA1c and insulin regimen. No significant difference with reference to gender neither among the two ethnic groups, nor in the current mean age was observed. Mean age at diagnosis in the Italian children was lower than in immigrant patients born outside Italy--group A- (7.4 vs. 9.6, p < 0.000) and higher compared to those born in Italy--group B- (7.4 vs. 5.7 p < 0.003; A vs. B p < 0.000). The immigrant patients showed higher mean HbA1c than Italian patients (8.8 vs. 8.2, p < 0.009). A younger age at diagnosis of T1DM in immigrant children, born in Italy compared with those born in the country of origin, and with Italian patients, suggests the existence of some environmental determinants acquired with a more westernised lifestyle. Immigrant children have significantly poorer metabolic control compared with western patients. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Primary care units in Emilia-Romagna, Italy: an assessment of organizational culture.

PubMed

Pracilio, Valerie P; Keith, Scott W; McAna, John; Rossi, Giuseppina; Brianti, Ettore; Fabi, Massimo; Maio, Vittorio

2014-01-01

This study investigates the organizational culture and associated characteristics of the newly established primary care units (PCUs)-collaborative teams of general practitioners (GPs) who provide patients with integrated health care services-in the Emilia-Romagna Region (RER), Italy. A survey instrument covering 6 cultural dimensions was administered to all 301 GPs in 21 PCUs in the Local Health Authority (LHA) of Parma, RER; the response rate was 79.1%. Management style, organizational trust, and collegiality proved to be more important aspects of PCU organizational culture than information sharing, quality, and cohesiveness. Cultural dimension scores were positively associated with certain characteristics of the PCUs including larger PCU size and greater proportion of older GPs. The presence of female GPs in the PCUs had a negative impact on collegiality, organizational trust, and quality. Feedback collected through this assessment will be useful to the RER and LHAs for evaluating and guiding improvements in the PCUs. © 2013 by the American College of Medical Quality.

A procedure for the sensory evaluation of Salama da sugo, a typical fermented sausage produced in the Emilia Romagna Region, Italy.

PubMed

Coloretti, Fabio; Grazia, Luigi; Gardini, Fausto; Lanciotti, Rosalba; Montanari, Chiara; Tabanelli, Giulia; Chiavari, Cristiana

2015-03-30

Salama da sugo is a fermented sausage from the Ferrara tradition (Italy, Emilia-Romagna region), subjected to a long ripening period (4-6 months) and characterised by a high content of wine and spices in the mixture. It can be consumed after cooking and it is served with its sugo, i.e. the liquid extracted by cooking process. The aim of this work was to set up a method for the sensory profile of Salama da sugo as a request for Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) has been made to the European Commission. A system of sample preparation that provides for the precooking in an autoclave and cooking in boiling water was set up. A specific sheet for sensory evaluation of Salama da sugo has been created and reports 23 descriptors identified during the lexicon development. The differences in sensory profile of four samples were evaluated and principal component analysis highlighted the more discriminant parameters, i.e. odour intensity, wine odour, spicy aroma, fat/lean connection, sweet, bitter, juiciness, chewiness and pricking. The proposed method allows the standardisation of sensory profiling of Salama da sugo, and is also to verify compliance with the specification PGI. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Census 2004 of the Italian Renal and Dialysis Units. Emilia-Romagna, Toscana].

PubMed

Lusenti, T; Santoro, A; Cappelli, G; Cagnoli, L; Moriconi, L; Rindi, P; Lippi, A; Alloatti, S

2006-01-01

The 2004 SIN census of the Italian nephrology and dialysis centres showed many interesting data about the epidemiology and the organization in the Regions of Emilia-Romagna (ER) and Tuscany (T). A) Epidemiology: incidence of dialysis patients 169 pmp (patients per million population) in ER, 147 ppm in T; prevalence of dialysis patients 639 pmp and 665 pmp, respectively; prevalence of transplanted patients 325 ppm in ER and 233 pmp in T; gross mortality of dialysis patients 16.3% and 13.4%, respectively; B) Type of vascular access in prevalently dialysis patients: arteriovenous fistula 83% and 78%; central venous catheter 13% and 12%; vascular graft 5% and 9%. C) Structural resources: nephrology beds 44 mp (per million population) and 50 mp; dialysis places 157 and 146 mp. D) Personnel resources : renal physicians 29 and 41 mp; renal nurses 171 and 202 mp ; each renal physician cares for 22 and 16 dialysis patients, and each renal nurse takes care of 3.7 and 3.3 dialysis patients. E) Activity: hospital admissions 1572, 1769 pmp; renal biopsies 115 and 166 pmp.

3D Architecture and evolution of the Po Plain-Northern Adriatic Foreland basin during Plio-Pleistocene time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amadori, Chiara; Toscani, Giovanni; Ghielmi, Manlio; Maesano, Francesco Emanuele; D'Ambrogi, Chiara; Lombardi, Stefano; Milanesi, Riccardo; Panara, Yuri; Di Giulio, Andrea

2017-04-01

The Pliocene-Pleistocene tectonic and sedimentary evolution of the eastern Po Plain and northern Adriatic Foreland Basin (PPAF) (extended ca. 35,000 km2) was the consequence of severe Northern Apennine compressional activity and climate-driven eustatic changes. According with the 2D seismic interpretation, facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy approach by Ghielmi et al. (2013 and references therein), these tectono-eustatic phases generated six basin-scale unconformities referred as Base Pliocene (PL1), Intra-Zanclean (PL2), Intra-Piacenzian (PL3), Gelasian (PL4), Base Calabrian (PS1) and Late Calabrian (PS2). We present a basin-wide detailed 3D model of the PPAF region, derived from the interpretation of these unconformities in a dense network of seismic lines (ca. 6,000 km) correlated with more than 200 well stratigraphies (courtesy of ENI E&P). The initial 3D time-model has been time-to-depth converted using the 3D velocity model created with Vel-IO 3D, a tool for 3D depth conversions and then validated and integrated with depth domain dataset from bibliography and well log. Resultant isobath and isopach maps are produced to inspect step-by-step the basin paleogeographic evolution; it occurred through alternating stages of simple and fragmented foredeeps. Changes in the basin geometry through time, from the inner sector located in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines to the outermost region (Veneto and northern Adriatic Sea), were marked by repeated phases of outward migration of two large deep depocenters located in front of Emilia arcs on the west, and in front of Ferrara-Romagna thrusts on the east. During late Pliocene-early Pleistocene, the inner side of the Emilia-Romagna arcs evolved into an elongated deep thrust-top basin due to a strong foredeep fragmentation then, an overall tectono-stratigraphic analysis shows also a decreasing trend of tectonic intensity of the Northern Apennine since Pleistocene until present.

ELF signals from the Central Italy Electromagnetic Network (CIEN) at the time of the 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fidani, Cristiano

2013-04-01

A network devoted to a continuous monitoring of LF, VLF transmitters and ELF signals was set up in Central Italy, and has been operating since 2006, which is currently composed of 9 stations in 9 different Italian cities. From the beginning of 2012, improvements have been carried out on the stability of CIEN by updating all the stations with UPS and web connections. Moreover, a reduction in the amount of data stored was performed so to permit a real time monitoring of the network by web. Specifically, a 100kb/day was fixed to record the VLF power spectra intervals around the transmitter frequencies every 5 minutes. Similarly, a 600kb/day was fixed to record the ELF power spectra intervals, which was logarithmic spaced in frequency every 5 seconds. Furthermore, different physical measurements at each CIEN site have been recently initiated to better understand the sources of some signals. In order to do so, the Fermo and Torre Pellice stations have been equipped with Geiger counters to monitor atmospheric radioactivity, underground thermometers, as well as meteorological stations to record atmospheric temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, along with atmospheric pressure and rainfall. The Torre Pellice Station had already been equipped with a magnetometer, a Radon-meter and a compass to check the direction of the geomagnetic field. The Chieti station had already been equipped with a magnetometer and an underground current detector. The Perugia and Rieti stations had already been equipped with seismometers and a network to capture transient luminous phenomena in the atmosphere. On May 20th and 29th 2012, two strong earthquakes struck the Emilia-Romagna Region with a magnitude M=5.9 and M=5.8, respectively. The earthquakes caused 27 fatal causalities and significant ground failures. The observations relative to this seismic period were investigated relative to their ELF band electric fields. Observations were thoroughly analysed from the Zocca station, the closest (50km) CIEN monitoring station to the Emilia-Romagna epicenter. Date from other stations were examined to reveal any possible differences. Many horizontal electric oscillations from April 1 - June 30, 2012, were seen. Most of these appeared at the time of rainfalls, which were revealed by the Zocca station on the same days. Electric oscillations under 100 Hz appeared from May 10 - 11, 2012, when there was no recorded meteorological activity. On May 26, 2012, strong ELF oscillations occurred at the Zocca station. This station had not detected ELF horizontal oscillations for many years prior to Emilia-Romagna seismic events in May 2012. Whereas, signals were revealed in mid-April 2012 and increased in number and intensity around the dates of the quakes.

Correlation between pore fluid pressures and DInSAR post-seismic deformation of the May 20, 2012 Emilia-Romagna (Italy) earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moro, M.; Stramondo, S.; Albano, M.; Barba, S.; Solaro, G.; Saroli, M.; Bignami, C.

2015-12-01

The present work focuses on the detection and analysis of the postseismic surface deformations following the two earthquakes that hit the Emilia Romagna region (Italy) on May 20 and 29, 2012. The 2012 Emilia earthquake sequence struck the central sector of the Ferrara arc, which represents the external fold-and-thrust system of the Northern Apennines thrust belt buried below the Po plain. The May 20 event occurred on the Ferrara basal thrust at depth, at about 6-7 km, while, during the May 29 event, the rupture jumped on an inner splay of the Ferrara system. The analysis of the postseismic displacements was carried out thanks to a dataset of SAR COSMO­ SkyMed images covering a time span of about one year (May 20, 2012 - May 11, 2013) after the May 20 event. The DInSAR results revealed the presence of two deformation patches: the first one is located in the area that experienced the coseismic uplift. Here the postseismic displacements point out a further ground uplift occurring along the first three months after the 20 May event. The second deformation patch is located in the villages of San Carlo and Mirabello, where ground subsidence lasting about four months was detected. We hypothesized that both the observed phenomena are related to the pore pressure perturbation caused by the coseismic deformation. In particular, the ground uplift is due to the deep crustal deformations caused by the pore fluid diffusion at depth to re-establish the initial hydrostatic stresses. Instead, the ground subsidence is related to the compaction of the shallow sandy layers caused by the liquefaction phenomena, which widely affected the San Carlo and Mirabello area. Preliminary numerical analyses performed with the Finite Element Method and empirical relations confirmed our hypothesis.

Plan for the control of Legionella infections in long-term care facilities: role of environmental monitoring.

PubMed

Cristino, Sandra; Legnani, Pier Paolo; Leoni, Erica

2012-04-01

In accordance with the international and national guidelines, the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) has established regional guidelines for the surveillance and prevention of legionellosis based on the concept of risk assessment, with particular attention to environmental monitoring. The aim of this study was to verify how environmental surveillance in the context of risk assessment plans could help to guide decisions about preventive strategies against Legionella infections in Long Term Care Facilities (LTCF). In six LTCFs in the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna Region) a self-control plan was implemented that included the environmental monitoring of Legionella spp. and the surveillance of hospital-acquired Legionnaires' Disease. At baseline, four hot water systems were colonized by Legionella pneumophila (3 LCTFs) and Legionella londiniensis (1 LCTF). In each establishment specific control measures were adopted based on the characteristics of the system, the virulence of the strain and the level of the contamination. The monitoring, carried out for around two years, was also extended to the ways in which the system and the distal water distribution points were used and maintained with respect to the good practices in operation and management. The adopted actions (shock and/or continuous disinfection treatments) and the implementation of the good practice measures reduced the contamination to acceptable and stable levels. No cases of hospital-acquired legionellosis occurred during the period of study. The environmental surveillance was successful in evaluating the risk and identifying the most suitable preventive strategies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[Evolution in the hospitalization for infectious diseases among non-EU patients in Emilia Romagna].

PubMed

Sabbatani, Sergio; Passini, Alessia; Salvioli, Valentina; Chiodo, Francesco

2005-03-01

In the Emilia Romagna (ER) area, between 1996 and 2000, a progressive increment in hospitalization for TBC, malaria, AIDS and hepatitis in non-EU patients was observed. This study aims to determine whether this trend was confirmed in 2001 and in which cities the increase was most significant. The Hospital Discharge Cards (HDC) registered in ER for non-EU patients in the relevant period were examined. In 2001, of 20,980 hospitalization cases of non-EU patients, 394 (1.87%) were attributed to infectious diseases, amounting to an increase of 1.77% over 2000. Of the 394 patients 250 (63.45%) were male and 144 (36.55%) female. The most represented age group was 20-39 yrs. Male patients more frequently come from Morocco (54), Senegal (45), Brazil (43), females from Nigeria (36), Morocco (26) and Ghana (14). The towns and cities where hospitalization occurred were, in decreasing order: Modena (24.6%), Bologna (19.3%), Reggio Emilia (12.9%), Ravenna (10.4%), Rimini (8.6%), Parma (8.3%), Piacenza (7.3%), Forli (4.8%), Ferrara and Cesena (both 1.8%). The Hospital Departments primarily involved were: Infectious Diseases with 213 hospitalizations (54%), Pneumology 69 (17.5%), Medicine 44 (11.1%), and Paediatrics 39 (9.9 %). Hospitalization causes were, in order of frequency: TBC with 137 cases (34.8%), malaria 75 cases (19%), AIDS 72 cases (18.3%), viral hepatitis 56 cases (14.2%), septicaemia 22 cases (5.6%) and Salmonella spp. infections 18 cases (4.5%).

Damage and Site Effects of the May 2012 Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia Earthquake, with Particular Reference to the "Oltrepò Mantovano" (Mantua) Territory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daminelli, R.; Marcellini, A.; Tento, A.

2014-12-01

The seismic sequence that struck the Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna in May 2012 consisted of seven main events of magnitude greater than 5 followed by numerous aftershocks. The strongest earthquakes occurred on May 20 (M=5.9) and May 29 (M=5.8) near the border between Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna. The epicenters of the main events are aligned in east-west direction in a segment of approx. 50 km just south of the Po river. The area was considered a low to medium seismicity: the seismic hazard in the epicentral area, and in the whole damaged area, was estimated to be less than 0.15 g PGA for 10% exceedance in 50 years. Significant damage occurred over an area greater than 1000 km2, which is extremely large for earthquakes of magnitude less than 6, bearing in mind the low vulnerability level of the structures. As seen in detailed geological investigations the degree of damage and its areal extent is largely attributable to the particular conditions of the soil. We focus on the relationship between damage and soil conditions in the area of Oltrepò Mantovano, situated between the Po River and the epicentral area. The soil is largely composed of Quaternary deposits of sands, silty-clay and clay with a very deep bedrock (greater than 100 m) and Vs30 generally less than 500 m/s. According to the cards Aedes (official forms of the Italian Government to assess the state of damage of buildings) houses declared uninhabitable because of the earthquake were mainly concentrated in a few small towns: Moglia, Gonzaga, Quistello and San Giacomo delle Segnate (located approximately at 20 km, 27 km, 20 km and 14 km from the epicenters of the two main shocks, respectively) which reported 73% of the total of all uninhabitable buildings; Moglia 27 %, Gonzaga 14%, Quistello 20% and San Giacomo delle Segnate 12%. The hydrographic system has evolved considerably since the Middle Bronze Age with the result that the area is characterized by a complex geomorphology with the presence of fluvial paleochannels, fluvial ridges and abandoned river channels where numerous cases of soil liquefaction have been observed. The May 2012 earthquake has highlighted a close relationship between the sites where the damage was concentrated and the geological and geomorphological characteristics of the area.

Copyright for Interactive Systems: Stratagems for Tourism and Cultural Heritage Promotion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cipolla-Ficarra, Francisco V.; Cipolla-Ficarra, Miguel; Ficarra, Valeria M.

We present a series of strategies followed from the interactive design for the realization of a hypermedia system aimed at promoting in an original, simple and universal way the cultural and tourism heritage of a wide rural area in two Italian regions: Emilia Romagna and Lombardy. Besides, the main stratagems followed are disclosed to overcome the existing hurdles when it comes to copyright for the free diffusion of the tourism view of the area, such as can be photography or video, for instance. Finally, we present the first vademecum to be considered before making on-line and off-line interactive systems in Italy.

Effects of long-term dumping of harbor-dredged material on macrozoobenthos at four disposal sites along the Emilia-Romagna coast (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy).

PubMed

Simonini, R; Ansaloni, I; Cavallini, F; Graziosi, F; Iotti, M; Massamba N'siala, G; Mauri, M; Montanari, G; Preti, M; Prevedelli, D

2005-12-01

Sediment from harbors of the Emilia-Romagna (Northern Adriatic Sea) were dredged and dumped in four disposal areas characterized by muddy bottoms. The long-term effects of the dumping on macrozoobenthic communities were investigated before and after 6 month, 8 month, 2 years and 4 years. The disposal of dredged material did not influence the granulometry and %TOC in the sediment, and no alterations in the structure of the macrobenthic communities were observed in the four areas. The lack of impact could be ascribed to the environmental characteristics and precautionary measures taken to minimize the effects of the dumping. It appears that: (1) the communities of the dumping areas are well adapted to unstable environments; (2) the sediments were disposed gradually and homogeneously over relatively large areas; Other factors that help to reduce the impact of sediment disposal are the low concentrations of contaminants in dredged materials and the similarity of sediment in the dredged and disposal areas. Off-shore discharge appears a sustainable strategy for the management of uncontaminated dredged sediments from the Northern Adriatic Sea harbors.

[Prophylaxis of group B streptococcal infections in the birth centers of Emilia Romagna].

PubMed

Berardi, A; Rossi, K; Lugli, L; Tridapalli, E; Ferrari, F

2004-01-01

In the last decade several guidelines for prevention of neonatal group B streptococcal invasive disease have been published, mainly based on administration of intrapartum antibiotics. The spread of such recommendations yielded a reduction of the early-onset disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the practices for prophylaxis of neonatal infection in our region during the 2000 and to standardize them according to the new available evidence. We conducted a multicenter study in Emilia Romagna, sending by mail a detailed questionnaire to the 28 birth centers of our region. Fifteen centers answered to the questionnaire. The practices were often differing from the recommendations of scientific societies. The most sensitive methods to identify colonized women were not widely used. Colonized infants were frequently treated with antibiotics and discharged later from the nursery. The incidence of neonatal invasive diseases was low, but most centers did not regularly collect a blood culture before antibiotic treatment is started. Repeated meetings among centers promoted the diffusion of information, the implementation of a shared protocol and the spread of the practices. The results of such meetings will be evalued in the next months.

A telephone interview to assess alkylglycerols' effectiveness in preventing influenza-like symptoms in Modena, Emilia Romagna, Italy, in the season 2009-2010.

PubMed

Iannitti, T; Capone, S; Palmieri, B

2011-01-01

Influenza has been related to high morbity and, in children and adults over 60 years, high mortality. It brings a great burden on medical centers, which have to sustain and provide numerous patients with continuous care, especially in winter when influenza reaches the highest peak. Vaccination is still the main preventive measure to avoid serious epidemics. We propose a retrospective phone interview to assess the effect of alkylglycerols, taken immediately before the peak of influenza, to boost the immunitary system. A group of patients from Modena (Emilia Romagna, Italy) were included in this study. Fifty two patients were instructed to take Alkyrol®500 per os, twice a day, during the two principal meals. Sixty patients were chosen from the same familiar nucleus of the treated subjects and they were used as controls since they all had undergone traditional vaccination against H1N1 influenza. Forty two out of 52 patients, treated with alkylglycerols did not report any influenza-like symptoms, while 10 out of 52 showed mild influenza-like symptoms which disappeared after 48-72 hours without the use of any drug. In the control group, 20 out of 60 patients did not show any influenza-like symptoms, while 40 out of 60 patients did. Alkylglycerols may bring therapeutical benefits, support the immunitary system and prevent influenza-like symptoms. Further clinical studies are needed, not only to understand if alkylglycerols can be a valid alternative to vaccination to prevent influenza, but also to study their possible application to treat other pathological conditions.

Geographical and genetic factors do not account for significant differences in the clinical spectrum of giant cell arteritis in southern europe.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Gay, Miguel A; Boiardi, Luigi; Garcia-Porrua, Carlos; Macchioni, Pierluigi; Amor-Dorado, Juan C; Salvarani, Carlo

2004-03-01

To investigate whether genetic and geographical differences may influence the clinical spectrum of giant cell arteritis (GCA), we compared the demographic and clinical features of patients with biopsy-proven GCA from Reggio Emilia (Northern Italy) and Lugo (Northwest Spain) during a 15-year period. We performed a retrospective review of the case records of all patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA at Hospital Xeral-Calde (Lugo, Spain) and Hospital Santa Maria Nuova (Reggio Emilia, Italy) between 1 January 1986 and 31 December 2001. Both hospitals are the only referral centers for populations living in central Galicia and central Emilia Romagna, respectively. During the period of study, 194 Lugo residents and 126 Reggio Emilia residents were diagnosed with biopsy proven GCA. Reggio Emilia patients were more likely to be female (74% vs 54%; p = 0.0001). Although Lugo patients complained of headache (86%) more commonly than did those from Reggio Emilia (77%), the difference was only marginally significant (p = 0.05). The proportion of patients with visual manifestations or visual loss was remarkably similar (22% for visual manifestations and 17% for visual loss in Lugo and 29% and 21% for Reggio Emilia residents). The mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate prior to the onset of therapy was also similar. Apart from differences in sex, the clinical spectrum of GCA in these 2 Southern European regions was similar.

Rumours about the Po Valley earthquakes of 20th and 29th May 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Longa, Federica; Crescimbene, Massimo; Camassi, Romano; Nostro, Concetta

2013-04-01

The history of rumours is as old as human history. Even in remote antiquity, rumours, gossip and hoax were always in circulation - in good or bad faith - to influence human affairs. Today with the development of mass media, rise of the internet and social networks, rumours are ubiquitous. The earthquakes, because of their characteristics of strong emotional impact and unpredictability, are among the natural events that more cause the birth and the spread of rumours. For this reason earthquakes that occurred in the Po valley the 20th and 29th May 2012 generated and still continue to generate a wide variety of rumours regarding issues related to the earthquake, its effects, the possible causes, future predictions. For this reason, as occurred during the L'Aquila earthquake sequence in 2009, following the events of May 2012 in Emilia Romagna was created a complex initiative training and information that at various stages between May and September 2012, involved population, partly present in the camp, and then the school staff of the municipalities affected by the earthquake. This experience has been organized and managed by the Department of Civil Protection (DPC), the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the Emilia Romagna region in collaboration with the Network of University Laboratories for Earthquake Engineering (RELUIS), the Health Service Emilia Romagna Regional and voluntary organizations of civil protection in the area. Within this initiative, in the period June-September 2012 were collected and catalogued over 240 rumours. In this work rumours of the Po Valley are studied in their specific characteristics and strategies and methods to fight them are also discussed. This work of collection and discussion of the rumours was particularly important to promote good communication strategies and to fight the spreading of the rumours. Only in this way it was possible to create a full intervention able to supporting both the local institutions and the individuals involved to adequately address the emergence and management of organizational problems and social issues related to the earthquake.

Wild food plants traditionally consumed in the area of Bologna (Emilia Romagna region, Italy).

PubMed

Sansanelli, Sabrina; Tassoni, Annalisa

2014-09-25

This research was performed in an area belonging to the province of the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy). The purpose of the present survey was to record the local knowledge concerning traditional uses of wild food plants and related practices, such as gathering, processing, cooking, therapeutic uses, with the aim of preserving an important part of the local cultural heritage. Thirty-nine people still retaining Traditional Local Knowledge (TLK) were interviewed between March-April 2012 and September-October 2013 by means of open and semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews. For each plant species mentioned, we recorded the botanical family, the English common name, the Italian common and/or folk names, the parts of the plant used, the culinary preparation, and the medicinal usage. The relative frequency of citation index (RFC), a tool that measures the local cultural importance of a plant species, was also included. The folk plants mentioned by the respondents belonged to 33 botanical families, of which the Rosaceae (14 plants) and the Asteraceae (9 plants) were the most representative. The species with the highest RFC index (0.77) were Crepis vesicaria subsp. taraxacifolia (Thuill) Thell and Taraxacum officinale Weber. Eleven folk plants were indicated as having therapeutic effects. T. officinale Weber, C. vesicaria subsp. taraxacifolia (Thuill) Thell and Sonchus spp., which are used as food, were reported to be depurative, blood cleaning, refreshing, diuretic and laxative. The most commonly used species was Urtica spp, which was also the most frequently cited for medicinal uses. The present survey documented the wild food plant traditional knowledge of an area belonging to the province of the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy). The general perception obtained is that on one side the TLK related to wild food plants has strongly been eroded, mainly due to immigration and urbanization phenomena, whereas on the other side these plants are revaluated today because they are perceived as healthy and also because they represent the preservation of biodiversity and a way of getting back to nature.

Economic appraisal of the angioplasty procedures performed in 2004 in a high-volume diagnostic and interventional cardiology unit.

PubMed

Manari, Antonio; Costa, Elena; Scivales, Alessandro; Ponzi, Patrizia; Di Stasi, Francesca; Guiducci, Vincenzo; Pignatelli, Gianluca; Giacometti, Paola

2007-10-01

Growing interest in the use of drug-eluting stents (DESs) in coronary angioplasty has prompted the Healthcare Agency of the Emilia Romagna Region to draw up recommendations for their appropriate clinical use in high-risk patients. Since the adoption of any new technology necessitates economic appraisal, we analysed the resource consumption of the various types of angioplasty procedures and the impact on the budget of a cardiology department. A retrospective economic appraisal was carried out on the coronary angioplasty procedures performed in 2004 in the Department of Interventional Cardiology of Reggio Emilia. On the basis of the principles of activity-based costing, detailed hospital costs were estimated for each procedure and compared with the relevant diagnosis-related group (DRG) reimbursement. In 2004, the Reggio Emilia hospital performed 806 angioplasty procedures for a total expenditure of euro 5,176,268. These were 93 plain old balloon angioplasty procedures (euro 487,329), 401 procedures with bare-metal stents (euro 2,380,071), 249 procedures with DESs (euro 1,827,386) and 63 mixed procedures (euro 481,480). Reimbursements amounted to euro 5,816,748 (11% from plain old balloon angioplasty, 50% from bare-metal stent, 31% from DES and 8% from mixed procedures) with a positive margin of about euro 680,480 between costs incurred and reimbursements obtained, even if the reimbursement for DES and mixed procedures was not covering all the incurred costs. Analysis of the case-mix of procedures revealed that an overall positive margin between costs and DRG reimbursements was achieved. It therefore emerges that adherence to the indications of the Healthcare Agency of the Emilia Romagna Region for the appropriate clinical use of DESs is economically sustainable from the hospital enterprise point of view, although the DRG reimbursements are not able to differentiate among resource consumptions owing to the adoption of innovative technologies.

Sediment Dynamics in the Adriatic Sea Investigated with Coupled Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

Sedinent bynamwls _ In vest lyt~eawith Cop/diot BY CHRISTOPHER R. SHERWOOD, JEFFREY W. BOOK, SANDRO CARNIEL. LUIGI CAVALERI, JACOPO CHIGGIATO , H...Venice, Italy. varying amounts (Swift et al., 1972). In Jacopo Chiggiato is Consultant, Servizio Idro Meteorologico-ARPA Emilia Romagna, most cases...supply fluctuations. Marine Signell, R.P., S. Carniel, L. Cavaleri, J. Chiggiato , Geology 193:61-91. J.D. Doyle, J. Pullen, and M. Sclavo. In press

Effects of FRP application on the seismic response of a masonry church in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milani, Gabriele; Shehu, Rafael; Valente, Marco

2016-12-01

The paper presents some preliminary results of advanced Finite Element (FE) analyses on the upgrading of old masonry constructions by means of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRPs). The case study is a masonry Romanesque church, located in Ferrara, Emilia Romagna (Italy). The church exhibits widespread damage caused by the recent earthquake sequence occurred in 2012 about 60 km far from Ferrara with two major seismic events of magnitude 5.8 and 5.9. The main damage involved mainly the columns of the central nave and the apse. A partial detachment of the façade was observed too. First, gravity load analyses and non-linear static and dynamic analyses are performed on the church in the unretrofitted configuration. Numerical results put in evidence the insufficient strength of the apse and the columns of the naves, and the detachment of the façade. A strengthening intervention conducted by means of FRP strips is numerically analysed, assuming the behavior of the strips, especially for what concerns delamination, in agreement with Italian Guidelines. Numerical results show a quite reasonable strength improvement of the weak structural elements due to FRP application, with levels of strength higher than the minimum ones required by Italian Code.

[Environmental surveillance of a sample of indoor swimming pools from Emilia Romagna region: microclimate characteristics and chemical parameters, particularly disinfection by products, in pool waters].

PubMed

Fantuzzi, G; Righi, E; Predieri, G; Giacobazzi, P; Mastroianni, K; Aggazzotti, G

2010-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the environmental and healthy aspects from a representative sample of indoor swimming pools located in the Emilia Romagna region. During the sampling sessions, the occupational environment was evaluated in terms of microclimate parameters and thermal comfort/discomfort conditions. Moreover the chemical risk was assessed by analyzing from the pool water the presence of disinfection by-products (DBPs), such as: trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), chlorite, chlorate and bromate. The analytical results are in agreement with the Italian legislation (Accordo Stato-Regioni; 2003) even if in some of the sampled indoor swimming pools, the dosed combined chlorine levels, were greater than the Italian limit. With the regard to the microclimate conditions evaluation, the considered thermal indices, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD%), described a satisfactory occupational environment. Among DBPs, the THMs mean levels (41.4 +/- 30.0 microg/l) resulted close to the values of the current Italian drinking water legislation, and seem to not represent an health issue. The pool waters chlorate levels (range: 5 - 19537 microg/l) need further investigations as recent epidemiological studies on drinking water hypothesized a potential genotoxicity effect of these compounds which are involved in cellular oxidative processes.

[ASCUS in screening].

PubMed

Caprara, L; Monari, F; De Bianchi, P S; Amadori, A; Bondi, A

2001-12-01

The significance and use of the cytological diagnosis "atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance" (ASCUS) remain a major problem in cervical cancer screening. The prevalence of ASCUS by patient age has seldom been investigated. The present paper reports the prevalence of ASCUS in a large series of screening Pap smears from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The study was based on the data collected by the Department of Health of the Emilia-Romagna Region for the first 3-year round (1997-1999) of a population-based screening programme (target age, 25-64 years). The age-specific frequency of ASCUS has been calculated as a prevalence rate per 1000 screened patients. A total of 597,386 women participated in the programme. Women diagnosed with ASCUS (n = 8205 or 13.7 per 1000) accounted for 49% of the recalls for colposcopy (n = 16,871, or 28.2 per 1000). The prevalence of diagnoses of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LG-SIL) decreased progressively with age while that of high-grade SIL was slightly higher between 30 and 39 years. The prevalence of ASCUS peaked at age 45-49 years (17.3 per 1000 subjects). The observed peak reflects the prevalence of (1) cytological changes closely associated with perimenopausal age and at least compatible with the ASCUS diagnosis, and (2) cytological abnormalities induced by hormone replacement therapy.

The Cost of Arbovirus Disease Prevention in Europe: Area-Wide Integrated Control of Tiger Mosquito, Aedes albopictus, in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy

PubMed Central

Canali, Massimo; Rivas-Morales, Stefano; Beutels, Philippe; Venturelli, Claudio

2017-01-01

Aedes albopictus (tiger mosquito) has become the most invasive mosquito species worldwide, in addition to being a well-known vector of diseases, with a proven capacity for the transmission of chikungunya and dengue viruses in Europe as well as the Zika virus in Africa and in laboratory settings. This research quantifies the cost that needs to be provided by public-health systems for area-wide prevention of arboviruses in Europe. This cost has been calculated by evaluating the expenditure of the plan for Aedes albopictus control set up in the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) after a chikungunya outbreak occurred in 2007. This plan involves more than 280 municipalities with a total of 4.2 million inhabitants. Public expenditure for plan implementation in 2008–2011 was examined through simple descriptive statistics. Annual expenditure was calculated to be approximately €1.3 per inhabitant, with a declining trend (from a total of €7.6 million to €5.3 million) and a significant variability at the municipality level. The preventative measures in the plan included antilarval treatments (about 75% of total expenditure), education for citizens and in schools, entomological surveillance, and emergency actions for suspected viremias. Ecological factors and the relevance of tourism showed a correlation with the territorial variability in expenditure. The median cost of one antilarval treatment in public areas was approximately €0.12 per inhabitant. Organizational aspects were also analyzed to identify possible improvements in resource use. PMID:28425959

Vertical integration and contractual network in the cardiovascular sector: the experience of the Italian region Emilia Romagna

PubMed Central

Ugolini, Cristina; Nobilio, Lucia

2003-01-01

Abstract Objective We analysed the integrated planning model adopted by the Italian region Emilia Romagna in year 2000 to cover the entire range of treatment of cardiovascular disease. This model, called “hub and spoke”, provides for the transfer of patient care and treatment from peripheral units (the spokes) to central units (the hubs) once a certain complexity threshold has been reached. Methods We examined inter-temporal variations in patients flows for the selection/referral and follow-up phases between cardiac surgery and cardiology units during two periods characterised by different organisational set-ups, in order to reflect on the progress being made in the organisation of the network. The database consisted of regional records of hospital discharges during the 1997–2001 period. Results The investigation pointed to the achievement of a good degree of coordination between structures at different levels of specialisation in the case of cardiac surgery, for which six centres were selected already in 1996. On the other hand, the more recent introduction of a hierarchical system for interventional cardiology points to the prevalence of operations on patients previously treated within the same centre, to admissions by direct access, and to follow-up mainly conducted within the hub providing the initial service. Conclusions Despite the progress made towards the more effective rationalisation of the health care network, there is still room for improvement in relations between different centres, in particular with regard to the clearer definition of the roles and interdependence of those intermediate-level centres located between the hub centres and basic healthcare facilities. PMID:16896380

Vertical integration and contractual network in the cardiovascular sector: the experience of the Italian region Emilia Romagna.

PubMed

Ugolini, Cristina; Nobilio, Lucia

2003-01-01

We analysed the integrated planning model adopted by the Italian region Emilia Romagna in year 2000 to cover the entire range of treatment of cardiovascular disease. This model, called "hub and spoke", provides for the transfer of patient care and treatment from peripheral units (the spokes) to central units (the hubs) once a certain complexity threshold has been reached. We examined inter-temporal variations in patients flows for the selection/referral and follow-up phases between cardiac surgery and cardiology units during two periods characterised by different organisational set-ups, in order to reflect on the progress being made in the organisation of the network. The database consisted of regional records of hospital discharges during the 1997-2001 period. The investigation pointed to the achievement of a good degree of coordination between structures at different levels of specialisation in the case of cardiac surgery, for which six centres were selected already in 1996. On the other hand, the more recent introduction of a hierarchical system for interventional cardiology points to the prevalence of operations on patients previously treated within the same centre, to admissions by direct access, and to follow-up mainly conducted within the hub providing the initial service. Despite the progress made towards the more effective rationalisation of the health care network, there is still room for improvement in relations between different centres, in particular with regard to the clearer definition of the roles and interdependence of those intermediate-level centres located between the hub centres and basic healthcare facilities.

Epidemiological modelling for the assessment of bovine tuberculosis surveillance in the dairy farm network in Emilia-Romagna (Italy).

PubMed

Rossi, Gianluigi; De Leo, Giulio A; Pongolini, Stefano; Natalini, Silvano; Vincenzi, Simone; Bolzoni, Luca

2015-06-01

Assessing the performance of a surveillance system for infectious diseases of domestic animals is a challenging task for health authorities. Therefore, it is important to assess what strategy is the most effective in identifying the onset of an epidemic and in minimizing the number of infected farms. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the performance of the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) surveillance system in the network of dairy farms in the Emilia-Romagna (ER) Region, Italy. A bTB-free Region since 2007, ER implements an integrated surveillance strategy based on three components, namely routine on-farm tuberculin skin-testing performed every 3 years, tuberculin skin-testing of cattle exchanged between farms, and post-mortem inspection at slaughterhouses. We assessed the effectiveness of surveillance by means of a stochastic network model of both within-farm and between-farm bTB dynamics calibrated on data available for ER dairy farms. Epidemic dynamics were simulated for five scenarios: the current ER surveillance system, a no surveillance scenario that we used as the benchmark to characterize epidemic dynamics, three additional scenarios in which one of the surveillance components was removed at a time so as to outline its significance in detecting the infection. For each scenario we ran Monte Carlo simulations of bTB epidemics following the random introduction of an infected individual in the network. System performances were assessed through the comparative analysis of a number of statistics, including the time required for epidemic detection and the total number of infected farms during the epidemic. Our analysis showed that slaughterhouse inspection is the most effective surveillance component in reducing the time for disease detection, while routine surveillance in reducing the number of multi-farms epidemics. On the other hand, testing exchanged cattle improved the performance of the surveillance system only marginally. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Economics of One Health: Costs and benefits of integrated West Nile virus surveillance in Emilia-Romagna.

PubMed

Paternoster, Giulia; Babo Martins, Sara; Mattivi, Andrea; Cagarelli, Roberto; Angelini, Paola; Bellini, Romeo; Santi, Annalisa; Galletti, Giorgio; Pupella, Simonetta; Marano, Giuseppe; Copello, Francesco; Rushton, Jonathan; Stärk, Katharina D C; Tamba, Marco

2017-01-01

Since 2013 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, surveillance information generated in the public health and in the animal health sectors has been shared and used to guide public health interventions to mitigate the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission via blood transfusion. The objective of the current study was to identify and estimate the costs and benefits associated with this One Health surveillance approach, and to compare it to an approach that does not integrate animal health information in blood donations safety policy (uni-sectoral scenario). Costs of human, animal, and entomological surveillance, sharing of information, and triggered interventions were estimated. Benefits were quantified as the averted costs of potential human cases of WNV neuroinvasive disease associated to infected blood transfusion. In the 2009-2015 period, the One Health approach was estimated to represent a cost saving of €160,921 compared to the uni-sectoral scenario. Blood donation screening was the main cost for both scenarios. The One Health approach further allowed savings of €1.21 million in terms of avoided tests on blood units. Benefits of the One Health approach due to short-term costs of hospitalization and compensation for transfusion-associated disease potentially avoided, were estimated to range from €0 to €2.98 million according to the probability of developing WNV neuroinvasive disease after receiving an infected blood transfusion.

Wide recognition of Culex pipiens and lack of detection of Culex torrentium through biomolecular differentiation of mosquitoes in the Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy.

PubMed

Calzolari, M; Bonilauri, P; Bellini, R; Becker, S; Dottori, M

2016-12-01

The Culex pipiens complex includes species with reported differences in vector competence for arthropod-borne viruses, many of which are of significant importance to human health such as the West Nile virus and the Sindbis virus. This group of mosquitoes is difficult to distinguish morphologically; particularly as adult females. In Europe, the two species of the complex, Culex pipiens Linnaeus 1758 and Culex torrentium Martini 1925, are often found sympatrically. With the aim to characterize the presence and spread of both species in the Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy, mosquitoes of the complex - collected during the West Nile virus surveillance plans - were tested by multiplex real-time PCR for the detection of the two species Cx. pipiens and Cx. torrentium. A total of 24 165 mosquitoes, collected between 2012 and 2014 from 105 sites, and sorted in 204 pools, were tested. All tested pools were found to be composed of Cx. pipiens, whereas Cx. torrentium was not detected. These results indicate a likely absence of Cx. torrentium mosquitoes within the surveyed territory, whereas Cx. pipiens is widely distributed in the area mentioned. This is in line with previous reports, which describe a pre-alpine distribution of Cx. torrentium in Italy. © 2016 The Royal Entomological Society.

Survey on antimicrobial prescribing patterns in small animal veterinary practice in Emilia Romagna, Italy.

PubMed

Barbarossa, A; Rambaldi, J; Miraglia, V; Giunti, M; Diegoli, G; Zaghini, A

2017-07-15

This investigation provides for the first time a general view of the prescribing patterns of antimicrobials in small animal practice in Emilia Romagna, Italy. In the context of a project on antimicrobial resistance managed by the Regional Veterinary Service, veterinary clinicians were invited to voluntarily complete an online questionnaire. This was designed to gather information on antimicrobial prescribing practices and biosecurity measures and to understand the perception of the issue specific to this region of Italy. In total, 266 questionnaires correctly completed were collected. Although clinicians seemed to follow different approaches when using antimicrobials, the data analysis revealed a general awareness on resistance. Penicillins were the most commonly prescribed class, followed by (fluoro)quinolones and cephalosporins. Among those who use laboratory testing more or less frequently (microbiological analysis and susceptibility testing) to support their prescribing habits, only 7 per cent make a habit of always waiting for the results before starting the treatment. Seventy-eight per cent of the respondents declared the use of antimicrobials licensed for human beings. Biosecurity measures were carefully taken into account by the majority of the veterinarians. The results identified the antimicrobial classes that are commonly prescribed and highlighted that perioperative hygiene measures and the use of laboratory diagnosis are critical aspects that need to be emphasised in drawing up guidelines on the prudent use of these drugs in pets.

[PRIER II. The Emilia-Romagna Research and Innovation Programme].

PubMed

Addis, Antonio; Papini, Donato; Bassi, Maria Chiara; Grilli, Roberto

2015-09-01

The Emilia-Romagna Programme for Research and Innovation "PRIER" was born in 2005 with the aim of increasing cultural and operational conditions for the development of clinical research, useful both to the Regional Health Service (SSR) and to the private sectors of pharmaceutical and biomedical areas. In this context, the PRIER had from the beginning a double connotation: a space where the SSR can explore issues related to the development of its own research capacity; and a context where new possible ways of relating and comparison with the pharmaceutical and biomedical industry are tested. Over the years the activities of PRIER were defined by: initiatives to strengthen the system of research in SSR; development of tools to monitor activities of the research; production of clinical-organizational recommendations for the governance of innovation. In 2013 a new area of discussion and a common interest have been identified on the subject of clinical registries. In particular, it wanted to build a path of work able to identify all the possible critical and relevant points (points to consider), indispensable, necessary or useful to the construction and use of clinical registries, taking into account the points of view of all actors involved. The course began with defining the rules of the game and continued with workshops that allowed to analyse together the matter. At the end of the second workshop it was decided to make the work carried out visible: first, not to miss the opportunity offered by the past but recent discussion; secondly, to facilitate the discussion both on the issue of registers and to the adopted methodology, which sees the different actors (public and private ones) to reason together in a context for once not influenced by necessities of negotiation and government resources.

Super-Ensemble Techniques: Application to Surface Drift Prediction During the DART06 and MREA07 Campaigns

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-08

Fratianni, L. Torrisi, D. Pallela, J. Chiggiato , M. Tudor, J. Book, P. Martin, G. Peggion, M. Rixen 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK...by the HydroMeteorological Service of ARPA Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy (see e.g. Chiggiato and Oddo (2008) and references herein, and http...143-151. Chiggiato , J.. Oddo, P.. 2008. Operational ocean models in the Adriatic Sea: a skill assessment. Ocean Science 4(1), 61-71. <http://www.ocean

How health service delivery guides the allocation of major trauma patients in the intensive care units of the inclusive (hub and spoke) trauma system of the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy). A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Chieregato, Arturo; Volpi, Annalisa; Gordini, Giovanni; Ventura, Chiara; Barozzi, Marco; Caspani, Maria Luisa Rita; Fabbri, Andrea; Ferrari, Anna Maria; Ferri, Enrico; Giugni, Aimone; Marino, Massimiliano; Martino, Costanza; Pizzamiglio, Mario; Ravaldini, Maurizio; Russo, Emanuele; Trabucco, Laura; Trombetti, Susanna; De Palma, Rossana

2017-09-29

To evaluate cross-sectional patient distribution and standardised 30-day mortality in the intensive care units (ICU) of an inclusive hub and spoke trauma system. ICUs of the Integrated System for Trauma Patient Care (SIAT) of Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region with a population of approximately 4.5 million. 5300 patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15 were admitted to the regional ICUs and recorded in the Regional Severe Trauma Registry between 2007 and 2012. Patients were classified by the Abbreviated Injury Score as follows: (1) traumatic brain injury (2) multiple injuriesand (3) extracranial lesions. The SIATs were divided into those with at least one neurosurgical level II trauma centre (TC) and those with a neurosurgical unit in the level I TC only. A higher proportion of patients (out of all SIAT patients) were admitted to the level I TC at the head of the SIAT with no additional neurosurgical facilities (1083/1472, 73.6%) compared with the level I TCs heading SIATs with neurosurgical level II TCs (1905/3815; 49.9%). A similar percentage of patients were admitted to level I TCs (1905/3815; 49.9%) and neurosurgical level II TCs (1702/3815, 44.6%) in the SIATs with neurosurgical level II TCs. Observed versus expected mortality (OE) was not statistically different among the three types of centre with a neurosurgical unit; however, the best mean OE values were observed in the level I TC in the SIAT with no neurosurgical unit. The Hub and Spoke concept was fully applied in the SIAT in which neurosurgical facilities were available in the level I TC only. The performance of this system suggests that competition among level I and level II TCs in the same Trauma System reduces performance in both. The density of neurosurgical centres must be considered by public health system governors before implementing trauma systems. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

How health service delivery guides the allocation of major trauma patients in the intensive care units of the inclusive (hub and spoke) trauma system of the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy). A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Volpi, Annalisa; Gordini, Giovanni; Ventura, Chiara; Barozzi, Marco; Caspani, Maria Luisa Rita; Fabbri, Andrea; Ferrari, Anna Maria; Ferri, Enrico; Giugni, Aimone; Marino, Massimiliano; Martino, Costanza; Pizzamiglio, Mario; Ravaldini, Maurizio; Russo, Emanuele; Trabucco, Laura; Trombetti, Susanna; De Palma, Rossana

2017-01-01

Objective To evaluate cross-sectional patient distribution and standardised 30-day mortality in the intensive care units (ICU) of an inclusive hub and spoke trauma system. Setting ICUs of the Integrated System for Trauma Patient Care (SIAT) of Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region with a population of approximately 4.5 million. Participants 5300 patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) >15 were admitted to the regional ICUs and recorded in the Regional Severe Trauma Registry between 2007 and 2012. Patients were classified by the Abbreviated Injury Score as follows: (1) traumatic brain injury (2) multiple injuriesand (3) extracranial lesions. The SIATs were divided into those with at least one neurosurgical level II trauma centre (TC) and those with a neurosurgical unit in the level I TC only. Results A higher proportion of patients (out of all SIAT patients) were admitted to the level I TC at the head of the SIAT with no additional neurosurgical facilities (1083/1472, 73.6%) compared with the level I TCs heading SIATs with neurosurgical level II TCs (1905/3815; 49.9%). A similar percentage of patients were admitted to level I TCs (1905/3815; 49.9%) and neurosurgical level II TCs (1702/3815, 44.6%) in the SIATs with neurosurgical level II TCs. Observed versus expected mortality (OE) was not statistically different among the three types of centre with a neurosurgical unit; however, the best mean OE values were observed in the level I TC in the SIAT with no neurosurgical unit. Conclusion The Hub and Spoke concept was fully applied in the SIAT in which neurosurgical facilities were available in the level I TC only. The performance of this system suggests that competition among level I and level II TCs in the same Trauma System reduces performance in both. The density of neurosurgical centres must be considered by public health system governors before implementing trauma systems. PMID:28965094

A comparative study of the risk profile of hemodialysis patients in a for profit network and in two regional registries of the Italian Society of Nephrology.

PubMed

Postorino, Maurizio; Amato, Claudia; Mancini, Elena; Carioni, Paola; D'Arrigo, Graziella; Di Benedetto, Attilio; Cerino, Fabrizio; Marino, Carmela; Vilasi, Antonio; Tripepi, Giovanni; Stuard, Stefano; Capasso, Giovanbattista; Santoro, Antonio; Zoccali, Carmine

2018-02-01

In 2013, the Italian Society of Nephrology joined forces with Nephrocare-Italy to create a clinical research cohort of patients on file in the data-rich clinical management system (EUCLID) of this organization for the performance of observational studies in the hemodialysis (HD) population. To see whether patients in EUCLID are representative of the HD population in Italy, we set out to compare the whole EUCLID population with patients included in the regional HD registries in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) and in Calabria (Southern Italy), the sole regions in Italy which have systematically collected an enlarged clinical data set allowing comparison with the data-rich EUCLID system. An analysis of prevalent and incident patients in 2010 and 2011 showed that EUCLID patients had a lower prevalence of coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, liver disease, peptic ulcer and other comorbidities and risk factors and a higher fractional urea clearance (Kt/V) than those in the Emilia Romagna and Calabria registries. Accordingly, survival analysis showed a lower mortality risk in the EUCLID 2010 and 2011 cohorts than in the combined two regional registries in the corresponding years: for 2010, hazard ratio (HR) EUCLID vs. Regional registries: 0.80 [95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.90]; for 2011, HR: 0.76 [0.65-0.90]. However, this difference was nullified by statistical adjustment for the difference in comorbidities and risk factors, indicating that the longer survival in the EUCLID database was attributable to the lower risk profile of patients included in that database. This preliminary analysis sets the stage for future observational studies and indicates that appropriate adjustment for difference in comorbidities and risk factors is needed to generalize to the Italian HD population analyses based on the data-rich EUCLID database.

The burden of early-onset sepsis in Emilia-Romagna (Italy): a 4-year, population-based study.

PubMed

Berardi, Alberto; Baroni, Lorenza; Bacchi Reggiani, Maria Letizia; Ambretti, Simone; Biasucci, Giacomo; Bolognesi, Serenella; Capretti, Maria Grazia; Carretto, Edoardo; Ciccia, Matilde; Fiorini, Valentina; Fortini, Cinzia; Gargano, Giancarlo; Pedna, Maria Federica; Rizzo, Vittoria; Creti, Roberta; Ferrari, Fabrizio

2016-10-01

To provide the first Italian data on pathogens causing early-onset sepsis (EOS) and their antimicrobial susceptibility, after the successfully prevention of Group B streptococcus (GBS) EOS. Retrospective area-based cohort study from Emilia-Romagna (Italy). Cases of EOS registered (from 2009 to 2012) in all gestational age neonates were reviewed. Live births (LB) numbered 146 682. Ninety neonates had EOS and 12 died (incidence rates of 0.61 and 0.08/1000 LB, respectively). EOS and mortality were the highest among neonates with a birth weight <1000 g (20.37/1000 LB and 8.49/1000 LB, respectively). The most common pathogens were GBS (n = 27, 0.18/1000 LB) and Escherichia coli (n = 19, 0.13/1000 LB). Most infants affected by E. coli EOS were born preterm (n = 13), had complications (n = 4) or died (n = 7). Among 90 isolates tested, only 3 were resistant to both first line empirical antibiotics. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low gestational age, caesarean section and low platelet count at presentation were significantly associated with death or brain lesions (area under ROC curve = 0.939, H-L = 0.944, sensitivity 76.0%, specificity 90.7%). GBS slightly exceeds E. coli as a cause of EOS. However, E. coli is the prominent cause of death, complications and in most cases affects preterm neonates. Empirical antimicrobial therapy of EOS seems appropriate.

HIV-1 early and late diagnosis in the Emilia Romagna Region (Italy): a three year study.

PubMed

Musumeci, Giuseppina; Magnani, Giacomo; Bon, Isabella; Longo, Serena; Bertoldi, Alessia; Degli Antoni, Anna Maria; Rossi, Maria Rita; Ruggeri, Alessandro; Sambri, Vittorio; Semprini, Simona; Sighinolfi, Laura; Ursitti, Maria Alessandra; Zerbini, Alessandro; Colangeli, Vincenzo; Calza, Leonardo; Finarelli, Alba Carola; Massimiliani, Erika; Re, Maria Carla

2016-10-01

It is crucial to establish the timing of infection and distinguish between early and long-lasting HIV-1 infections not only for partner notification and epidemiological surveillance, but also to offer early drug treatment and contain the spread of infection. This study analyzed serum and/or plasma samples with a first positive HIV antibody/antigen result coming from different Medical Centers in the Emilia Romagna Region, North East Italy, using the avidity assay, Western Blotting, RNA viral load, CD4 cell counts and genotyping assay. From May 2013 to May 2016, we certified 845 new HIV-1 infections, 18.7% of which were classified on the basis of avidity index as recent infections and 81.3% as long-lasting infections, with an estimated conversion time exceeding six months at the time of study. Western Blotting showed reactivity to only one or two HIV-1 proteins in recently infected patients (RIPs), while a complete pattern to gag, env and pol proteins was observed in most long-lasting infected patients (LLIPs). The median age, gender, nationality and risk transmission factors were comparable in RIPs and LLIPs. Phylogenetic analysis performed in available plasma disclosed B strains, non-B subtypes and circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) in both groups of patients, with a major presence of CRFs in non-Italian HIV subjects. The large number of patients unaware of their HIV status makes it crucial to discover hidden epidemics and implement appropriate targeted public health interventions.

Climate warming and the decline of Taxus airborne pollen in urban pollen rain (Emilia Romagna, northern Italy).

PubMed

Mercuri, A M; Torri, P; Casini, E; Olmi, L

2013-01-01

Woody plant performance in a changing global environment has always been at the centre of palaeoenvironmental and long-term climate reconstructions carried out by means of pollen analysis. In Mediterranean regions, Taxus constitutes the highest percentage in past pollen diagrams from cold or cool periods, and therefore it is generally considered a good index to infer climate features from past records. However, a comparison of these inferences with the true current trends in pollen production has not been attemped until now. This study reports the decline of airborne pollen of Taxus observed in Emilia Romagna, a region of northern Italy, during the period 1990-2007. Phenological observations on four male specimens and microscopic examination of fresh pollen were made in order to check Taxus flowering time and pollen morphology. Airborne pollen was monitored through continuous sampling with a Hirst volumetric sampler. In the 18-year long period of investigation, Taxus pollen production has decreased, while total woody pollen abundance in air has increased. The trend of the Taxus pollen season shows a delay at the beginning, a shortening of the pollen period, and an advance of the end of the pollen season. This was interpreted as a response to climate warming. In particular, Taxus follows the behaviour of winter-flowering plants, and therefore earlier pollination is favoured at low autumn temperatures, while late pollination occurs more often, most likely after warm autumn temperatures. © 2012 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Effects of layered crust on the coseismic slip inversion and related CFF variations: Hints from the 2012 Emilia Romagna earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nespoli, Massimo; Belardinelli, Maria E.; Anderlini, Letizia; Bonafede, Maurizio; Pezzo, Giuseppe; Todesco, Micol; Rinaldi, Antonio P.

2017-12-01

The 2012 Emilia Romagna (Italy) seismic sequence has been extensively studied given the occurrence of two mainshocks, both temporally and spatially close to each other. The recent literature accounts for several fault models, obtained with different inversion methods and different datasets. Several authors investigated the possibility that the second event was triggered by the first mainshock with elusive results. In this work, we consider all the available InSAR and GPS datasets and two planar fault geometries, which are based on both seismological and geological constraints. We account for a layered, elastic half-space hosting the dislocation and compare the slip distribution resulting from the inversion and the related changes in Coulomb Failure Function (CFF) obtained with both a homogeneous and layered half-space. Finally, we focus on the interaction between the two main events, discriminating the contributions of coseismic and early postseismic slip of the mainshock on the generation of the second event and discuss the spatio-temporal distribution of the seismic sequence. When accounting for both InSAR and GPS geodetic data we are able to reproduce a detailed coseismic slip distribution for the two mainshocks that is in accordance with the overall aftershock seismicity distribution. Furthermore, we see that an elastic medium with depth dependent rigidity better accounts for the lack of the shallow seismicity, amplifying, with respect to the homogeneous case, the mechanical interaction of the two mainshocks.

A method to identify the areas at risk for the introduction of avian influenza virus into poultry flocks through direct contact with wild ducks.

PubMed

Galletti, G; Santi, A; Guberti, V; Paternoster, G; Licata, E; Loli Piccolomini, L; Procopio, A; Tamba, M

2018-02-22

Wild dabbling ducks are the main reservoir for avian influenza (AI) viruses and pose an ongoing threat to commercial poultry flocks. Combining the (i) size of that population, (ii) their flight distances and (iii) their AI prevalence, the density of AI-infected dabbling ducks (DID) was calculated as a risk factor for the introduction of AI viruses into poultry holdings of Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy. Data on 747 poultry holdings and on 39 AI primary outbreaks notified in Emilia-Romagna between 2000 and 2017 were used to validate that risk factor. A multivariable Bayesian logistic regression was performed to assess whether DID could be associated with the occurrence of AI primary outbreaks. DID value, being an outdoor flock, hobby poultry trading, species reared, length of cycle and flock size were used as explanatory variables. Being an outdoor poultry flock was significantly associated with a higher risk of AI outbreak occurrence. The probability of DID to be a risk factor for AI virus introduction was estimated to be 90%. A DID cut-off of 0.23 was identified to define high-risk areas for AI virus introduction. Using this value, the high-risk area covers 43% of the region. Seventy-four per cent of the primary AI outbreaks have occurred in that area, containing 39% of the regional poultry holdings. Poultry holdings located in areas with a high DID value should be included in a risk-based surveillance programme aimed at AI early detection. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Plant Responses to Climate Change: The Case Study of Betulaceae and Poaceae Pollen Seasons (Northern Italy, Vignola, Emilia-Romagna)

PubMed Central

Mercuri, Anna Maria; Torri, Paola; Fornaciari, Rita; Florenzano, Assunta

2016-01-01

Aerobiological data have especially demonstrated that there is correlation between climate warming and the pollination season of plants. This paper focuses on airborne pollen monitoring of Betulaceae and Poaceae, two of the main plant groups with anemophilous pollen and allergenic proprieties in Northern Italy. The aim is to investigate plant responses to temperature variations by considering long-term pollen series. The 15-year aerobiological analysis is reported from the monitoring station of Vignola (located near Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region) that had operated in the years 1990–2004 with a Hirst spore trap. The Yearly Pollen Index calculated for these two botanical families has shown contrasting trends in pollen production and release. These trends were well identifiable but fairly variable, depending on both meteorological variables and anthropogenic causes. Based on recent reference literature, we considered that some oscillations in pollen concentration could have been a main effect of temperature variability reflecting global warming. The duration of pollen seasons of Betulaceae and Poaceae, depending on the different species included in each family, has not unequivocally been determined. Phenological responses were particularly evident in Alnus and especially in Corylus as a general moving up of the end of pollination. The study shows that these trees can be affected by global warming more than other, more tolerant, plants. The research can be a contribution to the understanding of phenological plant responses to climate change and suggests that alder and hazelnut trees have to be taken into high consideration as sensible markers of plant responses to climate change. PMID:27929423

Screening history of cervical cancers in Emilia-Romagna, Italy: defining priorities to improve cervical cancer screening.

PubMed

Rossi, Paolo Giorgi; Caroli, Stefania; Mancini, Silvia; de' Bianchi, Priscilla Sassoli; Finarelli, Alba C; Naldoni, Carlo; Bucchi, Lauro; Falcini, Fabio

2015-03-01

Most invasive cervical cancers in industrialized countries are due to the lack of Pap test coverage, very few are due to screening failures. This study aimed at quantifying the proportion of invasive cancers occurring in nonscreened or underscreened women and that in women with a previous negative screening, that is, screening failure, during the first two screening rounds (1996-2002) and in the following rounds (2003-2008) in the Emilia-Romagna region. All cases of invasive cancers registered in the regional cancer registry between 1996 and 2008 were classified according to screening history through a record linkage with the screening programme registry. The incidence significantly decreased from 11.6/100 000 to 8.7/100 000; this decrease is due to a reduction in squamous cell cancers (annual percentage change -6.2; confidence interval: -7.8, -4.6) and advanced cancers (annual percentage change -6.6; confidence interval: -8.8, -4.3), whereas adenocarcinomas and microinvasive cancers were essentially stable. The proportion of cancers among women not yet invited and among nonresponders decreased over the two periods, from 45.5 to 33.3%. In contrast, the proportion of women with a previous negative Pap test less than 5 years and 5 years or more before cancer incidence increased from 5.7 to 13.3% and from 0.3 to 5.5%, respectively. Although nonattendance of the screening programme remains the main barrier to cervical cancer control, the introduction of a more sensitive test, such as the human papillomavirus DNA test, could significantly reduce the burden of disease.

Plant Responses to Climate Change: The Case Study of Betulaceae and Poaceae Pollen Seasons (Northern Italy, Vignola, Emilia-Romagna).

PubMed

Mercuri, Anna Maria; Torri, Paola; Fornaciari, Rita; Florenzano, Assunta

2016-12-06

Aerobiological data have especially demonstrated that there is correlation between climate warming and the pollination season of plants. This paper focuses on airborne pollen monitoring of Betulaceae and Poaceae, two of the main plant groups with anemophilous pollen and allergenic proprieties in Northern Italy. The aim is to investigate plant responses to temperature variations by considering long-term pollen series. The 15-year aerobiological analysis is reported from the monitoring station of Vignola (located near Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region) that had operated in the years 1990-2004 with a Hirst spore trap. The Yearly Pollen Index calculated for these two botanical families has shown contrasting trends in pollen production and release. These trends were well identifiable but fairly variable, depending on both meteorological variables and anthropogenic causes. Based on recent reference literature, we considered that some oscillations in pollen concentration could have been a main effect of temperature variability reflecting global warming. The duration of pollen seasons of Betulaceae and Poaceae, depending on the different species included in each family, has not unequivocally been determined. Phenological responses were particularly evident in Alnus and especially in Corylus as a general moving up of the end of pollination. The study shows that these trees can be affected by global warming more than other, more tolerant, plants. The research can be a contribution to the understanding of phenological plant responses to climate change and suggests that alder and hazelnut trees have to be taken into high consideration as sensible markers of plant responses to climate change.

[The path of continuity of care between hospital and territory in patients with severe brain injury. The expectations of caregivers and professionals].

PubMed

Feiroli, Raffaele; Bolzani, Monica; Cornelli, Maria Cristina; Ghirardi, Lida; Guizzardi, Loris; Onesti, Roberta; Dovani, Antonella; Davolo, Andrea; Artioli, Giovanna; Mancini, Tiziana

2013-01-01

The present study analyses how continuity of care is perceived by health professionals and GRACER (Gravi Cerebrolesioni Acquisite Emilia Romagna) patients' caregivers, in order to investigate where the gap between expectations and reality is more heavily felt and which dimension of the continuity of care is the most important both for health professionals and GRACER patients' caregivers. The study has been developed following the Gap Analysis theoretical model. A questionnaire, based on ServQual model, was used to collect data about the three dimensions of the construct of continuity of care related to information, management and relation, declined along the lines of expectations and perception of reality. The questionnaire was administered to health professionals and caregivers of GRACER patients (12-36 months after the event) inside 4 healthcare institutes in Emilia Romagna. The PAI (Piano Assistenziale Individuale) approach was the methodology applied in these 4 sites. To both groups the relational continuity was the most important dimension, followed at a long distance by the informational and the management ones. It has also been noted that to professionals reality is always worse than expectations, with the exception of only two items in the dimension of management continuity. To caregivers reality is worse than expectations in some items in the dimensions of information and management The study has shown that the relational dimension of continuity of care should be more investigated, as confirmed by literature. More research is needed about the professionals' dissatisfaction generated by the negative balance between expectations and perception of reality.

Phenological series in Bologna (Northern Italy): temporal trends and spatial pattern of greening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puppi, Giovanna; Zanotti, Anna Letizia

2010-05-01

In Europe, in the last thirty years, the onset of spring has advanced (Estrella et al. 2009 Clim Res. 39). However the phenological shifts vary from one country to another and long time series are scanty in Southern Europe (Peňuelas et. al. 2002, Glob. Change Biol.; Črepinšek et Kajfež 2003, Ann.Ser.Hist.Nat.13): for this reason we analyzed the data on leafing of some woody species recorded during the last 3 decades (1977-2009) in the city of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy) and in several hillside stations in the neighbourhood of the town. As BGS index, the average day of "first leaf unfolding" (GFI=V4, BBCH=11) of a group of common woody species was chosen: the BGS days were analysed in relation with time and temperature changes. The BGS happens on average at the end of March. The species observed display a negative trend along the period (about 2 days of advance per decade) and the BGS days show a significant correlation with the mean temperature of the period January-March (about 3 and a half days of earlier start per degree of increasing temperature). Since an increase in winter temperatures has been predicted in the Emilia-Romagna region in the next decades (Tomozeiu et al. 2007, Theor. Appl. Climatol. 90), the growing season in our region is probably going to extend. Phenological spatial patterns of the neighbourhood of the city are also analysed: greening generally starts on southfacing hills between 100 and 300 m asl.

AIDS as a leading cause of death among young adults in Italy.

PubMed

Conti, S; Farchi, G; Prati, S

1994-12-01

The objective of this study is to describe the impact of AIDS on the mortality of young adult (aged 25 to 44 years) in Italy, at both the national and regional level. We analyzed the official mortality data for Italy: the most recent data available being from 1990. General mortality trends show that while mortality among young women is still decreasing (i.e. from a standardized rate of 83.8 per 100,000 in 1980 to 68.4 in 1990), mortality among young men began to rise in the mid-1980s, after a steady decrease over many years. Among the 25-34 year olds, however, this reversal in trend is more marked, notwithstanding a decrease or stabilization in most major causes of death. In fact it coincides with the appearance and spread of AIDS in Italy, which has affected young men in particular. (The peak age group for AIDS deaths is the 25-34 year olds). Mortality data from 1990 reveal that AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death in Italy among men between the ages of 25 and 44 years. Among 25-34 year-old men, however, AIDS is the second leading cause of death, after road accidents. AIDS also contributes greatly to the general mortality in individual regions, both among 25-44 year-old men (Lombardy, Liguria, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany), and especially among 25-34 year-old men (Lombardy, Liguria, Lazio, Sardinia, where it is the number one cause of death, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Veneto, where it is the number two cause of death).

Children's emotional experience two years after an earthquake: An exploration of knowledge of earthquakes and associated emotions.

PubMed

Raccanello, Daniela; Burro, Roberto; Hall, Rob

2017-01-01

We explored whether and how the exposure to a natural disaster such as the 2012 Emilia Romagna earthquake affected the development of children's emotional competence in terms of understanding, regulating, and expressing emotions, after two years, when compared with a control group not exposed to the earthquake. We also examined the role of class level and gender. The sample included two groups of children (n = 127) attending primary school: The experimental group (n = 65) experienced the 2012 Emilia Romagna earthquake, while the control group (n = 62) did not. The data collection took place two years after the earthquake, when children were seven or ten-year-olds. Beyond assessing the children's understanding of emotions and regulating abilities with standardized instruments, we employed semi-structured interviews to explore their knowledge of earthquakes and associated emotions, and a structured task on the intensity of some target emotions. We applied Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Exposure to the earthquake did not influence the understanding and regulation of emotions. The understanding of emotions varied according to class level and gender. Knowledge of earthquakes, emotional language, and emotions associated with earthquakes were, respectively, more complex, frequent, and intense for children who had experienced the earthquake, and at increasing ages. Our data extend the generalizability of theoretical models on children's psychological functioning following disasters, such as the dose-response model and the organizational-developmental model for child resilience, and provide further knowledge on children's emotional resources related to natural disasters, as a basis for planning educational prevention programs.

Calibration of limited-area ensemble precipitation forecasts for hydrological predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diomede, Tommaso; Marsigli, Chiara; Montani, Andrea; Nerozzi, Fabrizio; Paccagnella, Tiziana

2015-04-01

The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of calibration for limited-area ensemble precipitation forecasts, to be used for driving discharge predictions up to 5 days in advance. A reforecast dataset, which spans 30 years, based on the Consortium for Small Scale Modeling Limited-Area Ensemble Prediction System (COSMO-LEPS) was used for testing the calibration strategy. Three calibration techniques were applied: quantile-to-quantile mapping, linear regression, and analogs. The performance of these methodologies was evaluated in terms of statistical scores for the precipitation forecasts operationally provided by COSMO-LEPS in the years 2003-2007 over Germany, Switzerland, and the Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy). The analog-based method seemed to be preferred because of its capability of correct position errors and spread deficiencies. A suitable spatial domain for the analog search can help to handle model spatial errors as systematic errors. However, the performance of the analog-based method may degrade in cases where a limited training dataset is available. A sensitivity test on the length of the training dataset over which to perform the analog search has been performed. The quantile-to-quantile mapping and linear regression methods were less effective, mainly because the forecast-analysis relation was not so strong for the available training dataset. A comparison between the calibration based on the deterministic reforecast and the calibration based on the full operational ensemble used as training dataset has been considered, with the aim to evaluate whether reforecasts are really worthy for calibration, given that their computational cost is remarkable. The verification of the calibration process was then performed by coupling ensemble precipitation forecasts with a distributed rainfall-runoff model. This test was carried out for a medium-sized catchment located in Emilia-Romagna, showing a beneficial impact of the analog-based method on the reduction of missed events for discharge predictions.

Analysis and modeling of soil slips in the Emilia Romagna Apennine (Northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montrasio, L.; Valentino, R.; Losi, G.

2009-04-01

On 10-11 April 2005 the Emilia Romagna Apennine was affected by an intense rainfall event that triggered dozens of soil slips in the Province of Reggio Emilia. These phenomena have been widely described in the scientific literature, referring to historical events occurred in many parts of the world. The particular danger of these phenomena is related to their speed of development, with the difficulty of foreseeing their location, but also with the high density of distribution of individual phenomena, whose downhill trajectories have a substantial probability of interfering with urbanized areas. During the event of April 2005 in the Emilia Romagna Apennine, these shallow landslides mainly occurred on slopes of cultivated lands, often provoking the interruption of roads, heavy damages to the farming activities and economic losses. On the basis of an inventory by aerial photograph interpretation, it was possible to locate 45 sites where soil slips occurred. In the present work the study area is described, considering both geological and climatic aspects. The inducing factors, which are relative to the territory morphology, and the outbreak factors of the triggering mechanism, which are relative to the rainfall conditions, are deeply analyzed. Once known geometrical features and soil characteristics of the slopes, for each site a physically based triggering model, that has recently developed by the Authors, has been applied by considering the local scale of the phenomenon. The model allows to take into account dynamically, in a simplified way, the connection between the stability condition of a slope, the characteristics of the soil and rainfall amounts, including also antecedent rainfalls. The model, in fact, is aimed to give an answer to the recent challenge represented by the dynamic use of real-time landslides early warning systems, the basis of which have to be the coupling between rainfall amounts, hydrological model and stability slope models. The triggering model is based on the limit equilibrium method and considers the hypothesis of infinite slope. The model takes into account the mechanical characteristics of the soil, in condition of partial saturation, and the outflow of underground water. The model allows to calculate the safety factor of a slope versus time on the basis of the previous rainfall amount. The paper contains also a detailed explanation of the choice of the model input data that have been used to carry out the procedure of back analysis for the 45 study sites. In particular, the slope angle has been evaluated for each site on the basis of the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) information and the thickness of the soil has been determined on the basis of field observations. Colluvial, regolithic and in general Quaternary deposits are the soils involved in the soil slips considered. On the basis of geological map information and according to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), the most common types of soil present in the sample sites resulted silty sand, silty clay and sandy silt. The physical properties of these soils, such as porosity and specific weight, and Mohr-Coulomb shear strength parameters, were assumed taking into account the average values of parameters as reported in the scientific literature for the same types of soils. Other specific model parameters that are directly linked with the type of soil, have been consequently assigned on the basis of previous works carried out by the Authors. Moreover, the parameter that describes the discharge capability of the soil, has been assumed as typical permeability value obtained through field measurements by other Authors, for similar kind of soils and conditions. The results obtained by the application of the model are accurately analyzed and discussed. For each analyzed site, it is shown how the model highlights the instability condition on the real date of the event and the stability condition for the remaining period, under an observation period of 3 years, thus confirming the capability of the model to grasp the triggering mechanism of the analyzed phenomena.

[The workplace-based learning: a main paradigm of an effective continuing medical education].

PubMed

Lelli, Maria Barbara

2010-01-01

On the strength of the literature analysis and the Emilia-Romagna Region experience, we suggest a reflection on the workplace-based learning that goes beyond the analysis of the effectiveness of specific didactic methodologies and aspects related to Continuing Medical Education. Health education and training issue is viewed from a wider perspective, that integrates the three learning dimensions (formal, non formal and informal). In such a perspective the workplace-based learning becomes an essential paradigm to reshape the explicit knowledge conveyed in formal context and to emphasize informal contexts where innovation is generated.

RIGED-RA project - Restoration and management of Coastal Dunes in the Northern Adriatic Coast, Ravenna Area - Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giambastiani, Beatrice M. S.; Greggio, Nicolas; Sistilli, Flavia; Fabbri, Stefano; Scarelli, Frederico; Candiago, Sebastian; Anfossi, Giulia; Lipparini, Carlo A.; Cantelli, Luigi; Antonellini, Marco; Gabbianelli, Giovanni

2016-10-01

Coastal dunes play an important role in protecting the coastline. Unfortunately, in the last decades dunes have been removed or damaged by human activities. In the Emilia- Romagna region significant residual dune systems are found only along Ravenna and Ferrara coasts. In this context, the RIGED-RA project “Restoration and management of coastal dunes along the Ravenna coast” (2013-2016) has been launched with the aims to identify dynamics, erosion and vulnerability of Northern Adriatic coast and associated residual dunes, and to define intervention strategies for dune protection and restoration. The methodology is based on a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the expertise of several researchers and investigates all aspects (biotic and abiotic), which drive the dune-beach system. All datasets were integrated to identify test sites for applying dune restoration. The intervention finished in April 2016; evolution and restoration efficiency will be assessed.

Indicators of waste management efficiency related to different territorial conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Passarini, Fabrizio, E-mail: fabrizio.passarini@unibo.it; Vassura, Ivano, E-mail: ivano.vassura@unibo.it; Monti, Francesco, E-mail: fmonti84@gmail.com

2011-04-15

The amount of waste produced and the control of separate collection are crucial issues for the planning of a territorial Integrated Waste Management System, enabling the allocation of each sorted waste fraction to the proper treatment and recycling processes. The present study focuses on assessing indicators of different waste management systems in areas characterized by different territorial conditions. The investigated case study concerns the municipalities of Emilia Romagna (northern Italy), which present a rather uniform socioeconomic situation, but a variety of geographic, urban and waste management characteristics. A survey of waste generation and collection rates was carried out, and correlatedmore » with the different territorial conditions, classifying the municipalities according to altitude and population density. The best environmental performances, in terms of high separate collection rate, were found on average in rural areas in the plain, while the lowest waste generation was associated with rural hill towns.« less

COLT: seasonal prediction of crop irrigation needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villani, Giulia; Spisni, Andrea; Mariani, Maria Cristina; Pratizzoli, William; Pavan, Valentina; Tomei, Fausto; Botarelli, Lucio; Marletto, Vittorio

2013-04-01

COLT is an operational chain to predict summer (June, July, August) crop irrigation needs in Emilia-Romagna (Northern Italy) at the regional and lower scales. Set up by ARPA-SIMC in 2010, it has been applied since with good results. COLT predicts summer irrigation needs in May, i.e. at the beginning of the irrigation season in Emilia-Romagna. COLT is based on the production of yearly updated land use maps, observed daily weather data, a regional soil map and ensemble probabilistic seasonal weather forecasts obtained from the EUROSIP multi-model operational system and a geographical soil water balance model (CRITERIA). The first step of the operational scheme is the supervised classification of crops through field surveys and a set of multitemporal satellite images acquired during the first months of the growing period. As the identification of all crop species during the satellite working windows is not feasible, they are grouped in six classes: summer field crops (including corn, sorghum, tomato, sugar beet, potato and others), winter crops (wheat, barley, oat, etc.), perennial grasses (alfa-alfa and meadows), rice, vineyards and orchards, on the whole regional plain, covering about 775000 ha. The second step involves the statistical downscaling of the EUROSIP ensemble predictions over Emilia-Romagna and the use of a weather generator to synthetically produce a number (usually 50) replicated meteorological summer daily data series, consistent with the predicted and downscaled summer anomalies of temperature, rainfall and other related indices. During the final step the CRITERIA model computes crop development and soil water balance on the crop classification map using observed meteorological daily data up to the end of May. Afterword forecasts are used up to the end of the summer irrigation season, i.e. August 31st. The statistical distribution projections of summer irrigation needs at the regional and reclamation consortia scale are then issued and disseminated from the ARPA-SIMC web site. Since 2010 forecasts of the crops water irrigation requirements have been computed and compared with the simulated data at the end of the summer with good results. The COLT scheme is able to predict the very large interannual variability of the seasonal crop water needs: in 2010 the summer was rather wet and COLT predicted about 500 Mm3, while in 2011 the median forecast was 850 Mm3, a value considered as normal. The summer of 2012 was exceptionally dry, thus the median COLT forecast was 1077 Mm3, while the value computed with observed summer data reached 1340 Mm3 (+24%). The COLT scheme was also tested in a study area located near Ravenna (570 ha), where actual crop irrigation volumes are measured. The median forecasted irrigation (0.50 Mm3) resulted 14% higher than the observed value for 2011 (0.44 Mm3), mainly due to errors in classification of non irrigated crops as irrigated, and possibly to the water table not being accounted for in the model. COLT looks like a promising approach for assessing, planning and managing water resources in agriculture, and for mitigating the impacts of intense climate anomalies in the agricultural sector.

Gypsum karst in Italy: a review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Waele, Jo; Chiarini, Veronica; Columbu, Andrea; D'Angeli, Ilenia M.; Madonia, Giuliana; Parise, Mario; Piccini, Leonardo; Vattano, Marco; Vigna, Bartolomeo; Zini, Luca; Forti, Paolo

2016-04-01

Although outcropping only rarely in Italy, gypsum karst has been described in detail since the early XXth century (Marinelli, 1917). Gypsum caves are now known from almost all Italian regions (Madonia & Forti, 2003), but are mainly localised along the northern border of the Apennine chain (Emilia Romagna and Marche regions), Calabria, and Sicily, where the major outcrops occur. Recently, important caves have also been discovered in the underground gypsum quarries in Piedmont (Vigna et al., 2010). During the late 80s and 90s several multidisciplinary studies have been carried out in many gypsum areas. All this work converged into a comprehensive overview in 2003 (Madonia & Forti, 2003). Further detailed studies focused on the gypsum areas of Emilia Romagna (Chiesi et al., 2010; Forti & Lucci, 2010; Demaria et al., 2012; De Waele & Pasini, 2013; Ercolani et al., 2013; Columbu et al., 2015; Lucci & Piastra, 2015; Tedeschi et al., 2015) and of Sicily (Madonia & Vattano, 2011). Sinkholes related to Permo-Triassic gypsum have been studied in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Zini et al., 2015). This presentation will review the state of the art regarding different aspects of evaporite karst in Italy focusing on the main new results. References Chiesi M., et al. (2010) - Origin and evolution of a salty gypsum/anhydrite karst spring: the case of Poiano (Northern Apennines, Italy). Hydrogeology Journal, 18, pp. 1111-1124. Columbu A. et al. (2015) - Gypsum caves as indicators of climate-driven river incision and aggradation in a rapidly uplifting region. Geology, 43(6), 539-542. Demaria D. et al. (Eds.) (2012), Le Grotte Bolognesi, GSB-USB, 431 p. De Waele J., Pasini G. (2013) - Intra-messinian gypsum palaeokarst in the northern Apennines and its palaeogeographic implications. Terra Nova 25, pp. 199-205. Ercolani M., et al. (Eds.) (2013), I Gessi e la Cave i Monte Tondo. Studio multidisciplinare di un'area carsica nella Vena del Gesso Romagnola. Memorie Ist. It. Spel. II(26), 559 p. Forti P., Lucci P. (Eds.) (2010) - Il Progetto Stella-Basino. Studio multidisciplinare di un sistema carsico nella Vena del Gesso Romagnola. Memorie Ist. It. Spel. II(14), 260 p. Lucci P., Piastra S. (Eds.) (2015), I Gessi di Brisighella e Rontana: studio multidisciplinare di un'area carsica nella Vena del Gesso Romagnola. Memorie Ist. It. Spel. II(28), 751 p. Madonia G., Forti P. (2003) - Le aree carsiche gessose d'Italia. Memorie Ist. It. Spel. II(14), 285 p. Madonia G., Vattano M. (2011) - New knowledge on the Monte Conca gypsum karst system (central-western Sicily, Italy). Acta Carsologica, 40, (1), pp. 53-64. Marinelli O. (1917) - Fenomeni carsici nelle regioni gessose d'Italia. Mem. Geografiche di Giotto Dainelli, 34, pp. 263-416, suppl. to Riv. Geografica It Tedeschi L. et al. (2015) - Comportamento idrogeologico di alcune risorgenti carsiche nei gessi dell'Emilia-Romagna. Memorie Ist. It. Spel. II(29), pp. 399-404. Vigna B. et al. (2010) - Evolution of karst in Messinian gypsum (Monferrato, Northern Italy). Geodinamica Acta, 23(1-3), pp. 29-40. Zini L. et al. (2015) - a multidisciplinary approach in sinkhole analysis: the Quinis village case study (NE-Italy). Engineering Geology, 197, pp.132-144.

Pattern of care and effectiveness of treatment for glioblastoma patients in the real world: Results from a prospective population-based registry. Could survival differ in a high-volume center?

PubMed Central

Brandes, Alba A.; Franceschi, Enrico; Ermani, Mario; Tosoni, Alicia; Albani, Fiorenzo; Depenni, Roberta; Faedi, Marina; Pisanello, Anna; Crisi, Girolamo; Urbini, Benedetta; Dazzi, Claudio; Cavanna, Luigi; Mucciarini, Claudia; Pasini, Giuseppe; Bartolini, Stefania; Marucci, Gianluca; Morandi, Luca; Zunarelli, Elena; Cerasoli, Serenella; Gardini, Giorgio; Lanza, Giovanni; Silini, Enrico Maria; Cavuto, Silvio; Baruzzi, Agostino

2014-01-01

Background As yet, no population-based prospective studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence and clinical outcome of glioblastoma (GBM) or the diffusion and impact of the current standard therapeutic approach in newly diagnosed patients younger than aged 70 years. Methods Data on all new cases of primary brain tumors observed from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, in adults residing within the Emilia-Romagna region were recorded in a prospective registry in the Project of Emilia Romagna on Neuro-Oncology (PERNO). Based on the data from this registry, a prospective evaluation was made of the treatment efficacy and outcome in GBM patients. Results Two hundred sixty-seven GBM patients (median age, 64 y; range, 29–84 y) were enrolled. The median overall survival (OS) was 10.7 months (95% CI, 9.2–12.4). The 139 patients ≤aged 70 years who were given standard temozolomide treatment concomitant with and adjuvant to radiotherapy had a median OS of 16.4 months (95% CI, 14.0–18.5). With multivariate analysis, OS correlated significantly with KPS (HR = 0.458; 95% CI, 0.248–0.847; P = .0127), MGMT methylation status (HR = 0.612; 95% CI, 0.388–0.966; P = .0350), and treatment received in a high versus low-volume center (HR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.328–0.986; P = .0446). Conclusions The median OS following standard temozolomide treatment concurrent with and adjuvant to radiotherapy given to (72.8% of) patients aged ≤70 years is consistent with findings reported from randomized phase III trials. The volume and expertise of the treatment center should be further investigated as a prognostic factor. PMID:26034628

Testing Spirotetramat as an Alternative Solution to Abamectin for Cacopsylla pyri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) Control: Laboratory and Field Tests.

PubMed

Civolani, Stefano; Boselli, Mauro; Butturini, Alda; Chicca, Milvia; Cassanelli, Stefano; Tommasini, Maria Grazia; Aschonitis, Vassilis; Fano, Elisa Anna

2015-12-01

Aim of the study was to investigate the performance of the new insecticide "spirotetramat" as an alternative solution of "abamectin" for the control of Cacopsylla pyri L. (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in the context of an IPM program in European pear, Pyrus communis L.. Laboratory bioassays for the estimation of LC50 and LC90 of both insecticides were performed using four populations collected in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) orchards where different pest management strategies were used (organic, integrated, and conventional). The same populations were also analyzed for the main insecticide detoxifying activities in nymphs by spectrofluorimetric in vitro assays. The performance of the two insecticides was also tested on field on one population under integrated pest management conditions. The laboratory experiments showed that the LC90 of spirotetramat were lower than the highest field concentration allowed in Europe (172.80 mg AI liter(-1)) giving reassurance about the efficacy of the product. Concerning the abamectin, the laboratory bioassays did not show strong indications of resistance development of C. pyri populations of Emilia-Romagna. A similarity in enzyme detoxifying activity was observed in both insecticides indicating a general absence of a significant insecticide resistance. The field trial showed a high efficacy (>90 %) of spirotetramat on C. pyri already after 15 d from application, and it was significantly higher from abamectin. Overall, spirotetramat is one more choice for C. pyri control, as well as abamectin in order to minimize the risks of occurrence of insecticide resistance. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Mortality study in a cohort of workers employed in the hot working processing of plastics and rubber].

PubMed

Gerosa, Alberto; Scarnato, Corrado; Marchesini, Bruno; Ietri, Evi; Pavone, Venere Leda Mara

2017-01-01

to study mortality rates among workers in companies manufacturing thermoplastic and rubber articles (excluding tyres). cohort study. the cohort includes 4,543 workers employed up to 2000 in 131 companies in the Province of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy) exposed to emissions from hot processing of plastics (3,937) and rubber (606). general- and cause-specific Standardized Mortality Rates (SMR), with 95% confidence intervals; entire reference population resides in the Emilia-Romagna Region. excess mortality for all causes (116 Obs; SMR: 1.20; 95%CI 1.00-1.44) and for lung cancer (18 Obs; SMR: 1.67; 95%CI 1.05-2.65) in men of the rubber factories. Increased mortality rates for oesophageal cancers in women (3 Obs; SMR: 5.41; 95%CI 1.74-16.8) and in men (6 Obs; SMR: 2.16; 95%CI 0.97-4.81), for malignant tumours of pancreas (16 Obs; SMR: 1.65; 95%CI 1.01- 2.70), rectum (11 Obs; SMR: 2.17; 95%CI 1.20-3.92) and kidney (11 Obs; SMR: 1.98; 95%CI 1.10-3.58) in men occupied in plastic processing. in this study, we observed an excess of mortality rates for lung cancer in men of rubber factories and for malignant tumours of the digestive tract, pancreas, and kidney in workers employed in the production of plastic articles. Nevertheless, these results must be interpreted with caution, because exposures to non-occupational risk factors, like tobacco smoke or other occupational exposures outside the companies concerned, are not known. The results suggest to continue epidemiological surveillance.

Prescribing of Antidiabetic Medicines before, during and after Pregnancy: A Study in Seven European Regions.

PubMed

Charlton, Rachel A; Klungsøyr, Kari; Neville, Amanda J; Jordan, Sue; Pierini, Anna; de Jong-van den Berg, Lolkje T W; Bos, H Jens; Puccini, Aurora; Engeland, Anders; Gini, Rosa; Davies, Gareth; Thayer, Daniel; Hansen, Anne V; Morgan, Margery; Wang, Hao; McGrogan, Anita; Nybo Andersen, Anne-Marie; Dolk, Helen; Garne, Ester

2016-01-01

To explore antidiabetic medicine prescribing to women before, during and after pregnancy in different regions of Europe. A common protocol was implemented across seven databases in Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands, Italy (Emilia Romagna/Tuscany), Wales and the rest of the UK. Women with a pregnancy starting and ending between 2004 and 2010, (Denmark, 2004-2009; Norway, 2005-2010; Emilia Romagna, 2008-2010), which ended in a live or stillbirth, were identified. Prescriptions for antidiabetic medicines issued (UK) or dispensed (non-UK) during pregnancy and/or the year before or year after pregnancy were identified. Prescribing patterns were compared across databases and over calendar time. 1,082,673 live/stillbirths were identified. Pregestational insulin prescribing during the year before pregnancy ranged from 0.27% (CI95 0.25-0.30) in Tuscany to 0.45% (CI95 0.43-0.47) in Norway, and increased between 2004 and 2009 in all countries. During pregnancy, insulin prescribing peaked during the third trimester and increased over time; third trimester prescribing was highest in Tuscany (2.2%) and lowest in Denmark (0.5%). Of those prescribed an insulin during pregnancy, between 50.5% in Denmark and 88.8% in the Netherlands received an insulin analogue alone or in combination with human insulin, this proportion increasing over time. Oral products were mainly metformin and prescribing was highest in the 3 months before pregnancy. Metformin use during pregnancy increased in some countries. Pregestational diabetes is increasing in many areas of Europe. There is considerable variation between and within countries in the choice of medication for treating pregestational diabetes in pregnancy, including choice of insulin analogues and oral antidiabetics, and very large variation in the treatment of gestational diabetes despite international guidelines.

First Multi-Year Retrospective Study on Vibrio Parhaemolyticus and Vibrio Vulnificus Prevalence in Ruditapes Philippinarum Harvested in Sacca Di Goro, Italy.

PubMed

Serratore, Patrizia; Ostanello, Fabio; Passalacqua, Pier Luca; Zavatta, Emanuele; Bignami, Giorgia; Serraino, Andrea; Giacometti, Federica

2016-09-20

The present work describes a retrospective study aiming to verify a possible correlation between the environmental conditions (temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen), the abundance of Vibrio spp., and the prevalence of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in the Manila clam R. philippinarum harvested in Sacca di Goro, Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy. On the whole, 104 samples, collected in the period 2007-2015 and submitted to microbiological analyses (isolation and genotyping), have been reconsidered for Vibrio spp. load, V. parahaemolyticus prevalence (total, gene marker toxRP; potentially pathogenic, gene markers tdh and/or trh) and V. vulnificus prevalence (total, gene markers vvh A and hsp) together with environmental data obtained from the monitoring activity of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Agency for the Prevention, the Environment and the Energy. Environmental data have been processed to calculate the median of each, assessing the seasonal range of seawater temperature (warmer months: April-October, T°C >16.45°C; cooler months November-March, T°C <16.45°C), salinity (27 psu), and dissolved oxygen (< or >8.2 mg/L). Total V. vulnificus , total and potentially pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus were present respectively in the 11.5, 29.8 and 6.7% of the samples. The Vibrio spp. load (mean value of 4.69±0.65 log 10 colony forming unit g -1 ) and the prevalence of potentially pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus , were not significantly correlated to the environmental conditions (P>0.05), whereas the prevalence of both total V. vulnificus and total V. parahaemolyticus was significantly higher in the warmer period (P<0.05), without correlation with salinity and dissolved oxygen values (P>0.05).

The effects of the macro-environment on treatment retention for problem cocaine users.

PubMed

Lorenzoni, Valentina; Curzio, Olivia; Karakachoff, Matilde; Saponaro, Alessio; Sanza, Michele; Mariani, Fabio; Molinaro, Sabrina

2013-01-01

Client dropout is commonly used as an indicator of quality and effectiveness of drug treatment. Following increasing cocaine use in recent years, research has attempted to identify predictors of retention in treatment for cocaine users but there is no consensus about how individual characteristics and system variables (referral source, treatment setting), what we term here as the "macro-environment" - effect risk of dropout. This study sought to identify macro-environmental factors and examine the way these impact upon treatment retention. A retrospective longitudinal study of an admission cohort among drug services in Vasta Romagna in Emilia Romagna Region, Italy (up to 8 years of treatment or until discharge) was conducted to determine the effect of macro-environmental variables on retention among first time admitted cocaine-dependent clients in different treatment settings. The sample consisted of 1178 clients meeting DSM-IV-R criteria for cocaine dependence. The joint effect of individual and system factors had a significant impact on dropout rates. In particular, lower rates of dropout were observed for those treated in prison and those who had a stable home, HR: 0.09 (0.02-0.48), or lived in rehabilitation units, HR: 0.36 (0.15-0.88), and among clients referred by the local authority and those living with parents, HR: 0.60 (0.38-0.95). The combined effect of individual and system factors on retention in treatment sets a critical background necessary to assess any impact of organizational dynamics and delineate the trajectory for future interventions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Origin of Human Losses due to the Emilia Romagna, Italy, M5.9 Earthquake of 20 May 2012 and their Estimate in Real Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyss, M.

2012-12-01

Estimating human losses within less than an hour worldwide requires assumptions and simplifications. Earthquake for which losses are accurately recorded after the event provide clues concerning the influence of error sources. If final observations and real time estimates differ significantly, data and methods to calculate losses may be modified or calibrated. In the case of the earthquake in the Emilia Romagna region with M5.9 on May 20th, the real time epicenter estimates of the GFZ and the USGS differed from the ultimate location by the INGV by 6 and 9 km, respectively. Fatalities estimated within an hour of the earthquake by the loss estimating tool QLARM, based on these two epicenters, numbered 20 and 31, whereas 7 were reported in the end, and 12 would have been calculated if the ultimate epicenter released by INGV had been used. These four numbers being small, do not differ statistically. Thus, the epicenter errors in this case did not appreciably influence the results. The QUEST team of INGV has reported intensities with I ≥ 5 at 40 locations with accuracies of 0.5 units and QLARM estimated I > 4.5 at 224 locations. The differences between the observed and calculated values at the 23 common locations show that the calculation in the 17 instances with significant differences were too high on average by one unit. By assuming higher than average attenuation within standard bounds for worldwide loss estimates, the calculated intensities model the observed ones better: For 57% of the locations, the difference was not significant; for the others, the calculated intensities were still somewhat higher than the observed ones. Using a generic attenuation law with higher than average attenuation, but not tailored to the region, the number of estimated fatalities becomes 12 compared to 7 reported ones. Thus, attenuation in this case decreased the discrepancy between observed and reported death by approximately a factor of two. The source of the fatalities is perplexing: Most fatalities occurred in industrial facilities where few workers are present at 4AM, while the vast majority of the population at home survived. QLARM contains a function modeling the occupancy rate of buildings as a function of the hour of day for residential buildings. The possibility that two-year old industrial plants may collapse and kill workers within a stone's throw from abandoned, old, brick farm houses that do not collapse, as it happened near Sant'Agostino on 20th May 2012, is not considered in QLARM or any loss estimating method. The dismal performance of the many new industrial plants in Emilia Romagna, which collapsed, lost their roofs, or their walls, shows that regional building practices can remain hidden from the world community trying to estimate earthquake risk and lead to surprises and unnecessary fatalities.

[Mortality study update of workers exposed to vinyl chloride in plants located in Ferrara and Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy)].

PubMed

Scarnato, Corrado; Rambaldi, Rossella; Mancini, Gianpiero; Olanda, Sandra; Spagnolo, Maria Rosa; Previati, Elisabetta; Parmeggiani, Valerio; Minisci, Salvatore; Comba, Pietro; Pirastu, Roberta

2017-01-01

to update the mortality study of subjects exposed to vinyl chloride in the phases of synthesis of the monomer and polymerization in the plants of Ferrara and Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy). both for the whole cohort and for the two plants, standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), were calculated for different death causes, then stratified by duration and latency, periods of the beginning of work and cumulative exposure (ppm-years). the cohort includes 1,540 subjects (469 in Ferrara hired from 1953 to 1999; 1,071 in Ravenna hired from 1959 to 2000), with at least six months of work. by the end of the follow-up (31.12.2013), 348 deaths occurred. Overall observed mortality, contrasted to that expected based on Emilia-Romagna Region mortality rates, appeared to be lower than expected in the whole cohort (348 cases, SMR: 0.85; 95%CI 0.77-0.95) and in Ravenna (173 cases, SMR: 0.71; 95%CI 0.61-0.83). Mortality for all neoplasms was in excess in Ferrara (79 cases, SMR: 1.27; 95%CI 1.02-1.58), but lower than expected in Ravenna (83 cases, SMR: 0.80; 95%CI 0.64-0.99). An excess in mortality was observed in the whole cohort (16 cases, SMR: 1.74; 95%CI 1.07-2.85) and in Ferrara for liver cancer (7 cases, SMR: 2.12; 95%CI 1.02-4.46), and only in Ferrara for respiratory tract cancer (30 cases, SMR: 1.45; 95%CI 1.02-2.07) and larynx cancer (4 cases, SMR: 3.35; 95%CI 1.26-8.92). In the whole cohort, SMR for liver cancer was in excess since a cumulative exposure of 5,000 ppm-year and 12 cases belong to the job title of autoclave workers (12 cases, SMR 4.6; 95%CI 2.6-8.0), duration of work higher than 20 years (8 cases, SMR 2.4; 95%CI 1.2-4.9), and latency higher than 40 years (7 cases, SMR 2.5; 95%CI 1.2-5.2). The excess in mortality for lung cancer is statistically significant for and with cumulative exposure higher than 7,330 ppm-years (6 cases, SMR 3.2 95%CI 1.4-7.0). There are not excesses among subjects hired after 1971. the study findings confirm and expand the ones of previous studies. It was not possible to apply a best evidence approach to the study of liver cancer, and consequently it is not possible to distinguish between hepatic angiosarcoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. The evidence of a causal link between vinyl chloride exposure and liver cancer is anyhow confirmed. The causal link between vinyl chloride exposure and lung cancer must be further investigated.

Cross-correlation analysis of 2012-2014 seismic events in Central-Northern Italy: insights from the geochemical monitoring network of Tuscany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierotti, Lisa; Facca, Gianluca; Gherardi, Fabrizio

2015-04-01

Since late 2002, a geochemical monitoring network is operating in Tuscany, Central Italy, to collect data and possibly identify geochemical anomalies that characteristically occur before regionally significant (i.e. with magnitude > 3) seismic events. The network currently consists of 6 stations located in areas already investigated in detail for their geological setting, hydrogeological and geochemical background and boundary conditions. All these stations are equipped for remote, continuous monitoring of selected physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity), and dissolved concentrations of CO2 and CH4. Additional information are obtained through in situ discrete monitoring. Field surveys are periodically performed to guarantee maintenance and performance control of the sensors of the automatic stations, and to collect water samples for the determination of the chemical and stable isotope composition of all the springs investigated for seismic precursors. Geochemical continuous signals are numerically processed to remove outliers, monitoring errors and aseismic effects from seasonal and climatic fluctuations. The elaboration of smoothed, long-term time series (more than 200000 data available today for each station) allows for a relatively accurate definition of geochemical background values. Geochemical values out of the two-sigma relative standard deviation domain are inspected as possible indicators of physicochemical changes related to regional seismic activity. Starting on November 2011, four stations of the Tuscany network located in two separate mountainous areas of Northern Apennines separating Tuscany from Emilia-Romagna region (Equi Terme and Gallicano), and Tuscany from Emilia-Romagna and Umbria regions (Vicchio and Caprese Michelangelo), started to register anomalous values in pH and CO2 partial pressure (PCO2). Cross-correlation analysis indicates an apparent relationship between the most important seismic events (magnitude >3 up to 5.4) experienced in the Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and Umbria regions during the period 2012-2014, and these geochemical anomalies. Changes in pH (decreasing) and PCO2 (increasing) are generally observed from a few months to a few weeks before the main shock. This trend has been recognized for the Parma quake of 27 January 2012 (M = 5.4), for the Pieve Fosciana quake of 13 January 2013 (M = 4.8), for the Garfagnana-Lunigiana seismic sequence started June 21, 2013 (Mmax = 5.2), for the Montefeltro seismic sequence started July 11, 2013 (Mmax = 3.9), for the Gubbio seismic sequences of July and December 2013 (Mmax = 3.9), for the Città di Castello seismic sequences of April 2013 and December 2013 (Mmax = 3.9), for the Casentino seismic sequence started October 17, 2014 (Mmax = 3.5), and for the Chianti seismic sequence started December 19, 2014 (Mmax = 4.1). These features suggest that the selected mineral springs can be considered as appropriate sites for the search of geochemical earthquake precursors. Further investigations focused on in-depth analysis of signals are currently in progress.

Developing and validating a novel multisource comorbidity score from administrative data: a large population-based cohort study from Italy.

PubMed

Corrao, Giovanni; Rea, Federico; Di Martino, Mirko; De Palma, Rossana; Scondotto, Salvatore; Fusco, Danilo; Lallo, Adele; Belotti, Laura Maria Beatrice; Ferrante, Mauro; Pollina Addario, Sebastiano; Merlino, Luca; Mancia, Giuseppe; Carle, Flavia

2017-12-26

To develop and validate a novel comorbidity score (multisource comorbidity score (MCS)) predictive of mortality, hospital admissions and healthcare costs using multiple source information from the administrative Italian National Health System (NHS) databases. An index of 34 variables (measured from inpatient diagnoses and outpatient drug prescriptions within 2 years before baseline) independently predicting 1-year mortality in a sample of 500 000 individuals aged 50 years or older randomly selected from the NHS beneficiaries of the Italian region of Lombardy (training set) was developed. The corresponding weights were assigned from the regression coefficients of a Weibull survival model. MCS performance was evaluated by using an internal (ie, another sample of 500 000 NHS beneficiaries from Lombardy) and three external (each consisting of 500 000 NHS beneficiaries from Emilia-Romagna, Lazio and Sicily) validation sets. Discriminant power and net reclassification improvement were used to compare MCS performance with that of other comorbidity scores. MCS ability to predict secondary health outcomes (ie, hospital admissions and costs) was also investigated. Primary and secondary outcomes progressively increased with increasing MCS value. MCS improved the net 1-year mortality reclassification from 27% (with respect to the Chronic Disease Score) to 69% (with respect to the Elixhauser Index). MCS discrimination performance was similar in the four regions of Italy we tested, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (95% CI) being 0.78 (0.77 to 0.79) in Lombardy, 0.78 (0.77 to 0.79) in Emilia-Romagna, 0.77 (0.76 to 0.78) in Lazio and 0.78 (0.77 to 0.79) in Sicily. MCS seems better than conventional scores for predicting health outcomes, at least in the general population from Italy. This may offer an improved tool for risk adjustment, policy planning and identifying patients in need of a focused treatment approach in the everyday medical practice. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Periodic ReMi-MASW surveys on active landslides in the Emilia Romagna region (Northern Apennines)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertello, Lara; Squarzoni, Gabriela; Berti, Matteo

2017-04-01

From January 2014 to December 2016, several combined ReMi-MASW seismic surveys (Refraction Microtremor- Multi Channel Analysis of Surface Waves) were conducted on active landslides. All the landslides are located in the Emilia Romagna region (Northern Apennines), and were classified as: 1) flows and 2) slides. For the seismic campaigns, we used eight vertical polarized geophones at 4.5 Hz, placed at intervals of 2 m each, and a total array length in the range of 10-14 m. As suggested by Louie (2001), we used a single geophone sensor at each channel, with the geophones connected to a SoilSpy Rosina acquisition system (Micromed spa). The first 5 minutes of each acquisition were performed in the passive mode, just acquiring the ambient seismic noise, and the last minute was in the active mode. For the active source, we used the jump of an operator at 5 m from the first geophone. The MASW approach relies on mid-to-high frequency artificial sources and usually provides better results in the high frequency domain (i.e. low depth). The ReMi analysis relies on ambient noise, which is ubiquitous and spans a wider frequency range, potentially working better in the mid-to low frequency domain (i.e. mid-to-high depths). The surveys were interpreted with Grilla (Micromed Software) with a manual procedure. ReMi-MASW lines were done both inside and outside the landslide area to compare the shear wave velocity (Vs) of the displaced soil with that of the source material. Often, the first campaign survey was performed in the range of 15 days from the reactivation of the landslide, than, where it was possible, we conducted periodic ReMi-MASW acquisitions, in order to evaluate the Vs variation over time. Analyzing all the data, it is clear that the Vs detected in the flow types landslide are lower than the ones detected in the slide types. It is also interesting to observe the increase of shear wave velocity over time, due to the consolidation of the material and the decrease of void index.

Finite-fault inversion of the Mw 5.9 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake (Northern Italy) using aftershocks as near-field Green's function approximations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Causse, Mathieu; Cultrera, Giovanna; Herrero, André; Courboulex, Françoise; Schiappapietra, Erika; Moreau, Ludovic

2017-04-01

On May 29, 2012 occurred a Mw 5.9 earthquake in the Emilia-Romagna region (Po Plain) on a thrust fault system. This shock, as well as hundreds of aftershocks, were recorded by 10 strong motion stations located less than 10 km away from the rupture plane, with 4 stations located within the surface rupture projection. The Po Plain is a very large EW trending syntectonic alluvial basin, delimited by the Alps and Apennines chains to the North and South. The Plio-Quaternary sedimentary sequence filling the Po Plain is characterized by an uneven thickness, ranging from several thousands of meters to a few tens of meters. This particular context results especially in a resonance basin below 1 Hz and strong surface waves, which makes it particularly difficult to model wave propagation and hence to obtain robust images of the rupture propagation. This study proposes to take advantage of the large set of recorded aftershocks, considered as point sources, to model wave propagation. Due to the heterogeneous distribution of the aftershocks on the fault plane, an interpolation technique is proposed to compute an approximation of the Green's function between each fault point and each strong motion station in the frequency range [0.2-1Hz]. We then use a Bayesian inversion technique (Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithm) to obtain images of the rupture propagation from the strong motion data. We propose to retrieve the slip distribution by inverting the final slip value at some control points, which are allowed to move on the fault plane, and by interpolating the slip value between these points. We show that the use of 5 control points to describe the slip, coupled with the hypothesis of spatially constant rupture velocity and rise-time (that is 18 free source parameters), results in a good level of fit with the data. This indicates that despite their complexity, the strong motion data can be properly modeled up to 1 Hz using a relatively simple rupture. The inversion results also reveal that the rupture propagated slowly, at a speed of about 45% of the shear wave velocity.

ERMHAN: A Context-Aware Service Platform to Support Continuous Care Networks for Home-Based Assistance

PubMed Central

Paganelli, Federica; Spinicci, Emilio; Giuli, Dino

2008-01-01

Continuous care models for chronic diseases pose several technology-oriented challenges for home-based continuous care, where assistance services rely on a close collaboration among different stakeholders such as health operators, patient relatives, and social community members. Here we describe Emilia Romagna Mobile Health Assistance Network (ERMHAN) a multichannel context-aware service platform designed to support care networks in cooperating and sharing information with the goal of improving patient quality of life. In order to meet extensibility and flexibility requirements, this platform has been developed through ontology-based context-aware computing and a service oriented approach. We also provide some preliminary results of performance analysis and user survey activity. PMID:18695739

Multitemporal mapping of peri-urban carbon stocks and soil sealing from satellite data.

PubMed

Villa, Paolo; Malucelli, Francesco; Scalenghe, Riccardo

2018-01-15

Peri-urbanisation is the expansion of compact urban areas towards low-density settlements. This phenomenon directly challenges the agricultural landscape multifunctionality, including its carbon (C) storage capacity. Using satellite data, we mapped peri-urban C stocks in soil and built-up surfaces over three areas from 1993 to 2014 in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy: a thinly populated area around Piacenza, an intermediate-density area covering the Reggio Emilia-Modena conurbation and a densely anthropized area developing along the coast of Rimini. Satellite-derived maps enabled the quantitative analysis of spatial and temporal features of urban growth and soil sealing, expressed as the ratio between C in built-up land and organic C in soils (Cc/Co). The three areas show substantial differences in C stock balance and soil sealing evolution. In Piacenza (Cc/Co=0.07 in 1993), although questioned by late industrial expansion and connected residential sprawl (Cc/Co growth by 38%), most of the new urbanisation spared the best rural soils. The Reggio Emilia-Modena conurbation, driven by the polycentricism of the area and the heterogeneity of economic sectors (Cc/Co rising from 0.08 to 0.14 from 1993 to 2014), balances sprawl and densification. Rimini, severely sealed since the 1960s (Cc/Co=0.23 in 1993), densifies its existing settlements and develops an industrial expansion of the hinterland, with Cc/Co growth accelerating from +15% before 2003 to +36% for the last decade. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probabilistic versus deterministic hazard assessment in liquefaction susceptible zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daminelli, Rosastella; Gerosa, Daniele; Marcellini, Alberto; Tento, Alberto

2015-04-01

Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA), usually adopted in the framework of seismic codes redaction, is based on Poissonian description of the temporal occurrence, negative exponential distribution of magnitude and attenuation relationship with log-normal distribution of PGA or response spectrum. The main positive aspect of this approach stems into the fact that is presently a standard for the majority of countries, but there are weak points in particular regarding the physical description of the earthquake phenomenon. Factors like site effects, source characteristics like duration of the strong motion and directivity that could significantly influence the expected motion at the site are not taken into account by PSHA. Deterministic models can better evaluate the ground motion at a site from a physical point of view, but its prediction reliability depends on the degree of knowledge of the source, wave propagation and soil parameters. We compare these two approaches in selected sites affected by the May 2012 Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia earthquake, that caused widespread liquefaction phenomena unusually for magnitude less than 6. We focus on sites liquefiable because of their soil mechanical parameters and water table level. Our analysis shows that the choice between deterministic and probabilistic hazard analysis is strongly dependent on site conditions. The looser the soil and the higher the liquefaction potential, the more suitable is the deterministic approach. Source characteristics, in particular the duration of strong ground motion, have long since recognized as relevant to induce liquefaction; unfortunately a quantitative prediction of these parameters appears very unlikely, dramatically reducing the possibility of their adoption in hazard assessment. Last but not least, the economic factors are relevant in the choice of the approach. The case history of 2012 Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia earthquake, with an officially estimated cost of 6 billions Euros, shows that geological and geophysical investigations necessary to assess a reliable deterministic hazard evaluation are largely justified.

Usutu virus persistence and West Nile virus inactivity in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) in 2011.

PubMed

Calzolari, Mattia; Bonilauri, Paolo; Bellini, Romeo; Albieri, Alessandro; Defilippo, Francesco; Tamba, Marco; Tassinari, Massimo; Gelati, Antonio; Cordioli, Paolo; Angelini, Paola; Dottori, Michele

2013-01-01

The circulation of West Nile virus and Usutu virus was detected in the Emilia-Romagna region in 2008 and 2009. To evaluate the extent of circulation of both viruses, environmental surveillance, based on bird and mosquito testing, was conducted in 2008 and gradually improved over the years. In February-March 2009-2011, 5,993 hibernating mosquitoes were manually sampled, out of which 80.1% were Culex pipiens; none tested positive for the viruses. From 2008 to 2011, 946,213 mosquitoes, sampled between May and October, were tested; 86.5% were Cx. pipiens. West Nile virus was detected in 32 Cx. pipiens pools, and Usutu virus was detected in 229 mosquito pools (217 Cx. pipiens, 10 Aedes albopictus, one Anopheles maculipennis s.l., and one Aedes caspius). From 2009 to 2011, of 4,546 birds collected, 42 tested positive for West Nile virus and 48 for Usutu virus. West Nile virus and Usutu virus showed different patterns of activity during the 2008-2011 surveillance period. West Nile virus was detected in 2008, 2009, and 2010, but not in 2011. Usutu virus, however, was continuously active throughout 2009, 2010, and 2011. The data strongly suggest that both viruses overwinter in the surveyed area rather than being continually reintroduced every season. The lack of hibernating mosquitoes testing positive for the viruses and the presence of positive birds sampled early in the season support the hypothesis that the viruses overwinter in birds rather than in mosquitoes. Herd immunity in key bird species could explain the decline of West Nile virus observed in 2011, while the persistence of Usutu virus may be explained by not yet identified reservoirs. Reported results are comparable with a peri-Mediterranean circulation of the West Nile virus lineage 1 related strain, which became undetectable in the environment after two to three years of obvious circulation.

Earthquake Loading Assessment to Evaluate Liquefaction Potential in Emilia-Romagna Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daminelli, R.; Marcellini, A.; Tento, A.

2016-12-01

The May-June 2012 seismic sequence that struck Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna consisted of seven main events of magnitude greater than 5 followed by numerous aftershocks. The strongest earthquakes occurred on May 20 (M=5.9) and May 29 (M=5.8). The widespread soil liquefaction, unexpected because of the moderate magnitude of the events, pushed the local authorities to issue research projects aimed to define the earthquake loading to evaluate the liquefaction safety factor. The reasons explained below led us to adopt a deterministic hazard approach to evaluate the seismic parameters relevant to liquefaction assessment, despite the fact that the Italian Seismic Building Code (NTC08) is based on probabilistic hazard analysis. For urban planning and building design geologists generally adopt the CRR/CSR technique to assess liquefaction potential; therefore we considered PGA and a design magnitude to be representative of the seismic loading. The procedure adopted consists: a) identification of seismic source zones and characterization of each zone by the maximum magnitude; b) evaluation of the source to site distance and c) adoption of a suitable attenuation law to compute the expected PGA at the site, given the site condition and the design magnitude. The design magnitude can be: the maximum magnitude; the magnitude that causes the largest PGA, or both. The PGA values obtained are larger with respect to the 474 years return period PGA prescribed by NTC08 for the seismic design for ordinary buildings. We conducted a CPTU resistance test intended to define the CRR at the village of Cavezzo, situated in the epicentral area of the 2012 earthquake. The CRR/CSR ratio led to an elevated liquefaction risk at the analysed site. On the contrary the adoption of the 474 years return period PGA of the NTCO8 prescribed for Cavezzo site led to a negligible liquefaction risk. Note that very close to the investigated site several liquefaction phenomena were observed.

Earthquake Loading Assessment to Evaluate Liquefaction Potential in Emilia-Romagna Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daminelli, Rosastella; Marcellini, Alberto; Tento, Alberto

2017-04-01

The May-June 2012 seismic sequence that struck Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna consisted of seven main events of magnitude greater than 5 followed by numerous aftershocks. The strongest earthquakes occurred on May 20 (M=5.9) and May 29 (M=5.8). The widespread soil liquefaction, unexpected because of the moderate magnitude of the events, pushed the local authorities to issue research projects aimed to define the earthquake loading to evaluate the liquefaction safety factor. The reasons explained below led us to adopt a deterministic hazard approach to evaluate the seismic parameters relevant to liquefaction assessment, despite the fact that the Italian Seismic Building Code (NTC08) is based on probabilistic hazard analysis. For urban planning and building design geologists generally adopt the CRR/CSR technique to assess liquefaction potential; therefore we considered PGA and a design magnitude to be representative of the seismic loading. The procedure adopted consists: a) identification of seismic source zones and characterization of each zone by the maximum magnitude; b) evaluation of the source to site distance and c) adoption of a suitable attenuation law to compute the expected PGA at the site, given the site condition and the design magnitude. The design magnitude can be: the maximum magnitude; the magnitude that causes the largest PGA, or both. The PGA values obtained are larger with respect to the 474 years return period PGA prescribed by NTC08 for the seismic design for ordinary buildings. We conducted a CPTU resistance test intended to define the CRR at the village of Cavezzo, situated in the epicentral area of the 2012 earthquake. The CRR/CSR ratio led to an elevated liquefaction risk at the analysed site. On the contrary the adoption of the 474 years return period PGA of the NTCO8 prescribed for Cavezzo site led to a negligible liquefaction risk. Note that very close to the investigated site several liquefaction phenomena were observed.

Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the Emilia Romagna region: a prospective population-based study.

PubMed

Addimanda, Olga; Marino, Massimiliano; Farina, Ilaria; Trevisani, Marica; Arrigoni, Eugenio; Lumetti, Federica; Crescentini, Filippo; Sambo, Paola; Bezzi, Alessandra; Bruschi, Marco; Santilli, Daniele; Reta, Massimo; Bosi, Simona; Delsante, Giovanni; Girelli, Francesco; Montaguti, Luca; Meliconi, Riccardo; Sebastiani, Marco; Ferri, Clodoveo; Malavolta, Nazzarena; Govoni, Marcello; Trombetti, Susanna; De Palma, Rossana; Salvarani, Carlo

2017-01-01

To perform a population-based study in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pharmacologic treatments. 1087 patients with RA were enrolled; inclusion criteria were: newly diagnosed RA, already diagnosed RA with high disease activity (HDA) (DAS28≥4.2) starting biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs), already diagnosed RA with HDA continuing with conventional DMARDs (cDMARDs). The following data were collected: demographics, clinical and laboratory features, imaging and prescribed drugs. All parameters except immunology and imaging (performed yearly) were repeated at each follow-up evaluations (after 3, 6 and 12 months, and thereafter every 12 months). In order to evaluate clinical response, the EULAR response criteria were used as the gold standard. 414 (38.1%) newly diagnosed patients with RA, 477 (43.9%) RA patients who started bDMARDs and 196 (18.0%) RA patients who continued with cDMARDs were enrolled from April 2012 to March 2015 at 12 Rheumatology Centres in the Emilia Romagna Region. Statistical analyses showed a relative risk ratio (RRR) for moderate response of 1.65 in RA patients who started bDMARDs (p=0.16) and 2.49 for newly diagnosed RA (p=0.01). Sex, age and Health Assessment Questionnaire were not statistically significant. A RRR of 2.00 has been confirmed for RA patients who started bDMARDs (p<0.0005) for a good response as well as 2.20 for newly diagnosed RA (p<0.0005). An increase in adverse events among bDMARDs was found, but when looking at infections or neoplasia, no differences were highlighted between RA which started bDMARDs and RA who continued with cDMARDs. Our results are in line with already published papers from British and Swedish Registries: a greater likelihood to have a good response is demonstrated for not longstanding RA starting cDMARDs or RA with HDA when a bDMARD is started. Also a good safety profile is demonstrated.

Assessing Adverse Events of Postprostatectomy Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Evaluation of Outcomes in the Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Showalter, Timothy N., E-mail: tns3b@virginia.edu; Hegarty, Sarah E.; Division of Biostatistics, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Purpose: Although the likelihood of radiation-related adverse events influences treatment decisions regarding radiation therapy after prostatectomy for eligible patients, the data available to inform decisions are limited. This study was designed to evaluate the genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and sexual adverse events associated with postprostatectomy radiation therapy and to assess the influence of radiation timing on the risk of adverse events. Methods: The Regione Emilia-Romagna Italian Longitudinal Health Care Utilization Database was queried to identify a cohort of men who received radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer during 2003 to 2009, including patients who received postprostatectomy radiation therapy. Patients with prior radiation therapymore » were excluded. Outcome measures were genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and sexual adverse events after prostatectomy. Rates of adverse events were compared between the cohorts who did and did not receive postoperative radiation therapy. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were developed for each class of adverse events, including models with radiation therapy as a time-varying covariate. Results: A total of 9876 men were included in the analyses: 2176 (22%) who received radiation therapy and 7700 (78%) treated with prostatectomy alone. In multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, the additional exposure to radiation therapy after prostatectomy was associated with increased rates of gastrointestinal (rate ratio [RR] 1.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44-2.27; P<.001) and urinary nonincontinence events (RR 1.83; 95% CI 1.83-2.80; P<.001) but not urinary incontinence events or erectile dysfunction. The addition of the time from prostatectomy to radiation therapy interaction term was not significant for any of the adverse event outcomes (P>.1 for all outcomes). Conclusion: Radiation therapy after prostatectomy is associated with an increase in gastrointestinal and genitourinary adverse events. However, the timing of radiation therapy did not influence the risk of radiation therapy–associated adverse events in this cohort, which contradicts the commonly held clinical tenet that delaying radiation therapy reduces the risk of adverse events.« less

Same-day transfer for the invasive strategy of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome admitted to spoke hospitals: Data from the Emilia-Romagna Regional Network.

PubMed

Campo, Gianluca; Menozzi, Mila; Guastaroba, Paolo; Vignali, Luigi; Belotti, Laura Mb; Casella, Gianni; Berti, Elena; Solinas, Emilia; Guiducci, Vincenzo; Biscaglia, Simone; Pavasini, Rita; De Palma, Rossana; Manari, Antonio

2016-10-01

The service strategy (same-day transfer between spoke hospital and hub centre with catheterisation laboratory (cath-lab) facility to perform invasive procedures) has been suggested to improve the management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) admitted to spoke hospitals. We used data from a large prospective Italian registry to describe application, performance and outcome of the service strategy in the daily clinical practice. This study was based on an observational, post-hoc analysis of all consecutive NSTEACS patients admitted to spoke non-invasive hospitals of the Emilia-Romagna regional network and receiving coronary artery angiography (CAA)±percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated: application of service strategy, time to cath-lab access, hospital stay length, 30-days occurrence of adverse events. From January 2011-December 2012, 2952 NSTEACS consecutive patients were admitted to spoke non-invasive hospitals and received CAA. Overall, 1765 (60%) patients were managed with a service strategy. After multivariable analysis, service strategy emerged as independent predictor of faster access to cath-lab (within 72 h: hazard ratio (HR) 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9-2.7, p<0.0001; within 24 h: HR 2.8, 95% CI 2.2-3.3, p<0.0001, respectively). Service strategy significantly reduced hospital stay length (-5.5 days, p<0.0001). We estimated a mean of €1590 saved for each patient managed with service strategy. Thirty-day occurrence of adverse events did not differ between patients managed with or without a service strategy. In our daily clinical practice, a service strategy seems to be an effective approach to optimise the invasive management of NSTEACS patients admitted to spoke hospitals. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

Ambient temperature and FIT performance in the Emilia-Romagna colorectal cancer screening programme.

PubMed

De Girolamo, Gianfranco; Goldoni, Carlo A; Corradini, Rossella; Giuliani, Orietta; Falcini, Fabio; Sassoli De'Bianchi, Priscilla; Naldoni, Carlo; Zauli Sajani, Stefano

2016-12-01

To assess the impact of ambient temperature on faecal immunochemical test (FIT) performance in the colorectal cancer screening programme of Emilia-Romagna (Italy). A population-based retrospective cohort study on data from 2005 to 2011. Positive rate, detection rate, and positive predictive value rate for cancers and adenomas, and incidence rate of interval cancers after negative tests were analysed using Poisson regression models. In addition to ambient temperature, gender, age, screening history, and Local Health Unit were also considered. In 1,521,819 tests analysed, the probability of a positive result decreased linearly with increasing temperature. Point estimates and 95% Confidence Intervals were estimated for six temperature classes (<5, 5 |-10, 10 |-15, 15 |-20, 20|-25 and ≥25℃), and referred to the 5|-10℃ class. The positive rate ratio was significantly related to temperature increase: 0.99 (0.97-1.02), 1, 0.98 (0.96-1.00), 0.96 (0.94-0.99), 0.93 (0.91-0.96), 0.92 (0.89-0.95). A linear trend was also evident for advanced adenoma detection rate ratio: 1.00 (0.96-1.04), 1, 0.98 (0.93-1.02), 0.96 (0.92-1.00), 0.92 (0.88-0.96), 0.94 (0.88-1.01). The effect was less linear, but still important, for cancer detection rates: 0.95 (0.85-1.06), 1, 1.00 (0.90-1.10), 0.94 (0.85-1.05), 0.81 (0.72-0.92), 0.93 (0.80-1.09). No association or linear trend was found for positive predictive values or risk of interval cancer, despite an excess of +16% in the highest temperature class for interval cancer. Ambient temperatures can affect screening performance. Continued monitoring is needed to verify the effect of introducing FIT tubes with a new buffer, which should guarantee a higher stability of haemoglobin. © The Author(s) 2016.

Children's emotional experience two years after an earthquake: An exploration of knowledge of earthquakes and associated emotions

PubMed Central

Burro, Roberto; Hall, Rob

2017-01-01

A major earthquake has a potentially highly traumatic impact on children’s psychological functioning. However, while many studies on children describe negative consequences in terms of mental health and psychiatric disorders, little is known regarding how the developmental processes of emotions can be affected following exposure to disasters. Objectives We explored whether and how the exposure to a natural disaster such as the 2012 Emilia Romagna earthquake affected the development of children’s emotional competence in terms of understanding, regulating, and expressing emotions, after two years, when compared with a control group not exposed to the earthquake. We also examined the role of class level and gender. Method The sample included two groups of children (n = 127) attending primary school: The experimental group (n = 65) experienced the 2012 Emilia Romagna earthquake, while the control group (n = 62) did not. The data collection took place two years after the earthquake, when children were seven or ten-year-olds. Beyond assessing the children’s understanding of emotions and regulating abilities with standardized instruments, we employed semi-structured interviews to explore their knowledge of earthquakes and associated emotions, and a structured task on the intensity of some target emotions. Results We applied Generalized Linear Mixed Models. Exposure to the earthquake did not influence the understanding and regulation of emotions. The understanding of emotions varied according to class level and gender. Knowledge of earthquakes, emotional language, and emotions associated with earthquakes were, respectively, more complex, frequent, and intense for children who had experienced the earthquake, and at increasing ages. Conclusions Our data extend the generalizability of theoretical models on children’s psychological functioning following disasters, such as the dose-response model and the organizational-developmental model for child resilience, and provide further knowledge on children’s emotional resources related to natural disasters, as a basis for planning educational prevention programs. PMID:29261748

Learning from soil gas change and isotopic signatures during 2012 Emilia seismic sequence.

PubMed

Sciarra, Alessandra; Cantucci, Barbara; Coltorti, Massimo

2017-10-27

Soil surveys were performed in Medolla (Italy), a peculiar area characterized by spotty high soil temperature, gas vent, and lack of vegetation, to determine the migration mechanisms and spatial behavior of gas species. Hereby we present soil gas measurements and their isotopic ratios measured between 2008 and 2015, including the 2012 Emilia-Romagna seismic sequence. We found that soil gas concentrations markedly changed during the main shocks of May 20 and 29, 2012 (Mw 6.1 and 6.0, respectively), highlighting the presence of a buried fault intersecting the gas vents. We suggest that crustal dilation associated with seismic activity favored the uprising of geogas towards the surface. Changes in the isotopic signature highlight the contribution of two distinct sources, one deeper, thermogenic and another superficial related to organic-rich layer, whose relative contribution varied before, during and after the earthquake. We suppose an increase of microbial component likely due to the ground shaking of shallower layers linked to seismic sequence, which masks the thermogenic contribution. Although the changes we detect are specific for an alluvial plain, we deduce that analogous processes may be active elsewhere, and that soil gas geochemistry represents an useful tool to discriminate the gas migration related to seismic activity.

The structural hinge of a chain-foreland basin: Quaternary activity of the Pede-Apennine Thrust front (Northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maestrelli, Daniele; Benvenuti, Marco; Bonini, Marco; Carnicelli, Stefano; Piccardi, Luigi; Sani, Federico

2018-01-01

The Pede-Apennine margin (Northern Italy) is a major WNW-ESE-trending morpho-structural element that delimits the Po Plain to the southwest and consists of a system of southwest dipping thrusts, generally referred to as Pede-Apennine Thrust (PAT). The leading edge of the chain lies further north-east and is buried beneath the Plio-Quaternary marine and fluvial deposits of the Po Plain. Whereas the buried external thrust fronts are obvious active structures (as demonstrated by the 2012 Emilia earthquakes; e.g. Burrato et al., 2012), ongoing activity of the PAT is debated. Using a multidisciplinary approach that integrates structural, seismic, sedimentological and pedological field data, we describe the recent activity of the PAT structures in a sector of the Pede-Apennine margin between the Panaro and the Enza Rivers (Emilia-Romagna). We found that the PAT is emergent or sub-emergent and deforms Middle Pleistocene deposits. We also infer a more recent tectonic phase ( 60-80 ka) by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of soil profiles that have been deformed by a recent reactivation of the PAT. Furthermore, we show evidence that the PAT and its external splay thrusts strongly influenced the drainage pattern, causing fluvial diversions and forcing paleo-rivers to develop roughly parallel to the margin. Finally, numerical Trishear modelling has been used to calculate deformation rates for the PAT along two transects. Extrapolated slip rates vary between 0.68 and 0.79 mm·yr- 1 for about the last 1.2-0.8 million years.

Seasonal dynamics and long-term trend of hypoxia in the coastal zone of Emilia Romagna (NW Adriatic Sea, Italy).

PubMed

Alvisi, Francesca; Cozzi, Stefano

2016-01-15

Long-term series of meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data were compared with hypoxia occurrence, in order to define characteristics and trends of this phenomenon in the Emilia Romagna Coastal Zone (ERCZ) in 1977-2008. During this period, hypoxia was recorded at all sampling stations, up to 20 km offshore. In winter, spring and late autumn, hypoxia appearance was matched to significant positive anomalies of air and surface seawater temperatures (up to +3.6 °C), whereas this effect was less pronounced in August-October. Hypoxia generally occurred with scarce precipitation (0-2 dm(3)m(2)d(-1)) and low wind velocity (0-2 ms(-1)), suggesting the importance of stable meteo-marine conditions for the onset of this phenomenon. Nevertheless, wind direction emerged as an indicator of hydrodynamic seasonal changes in the area and is thus a hypoxia regulator. In winter, spring and autumn, hypoxia was favored by large increases of biomass induced by river freshets. In contrast, summer hypoxia occurred during periods of low runoff, suggesting that pronounced stratification and weak circulation of coastal waters were more important in this season. Since the 1990s, a shift from widespread summer hypoxia to local hypoxia irregularly distributed across the year has occurred. This process was concomitant to long-term increases of air temperature (+0.14 °C yr(-1)), wind speed (+0.03 ms(-1) yr(-1)) and salinity (+0.09 yr(-1)), and decreases of Po River flow (-0.54 km(3) yr(-1)), oxygen saturation (-0.2% yr(-1)) and PO4(3-) (-0.004 μmol P L(-1) yr(-1)) and NH4(+) (-0.04 μmol N L(-1) yr(-1)) concentrations in surface coastal waters. Despite that several of these changes suggest an ERCZ trophic level positive reduction, similar to that reported for the N Adriatic, the concomitant climate warming might further exacerbate hypoxia in particularly shallow shelf locations. Therefore, in order to avoid hypoxia development a further mitigation of anthropogenic pressure is still needed in the area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Traditional alcoholic beverages and their value in the local culture of the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountain borderland between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy).

PubMed

Egea, Teresa; Signorini, Maria Adele; Ongaro, Luca; Rivera, Diego; Obón de Castro, Concepción; Bruschi, Piero

2016-06-22

Traditional alcoholic beverages (TABs) have only received marginal attention from researchers and ethnobotanists so far, especially in Italy. This work is focused on plant-based TABs in the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountainous area on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions. The aims of our study were to document local knowledge about TABs and to analyze and discuss the distribution of related knowledge within the investigated communities. Field data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The relative importance of each plant species used to prepare TABs was assessed by calculating a general Use Value Index (UV general), a current UV (UV current) and a past UV (UV past). We also assessed personal experience of use by calculating effective and potential UV (UV effective, UV potential). A multivariate analysis was performed to compare ingredients in recipes recorded in the Alta Valle del Reno with those reported for neighboring areas. Forty-six plant species, belonging to 20 families, were recorded. Rosaceae was the most significant family (98 citations, 19 species), followed by Rutaceae (15, 3) and Lamiaceae (12, 4). The most important species was Prunus cerasus L. (UV general = 0.44), followed by Juglans regia L. (0.38), Rubus idaeus L. (0.27) and Prunus spinosa L. (0.22). Species with the highest UV current were Juglans regia (0.254), Prunus cerasus (0.238) and Citrus limon L. (0.159). The highest UV effective values were obtained by Prunus cerasus (0.413), Juglans regia (0.254), Rubus idaeus (0.222) and Citrus limon (0.206). We also discuss the results of the multivariate analysis. TABs proved to occupy an important place in the traditional culture and social life of the studied communities. Moreover, data highlight the local specificity and richness of this kind of tradition in the Alta Valle del Reno, compared to other Italian areas. Some plant ingredients used for TABs have potential nutraceutical and even therapeutic properties that are well known by local people. These properties could constitute an additional economic value for TABs' commercialization, which in turn could promote the local rural economy.

Antiepileptic drug prescribing before, during and after pregnancy: a study in seven European regions.

PubMed

Charlton, Rachel; Garne, Ester; Wang, Hao; Klungsøyr, Kari; Jordan, Sue; Neville, Amanda; Pierini, Anna; Hansen, Anne; Engeland, Anders; Gini, Rosa; Thayer, Daniel; Bos, Jens; Puccini, Aurora; Nybo Andersen, Anne-Marie; Dolk, Helen; de Jong-van den Berg, Lolkje

2015-11-01

The aim of this study was to explore antiepileptic drug (AED) prescribing before, during and after pregnancy as recorded in seven population-based electronic healthcare databases. Databases in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy (Emilia Romagna/Tuscany), Wales and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, representing the rest of the UK, were accessed for the study. Women with a pregnancy starting and ending between 2004 and 2010, which ended in a delivery, were identified. AED prescriptions issued (UK) or dispensed (non-UK) at any time during pregnancy and the 6 months before and after pregnancy were identified in each of the databases. AED prescribing patterns were analysed, and the choice of AEDs and co-prescribing of folic acid were evaluated. In total, 978 957 women with 1 248 713 deliveries were identified. In all regions, AED prescribing declined during pregnancy and was lowest during the third trimester, before returning to pre-pregnancy levels by 6 months following delivery. For all deliveries, the prevalence of AED prescribing during pregnancy was 51 per 10 000 pregnancies (CI95 49-52%) and was lowest in the Netherlands (43/10 000; CI95 33-54%) and highest in Wales (60/10 000; CI95 54-66%). In Denmark, Norway and the two UK databases lamotrigine was the most commonly prescribed AED; whereas in the Italian and Dutch databases, carbamazepine, valproate and phenobarbital were most frequently prescribed. Few women prescribed with AEDs in the 3 months before pregnancy were co-prescribed with high-dose folic acid: ranging from 1.0% (CI95 0.3-1.8%) in Emilia Romagna to 33.5% (CI95 28.7-38.4%) in Wales. The country's differences in prescribing patterns may suggest different use, knowledge or interpretation of the scientific evidence base. The low co-prescribing of folic acid indicates that more needs to be done to better inform clinicians and women of childbearing age taking AEDs about the need to offer and receive complete preconception care. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sea-level rise along the Emilia-Romagna coast (Northern Italy) in 2100: scenarios and impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perini, Luisa; Calabrese, Lorenzo; Luciani, Paolo; Olivieri, Marco; Galassi, Gaia; Spada, Giorgio

2017-12-01

As a consequence of climate change and land subsidence, coastal zones are directly impacted by sea-level rise. In some particular areas, the effects on the ecosystem and urbanisation are particularly enhanced. We focus on the Emilia-Romagna (E-R) coastal plain in Northern Italy, bounded by the Po river mouth to the north and by the Apennines to the south. The plain is ˜ 130 km long and is characterised by wide areas below mean sea level, in part made up of reclaimed wetlands. In this context, several morphodynamic factors make the shore and back shore unstable. During next decades, the combined effects of land subsidence and of the sea-level rise as a result of climate change are expected to enhance the shoreline instability, leading to further retreat. The consequent loss of beaches would impact the economy of the region, which is tightly connected with tourism infrastructures. Furthermore, the loss of wetlands and dunes would threaten the ecosystem, which is crucial for the preservation of life and the environment. These specific conditions show the importance of a precise definition of the possible local impacts of the ongoing and future climate variations. The aim of this work is the characterisation of vulnerability in different sectors of the coastal plain and the recognition of the areas in which human intervention is urgently required. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) sea-level scenarios are merged with new high-resolution terrain models, current data for local subsidence and predictions of the flooding model in_CoastFlood in order to develop different scenarios for the impact of sea-level rise projected to year 2100. First, the potential land loss due to the combined effect of subsidence and sea-level rise is extrapolated. Second, the increase in floodable areas as a result of storm surges is quantitatively determined. The results are expected to support the regional mitigation and adaptation strategies designed in response to climate change.

Proposing priorities of intervention for the recovery of native fish populations using hierarchical ranking of environmental and exotic species impact.

PubMed

Aschonitis, V G; Gavioli, A; Lanzoni, M; Fano, E A; Feld, C; Castaldelli, G

2018-03-15

The freshwater populations of native fish species (Ns) have reached critical levels in many parts of the world due to combined habitat deterioration by human interventions and exotic fish species (Es) invasions. These alarming conditions require combined and well-designed interventions for restoring environmental quality and restricting Es invasion. The aim of the study is to propose a method to design spatially explicit priorities of intervention for the recovery of Ns populations in highly impacted freshwater systems by exotic multi-species invasion and water quality (WQ) degradation. WQ and Es are used as Ns descriptors, which require intervention. The method uses gradient analysis (ordination method of Canonical Correspondence Analysis) for assessing the weights of Ns descriptors' effects, which are further used to develop weighted severity indices; the severity index of WQ (Swq) and Es invasion (Se), respectively. Swq and Se are further merged to one combined total severity index St. The proposed method provides a) a ranking of the sites, based on the values of S t , which denotes the priority for combined intervention in space and can be visualized in maps, b) a ranking of the most important Ns descriptors for each site to perform site-specific interventions, and c) Es rankings based on their potential threat on Ns for species-specific interventions. WQ, Es and Ns data from 208 sampling sites located in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Northern Italy) were used as a case study for the presentation of the proposed method. The application of the method showed that the north and northwestern lowland areas of Emilia-Romagna region presented the higher priority for intervention since the Ns of these areas are the most impacted from combined Es invasions and WQ degradation. Specific Es belonging to cyprinids, which are mostly responsible for the decline of aquatic vegetation and the increase of water turbidity, and a top Es predator (Wels catfish) were mostly present in these areas. Additionally, the most important WQ stressors of Ns were found to be COD, BOD and temperature that are all connected to oxygen depletion. The aforementioned conditions in the areas described by high priority for intervention can be used as a basis for the development of specific Ns conservation practices targeting the containment of the most harmful Es, the restoration of aquatic vegetation and the improvement of oxygen conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Earthquakes and depleted gas reservoirs: which comes first?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mucciarelli, M.; Donda, F.; Valensise, G.

2015-10-01

While scientists are paying increasing attention to the seismicity potentially induced by hydrocarbon exploitation, so far, little is known about the reverse problem, i.e. the impact of active faulting and earthquakes on hydrocarbon reservoirs. The 20 and 29 May 2012 earthquakes in Emilia, northern Italy (Mw 6.1 and 6.0), raised concerns among the public for being possibly human-induced, but also shed light on the possible use of gas wells as a marker of the seismogenic potential of an active fold and thrust belt. We compared the location, depth and production history of 455 gas wells drilled along the Ferrara-Romagna arc, a large hydrocarbon reserve in the southeastern Po Plain (northern Italy), with the location of the inferred surface projection of the causative faults of the 2012 Emilia earthquakes and of two pre-instrumental damaging earthquakes. We found that these earthquake sources fall within a cluster of sterile wells, surrounded by productive wells at a few kilometres' distance. Since the geology of the productive and sterile areas is quite similar, we suggest that past earthquakes caused the loss of all natural gas from the potential reservoirs lying above their causative faults. To validate our hypothesis we performed two different statistical tests (binomial and Monte Carlo) on the relative distribution of productive and sterile wells, with respect to seismogenic faults. Our findings have important practical implications: (1) they may allow major seismogenic sources to be singled out within large active thrust systems; (2) they suggest that reservoirs hosted in smaller anticlines are more likely to be intact; and (3) they also suggest that in order to minimize the hazard of triggering significant earthquakes, all new gas storage facilities should use exploited reservoirs rather than sterile hydrocarbon traps or aquifers.

Epidemiology of rotavirus-associated hospital admissions in the province of Ferrara, Italy.

PubMed

Marsella, Maria; Raimondi, Licia; Bergamini, Mauro; Sprocati, Monica; Bigi, Ettore; De Sanctis, Vincenzo; Borgna-Pignatti, Caterina; Gabutti, Giovanni

2009-12-01

Hospital discharge forms with specific codes for rotavirus gastroenteritis in children 0 to 14 years of age were reviewed in the period 2003-2005 in the province of Ferrara. A total of 4,238 children were admitted to the pediatric departments; 151 patients were diagnosed with rotavirus gastroenteritis. The average annual rate of hospitalization for rotavirus gastroenteritis was 1.54/1,000 children <14 years of age and 2.9/1,000 children <5 years of age. Most hospitalizations (72%) involved children aged <60 months. The average length of hospital stay was about 5 days. Considering the Emilia Romagna regional reimbursement codes referable to rotavirus disease, the estimated costs of our 151 cases range from 214,033 euros to 341,832 euros. The results of this study contribute to the awareness of rotavirus epidemiology in Italy and underline the potential impact of rotavirus vaccination in our province.

Relationship between biometric characteristics and stem size of uncemented hip prostheses.

PubMed

De Clerico, Manuela; Bordini, Barbara; Stea, Susanna; Viceconti, Marco; Toni, Aldo

2007-06-01

The authors examined 2329 uncemented hip prosthesis stems (AncaFit stem, Wright Medical Technology, Arlington, TN, USA) implanted between 1996 and 2004 due to primary coxarthrosis. This is the most commonly used stem in the Emilia-Romagna region, in northern Italy, according to data from the Register of Orthopaedic Prosthetic Implants (RIPO). It is produced in eight sizes for each side. We analyzed the relationship between stem size and anthropometric data. Among the patients, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women; mean age at surgery was 64.1 years (SD 9.1); mean height was 167 cm (SD 8.4), and mean weight was 75.7 kg (SD 12.7). Multifactorial analysis demonstrated that stem size was influenced by sex, age, and height, but not by weight. Besides this, there was an interaction between sex and age: in women, but not in men, the stem size increased with aging.

Extensional Structures on the Po Valley Side of the Northern Apennines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bettelli, G.; Vannucchi, P.; Capitani, M.

2001-12-01

The present-day tectonics of the Northern Apennines is characterized by extension in the inner Tyrrhenian side and compression in the outer Po Valley-Adriatic side. The boundary separating the two domains, extensional and compressional, is still largely undetermined and mainly based on geophysical data (focal mechanisms of earthquakes). Map-scale extensional structures have been studied only along the Tyrrhenian side of the Northern Apennines (Tuscany), while along the Po Valley-Adriatic area the field studies concentrated on compressional features. A new, detailed field mapping of the Po Valley side of the Northern Apennines carried out in the last ten years within the Emilia Romagna Geological Mapping Program has shown the presence of a large extensional fault crossing the high Bologna-Modena-Reggio Emilia provinces, from the Sillaro to the Val Secchia valleys. This Sillaro-Val Secchia Normal Fault (SVSNF) is NW-SE trending, NE dipping and about 80 km long. The age, based on the younger displaced deposits, is post-Miocene. The SVSNF is a primary regional structure separating the Tuscan foredeep units from the Ligurian Units in the south-east sector of the Northern Apennines, and it is responsible for the exhumation of the Tuscan foredeep units along the Apennine water divide. The sub-vertical, SW-NE trending faults, formerly interpreted as strike slip, are transfer faults associated to the extensional structure. A geological cross-section across the SVSNF testifies a former thickness reduction and lamination of the Ligurian Units, as documented in the field, in the innermost areas of the Bologna-Modena-Reggio Emilia hills, implying the occurrence of a former extensional fault. These data indicate that the NE side of the water divide has already gone under extension reducing the compressional domain to the Po Valley foothills and plain. They can also help in interpreting the complex Apennines kinematics.

Forecasting future needs and optimal allocation of medical residency positions: the Emilia-Romagna Region case study.

PubMed

Senese, Francesca; Tubertini, Paolo; Mazzocchetti, Angelina; Lodi, Andrea; Ruozi, Corrado; Grilli, Roberto

2015-01-30

Italian regional health authorities annually negotiate the number of residency grants to be financed by the National government and the number and mix of supplementary grants to be funded by the regional budget. This study provides regional decision-makers with a requirement model to forecast the future demand of specialists at the regional level. We have developed a system dynamics (SD) model that projects the evolution of the supply of medical specialists and three demand scenarios across the planning horizon (2030). Demand scenarios account for different drivers: demography, service utilization rates (ambulatory care and hospital discharges) and hospital beds. Based on the SD outputs (occupational and training gaps), a mixed integer programming (MIP) model computes potentially effective assignments of medical specialization grants for each year of the projection. To simulate the allocation of grants, we have compared how regional and national grants can be managed in order to reduce future gaps with respect to current training patterns. The allocation of 25 supplementary grants per year does not appear as effective in reducing expected occupational gaps as the re-modulation of all regional training vacancies.

Prevalence of Salmonella strains in wild animals from a highly populated area of north-eastern Italy.

PubMed

Rubini, Silva; Ravaioli, Cinzia; Previato, Sara; D'Incau, Mario; Tassinari, Massimo; Guidi, Enrica; Lupi, Silvia; Merialdi, Giuseppe; Bergamini, Mauro

2016-01-01

Salmonella is a ubiquitous pathogen that can infect host species, like wild birds, rodents, and/or arthropods, which may transmit infection to domestic animals and human population. In order to assess the related risk, a cross-sectional study was performed on 1114 carcasses of wild animals from a north-eastern area of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy. During post mortem examination, intestine samples were cultured. A statistical analysis demonstrated that there is no correlation between the presence of sub-clinically infected animals and greater human population density. In contrast, a significant correlation between the number of carcasses positive for Salmonella spp. and greater spatial density of pig, poultry, and cattle farms was observed (p < 0.01). The results of the present study show that wild animals with omnivorous feeding habits are particularly exposed to Salmonella colonization and, consequently, to spreading the organism. Regarding drug resistance, this study confirms the resistance to antimicrobials is increasing in commensal and environmental isolates.

Assessment of Stone Columns as a Mitigation Technique of Liquefaction-Induced Effects during Italian Earthquakes (May 2012)

PubMed Central

Forcellini, Davide; Tarantino, Angelo Marcello

2014-01-01

Soil liquefaction has been observed worldwide during recent major earthquakes with induced effects responsible for much of the damage, disruption of function, and considerable replacement expenses for structures. The phenomenon has not been documented in recent time with such damage in Italian context before the recent Emilia-Romagna Earthquake (May 2012). The main lateral spreading and vertical deformations affected the stability of many buildings and impacted social life inducing valuable lessons on liquefaction risk assessment and remediation. This paper aims first of all to reproduce soil response to liquefaction-induced lateral effects and thus to evaluate stone column mitigation technique effectiveness by gradually increasing the extension of remediation, in order to achieve a satisfactory lower level of permanent deformations. The study is based on the use of a FE computational interface able to analyse the earthquake-induced three-dimensional pore pressure generation adopting one of the most credited nonlinear theories in order to assess realistically the displacements connected to lateral spreading. PMID:24592148

Multiprofessional Primary Care Units: What Affects the Clinical Performance of Italian General Practitioners?

PubMed

Armeni, Patrizio; Compagni, Amelia; Longo, Francesco

2014-08-01

Multiprofessional primary care models promise to deliver better care and reduce waste. This study evaluates the impact of such a model, the primary care unit (PCU), on three outcomes. A multilevel analysis within a "pre- and post-PCU" study design and a cross-sectional analysis were conducted on 215 PCUs located in the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. Seven dimensions captured a set of processes and services characterizing a well-functioning PCU, or its degree of vitality. The impact of each dimension on outcomes was evaluated. The analyses show that certain dimensions of PCU vitality (i.e., the possibility for general practitioners to meet and share patients) can lead to better outcomes. However, dimensions related to the interaction and the joint works of general practitioners with other professionals tend not to have a significant or positive impact. This suggests that more effort needs to be invested to realize all the potential benefits of the PCU's multiprofessional approach to care. © The Author(s) 2014.

Assessment of stone columns as a mitigation technique of liquefaction-induced effects during Italian earthquakes (May 2012).

PubMed

Forcellini, Davide; Tarantino, Angelo Marcello

2014-01-01

Soil liquefaction has been observed worldwide during recent major earthquakes with induced effects responsible for much of the damage, disruption of function, and considerable replacement expenses for structures. The phenomenon has not been documented in recent time with such damage in Italian context before the recent Emilia-Romagna Earthquake (May 2012). The main lateral spreading and vertical deformations affected the stability of many buildings and impacted social life inducing valuable lessons on liquefaction risk assessment and remediation. This paper aims first of all to reproduce soil response to liquefaction-induced lateral effects and thus to evaluate stone column mitigation technique effectiveness by gradually increasing the extension of remediation, in order to achieve a satisfactory lower level of permanent deformations. The study is based on the use of a FE computational interface able to analyse the earthquake-induced three-dimensional pore pressure generation adopting one of the most credited nonlinear theories in order to assess realistically the displacements connected to lateral spreading.

[Pesticide poisonings compensated by the INAIL in 1995-98].

PubMed

Germani, D; Forzato, G; Ossicini, A; Settimi, L

2001-01-01

The present paper describes agricultural pesticide-related accidents compensated by the Italian national institute for insurance of occupational accidents (INAIL) from January 1995 to December 1998. During the period under study, 643 accidents claims were examined by INAIL and 549 received compensation. The Italian regions with the highest number of compensation during the period under study were Puglia (no. 102), Sicily (no. 66), Emilia-Romagna (no. 61), and Veneto (no. 55). The national annual rate of pesticide-related accidents, estimated by dividing the number of cases receiving compensation by the number of insured agricultural workers was 12 per 100,000 per year. The regions with the highest rates were Puglia and Marche (27 per 100,000 per year), Liguria (22 per 100,000 per year), and Sicily (18 per 100,000 per year). Most of the cases (70%) occurred among male workers. The agents most frequently reported to have caused the accidents were fungicides (32.2%). For a relevant number of cases (34.2%) the exposure was not specified.

Spirits and liqueurs in European traditional medicine: Their history and ethnobotany in Tuscany and Bologna (Italy).

PubMed

Egea, Teresa; Signorini, Maria Adele; Bruschi, Piero; Rivera, Diego; Obón, Concepción; Alcaraz, Francisco; Palazón, José Antonio

2015-12-04

Fermented drinks, often alcoholic, are relevant in many nutritional, medicinal, social, ritual and religious aspects of numerous traditional societies. The use of alcoholic drinks of herbal extracts is documented in classical pharmacy since the 1st century CE and it is often recorded in ethnobotanical studies in Europe, particularly in Italy, where are used for a wide range of medicinal purposes. Formulations and uses represent a singular tradition which responds to a wide range of environmental and cultural factors. This research has two overarching aims To determine how long ancient uses, recipes and formulas for medicinal liqueurs from the pharmacopoeias and herbals of the 18th century persisted in later periods and their role in present ethnobotanical knowledge in areas of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy). To trace other possible relationships among ancient and recent recipes of alcoholic beverages, from both popular and 'classic' (learned) sources in N-C Italy and neighboring areas. The review of herbals and classical pharmacopoeias, and ethnobotanical field work in Alta Valle del Reno (Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, Italy) were followed of a systematic study of ingredients and medicinal uses with multivariate analysis techniques. The multivariate analysis clearly shows six different styles of preparing medicinal alcoholic beverages: 1. The medicinal wine formulae by Dioscorides (1st century CE). 2. The pharmacopoeias of Florence and Bologna in the 18th century CE. 3. The formularies of Santa Maria Novella and Castiglione (19th and early 20th centuries CE). 4. The ethnobotanical data from Appennino Tosco-Emiliano; home-made formulations based almost exclusively on the use of local resources. 5. Traditional recipes from NE Italy and Austria. 6. Traditional recipes from NW Italy, Emilia, and Provence (France). A total of 54 ingredients (29 fruits) from 48 species are used in different combinations and proportions in Alta Valle del Reno (Italy) to produce fermented beverages, liqueurs, distilled spirits and aromatized wines. Among these, 37 ingredients (33 species) are used as medicinal remedies. 15 ingredients (14 species) are also used to prepare specific medicinal liqueurs. Most are addressed to the treatment of diseases of the digestive system, dyspepsia in particular, followed by diseases of the respiratory system symptoms, not elsewhere classified and diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, fundamentally of allergic origin. Although medicinal wines, liqueurs and spirits are recorded in numerous classical herbals and pharmacopoeias in Italy and other countries of Europe these show in terms of formulations and ingredients little influence in the ethnobotanical formulations recorded in Alta Valle del Reno (Italy), they apparently play no role in present ethnobotanical knowledge in Appennino Tosco-Emiliano and similarly in other areas of Italy, France and Austria. No (or very poor) persistence was found of ancient uses, recipes and formulas for medicinal liqueurs from pharmacopoeias and herbals of the 16th century CE in later periods in the formulas in use in the pharmacies of Tuscany. Popular recipes are strongly dependent on the availability of local wild and cultivated plants. Overall, Alta Valle del Reno ethnobotanical formulations of medicinal wines and spirits are extremely simple involving from one single ingredient to a few, which are locally produced or collected and selected among relevant medicinal resources used for a wide range of diseases in form of non-alcoholic aqueous extracts. Fruits gathered in the forests are the main ingredients which in this aspect show similarities with those from Tyrol (Austria). Medicinal liqueurs and wines are in analyzed ethnobotanical data mainly employed as digestives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer incidence and mortality in the province of Ferrara 1989-1990.

PubMed

Ferretti, S; Tassinari, D; Albonico, G; Nenci, I

1995-01-01

Mortality data have clearly highlighted the province of Ferrara as an area with a particular distribution of tumors strictly related with environmental factors. The project of a tumor registry has been planned for a better description of cancer incidence and for a deeper insight into etiologic factors, considering the typical features of the province from geographic and occupational points of view. This study presents the registration results of the first 2 years, in order to verify the quality level of data recruitment and to confirm that observed in previous studies. The population covered by the registry was 151,968 males and 165,835 females, with high representation of the elderly. In this period 2,087 tumors in men and 1,778 in women were observed. Lung cancer reaches one of the highest levels in Italy, according to that observed in Lombardy and Veneto regions and the northern Adriatic coast. Incidence and mortality are, however, significantly higher than in other Emilia-Romagna areas, as pointed out by the registries of Parma, Modena and Forii. Colon cancer also presents high frequencies in comparison with neighboring areas, whereas non-Hodgkin lymphomas reach the highest level in Italy. Gastric tumors, although well represented in males and females, show lower levels than the high-risk neighboring Romagna region. In women, a low incidence of cervix uteri-tumors and high levels of breast cancer have also been observed. The distribution of such neoplasms and the differences observed among neighboring areas deserve further analytical studies, with the aim of a better reading of cancer onset and diffusion. The quality of data obtained (about 70% of histocytologic confirmations, and 5% of "final" death-certificate-only cases), appears to reach satisfying levels, considering the starting phase of the registry.

Landslides distribution analysis and role of triggering factors in the Foglia river basin (Central Itay)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baioni, Davide; Gallerini, Giuliano; Sgavetti, Maria

2013-04-01

The present work is focused on the distribution of landslides in Foglia river basin area (northern Marche-Romagna), using a heuristic approach supported by GIS tools for the construction of statistical analysis and spatial data. The study area is located in the Adriatic side of the northern Apennine in the boundary that marks the transition between the Marche and Emilia-Romagna regions. The Foglia river basin extends from the Apennines to the Adriatic sea with NE-SE trend occupying an area of about 708 km2. The purpose of this study is to investigate any relationships between factors related to the territory, which were taken into account and divided into classes, and landslides, trying to identify any possible existence of relationships between them. For this aim the study of landslides distribution was performed by using a GIS approach superimposing each thematic map, previously created, with landslides surveyed. Furthermore, we tried to isolate the most recurrent classes, to detect if at the same conditions there is a parameter that affects more than others, so as to recognize every direct relationship of cause and effect. Finally, an analysis was conducted by applying the model of uncertainty CF (Certainity Factor). In the Foglia river basin were surveyed a total of 2821 landslides occupy a total area of 155 km2, corresponding to 22% areal extent of the entire basin. The results of analysis carried out highlighted the importance and role of individual factors that led to the development of landslides analyzed. Moreover, this methodology may be applied to all orders of magnitude and scale without any problem by not requiring a commitment important, both from the economic point of view, and of human resources.

The 2012 Emilia earthquake in northern Italy: coseismic geological effects within a compressive tectonic framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montone, P.; Alessio, G.; Alfonsi, L.; Brunori, C.; Burrato, P.; Casula, G.; Cinti, F. R.; Civico, R.; Colini, L.; Cucci, L.; De Martini, P. M.; Falcucci, E.; Galadini, F.; Gaudiosi, G.; Gori, S.; Mariucci, M.; Moro, M.; Nappi, R.; Nardi, A.; Nave, R.; Pantosti, D.; Patera, A.; Pesci, A.; Pignone, M.; Pinzi, S.; Pucci, S.; Vannoli, P.; Venuti, A.; Villani, F.

2012-12-01

On May 20 2012 a Ml 5.9 seismic event hit the Emilia Po Plain area (northern Italy) triggering an intense earthquake activity along a broad area of the Plain. Nine days later, on May 29 a Ml 5.8 event occurred roughly 10 km to the SW of the first main shock; these events caused 26 victims and several injured and damages. The aftershock area extended for more than 50 km, in WNW-ESE direction, including five major aftershocks with 5.1≤Ml≤5.3 and more than two thousands of minor events. In general, the seismic sequence was confined in the upper 10 km of depth (ISIDe, http://iside.rm.ingv.it/). The focal mechanisms calculated for the main events and also for several M>4.5 aftershocks are almost all consistent with a compression (P-axes) N-S oriented due to thrust fault mechanisms. The two nodal planes, both E-W oriented, show a 40° southward and 60-70° northward dipping plane (QRCMT, Quick Regional Moment Tensors, http://autorcmt.bo.ingv.it/quicks.html), connected with the compressional regime of the area. From a tectonic point of view, the active Apennine thrust fronts, buried under the Po Plain Plio-Quaternary sediments, locally consist of three N-verging arcs. The most external structures, the active Ferrara and Mirandola thrusts and folds are responsible for the Emilia Romagna 2012 earthquake sequence. Just after the 20th May seismic event, the EMERGEO Working Group was active in surveying the epicentral area searching for coseismic geological effects. The survey lasted one month, involving about thirty researchers and technicians of the INGV in field and aerial investigations. Simultaneously, a laboratory-working group gathered, organized and interpreted the observations, processing them in the EMERGEO Information System (siE), on a GIS environment. The most common coseismic effects are: 1) liquefactions related to overpressure of aquifers hosted in buried and confined sand layers, occurring both as single cones or through several aligned vents forming coalescent sand blows; 2) extensional fractures with small vertical throws, apparently organized in an en-echelon pattern, observed mainly in the eastern sector and in the central area; 3) liquefactions directly associable to fractures where huge amounts of liquefied sand and fine sand was ejected from fractures tens of meters long. The dip of the fault plane, the depth of the main shock and the magnitude indeed did not induce any primary rupture at the surface.

Dynamics and conceptual model of the Rossena castle landslide (Northern Apennines, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chelli, A.; Mandrone, G.; Ruffini, A.; Truffelli, G.

2005-11-01

In the Northern Apennines there are many historical villages and castles, which are of great value and represent a cultural heritage of great importance. Their presence within a territory greatly affected by landslide hazards creates, in many circumstances, the need to solve problems of land management and to act for the preservation of historical monuments. This paper describe an interesting landslide, failed during the night of 28 February 2004, that involved the village of Rossena: the failure damaged the village (Fig. 1), the road and the fields down to the stream but, fortunately, the castle just upslope the village was not involved at all. The 10th century massive castle of Rossena stands on the top of a cliff at about 500 m a.s.l., on the border between the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia, and it is surrounded by a small ancient village. The castle of Rossena is the best preserved stronghold of the Longobard times, enlarged and reinforced in the tenth century and partially rebuilt by Bonifacio, the father of Matilda of Canossa (the Vice-Queen of Italy and probably the most important woman in the Middle Ages) as a defensive structure guarding the Enza Valley. In addition, at Conossa, very close to Rossena, there was the meeting between Pope Gregory VII and the Emperor of Germany Henry IV, during the historical event known as "fight for the investitures". For these reasons, the area of Rossena is one of the most relevant from a historical point of view in the entire western part of the Emilia Romagna Region and it also has a high value as a geosite (Coratza et al., 2004).

History and updating on the spread of Aedes albopictus in Italy.

PubMed

Romi, R

1995-12-01

The present distribution in Italy of Aedes albopictus, the Asian mosquito recently introduced, is described. Until now this mosquito species has been established in 8 regions of our country: Liguria, Veneto, Lazio, Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, Toscana, Piemonte and recently Sardegna. The established populations have been able to overcome the winter season. These populations, certainly imported from temperate areas, have reconfirmed the great adaptation of the species, reaching the high latitude of 46 degrees North of the Padova area in Northern Italy. The origin of the infestation in Veneto region was shown to be strictly related to the importation of used tires and demonstrated at least for one load of tires from USA. The internal trading of tires from Veneto is the source of infestation of the other Italian regions, with the exception of Liguria and Lazio. Since the introduction and the establishment of Ae. albopictus in Italy represent a new problem of public health, a centre for the surveillance and control of this species has been set up at the Department of Parasitology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma.

Association between in-hospital mortality and renal dysfunction in 186,219 patients hospitalized for acute stroke in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

PubMed

Fabbian, Fabio; Gallerani, Massimo; Pala, Marco; De Giorgi, Alfredo; Salmi, Raffaella; Dentali, Francesco; Ageno, Walter; Manfredini, Roberto

2014-11-01

Using a regional Italian database, we evaluated the relationship between renal dysfunction and in-hospital mortality (IHM) in patients with acute stroke (ischemic/hemorrhagic). Patients were classified on the basis of renal damage: without renal dysfunction, with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Of a total of 186,219 patients with a first episode of stroke, 1626 (0.9%) had CKD and 819 (0.4%) had ESRD. Stroke-related IHM (total cases) was independently associated with CKD, ESRD, atrial fibrillation (AF), age, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). In patients with ischemic stroke (n=154,026), IHM remained independently associated with CKD, ESRD, AF, and CCI. In patients with hemorrhagic stroke (n=32,189), variables that were independently associated with IHM were CKD, ESRD, and AF. Renal dysfunction is associated with IHM related to stroke, both ischemic and hemorrhagic, with even higher odds ratios than those of other established risk factors, such as age, comorbidities, and AF. © The Author(s) 2013.

Implementing the water framework directive: contract design and the cost of measures to reduce nitrogen pollution from agriculture.

PubMed

Bartolini, Fabio; Gallerani, Vittorio; Raggi, Meri; Viaggi, Davide

2007-10-01

The performance of different policy design strategies is a key issue in evaluating programmes for water quality improvement under the Water Framework Directive (60/2000). This issue is emphasised by information asymmetries between regulator and agents. Using an economic model under asymmetric information, the aim of this paper is to compare the cost-effectiveness of selected methods of designing payments to farmers in order to reduce nitrogen pollution in agriculture. A principal-agent model is used, based on profit functions generated through farm-level linear programming. This allows a comparison of flat rate payments and a menu of contracts developed through mechanism design. The model is tested in an area of Emilia Romagna (Italy) in two policy contexts: Agenda 2000 and the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. The results show that different policy design options lead to differences in policy costs as great as 200-400%, with clear advantages for the menu of contracts. However, different policy scenarios may strongly affect such differences. Hence, the paper calls for greater attention to the interplay between CAP scenarios and water quality measures.

Implementing the Water Framework Directive: Contract Design and the Cost of Measures to Reduce Nitrogen Pollution from Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartolini, Fabio; Gallerani, Vittorio; Raggi, Meri; Viaggi, Davide

2007-10-01

The performance of different policy design strategies is a key issue in evaluating programmes for water quality improvement under the Water Framework Directive (60/2000). This issue is emphasised by information asymmetries between regulator and agents. Using an economic model under asymmetric information, the aim of this paper is to compare the cost-effectiveness of selected methods of designing payments to farmers in order to reduce nitrogen pollution in agriculture. A principal-agent model is used, based on profit functions generated through farm-level linear programming. This allows a comparison of flat rate payments and a menu of contracts developed through mechanism design. The model is tested in an area of Emilia Romagna (Italy) in two policy contexts: Agenda 2000 and the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. The results show that different policy design options lead to differences in policy costs as great as 200-400%, with clear advantages for the menu of contracts. However, different policy scenarios may strongly affect such differences. Hence, the paper calls for greater attention to the interplay between CAP scenarios and water quality measures.

Exploring regional differences in the reading competencies of Italian students.

PubMed

Matteucci, Mariagiulia; Mignani, Stefania

2014-06-01

Recently, the study of territorial differences in educational outcomes has assumed a particular importance for the policy strategies related to the socioeconomic conditions of different geographical areas. In Italy, international surveys for student assessments have introduced a regional stratification only recently, and regular national student assessments started only in 2008. In this article, the reading performances of Italian students based on OECD-PISA 2009 are investigated, taking into account regional and macro-area partition. Student outcomes are explored by using a multilevel analysis, where school membership, socioeconomic and cultural background of students, and regional gross domestic product are introduced. The results show that, despite the existence of a unified educational system in Italy, regional and macro-area differences in student reading achievements are consolidated and variability in performances among schools is especially noticeable. Comparisons based on national assessments by INVALSI at the end of compulsory school confirm these findings. Italian policy makers are advised to take into account these results to improve learning opportunities and to reduce educational gaps. In particular, targeted regional policies are needed to improve the mean performance especially in the Southern regions of Calabria, Campania, and Sicilia, and to strengthen the system equity in several regions, such as Emilia-Romagna. To decrease the school differences, possible suggestions are to postpone the choice of the school type (currently, at age 14) and to motivate good teachers to work in schools located in the worst socioeconomic and cultural environments. © The Author(s) 2014.

Monitoring of land subsidence in Ravenna Municipality using two different DInSAR techniques: comparison and discussion of the results.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiaschi, Simone; Di Martire, Diego; Tessitore, Serena; Achilli, Vladimiro; Ahmed, Ahmed; Borgstrom, Sven; Calcaterra, Domenico; Fabris, Massimo; Ramondini, Massimo; Serpelloni, Enrico; Siniscalchi, Valeria; Floris, Mario

2015-04-01

Land subsidence affecting the Ravenna Municipality (Emilia Romagna Region, NE Italy) is one of the best example on how the exploitation of natural resources can affect the environment and the territory. In fact, the pumping of groundwater and the extraction of gas from both on and off-shore reservoirs, started in the 1950s, have caused a strong land subsidence affecting most of the Emilia Romagna territory but in particular the Adriatic Sea coastline near Ravenna. In such area the current subsidence rate, even if lower than in the past, can reach the -2cm/y. Local Authorities have monitored this phenomenon over the years with different techniques: spirit levelling, GPS surveys and, more recently, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) techniques, confirming the critical situation of land subsidence risk. In this work, we present the comparison between the results obtained with two different DInSAR techniques applied to the study of the land subsidence in the Ravenna territory: the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) and the Coherent Pixel Technique (CPT) techniques. The SBAS works on SARscape software and is based on the Berardino et al., 2002 algorithm. This technique relies on the combination of differential interferograms created from stacks of SAR image pairs that have small temporal and perpendicular baselines. Thanks to the application of several interferograms for every single image, it is possible to obtain high spatial coherence, high data density and more effective error reduction. This allows us to obtain mean velocity maps with good data density even over non-urbanized territories. For the CPT we used the SUBsoft processor based on the algorithm implemented by Mora et al., 2003. CPT is able to extract from a stack of differential interferograms the deformation evolution over wide areas during large time spans. The processing scheme is composed of three main steps: a) the generation of the best interferogram set among all the available images of the zone under study; b) the selection of the pixels with reliable phase within the employed interferograms and, c) their phase analysis to calculate, as the main result, their deformation time series within the observation period. For this study, different SAR images have been used: 25 meters ground resolution ERS 1/2 (1992-2000) and ENVISAT (2003-2010), and 3 meters ground resolution TerraSAR-X (2012-2014). The results obtained for each stack of images with the two techniques are validated and compared with the C-GPS time series of more than three benchmarks stations. The aim is to test the two InSAR techniques in the monitoring of ground settlements in low urbanized territories. Furthermore, we have investigated the advantages (data accuracy and density) of using SAR images with higher ground resolution.

[Methods for health impact assessment of policies for municipal solid waste management: the SESPIR Project].

PubMed

Parmagnani, Federica; Ranzi, Andrea; Ancona, Carla; Angelini, Paola; Chiusolo, Monica; Cadum, Ennio; Lauriola, Paolo; Forastiere, Francesco

2014-01-01

The Project Epidemiological Surveillance of Health Status of Resident Population Around the Waste Treatment Plants (SESPIR) included five Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lazio, Campania, and Sicily) and the National Institute of Health in the period 2010-2013. SESPIR was funded by the Ministry of Health as part of the National centre for diseases prevention and control (CCM) programme of 2010 with the general objective to provide methods and operational tools for the implementation of surveillance systems for waste and health, aimed at assessing the impact of the municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment cycle on the health of the population. The specific objective was to assess health impacts resulting from the presence of disposal facilities related to different regional scenarios of waste management. Suitable tools for analysis of integrated assessment of environmental and health impact were developed and applied, using current demographic, environmental and health data. In this article, the methodology used for the quantitative estimation of the impact on the health of populations living nearby incinerators, landfills and mechanical biological treatment plants is showed, as well as the analysis of three different temporal scenarios: the first related to the existing plants in the period 2008-2009 (baseline), the second based on regional plans, the latter referring to MSW virtuous policy management based on reduction of produced waste and an intense recovery policy.

The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Experience in Transformation. Third Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Carolyn, Ed.; Gandini, Lella, Ed.; Forman, George, Ed.

2011-01-01

Why does the city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy feature one of the best public systems of early education in the world? This book documents the comprehensive and innovative approach that utilizes the "hundred languages of children" to support their well-being and foster their intellectual development. Reggio Emilia is a fast-growing…

Follow and Facilitate: What Music Educators Can Learn from the Reggio Emilia Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Vanessa L.

2013-01-01

The educational practices of the municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy, are celebrated as among the best in the world. Inspired by this educational system, schools across America have adapted the Reggio Emilia approach. Yet, music educators may be unaware of its principles as the approach is not often discussed in music education literature. The…

Birth, growth and progresses through the last twelve years of a regional scale landslide warning system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fanti, Riccardo; Segoni, Samuele; Rosi, Ascanio; Lagomarsino, Daniela; Catani, Filippo

2017-04-01

SIGMA is a regional landslide warning system that operates in the Emilia Romagna region (Italy). In this work, we depict its birth and the continuous development process, still ongoing, after over a decade of operational employ. Traditionally, landslide rainfall thresholds are defined by the empirical correspondence between a rainfall database and a landslide database. However, in the early stages of the research, a complete catalogue of dated landslides was not available. Therefore, the prototypal version of SIGMA was based on rainfall thresholds defined by means of a statistical analysis performed over the rainfall time series. SIGMA was purposely designed to take into account both shallow and deep seated landslides and it was based on the hypothesis that anomalous or extreme values of accumulated rainfall are responsible for landslide triggering. The statistical distribution of the rainfall series was analyzed, and multiples of the standard deviation (σ) were used as thresholds to discriminate between ordinary and extraordinary rainfall events. In the warning system, the measured and the forecasted rainfall are compared with these thresholds. Since the response of slope stability to rainfall may be complex, SIGMA is based on a decision algorithm aimed at identifying short but exceptionally intense rainfalls and mild but exceptionally prolonged rains: while the former are commonly associated with shallow landslides, the latter are mainly associated with deep-seated landslides. In the first case, the rainfall threshold is defined by high σ values and short durations (i.e. a few days); in the second case, σ values are lower but the decision algorithm checks long durations (i.e. some months). The exact definition of "high" and "low" σ values and of "short" and "long" duration varied through time according as it was adjusted during the evolution of the model. Indeed, since 2005, a constant work was carried out to gather and organize newly available data (rainfall recordings and landslides occurred) and to use them to define more robust relationships between rainfalls and landslide triggering, with the final aim to increase the forecasting effectiveness of the warning system. The updated rainfall and landslide database were used to periodically perform a quantitative validation and to analyze the errors affecting the system forecasts. The errors characterization was used to implement a continuous process of updating and modification of SIGMA, that included: - Main model upgrades (generalization from a pilot test site to the whole Emilia Romagna region; calibration against well documented landslide events to define specific σ levels for each territorial units; definition of different alert levels according to the number of expected - Ordinary updates (periodically, the new landslide and rainfall data were used to re-calibrate the thresholds, taking into account a more robust sample). - Model tuning (set up of the optimal version of the decisional algorithm, including different definitions of "long" and "short" periods; selection of the optimal reference rain gauge for each Territorial Unit; modification of the boundaries of some territorial - Additional features (definition of a module that takes into account the effect of snow melt and snow accumulation; coupling with a landslide susceptibility model to improve the spatial accuracy of the model). - Various performance tests (including the comparison with alternate versions of SIGMA or with thresholds based on rainfall intensity and duration). This process has led to an evolution of the warning system and to a documented improvement of its forecasting effectiveness. Landslide forecasting at regional scale is a very complex task, but as time passes by and with the systematic gathering of new substantial data and the continuous progresses of research, uncertainties can be progressively reduced and a warning system can be set that increases its performances and reliability with time.

Testing coastal DRR in current and climate change scenarios - Artificial winter dune system in a highly touristic beach in the Northern Adriatic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duo, Enrico; Armaroli, Clara

2017-04-01

Artificial dunes are common features built along the coast of the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) that act as temporary protections during the stormy season in order to prevent damages and inundation to the structures located on the backshore. The RER coast is in fact characterised by low sandy beaches that are exploited for tourism and where beach huts are permanently present on the rear part of the beach. While scientists and regional managers already provided proofs of the capacity of the artificial dunes to lower the hazard component, any study has never investigated their direct impacts in the current (CS) and climate change scenarios (CCS). The RISC-KIT project (www.risckit.eu) provided a methodology for testing DRRs at local level integrating hydro-morphological numerical modelling with a Bayesian Network to assess the consequences of extreme events for different scenarios. The approach was applied at the beach of Lido degli Estensi and Spina (Comacchio, Italy) in the Emilia-Romagna coast. It is a highly touristic area with concessions directly facing the sea, providing sun-and-beach tourism services during summer time, and private residences, commercial activities and hotels at the seafront. The flooding and erosion hazards were analyzed, along with their impacts. A 2DH XBeach model was built and forced with a large number of triangular storms, representative of many different representative combinations of waves' and total water level's ranges observed at regional level. Flooding and erosion results were input into a Bayesian Network which included, as feeding variables categories, deep water boundary conditions (including the CCS trigger), receptors (type and location of assets at the coast), hazard intensity affecting the receptors, impacts and DRR. Therefore, it was possible to integrate a flood damage curve and an erosion potential damage function for the analyzed receptors (beach concessions and residential/commercial buildings), in order to calculate the direct impacts. The artificial dune system was implemented, as representative of the DRR scenario, modifying the topography through the DuneMaker 2.0 Matlab tool. The CCS was implemented through a predicted RSLR under RCP8.52050. The results evidenced that the DRR positively influenced both flooding and erosion hazard intensities distributions. The impacts for the CS showed that, potentially: 20% of residential and commercial buildings and 90% of concessions will be preserved from flood impacts; more than 50% of concessions will be preserved from erosion impacts. The impacts of the CCS evidenced that, potentially: 65% of residential and commercial buildings and 95% of concessions will be preserved from flood impacts; more than 30% of concessions will be preserved from erosion. The positive effect on coastal extreme storm impacts of the implementation of the artificial dunes was evidenced and quantified in comparison with current and climate change scenarios without any DRR implemented. Ongoing studies on the artificial winter dunes, comparing field drone observations and numerical modelling, are being implemented starting from October 2016. Besides, the methodology, if properly adapted, can be applied for any type of DRR, as demonstrated by the RISC-KIT project. It is able to help managers in comparing DRR solutions or strategic alternatives.

Early Child Care and Education, Italian Style: The Reggio Emilia Daycare and Preschool Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New, Rebecca S.

The municipal early childhood program in Reggio Emilia, Italy, one of the most renowned examples of community-supported child care systems in the Western world, is described. A brief historical overview is followed by discussion of such aspects of the Reggio Emilia project as the high level of exchange between families and schools, the…

A framework to assess welfare mix and service provision models in health care and social welfare: case studies of two prominent Italian regions.

PubMed

Longo, Francesco; Notarnicola, Elisabetta; Tasselli, Stefano

2015-04-09

The mechanisms through which the relationships among public institutions, private providers and families affect care and service provision systems are puzzling. How can we understand the mechanisms in these contexts? Which elements should we explore to capture the complexity of care provision? The aim of our study is to provide a framework that can help read and reframe these puzzling care provision mechanisms in a welfare mix context. First, we develop a theoretical framework for understanding how service provision occurs in care systems that are characterised by a variety of relationships between multiple actors, using an evidence-based approach that looks at both public and private expenditures and the number of users relative to the level of needs coverage and compared with declared values and political rhetoric. Second, we test this framework in two case studies built on data from two prominent Italian regions, Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. We argue that service provision models depend on the interplay among six conceptual elements: policy values, governance rules, resources, nature of the providers, service standards and eligibility criteria. Our empirical study shows that beneath the relevant differences in values and political rhetoric between the case studies of the two Italian regions, there is a surprising isomorphism in service standards and the levels of covering the population's needs. The suggested framework appears to be effective and feasible; it fosters interdisciplinary approaches and supports policy-making discussions. This study may contribute to deepening knowledge about public care service provision and institutional arrangements, which can be used to promote more effective reforms and may advance future research. Although the framework was tested on the Italian welfare system, it can be used to assess many different systems.

Earthquakes and depleted gas reservoirs: which comes first?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mucciarelli, M.; Donda, F.; Valensise, G.

2014-12-01

While scientists are paying increasing attention to the seismicity potentially induced by hydrocarbon exploitation, little is known about the reverse problem, i.e. the impact of active faulting and earthquakes on hydrocarbon reservoirs. The recent 2012 earthquakes in Emilia, Italy, raised concerns among the public for being possibly human-induced, but also shed light on the possible use of gas wells as a marker of the seismogenic potential of an active fold-and-thrust belt. Based on the analysis of over 400 borehole datasets from wells drilled along the Ferrara-Romagna Arc, a large oil and gas reserve in the southeastern Po Plain, we found that the 2012 earthquakes occurred within a cluster of sterile wells surrounded by productive ones. Since the geology of the productive and sterile areas is quite similar, we suggest that past earthquakes caused the loss of all natural gas from the potential reservoirs lying above their causative faults. Our findings have two important practical implications: (1) they may allow major seismogenic zones to be identified in areas of sparse seismicity, and (2) suggest that gas should be stored in exploited reservoirs rather than in sterile hydrocarbon traps or aquifers as this is likely to reduce the hazard of triggering significant earthquakes.

Padus, Sandalus, Gens Fadiena. Underwater Surveys in Palaeo-Watercourses (ferrara District - Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bucci, G.

2015-04-01

In the ambit of our program of researches on ancient rivers in Ferrara hinterland (Italy), we have been joining a Scientific - Didactic Project between Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici dell'Emilia Romagna, Comune di Portomaggiore Assessorato alla Cultura, CMAS A.CDCI. - Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques Federation ITA F07 - Associazione CMAS Diving Center Italia. The Project is focused on underwater archaeological surveys in ex quarry lakes, following the Rivers Padus and Sandalus between Voghiera, Gambulaga and Portomaggiore (Ferrara District). Here we are going to introduce our most recent results, after the last immersions and a 3D bathymetrical survey completed by echo-side scan sonar in Tramonto Lake at Gambulaga, explaining the connection with remote sensing investigations and direct surveys applied to underwater archaeology of the inland water. The main submerged structure individuated is a part of wooden dock on the left side of Padus, in front of the Necropolis of Fadieni (1st-3rd cent. A.D.). Thanks to the study of 183 finds coming from the lake, involving students and young collaborators of the Archaeological National Museum of Ferrara, we are reconstructing the ancient landscape between Proto-Imperial Age and Late Antique.

The analysis of a cardiological network in a regulated setting: a spatial interaction approach.

PubMed

Lippi Bruni, Matteo; Nobilio, Lucia; Ugolini, Cristina

2008-02-01

We analyse referral patterns for patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, a procedure for which the assumption of a negative association between volume and adverse outcomes is used to justify its territorial concentration. Nevertheless, recent clinical evidence shows PTCA superiority for immediate treatment of acute myocardial infarction, which advises an increase in the number of points of delivery. Our paper aims to develop analytical tools designed to provide support to policy makers when they are asked to evaluate the spatial distribution of catheterisation laboratories that perform PTCA. Information is drawn from the regional administrative hospital discharge data (SDO) for the year 2002. We first use entropy indexes to investigate the spatial accessibility of the cardiological network. Secondly, by means of a gravity model estimated using Bayesian techniques we identify the determinants of patient flows in terms of demand and supply factors. Our results suggest that information on destinations is processed hierarchically and that agglomeration-like forces are dominant. Furthermore, although self-sufficiency of provision at the provincial level has been achieved to a large extent, there is still scope to improve the organisational efficiency of the network.

Serological and molecular tools to diagnose visceral leishmaniasis: 2-years’ experience of a single center in Northern Italy

PubMed Central

Ortalli, Margherita; Attard, Luciano; Vanino, Elisa; Gaibani, Paolo; Vocale, Caterina; Rossini, Giada; Cagarelli, Roberto; Pierro, Anna; Billi, Patrizia; Mastroianni, Antonio; Di Cesare, Simona; Codeluppi, Mauro; Franceschini, Erica; Melchionda, Fraia; Gramiccia, Marina; Scalone, Aldo; Gentilomi, Giovanna A.; Landini, Maria P.

2017-01-01

The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) remains challenging, due to the limited sensitivity of microscopy, the poor performance of serological methods in immunocompromised patients and the lack of standardization of molecular tests. The aim of this study was to implement a combined diagnostic workflow by integrating serological and molecular tests with standardized clinical criteria. Between July 2013 and June 2015, the proposed workflow was applied to specimens obtained from 94 in-patients with clinical suspicion of VL in the Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy. Serological tests and molecular techniques were employed. Twenty-one adult patients (22%) had a confirmed diagnosis of VL by clinical criteria, serology and/or real-time polymerase chain reaction; 4 of these patients were HIV-positive. Molecular tests exhibited higher sensitivity than serological tests for the diagnosis of VL. In our experience, the rK39 immunochromatographic test was insufficiently sensitive for use as a screening test for the diagnosis of VL caused by L. infantum in Italy. However, as molecular tests are yet not standardized, further studies are required to identify an optimal screening test for Mediterranean VL. PMID:28832646

[The assessment of the impact of education and support to nursing research on nurses' scientific production in an Emilia Romagna Hospital].

PubMed

Forni, Cristiana; Chiari, Paolo; Guarino, Lorenza; Tremosini, Morena; Trofa, Carmela; D'Alessandro, Fabio; Sabattini, Tania; Mini, Sandra; Zanotti, Enrichetta

2014-01-01

In Italy research conducted by non medical professions is scarce also for the lack of knowledge on methods. At Rizzoli hospital in Bologna in 2006 a Centre for research to educate and support health professionals was implemented. To assess the impact of the research centre on number of research articles and protocols produced by nurses. Interrupted time series. In the five years before and after the implementation of the centre data on the number of protocols approved by Ethical Committee with a nurse as principal investigator and on the number of articles published on impacted journals with a nurse as first author were collected. The number of nurses authors of the publications was also collected. For all the variables an increasing trend, starting from 2006 was observed, with statistically significant differences from 2008 for the number of research protocols presented (p=0.037), the number of nurses authors of scientific articles (p=0.027). Although the number of publications on impacted journals increased from 2006, differences were not statistically significant after 2008. An hospital based Centre for education and support to research for health professionals may facilitate the scientific and research production.

Epidemiology and costs of cervical cancer screening and cervical dysplasia in Italy

PubMed Central

Rossi, Paolo Giorgi; Ricciardi, Alessandro; Cohet, Catherine; Palazzo, Fabio; Furnari, Giacomo; Valle, Sabrina; Largeron, Nathalie; Federici, Antonio

2009-01-01

Background We estimated the number of women undergoing cervical cancer screening annually in Italy, the rates of cervical abnormalities detected, and the costs of screening and management of abnormalities. Methods The annual number of screened women was estimated from National Health Interview data. Data from the Italian Group for Cervical Cancer Screening were used to estimate the number of positive, negative and unsatisfactory Pap smears. The incidence of CIN (cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia) was estimated from the Emilia Romagna Cancer Registry. Patterns of follow-up and treatment costs were estimated using a typical disease management approach based on national guidelines and data from the Italian Group for Cervical Cancer Screening. Treatment unit costs were obtained from Italian National Health Service and Hospital Information System of the Lazio Region. Results An estimated 6.4 million women aged 25–69 years undergo screening annually in Italy (1.2 million and 5.2 million through organized and opportunistic screening programs, respectively). Approximately 2.4% of tests have positive findings. There are approximately 21,000 cases of CIN1 and 7,000–17,000 cases of CIN2/3. Estimated costs to the healthcare service amount to €158.5 million for screening and €22.9 million for the management of cervical abnormalities. Conclusion Although some cervical abnormalities might have been underestimated, the total annual cost of cervical cancer prevention in Italy is approximately €181.5 million, of which 87% is attributable to screening. PMID:19243586

Bioengineering applied to erosion and stability control in the North Apennines (Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy): a check about critical aspects of the works.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selli, Lavinia; Cavazza, Claudio; Pavanelli, Donatella

2013-04-01

Because of its geological structure, in the Emilia-Romagna Region over 32,000 landslides have been identified. Several works have been made in order to control mass movement's dynamics and to secure of Reno and Lamone Mountain Basin Rivers, the road network and near by villages and towns. Most of the control works dealt with bioengineering practices: palisades piles, geotextiles, seedings, surface flow control works, dikes within main drainage ditches. In order to check about critical aspects related to the use of these techniques in the Apennines, a survey in this basins was designed with specific interest in the several kinds of works realised, in which plant species were mostly used and in the factors that affected the success or failure of the works. Territory encompasses steep slopes covered with woods to low reliefs covered with grasslands. It is characterized by prevailing clays, inducing instability, and arenaceous lithology with impermeable soils; drainage density is quite high and hillsides suffer extensive and severe erosion and slope stability problems. Chestnut woods mainly represent land use at higher altitudes, while coppice, pastures and crops are present on milder hillsides. The remaining part of the basin is covered by vineyards, orchards, ponds and urban areas, which are basically located in the valley floor. Precipitation events mainly consist of rainfall ranging between 950-1015 mm per year; few snowfalls occur during winter and a long dry season lasts from June until September. We have analyzed 187 works designed mainly for the consolidation of slope instabilities through a widespread enhancement of the vegetation cover. The surveyed works are classified as a function of their building features: it can be seen that cribwalls and palisades are by far the most common types, being the 24% and the 34% respectively of the works. As far as the most adopted plant species, they were silver willow (Salix alba), Spanish Broom (Spartium Junceum) and purple willow (Salix purpurea). Only the 25% of the interventions was accomplished by the use of secondary plant species, as tamarisk (Tamarix spp.,) blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) , whitethorn (Crataegus spp.), sea-buckthorn (Hipphopae rhamnoides), wild pear (Pyrus pyraster), cottonwood (Populus nigra), eglantine (Rosa spp.), goat-willow (Salix caprea) and cornel (Cornus sanguinea). Better results were achieved with Spanish Broom, a very rural plant that can effectively colonise even poor soils like badlands; as a matter of fact, more than the 75% of the interventions had positive outcomes The efficacy of the consolidation work by the presence of living structures point out an increase of the stability of those interventions older than 4 years, with taking root species present from 54% to 78%. So far, the construction and the reliability of the works have been monitored, in order to capture critical aspects for the success of works and to build a geo-referenced data base of the existing works and their status.

Coastal Risk Assessment Framework tool for the identification of hotspots along the Emilia-Romagna coastline (northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armaroli, Clara; Duo, Enrico; Ciavola, Paolo

2017-04-01

The Emilia-Romagna coastline is located in northern Italy, facing the Adriatic sea. The area is especially exposed to the flooding hazard because of its low lying nature, high urbanisation and the large exploitation of beach resources for tourism. The identification of hotspots where marine flooding can cause significant damages is, therefore, a key issue. The methodology implemented to identify hotspots is based on the Coastal Risk Assessment Framework tool that was developed in the RISC-KIT project (www.risckit.eu). The tool combines the hazard component with different exposure indicators and is applied along predefined coastal sectors of almost 1 Km alongshore length. The coastline was divided into 106 sectors in which each component was analysed. The hazard part was evaluated through the computation of maximum water levels, obtained as the sum of wave set-up, storm surge and tide, calculated along representative beach profiles, one per sector, and for two return periods (10 and 100 years). The data for the computation of the maximum water level were extracted from the literature. The landward extension of flood-prone areas in each sector was the extension of the flood maps produced by the regional authorities for the EU Flood Directive and for the same return periods. The exposure indicators were evaluated taking into account the location and type of different assets in each sector and in flood-prone areas. Specifically, the assets that were taken into account are: the transport network, the utilities (water, gas and electricity) networks, the land use typologies, the social vulnerability status of the population and the business sector. Each component was then ranked from 1 to 5, considering a scale based on their computed value (hazard), importance and location (exposure indicators). A final coastal index (CI) was computed as the root mean square of the geometrical mean of the exposure indicators multiplied by the hazard indicator. Land use typologies were valued taking into account a classification produced by the regional authorities for the Flood Directive. The social vulnerability status of the population was derived from data produced by the National Statistic Institute. The regional managers provided the location of transport and utilities networks. The business indicator was built considering the tourist arrivals in each coastal municipality compared to the total number of arrivals. The results showed that the coast is very exposed to flooding and that the 100 year return period event leads to the identification of a large number of hotspots (65 over 106) defined as sectors with CI > 2.5. The main drivers for the hotspot identification were the hazard indicator and the land use typologies, because important transport/utilities network are not located in flood-prone areas. The most critical sectors are situated in the central-southern part of the coastline, where the most attractive tourist facilities are located and where the coastal corridor is occupied by a continuous urbanisation.

STS-65 Earth observation of Hurricane Emilia in Eastern Pacific Ocean

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-07-18

STS-65 Earth observation taken aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, shows Hurricane Emilia in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Hurricane Emilia's wind speeds exceeded 150 knots. This high oblique view of the storm shows numerous spiral bands of thunderstorms, overshooting thunderstorm tops at the tropopause, and a well developed eye at the center of the picture. Shuttle photography provides high resolution details of these powerful and destructive systems that are not fully possible from lower-resolution, unmanned satellites.

How We View Young Children with Diverse Abilities: What Canada Can Learn From Reggio Emilia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loreman, Tim

2007-01-01

This paper examines the Canadian school system's image of children with diverse abilities aged 0-6-years old, and critiques this image in light of that held in the municipal early education system in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The argument is made that the Canadian image of young children with diverse abilities has its roots in modernism and sees them…

Price Changes in Regulated Healthcare Markets: Do Public Hospitals Respond and How?

PubMed

Verzulli, Rossella; Fiorentini, Gianluca; Lippi Bruni, Matteo; Ugolini, Cristina

2017-11-01

This paper examines the behaviour of public hospitals in response to the average payment incentives created by price changes for patients classified in different diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). Using panel data on public hospitals located within the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, we test whether a 1-year increase in DRG prices induced public hospitals to increase their volume of activity and whether a potential response is associated with changes in waiting times and/or length of stay. We find that public hospitals reacted to the policy change by increasing the number of patients with surgical treatments. This effect was smaller in the 2 years after the policy change than in later years, and for providers with a lower excess capacity in the pre-policy period, whereas it did not vary significantly across hospitals according to their degree of financial and administrative autonomy. For patients with medical DRGs, instead, there appeared to be no effect on inpatient volumes. Our estimates also suggest that an increase in DRG prices had no impact on the proportion of patients waiting more than 6 months. Finally, we find no evidence of a significant effect on patients' average length of stay. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The burden of vitamin D deficiency in a mediterranean country without a policy of food fortification.

PubMed

Lippi, Giuseppe; Nouvenne, Antonio; Ticinesi, Andrea; Bonelli, Patrizia; Salvagno, Gian Luca; Cervellin, Gianfranco; Guidi, Gian Cesare

2015-04-27

Vitamin D deficiency is a public healthcare issue and its correction is increasingly regarded as a cornerstone of preventive medicine. We designed a retrospective observational study to clearly define the burden of total vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) deficiency in a supposedly healthy population of outpatients residing in two regions (Emilia Romagna and Veneto) of Northern Italy. 25-hydroxyvitamin D results were available for a total number of 5,096 outpatients in the two centers. The median value of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 60 nmol/L, and was higher in women than in men (62 nmol/L versus 56 nmol/L; p<0.001). The rate of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency was 36%, and was marginally but significantly higher in men than in women (40% versus 35%; p=0.003). A significant variation in the rate of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency was found throughout different age ranges, exhibiting a significant increase in the elderly. The results of this large observational study show that the burden of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in two regions of a Mediterranean country without a policy of food fortification is as high as 36%, and this evidence represents a background for healthcare preventive measures aimed at reducing the prevalence of this condition in the general population. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Participation in sports, body composition, and fitness characteristics in children according to ethnic background.

PubMed

Toselli, S; Belcastro, M G

2017-12-01

Participation in sports has important implications, being associated with health and social features. The objectives of this study were to verify whether there were any differences in sport participation between immigrant and Italian children and whether there was any relation with their body composition and fitness characteristics. A survey was conducted on 1432 children attending primary school in the Emilia-Romagna (northern Italy). Anthropometric measurements, fitness characteristics, and data about participation in sports were considered. Italian children were more likely to participate in sports than immigrants and boys than girls. Among immigrants, the lowest values were observed in Asians. Eastern European males and Latin American females displayed the widest dimensions. Eastern Europeans generally showed the highest values of strength, while Latin Americans had the highest values of flexibility. Asian children showed the highest values of centripetal fat, and a high percentage of them exceeded the %F reference. These aspects, together with the low frequency of practicing sports, place Asians at greater risks for health. Sex and ethnic group are the most informative variables associated with participation in sports by children. Interventions including health education lessons and promoting the participation in sports for immigrant children attending schools need to be encouraged. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Serological surveillance of Leptospirosis in Italy: two‑year national data (2010‑2011).

PubMed

Tagliabue, Silvia; Figarolli, Bianca Maria; D'Incau, Mario; Foschi, Giovanni; Gennero, Maria Silvia; Giordani, Roberta; Giordani, Roberta; Natale, Alda; Papa, Paola; Ponti, Nicoletta; Scaltrito, Domenico; Spadari, Luisa; Vesco, Gesualdo; Ruocco, Luigi

2016-06-30

Nowadays, leptospirosis is a re‑emerging widespread infectious disease often underestimate worldwide. The National Reference Centre for Leptospirosis (NRCL), at the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna, Brescia (Italy), with the cooperation of all the other Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali (IIZZSS), evaluated the distribution of such important zoonosis in Italy. Serological data obtained between 2010‑2011 by each laboratory were collected by the NRCL and discussed. Serum samples collected from 43,935 animal specimens were analysed by the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT), using a panel of 8 serogroups as antigens (Australis, Ballum, Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona, Sejroe, Tarassovi). A MAT cut‑off of 1:100 was used to identify the serological positivities, 6,279 sera showed positive titers. Bovine (46.9%), swine (27.5%), ovine and goat (7.4%), dog (6.9%), and wild boar (4.5%) samples were delivered to the Laboratories more frequently than equine and other species sera. Data analysis showed that the most common serogroups in Italy are: Australis present in dogs, wild boars, horses, hares, swine, foxes, and rodents; Sejroe detected in cattle, sheep, goats, and buffaloes; Icterohaemorrhagiae present in dogs, goats, and foxes; Pomona detected in swine, cattle, and wild species; Grippotyphosa reported in hares.

Non-targeted 1H NMR fingerprinting and multivariate statistical analyses for the characterisation of the geographical origin of Italian sweet cherries.

PubMed

Longobardi, F; Ventrella, A; Bianco, A; Catucci, L; Cafagna, I; Gallo, V; Mastrorilli, P; Agostiano, A

2013-12-01

In this study, non-targeted (1)H NMR fingerprinting was used in combination with multivariate statistical techniques for the classification of Italian sweet cherries based on their different geographical origins (Emilia Romagna and Puglia). As classification techniques, Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy (SIMCA), Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) were carried out and the results were compared. For LDA, before performing a refined selection of the number/combination of variables, two different strategies for a preliminary reduction of the variable number were tested. The best average recognition and CV prediction abilities (both 100.0%) were obtained for all the LDA models, although PLS-DA also showed remarkable performances (94.6%). All the statistical models were validated by observing the prediction abilities with respect to an external set of cherry samples. The best result (94.9%) was obtained with LDA by performing a best subset selection procedure on a set of 30 principal components previously selected by a stepwise decorrelation. The metabolites that mostly contributed to the classification performances of such LDA model, were found to be malate, glucose, fructose, glutamine and succinate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of summer drought on isoprenoid emissions and carbon sink of three Scots pine provenances

PubMed Central

Lüpke, M.; Leuchner, M.; Steinbrecher, R.; Menzel, A.

2016-01-01

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) provenances cover broad ecological amplitudes. In a greenhouse study, we investigated the impact of drought stress and rewetting on gas exchange for three provenances (Italy: Emilia Romagna; Spain: Alto Ebro; Germany: East-German lowlands) of 2-year old Scots pine seedlings. CO2, water vapour and isoprenoid exchange of stressed and control trees were quantified with a four-chamber dynamic-enclosure system in the controlled environment of a climate chamber. The three provenances showed distinct isoprenoid emission patterns and were classified into a non-Δ3-carene, with either high α-/β-pinene or β-myrcene fraction, and a Δ3-carene dominated type. Isoprenoid emission rates, net-photosynthesis and transpiration were reduced during summer drought stress and significantly recovered after rewetting. A seasonal increase of isoprenoid emission rates towards autumn was observed for all control groups. Compared with the German provenance, the Spanish and Italian provenances revealed higher isoprenoid emission rates and more plastic responses to drought stress and seasonal development, which points to a local adaptation to climate. As a result of drought, net carbon uptake and transpiration of trees was reduced, but recovered after rewetting. We conclude from our study that Scots pine isoprenoid emission is more variable than expected and sensitive to drought periods, likely impacting regional air chemistry. Thus, a provenance-specific emission assessment accounting for reduced emission during prolonged (summer) drought is recommend for setting up biogenic volatile organic compound emission inventories used in air quality models. PMID:27591438

Characterization of 12 Capsicum varieties by evaluation of their carotenoid profile and pungency determination.

PubMed

Giuffrida, Daniele; Dugo, Paola; Torre, Germana; Bignardi, Chiara; Cavazza, Antonella; Corradini, Claudio; Dugo, Giacomo

2013-10-15

In this research 12 different varieties of Capsicum cultivars belonging to three species (Capsicum chinense, Capsicum annuum, Capsicum frutescens) and of various colour, shape, and dimension have been characterised by their carotenoids and capsaicinoids content. The berries were cultivated in the region Emilia-Romagna, in Northern Italy. The native carotenoid composition was directly investigated by an HPLC-DAD-APCI-MS methodology, for the first time. In total, 52 carotenoids have been identified and considerable variation in carotenoid composition was observed among the various cultivars investigated. Among the cultivars with red colour, some Habanero, Naga morich and Sinpezon showed an high β-carotene content, whereas Serrano, Tabasco and Jalapeno showed an high capsanthin content and the absence of β-carotene. Habanero golden and Scotch Bonnet showed a high lutein, α-carotene and β-carotene amounts, and Habanero orange was rich in antheraxanthin, capsanthin and zeaxanthin. Cis-cryptocapsin was present in high amount in Habanero chocolate. The qualitative and quantitative determination of the capsaicinoids, alkaloids responsible for the pungency level, has also been estimated by a validated chromatographic procedure (HPLC-DAD) after a preliminary drying step and an opportune extraction procedure. Results have also been expressed in Scoville units. Dry matter and water activity have also been established on the fresh berries. The dried peppers of each variety were then submitted to the evaluation of the total nitrogen content, measured by a Dumas system, permitting to provide information on the protein content that was found to be in the range between 7 and 16%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the dynamics of viscous masonry beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucchesi, M.; Pintucchi, B.; Šilhavý, M.; Zani, N.

2015-05-01

In this paper, we consider the longitudinal and transversal vibrations of the masonry beams and arches. The basic motivation is the seismic vulnerability analysis of masonry structures that can be modeled as monodimensional elements. The Euler-Bernoulli hypothesis is employed for the system of forces in the beam. The axial force and the bending moment are assumed to consist of the elastic and viscous parts. The elastic part is described by the no-tension material, i.e., the material with no resistance to tension and which accounts for the cases of limitless, as well as bounded compressive strength. The adaptation of this material to beams has been developed in Orlandi (Analisi non lineare di strutture ad arco in muratura. Thesis, 1999) and Zani (Eur J Mech A/Solids 23:467-484, 2004). The viscous part amounts to the Kelvin-Voigt damping depending linearly on the time derivatives of the linearized strain and curvature. The dynamical equations are formulated, and a mathematical analysis of them is presented. Specifically, following Gajewski et al. (Nichtlineare Operatorgleichungen und Operatordifferentialgleichungen. Akademie-Verlag, Berlin, 1974), the theorems of existence, uniqueness and regularity of the solution of the dynamical equations are recapitulated and specialized for our purposes, to support the numerical analysis applied previously in Lucchesi and Pintucchi (Eur J Mech A/Solids 26:88-105, 2007 ). As usual, for that the Galerkin method has been used. As an illustration, two numerical examples (slender masonry tower and masonry arch) are presented in this paper with the applied forces corresponding to the acceleration in the earthquake in Emilia Romagna in May 29, 2012.

Impact of summer drought on isoprenoid emissions and carbon sink of three Scots pine provenances.

PubMed

Lüpke, M; Leuchner, M; Steinbrecher, R; Menzel, A

2016-11-01

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) provenances cover broad ecological amplitudes. In a greenhouse study, we investigated the impact of drought stress and rewetting on gas exchange for three provenances (Italy: Emilia Romagna; Spain: Alto Ebro; Germany: East-German lowlands) of 2-year old Scots pine seedlings. CO 2 , water vapour and isoprenoid exchange of stressed and control trees were quantified with a four-chamber dynamic-enclosure system in the controlled environment of a climate chamber. The three provenances showed distinct isoprenoid emission patterns and were classified into a non-Δ 3 -carene, with either high α-/β-pinene or β-myrcene fraction, and a Δ 3 -carene dominated type. Isoprenoid emission rates, net-photosynthesis and transpiration were reduced during summer drought stress and significantly recovered after rewetting. A seasonal increase of isoprenoid emission rates towards autumn was observed for all control groups. Compared with the German provenance, the Spanish and Italian provenances revealed higher isoprenoid emission rates and more plastic responses to drought stress and seasonal development, which points to a local adaptation to climate. As a result of drought, net carbon uptake and transpiration of trees was reduced, but recovered after rewetting. We conclude from our study that Scots pine isoprenoid emission is more variable than expected and sensitive to drought periods, likely impacting regional air chemistry. Thus, a provenance-specific emission assessment accounting for reduced emission during prolonged (summer) drought is recommend for setting up biogenic volatile organic compound emission inventories used in air quality models. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Evaluation of coastal vulnerability: comparison of two different methodologies adopted by the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armaroli, Clara; Perini, Luisa; Calabrese, Lorenzo; Ciavola, Paolo; Salerno, Giovanni

2014-05-01

In the last years a large number of catastrophic events have occurred along worldwide coastlines (e.g.: 2012 Super-storm Sandy, US East Coast). European countries have to face similar calamities such as those caused by the recent Xaver cyclone (December 2013). The Emilia-Romagna coastline, Italy, along the North Adriatic Sea, is affected by storms that cause extensive damages. The coast has low elevations, is highly urbanised and there is a massive presence of defence structures. The area is micro-tidal (neap/spring tide ranges = 0.4/0.8 m), low energetic (65% Hs<=1 m) but subjected to significant surge levels (1 year return period = 0.85 m). Therefore an evaluation of the vulnerability of the coastal area is an urgent matter. The Regional Geological Survey has completed an analysis of three scenarios of damage produced by the concurrent happening of a marine storm and high surge levels (1-in-1, 10, 100 year return period) and high spring tidal levels (+0.45 m MSL). Wave heights were used to calculate run-up values along the whole coastline (on 187 equally spaced profiles extracted from LIDAR datasets). The result is a list of ten typology of different levels of damage obtained through the comparison between the computed water levels, for each scenario and along each profile, and the topography/human occupation of the coast. The assessment reveals that 60% of the coastline is vulnerable to the 1-in-1 year return period scenario, thus even modal meteorological conditions can generate significant losses. A comparison was made between the produced typologies and the actual damage caused by a recent storm and the correspondence is almost identical, underlining that the method is reliable. Because the above-mentioned methodology is only punctual, the Geological Survey has started a different evaluation of the areal extension of inundations. The methodology considers the concurrent happening of the same return period storms but in terms of wave set-up only (not including run-up) plus surge levels (extracted from the literature) plus high spring tide level. To find the extension of inundated areas and the intrusion distance of marine water inland, the Cost-Distance tool of ArcGIS was used. The tool is able to evaluate the contribution of each "cell", in which the coast has been divided (from LIDAR data), to avoid or favour the water movement inland, considering its location with respect to the shoreline, its elevation above MSL and the elevation/location of nearby cells. It does not account for water infiltration and terrain roughness, therefore, to avoid getting unrealistic results, an attenuation artifice was introduced: the maximum water level surface, calculated for each return period, is projected inland following a sloping plane. The intrusion distance is determined by the intersection of the oblique water surface and the ground. This artifice, together with the Cost-Distance tool, produces consistent results if compared to observed inundations with similar return periods. A further implementation of coastal vulnerability assessment will be performed through numerical modelling and Bayesian approaches (RISC-KIT EU Project, www.risckit.eu, GA 603458).

Key Elements of the Reggio Emilia Approach and How They Are Interconnected to Create the Highly Regarded System of Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNally, Shelley A.; Slutsky, Ruslan

2017-01-01

Reggio Emilia is a small city in Italy that has emerged as an exemplary model of early childhood education. The first schools were started and run by parents who wanted their children to experience an education that was different from their own. From that humble desire rose a system of infant/toddler preschools and now early elementary classes…

Forecasting skills of the ensemble hydro-meteorological system for the Po river floods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricciardi, Giuseppe; Montani, Andrea; Paccagnella, Tiziana; Pecora, Silvano; Tonelli, Fabrizio

2013-04-01

The Po basin is the largest and most economically important river-basin in Italy. Extreme hydrological events, including floods, flash floods and droughts, are expected to become more severe in the next future due to climate change, and related ground effects are linked both with environmental and social resilience. A Warning Operational Center (WOC) for hydrological event management was created in Emilia Romagna region. In the last years, the WOC faced challenges in legislation, organization, technology and economics, achieving improvements in forecasting skill and information dissemination. Since 2005, an operational forecasting and modelling system for flood modelling and forecasting has been implemented, aimed at supporting and coordinating flood control and emergency management on the whole Po basin. This system, referred to as FEWSPo, has also taken care of environmental aspects of flood forecast. The FEWSPo system has reached a very high level of complexity, due to the combination of three different hydrological-hydraulic chains (HEC-HMS/RAS - MIKE11 NAM/HD, Topkapi/Sobek), with several meteorological inputs (forecasted - COSMOI2, COSMOI7, COSMO-LEPS among others - and observed). In this hydrological and meteorological ensemble the management of the relative predictive uncertainties, which have to be established and communicated to decision makers, is a debated scientific and social challenge. Real time activities face professional, modelling and technological aspects but are also strongly interrelated with organization and human aspects. The authors will report a case study using the operational flood forecast hydro-meteorological ensemble, provided by the MIKE11 chain fed by COSMO_LEPS EQPF. The basic aim of the proposed approach is to analyse limits and opportunities of the long term forecast (with a lead time ranging from 3 to 5 days), for the implementation of low cost actions, also looking for a well informed decision making and the improvement of flood preparedness and crisis management for basins greater than 1.000 km2.

Linking Past to Present to Create an Image of the Child

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Eileen

2007-01-01

Principles of the Reggio Emilia approach are a catalyst for thinking about practices in early childhood education. Teachers in the child care system of Reggio Emilia encourage us to think about our image of childhood and the ways we interact with children, plan curriculum, and design environments. This article examines experiences in a rural…

Investigating source directivity for the 2012 Ml5.9 Emilia (Northern Italy) earthquake by jointly using High-rate GPS and Strong motion data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avallone, A.; Herrero, A.; Latorre, D.; Rovelli, A.; D'Anastasio, E.

2012-12-01

On May, 20th 2012, the Ferrara and Modena provinces (Emilia Romagna, Northern Italy) were struck by a moderate magnitude earthquake (Ml 5.9). The focal mechanism is consistent with a ~E-W-striking thrust fault. The mainshock was recorded by 29 high-rate sampling (1-Hz) continuous GPS (HRGPS) stations belonging to scientific or commercial networks and by 55 strong motion (SM) stations belonging to INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia) and RAN (Rete Accelerometrica Nazionale) networks, respectively. The spatial distribution of both HRGPS and SM stations with respect to the mainshock location allows a satisfactory azimuthal coverage of the area. To investigate directivity effects during the mainshock occurrence, we analyze the spatial variation of the peak ground displacement (PGD) measured either for HRGPS or SM sites, using different methods. For each HRGPS and SM site, we rotated the horizontal time series to the azimuth direction and we estimated the GPS-related and the SM-related peak ground displacement (G-PGD and S-PGD, respectively) retrieved by transverse component. However, in contrast to GPS displacements, the double integration of the SM data can be affected by the presence of drifts and, thus, they have to be corrected by quasi-manual procedures. To more properly compare the G-PGDs to the S-PGDs, we used the response spectrum. A response spectrum is simply the response of a series of oscillators of varying natural frequency, that are forced into motion by the same input. The asymptotic value of the displacement response spectrum is the peak ground displacement. Thus, for each HRGPS and SM site, we computed the value of this asymptotic trend (G-PGDrs and S-PGDrs, respectively). This method allows simple automatic procedures. The consistency of the PGDs derived from HRGPS and SM is also evaluated for sites where the two instruments are collocated. The PGDs obtained by the two different methods and the two different data types suggest a source directivity effect in the SE (~120°-150°N) direction.

Association between mothers’ screening uptake and daughters’ HPV vaccination: a quasi-experimental study on the effect of an active invitation campaign

PubMed Central

Baldacchini, Flavia; Campari, Cinzia; Perilli, Cinzia; Pascucci, Maria Grazia; Finarelli, Alba Carola; Moscara, Luigi; Rossi, Paolo Giorgi

2017-01-01

Objectives In Emilia-Romagna, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign started in 2008 offering free vaccines for 1996 and 1997 cohorts. Systematic active invitation was implemented for the 1997 cohort. Our study aimed at measuring the impact of the active invitation campaign on HPV vaccine coverage and on coverage inequalities in 11-year-old girls. Second, we evaluated the effect of the HPV vaccination campaign on participation in cervical cancer screening by mothers of target girls. Methods We collected information on vaccination status for girls residing in Reggio Emilia in 2008 and mothers’ screening history, before and after the 2008 vaccination campaign. Log-binomial regression models were performed to estimate Relative Risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of being vaccinated as regarded citizenship, siblings, mothers’ education, marital status and screening history, stratified by birth cohort. We also calculated RR of receiving a Pap test after the vaccination campaign as regarded education, daughter’s cohort and mothers’ decision to have their daughter vaccinated. Interaction between education and cohort in mothers overdue for Pap testing was calculated. Results Vaccination coverage was 46.3% for the uninvited cohort (1046/2260) and 77.9% for the invited cohort (1798/2307). In the uninvited cohort, daughters’ vaccination showed association with mothers’ education (8 to 11 years of education vs. graduated mothers, RR 1.61 95% CI 1.14–2.28), citizenship (foreigners vs. Italians, RR 0.45 95% CI 0.37–0.56) and screening history (regular vs. non-participant; RR 1.72 95% CI 1.26–2.36). In the invited cohort, only a slight association with screening history persisted (regular vs. non-participant; RR 1.20 95% CI 1.04–1.40). Highly educated under-screened mothers of the invited cohort showed a higher probability of receiving a Pap test after the vaccination campaign period (RR 1.27 95% CI 1.04–1.56) compared with those not invited, Conclusion Active invitation could increase overall HPV immunisation coverage and reduce socio-demographic inequalities and the association with mothers’ screening participation. PMID:28951407

[Lead exposure in the ceramic tile industry: time trends and current exposure levels].

PubMed

Candela, S; Ferri, F; Olmi, M

1998-01-01

There is a high density of industries for the production of ceramic tiles in the District of Scandiano (province of Reggio Emilia, Emilia Romagna region). In this area, since the beginning of 1970s, the time trend of Pb exposure in ceramic tile plants has been evaluated by means of biological monitoring (BM) data collected at the Service of Prevention and Safety in the Work Environment and its associated Toxicology Laboratory. From these data, a clear decreasing time trend of exposure levels is documented, the reduction being more evident during the seventies and in 1985-88. During the seventies BM was introduced systematically in all ceramic tile plants with the determination of delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine (ALA-U). As a consequence of the BM programme, hygienic measures for the abatement of pollution inside the plants were implemented, and a reduction, from 20.6% to 2%, of ALA-U values exceeding 10 mg/l, was observed. In 1985, the determination of lead in blood (PbB) replaced that of ALA-U in the BM programmes and highlighted the persistence of high level of exposure to Pb, which could not be outlined by means of ALA-U because of its lower sensitivity. PbB levels were 36.1 micrograms/100 ml and 25.7 micrograms/100 ml in male and female workers, respectively. These results required the implementation, within the plants, of additional hygienic measures and a significant reduction of PbB was obtained in the following three years. In 1988 PbB levels were 26.0 +/- 10.7 and 21.6 +/- 10.3 micrograms/100 ml in male and female workers, respectively. In 1993-95 Pb levels were obtained from 1328 male and 771 female workers of 56 plants, accounting for about 40% of the total number of workers in the ceramic industry, in the zones of Sassuolo and Scandiano. Exposure levels are not different from those observed in the preceding years, with PbB levels of 25.3 +/- 11.1 and 19.1 +/- 9.2 micrograms/100 ml in male and female workers, respectively.

[The economics of preventing psycho-social risks].

PubMed

Golzio, Luigi

2014-01-01

The aim of the essay is to show the SHIELD methodology for helping the firm management to improve the risks prevention policy. It has been tested in the field with positive results. SHIELD is a cost-benefit analysis application to compare prevention and non-prevention costs, which arise from non-market risks. In the economic perspective safety risks (which include psycho-social risks) are non-market ones as they cause injures to workers during the job. SHIELD (Social Health Indicators for Economic Labour Decisions), is the original method proposed by the author. It is a cost benefits analysis application, which compares safety prevention and non-prevention costs. The comparison allow stop management to evaluate the efficiency of the current safety prevention policy as it helps top management to answer to the policy question: how much to invest in prevention costs? The costs comparison is obtained through the reclassification of safety costs between prevention and non-prevention costs (which are composed by claim damages and penalty sanction costs). SHIELD has been tested empirically in four companies operating in the agribusiness sector during a research financed by the Assessorato all'Agricoltura and INAI Regionale of Emilia Romagna Region. Results are postive: it has been found that the increase of prevention costs causes the cut of non-prevention costs in all companies looked into, as assumed by the high reliability organization theory. SHIELD can be applied to all companies which must have an accounting system by law, no matter of the industry they act. Its application has limited costs as SHIELD doesn't need changes in the accounting system. Safety costs sustained by the company are simply reclassified in prevention and non-prevention costs. The comparison of these two costs categories has been appreciated by top management of companies investigated as a useful support to decide the risks prevention policy for the company. The SHIELD original feature compared with others cost benefit analysis application is to compute registered costs in the company accounting system.

Loris Malaguzzi and the Schools of Reggio Emilia: Provocation and Hope for a Renewed Public Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Peter

2016-01-01

Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994) was one of the great educationalists of the last century, helping to create a system of public (or municipal) schools in his home city of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy that is, arguably, the most successful example of radical or progressive education that has ever been. The article gives an introduction to Malaguzzi…

[Mortality study in metal electroplating workers in Bologna (Northern Italy)].

PubMed

Gerosa, Alberto; Scarnato, Corrado; Giacomozzi, Giuseppe; d'Errico, Angelo

2013-01-01

to investigate general and cause-specific mortality of workers exposed to metals and other chemicals in the electroplating industry in Bologna Province. factory records of workers employed in 90 electroplating companies present in 1995 were used to build a cohort of subjects potentially exposed to carcinogenic and other substances in this industry, defined as "revised cohort", which was followed-up for mortality from 1960, or since first employment in an electroplating company if later, to 2008. Mortality risk was also examined separately in a subset of the cohort, composed of workers with at least one year of employment in electroplating, denominated "final cohort". Death rates of residents in Emilia-Romagna Region (Northern Italy) were used as a reference. follow-up completeness was 99%. During the observation period, 533 deaths out of 2,983 subjects were observed in the revised cohort and 317 out of 1,739 in the final cohort. Significantly increased Standardized Mortality Ratios were estimated for overall mortality and for mortality from AIDS in the revised cohort and for bladder and rectal cancer in both cohorts. the present study is, to authors' knowledge, the largest mortality investigation conducted in Italy on electroplating workers, for both size and temporal extension. The presence of excess mortality from causes of death not consistently associated in the literature with exposure to agents in this industry suggests that further research is needed to confirm these associations.

Disability and inclusive education in an Italian Region: analysis of the data for the school year 2012-2013.

PubMed

Lanzarini, Evamaria; Parmeggiani, Antonia

2017-02-17

In Italy, pupils with disabilities enroll in mainstream schools and attend the ordinary classes at all educational levels. For the past twelve years, the Region Emilia Romagna has witnessed an increase in the number of children who are in need of special support. The aim of the study was to identify the causes of disability in children attending public schools during the school year 2012-2013. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey. Data were obtained from the Regional Education Department, and divided into categories based on clinical diagnoses. Statistical analyses were performed to analyze the distribution of the diagnostic categories among Provinces and school grades. The most recurrent combinations of illnesses were identified. Intellectual disability was the most common cause of impairment (38,5%), often associated with epilepsy and autism. Hyperkinetic disorder associated with specific disorders of scholastic skills was the most recurrent combination of diagnoses. Rare diseases were diagnosed in 4,1%, whereas 5,0% of cases were affected by Psychopathological disorders. Our study is the first in Italy for its focus on the causes of children's disabilities in an Italian region. Being familiar with the causes of disability affecting the children of a territory is important to allocate the available resources efficiently, and to ensure all children's effective social integration.

Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance: Bethesda Classification and Association with Human Papillomavirus

PubMed Central

Barcelos, Ana Cristina Macêdo; Michelin, Márcia Antoniazi; Adad, Sheila Jorge; Murta, Eddie Fernando Candido

2011-01-01

Introduction. To analyze patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) through a cytology review and the presence of microbiological agents, with consideration of colposcopy and semiannual tracking. Methods. 103 women with ASCUS were reviewed and reclassified: normal/inflammatory, ASCUS, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). If ASCUS confirmed, it was subclassified in reactive or neoplastic ASCUS, ASC-US, or ASC-H; and Regione Emilia Romagna Screening Protocol. Patients underwent a colposcopic examination, and test for Candida sp., bacterial vaginosis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and human papillomavirus (HPV) were performed. Results. Upon review, ASCUS was diagnosis in 70/103 (67.9%), being 38 (54.2%) reactive ASCUS and 32 (45.71%) neoplastic ASCUS; 62 (88.5%) ASC-US and 8 (11.41%) ASC-H. ASCUS (Regione Protocol), respectively 1-5: 15 (21.4%), 19 (27.1%), 3 (27.1%), 16 (22.8%), and 1 (1.4%). A higher number of cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II/III in the biopsies of patients with ASC-H compared to ASC-US (P = .0021). High-risk HPV test and presence of CIN II/III are more frequent in ASC-H than ASC-US (P = .031). Conclusions. ASC-H is associated with clinically significant disease. High-risk HPV-positive status in the triage for colposcopy of patients with ASC-US is associated with increased of CIN. PMID:21760701

Grid Oriented Implementation of the Tephra Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coltelli, M.; D'Agostino, M.; Drago, A.; Pistagna, F.; Prestifilippo, M.; Reitano, D.; Scollo, S.; Spata, G.

2009-04-01

TEPHRA is a two dimensional advection-diffusion model implemented by Bonadonna et al. [2005] that describes the sedimentation process of particles from volcanic plumes. The model is used by INGV - Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Catania, to forecast tephra dispersion during Etna volcanic events. Every day weather forecast provided by the Italian Air Force Meteorological Office in Rome and by the hydrometeorological service of ARPA in Emilia Romagna are processed by TEPHRA model with other volcanological parameters to simulate two different eruptive scenarios of Mt. Etna (corresponding to 1998 and 2002-03 Etna eruptions). The model outputs are plotted on maps and transferred to Civil Protection which takes the trouble to give public warnings and plan mitigation measures. The TEPHRA model is implemented in ANSI-C code using MPI commands to maximize parallel computation. Actually the model runs on an INGV Beowulf cluster. In order to provide better performances we worked on porting it to PI2S2 sicilian grid infrastructure inside the "PI2S2 Project" (2006-2008). We configured the application to run on grid, using Glite middleware, analyzed the obtained performances and comparing them with ones obtained on the local cluster. As TEPHRA needs to be run in a short time in order to transfer fastly the dispersion maps to Civil Protection, we also worked to minimize and stabilize grid job-scheduling time by using customized high-priority queues called Emergency Queue.

Land Subsidence International Symposium held in Venice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The Third International Symposium on Land Subsidence was held March 18-25, 1984, in Venice, Italy. Sponsors were the Ground-Water Commission of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Italian National Research Council (CNR), the Italian Regions of Veneto and Emilia-Romagna, the Italian Municipalities of Venice, Ravenna, and Modena, the Venice Province, and the European Research Office. Cosponsors included the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (ISSMFE), and the Association of Geoscientists for International Development (AGID).Organized within the framework of UNESCO's International Hydrological Program, the symposium brought together over 200 international interdisciplinary specialists in the problems of land subsidence due to fluid and mineral withdrawal. Because man's continuing heavy development of groundwater, gas, oil, and minerals is changing the natural regime and thus causing more and more subsiding areas in the world, there had been sufficient new land subsidence occurrence, problems, research, and remedial measures since the 1976 Second International Symposium held in Anaheim, California, to develop a most interesting program of nearly 100 papers from about 30 countries. The program consisted of papers covering case histories of fluid and mineral withdrawal, engineering theory and analysis, karst “sink-hole”-type subsidence, subsidence due to dewatering of organic deposits or due to application of water (hydrocompaction), instrumentation, legal, socioeconomic, and environmental effects of land subsidence, and remedial works.

Integrated Use of Remote Sensed Data and Numerical Cartography for the Generation of 3d City Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitelli, G.; Girelli, V. A.; Lambertini, A.

2018-05-01

3D city models are becoming increasingly popular and important, because they constitute the base for all the visualization, planning, management operations regarding the urban infrastructure. These data are however not available in the majority of cities: in this paper, the possibility to use geospatial data of various kinds with the aim to generate 3D models in urban environment is investigated. In 3D modelling works, the starting data are frequently the 3D point clouds, which are nowadays possible to collect by different sensors mounted on different platforms: LiDAR, imagery from satellite, airborne or unmanned aerial vehicles, mobile mapping systems that integrate several sensors. The processing of the acquired data and consequently the obtainability of models able to provide geometric accuracy and a good visual impact is limited by time, costs and logistic constraints. Nowadays more and more innovative hardware and software solutions can offer to the municipalities and the public authorities the possibility to use available geospatial data, acquired for diverse aims, for the generation of 3D models of buildings and cities, characterized by different level of detail. In the paper two cases of study are presented, both regarding surveys carried out in Emilia Romagna region, Italy, where 2D or 2.5D numerical maps are available. The first one is about the use of oblique aerial images realized by the Municipality for a systematic documentation of the built environment, the second concerns the use of LiDAR data acquired for other purposes; in the two tests, these data were used in conjunction with large scale numerical maps to produce 3D city models.

The PRECOS framework: Measuring the impacts of the global changes on soils, water, agriculture on territories to better anticipate the future.

PubMed

Trolard, Fabienne; Bourrié, Guilhem; Baillieux, Antoine; Buis, Samuel; Chanzy, André; Clastre, Philippe; Closet, Jean-François; Courault, Dominique; Dangeard, Marie-Lorraine; Di Virgilio, Nicola; Dussouilliez, Philippe; Fleury, Jules; Gasc, Jérémy; Géniaux, Ghislain; Jouan, Rachel; Keller, Catherine; Lecharpentier, Patrice; Lecroart, Jean; Napoleone, Claude; Mohammed, Gihan; Olioso, Albert; Reynders, Suzanne; Rossi, Federica; Tennant, Mike; de Vicente Lopez, Javier

2016-10-01

In a context of increased land and natural resources scarcity, the possibilities for local authorities and stakeholders of anticipating evolutions or testing the impact of envisaged developments through scenario simulation are new challenges. PRECOS's approach integrates data pertaining to the fields of water and soil resources, agronomy, urbanization, land use and infrastructure etc. It is complemented by a socio-economic and regulatory analysis of the territory illustrating its constraints and stakes. A modular architecture articulates modeling software and spatial and temporal representations tools. It produces indicators in three core domains: soil degradation, water and soil resources and agricultural production. As a territory representative of numerous situations of the Mediterranean Basin (urban pressures, overconsumption of spaces, degradation of the milieus), a demonstration in the Crau's area (Southeast of France) has allowed to validate a prototype of the approach and to test its feasibility in a real life situation. Results on the Crau area have shown that, since the beginning of the 16th century, irrigated grasslands are the cornerstones of the anthropic-system, illustrating how successfully men's multi-secular efforts have maintained a balance between environment and local development. But today the ecosystem services are jeopardized firstly by urban sprawl and secondly by climate change. Pre-diagnosis in regions of Emilia-Romagna (Italy) and Valencia (Spain) show that local end-users and policy-makers are interested by this approach. The modularity of indicator calculations and the availability of geo-databases indicate that PRECOS may be up scaled in other socio-economic contexts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rise and fall of outbreak-specific clone inside endemic pulsotype of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-; insights from high-resolution molecular surveillance in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, 2012 to 2015.

PubMed

Morganti, Marina; Bolzoni, Luca; Scaltriti, Erika; Casadei, Gabriele; Carra, Elena; Rossi, Laura; Gherardi, Paola; Faccini, Fabio; Arrigoni, Norma; Sacchi, Anna Rita; Delledonne, Marco; Pongolini, Stefano

2018-03-01

Background and aimEpidemiology of human non-typhoid salmonellosis is characterised by recurrent emergence of new clones of the pathogen over time. Some clonal lines of Salmonella have shaped epidemiology of the disease at global level, as happened for serotype Enteritidis or, more recently, for Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-, a monophasic variant of serotype Typhimurium. The same clonal behaviour is recognisable at sub-serotype level where single outbreaks or more generalised epidemics are attributable to defined clones. The aim of this study was to understand the dynamics of a clone of Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:- over a 3-year period (2012-15) in a province of Northern Italy where the clone caused a large outbreak in 2013. Furthermore, the role of candidate outbreak sources was investigated and the accuracy of multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) was evaluated. Methods: we retrospectively investigated the outbreak through whole genome sequencing (WGS) and further monitored the outbreak clone for 2 years after its conclusion. Results: The study showed the transient nature of the clone in the population, possibly as a consequence of its occasional expansion in a food-processing facility. We demonstrated that important weaknesses characterise conventional typing methods applied to clonal pathogens such as Salmonella 4,[5],12:i:-, namely lack of accuracy for MLVA and inadequate resolution power for PFGE to be reliably used for clone tracking. Conclusions : The study provided evidence for the remarkable prevention potential of whole genome sequencing used as a routine tool in systems that integrate human, food and animal surveillance.

[Quality indicators for the assessment of ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) networks. How hospital discharge records could be integrated with Emergency medical services data: the Emilia-Romagna STEMI network experience].

PubMed

Pavesi, Pier Camillo; Guastaroba, Paolo; Casella, Gianni; Berti, Elena; De Palma, Rossana; Di Bartolomeo, Stefano; Di Pasquale, Giuseppe

2015-09-01

The assessment of the regional network for ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) is fundamental for quality assurance. Since 2011 all Italian Health Authorities, in addition to hospital discharge records (HDR), must provide a standardized information flow (ERD) about emergency department (ED) and emergency medical system (EMS) activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether data integration of ERD with HDR may allow the development of appropriate quality indicators. Patients admitted to coronary care units (CCU) for STEMI between January 1 to December 31, 2013, were identified from the regional HDR database. All data were linked to those of the regional ERD database. Four quality indicators were defined: 1) rates of EMS activation, 2) rates of EMS direct transfer to the catheterization laboratory (Cath-lab), 3) transfer rates from a Spoke to a Hub hospital with angioplasty facilities, and 4) median time spent in ED. In 2013, 2793 patients with STEMI were admitted to the CCU. Of these, 1684 patients (60%) activated EMS and were transported to Spoke or Hub hospitals; 955 (57%) entered directly in CCU/Cath-lab; 677 were transferred directly to a Hub hospital ED without being admitted to a Spoke hospital. The median ED time in Hub hospital was 47 min (IQR 24-136) and in Spoke hospital 53 min (IQR 30-131). The integration among administrative data banks (i.e., HDR with ERD) allowed the assessment of the regional STEMI network and the identification of potentially useful quality indicators. Their easy availability should enable comparisons with local, national and international standards, and may favor quality improvement.

Industrial Accidents Triggered by Natural Hazards: an Emerging Risk Issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renni, Elisabetta; Krausmann, Elisabeth; Basco, Anna; Salzano, Ernesto; Cozzani, Valerio

2010-05-01

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding or hurricanes have recently and dramatically hit several countries worldwide. Both direct and indirect consequences involved the population, causing on the one hand a high number of fatalities and on the other hand so relevant economical losses that the national gross product may be affected for many years. Loss of critical industrial infrastructures (electricity generation and distribution, gas pipelines, oil refineries, etc.) also occurred, causing further indirect damage to the population. In several cases, accident scenarios with large releases of hazardous materials were triggered by these natural events, causing so-called "Natech events", in which the overall damage resulted from the simultaneous consequences of the natural event and of the release of hazardous substances. Toxic releases, large fires and explosions, as well as possible long-term environmental pollution, economical losses, and overloading of emergency systems were recognised by post-event studies as the main issues of these Natech scenarios. In recent years the increasing frequency and severity of some natural hazards due to climate change has slowly increased the awareness of Natech risk as an emerging risk among the stakeholders. Indeed, the iNTeg-Risk project, co-funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Program specifically addresses these scenarios among new technological issues on public safety. The present study, in part carried out within the iNTeg-Risk project, was aimed at the analysis and further development of methods and tools for the assessment and mitigation of Natech accidents. Available tools and knowledge gaps in the assessment of Natech scenarios were highlighted. The analysis mainly addressed the potential impact of flood, lightning and earthquake events on industrial installations where hazardous substances are present. Preliminary screening methodologies and more detailed methods based on quantitative risk analysis were developed. Strategies based on the use of multiple information layers aiming at the identification of mitigation and early warning systems were also explored. A case-study in the Emilia-Romagna region is presented.

Joint Workshop on High Confidence Medical Devices, Software, and Systems (HCMDSS) and Medical Device Plug-and-Play (MD PnP) Interoperability

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

Giacomo Cabri, Francesco De Mola , Letizia Leonardi University of Modena, ITALY Plug-and-Play and Network-Capable Medical Instrumentation and...Janice Crosby CIMIT Steven Dain University of Western Ontario Francesco De Mola University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Ann Demaree CapsuleTech, Inc. Robert...Jennifer Hou Mu Sun University of Kentucky Brent Seales University of Michigan John Hayes University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Francesco De Mola

Safety assessment of historical masonry churches based on pre-assigned kinematic limit analysis, FE limit and pushover analyses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milani, Gabriele, E-mail: milani@stru.polimi.it; Valente, Marco, E-mail: milani@stru.polimi.it

2014-10-06

This study presents some results of a comprehensive numerical analysis on three masonry churches damaged by the recent Emilia-Romagna (Italy) seismic events occurred in May 2012. The numerical study comprises: (a) pushover analyses conducted with a commercial code, standard nonlinear material models and two different horizontal load distributions; (b) FE kinematic limit analyses performed using a non-commercial software based on a preliminary homogenization of the masonry materials and a subsequent limit analysis with triangular elements and interfaces; (c) kinematic limit analyses conducted in agreement with the Italian code and based on the a-priori assumption of preassigned failure mechanisms, where themore » masonry material is considered unable to withstand tensile stresses. All models are capable of giving information on the active failure mechanism and the base shear at failure, which, if properly made non-dimensional with the weight of the structure, gives also an indication of the horizontal peak ground acceleration causing the collapse of the church. The results obtained from all three models indicate that the collapse is usually due to the activation of partial mechanisms (apse, façade, lateral walls, etc.). Moreover the horizontal peak ground acceleration associated to the collapse is largely lower than that required in that seismic zone by the Italian code for ordinary buildings. These outcomes highlight that structural upgrading interventions would be extremely beneficial for the considerable reduction of the seismic vulnerability of such kind of historical structures.« less

Hgis and Archive Researches: a Tool for the Study of the Ancient Mill Channel of Cesena (italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitelli, G.; Bartolini, F.; Gatta, G.

2016-06-01

The present study aims to demonstrate the usefulness of GIS to support archive searches and historical studies (e.g. related to industrial archaeology), in the case of an ancient channel for mill powering near Cesena (Emilia-Romagna, Italy), whose history is weaved together with the history of the Compagnia dei Molini di Cesena mill company, the most ancient limited company in Italy. Several historical maps (about 40 sheets in total) inherent the studied area and 80 archive documents (drawings, photos, specifications, administrative acts, newspaper articles), over a period of more than 600 years, were collected. Once digitized, historical maps were analysed, georeferenced and mosaicked where necessary. Subsequently, in all the maps the channel with its four mills and the Savio river were vectorized. All the additional archive documents were digitized, catalogued and stored. Using the QGIS open source platform, a Historical GIS was created, encompassing the current cartographic base and all historical maps, with their vectorized elements; each archive document was linked to the proper historical map, so that the document can be immediately retrieved and visualized. In such a HGIS, the maps form the base for a spatial and temporal navigation, facilitated by a specific interface; the external documents linked to them complete the description of the represented elements. This simple and interactive tool offers a new approach to archive searches, as it allows reconstruction in space and time of the evolution of the ancient channel and the history of this important mill company.

The limitations of some European healthcare databases for monitoring the effectiveness of pregnancy prevention programmes as risk minimisation measures.

PubMed

Charlton, R A; Bettoli, V; Bos, H J; Engeland, A; Garne, E; Gini, R; Hansen, A V; de Jong-van den Berg, L T W; Jordan, S; Klungsøyr, K; Neville, A J; Pierini, A; Puccini, A; Sinclair, M; Thayer, D; Dolk, H

2018-04-01

Pregnancy prevention programmes (PPPs) exist for some medicines known to be highly teratogenic. It is increasingly recognised that the impact of these risk minimisation measures requires periodic evaluation. This study aimed to assess the extent to which some of the data needed to monitor the effectiveness of PPPs may be present in European healthcare databases. An inventory was completed for databases contributing to EUROmediCAT capturing pregnancy and prescription data in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy (Tuscany/Emilia Romagna), Wales and the rest of the UK, to determine the extent of data collected that could be used to evaluate the impact of PPPs. Data availability varied between databases. All databases could be used to identify the frequency and duration of prescriptions to women of childbearing age from primary care, but there were specific issues with availability of data from secondary care and private care. To estimate the frequency of exposed pregnancies, all databases could be linked to pregnancy data, but the accuracy of timing of the start of pregnancy was variable, and data on pregnancies ending in induced abortions were often not available. Data availability on contraception to estimate compliance with contraception requirements was variable and no data were available on pregnancy tests. Current electronic healthcare databases do not contain all the data necessary to fully monitor the effectiveness of PPP implementation, and thus, special data collection measures need to be instituted.

[The degree of coincidence between the needs of cancer patients and the answers in the statutes of associations and dedicated health services].

PubMed

Copelli, Patrizia; Foà, Chiara; Devincenzi, Franca; Fanfoni, Rita; Prandi, Rossella; Puddu, Maria; Silvano, Rosa; Artioli, Giovanna; Mancini, Tiziana

2011-01-01

The research took place in the northern area of Emilia Romagna, and aimed at investigating the needs expressed by cancer patients and those included in the goals of health services and associations dedicated to cancer disease. The study involved 22 cancer patients (12 females and 10 males, mean age 55.36 +/- 10.7) through a semi-structured interview. Twenty-five Organizational Regulations and 17 Health Card Services of institutions dedicated to cancer disease were also analyzed. The basic needs of cancer patients are rarely economic, legal, material and more often medical and psychological (e.g. psychological support, medical care and equal treatment, continuity of care in hospital and at home and information about diagnosis and treatment). The health services focus on the fulfillment of the needs of self-determination, dignity and respect for people, information on diagnosis and treatments, and of psychological support. The associations provide help through activities geared towards ensuring socialization opportunities (need for aggregation and company), support patients and their family and aim to be a connection in the continuity of care between hospital and home. While the aims of health services and associations are oriented to respond to many basic needs, some remain still unmet and others are not adequately considered (eg. need to return to daily lives). The offer, aimed to fulfill these need, could be enhanced through a network of synergistic partnerships between health services, citizenship and associations.

New Methodologies for the Documentation of Fortified Architecture in the State of Ruins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallavollita, F.; Ugolini, A.

2017-05-01

Fortresses and castles are important symbols of social and cultural identity providing tangible evidence of cultural unity in Europe. They are items for which it is always difficult to outline a credible prospect of reuse, their old raison d'être- namely the military, political and economic purposes for which they were built- having been lost. In recent years a Research Unit of the University of Bologna composed of architects from different disciplines has conducted a series of studies on fortified heritage in the Emilia Romagna region (and not only) often characterized by buildings in ruins. The purpose of this study is mainly to document a legacy, which has already been studied in depth by historians, and previously lacked reliable architectural surveys for the definition of a credible as well as sustainable conservation project. Our contribution will focus on different techniques and methods used for the survey of these architectures, the characteristics of which- in the past- have made an effective survey of these buildings difficult, if not impossible. The survey of a ruin requires, much more than the evaluation of an intact building, reading skills and an interpretation of architectural spaces to better manage the stages of documentation and data processing. Through a series of case studies of fortified buildings in ruins, we intend to describe the reasons that guided the choice of the methods and tools used and to highlight the potentials and the limits of these choices in financial terms.

Status of insecticide resistance in Culex pipiens field populations from north-eastern areas of Italy before the withdrawal of OP compounds.

PubMed

Toma, Luciano; Menegon, Michela; Romi, Roberto; De Matthaeis, Elvira; Montanari, Mario; Severini, Carlo

2011-01-01

Heavy and constant use of organophosphorus (OP) larvicides selected Culex pipiens L. resistant populations through two main mechanisms of genetic resistance, the increased activity of detoxifying esterase and the production of alterate acetylcholinesterase-1 (AChE1) by G119S mutation. The aim of this study was the assessment of the distribution of Cx. pipiens populations resistant to temephos and chlorpyrifos in the north-eastern regions of Italy and the occurrence of the insensitive AChE in these populations. Data describe the situation in the last years before European legislation prohibited the use of OP larvicides in mosquito control, up until 2007. For the first time a high level of OP resistance in the samples from Ravenna (182-fold, 80% A4/B4 or A5/B5 esterases and 38.3% Ester(5)), Emilia Romagna region, was detected; therefore, new data from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions were obtained and reinforced existing knowledge about resistance previously studied along the Adriatic coast. Nearby, in the Villa Verucchio locality, the highest (87.5%) AChE1R was found. Cx. pipiens resistance esterases A5/B5 and A4/B4 spread southward along the Adriatic coastal plain while OPs were being used in mosquito control, as confirmed by the first molecular screening of the AChE1 gene in these populations. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Predictors of Full Enteral Feeding Achievement in Very Low Birth Weight Infants

PubMed Central

Corvaglia, Luigi; Fantini, Maria Pia; Aceti, Arianna; Gibertoni, Dino; Rucci, Paola; Baronciani, Dante; Faldella, Giacomo

2014-01-01

Background To elucidate the role of prenatal, neonatal and early postnatal variables in influencing the achievement of full enteral feeding (FEF) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants and to determine whether neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) differ in this outcome. Methods Population-based retrospective cohort study using data on 1,864 VLBW infants drawn from the “Emilia-Romagna Perinatal Network” Registry from 2004 to 2009. The outcome of interest was time to FEF achievement. Eleven prenatal, neonatal and early postnatal variables and the study NICUs were selected as potential predictors of time to FEF. Parametric survival analysis was used to model time to FEF as a function of the predictors. Marginal effects were used to obtain adjusted estimates of median time to FEF for specific subgroups of infants. Results Lower gestational age, exclusive formula feeding, higher CRIB II score, maternal hypertension, cesarean delivery, SGA and PDA predicted delayed FEF. NICUs proved to be heterogeneous in terms of FEF achievement. Newborns with PDA had a 4.2 days longer predicted median time to FEF compared to those without PDA; newborns exclusively formula-fed had a 1.4 days longer time to FEF compared to those fed human milk. Conclusions The results of our study suggest that time to FEF is influenced by clinical variables and NICU-specific practices. Knowledge of the variables associated with delayed/earlier FEF achievement could help in improving specific aspects of routine clinical management of VLBW infants and to reduce practice variability. PMID:24647523

White paper of Italian Gastroenterology: delivery of services for digestive diseases in Italy: weaknesses and strengths.

PubMed

Buscarini, Elisabetta; Conte, Dario; Cannizzaro, Renato; Bazzoli, Franco; De Boni, Michele; Delle Fave, Gianfranco; Farinati, Fabio; Ravelli, Paolo; Testoni, Pier Alberto; Lisiero, Manola; Spolaore, Paolo

2014-07-01

In 2011 the three major Italian gastroenterological scientific societies (AIGO, the Italian Society of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists; SIED, the Italian Society of Endoscopy; SIGE, the Italian Society of Gastroenterology) prepared their official document aimed at analysing medical care for digestive diseases in Italy, on the basis of national and regional data (Health Ministry and Lombardia, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna databases) and to make proposals for planning of care. Digestive diseases were the first or second cause of hospitalizations in Italy in 1999-2009, with more than 1,500,000 admissions/year; however only 5-9% of these admissions was in specialized Gastroenterology units. Reported data show a better outcome in Gastroenterology Units than in non-specialized units: shorter average length of stay, in particular for admissions with ICD-9-CM codes proxying for emergency conditions (6.7 days versus 8.4 days); better case mix (higher average diagnosis-related groups weight in Gastroenterology Units: 1 vs 0.97 in Internal Medicine units and 0.76 in Surgery units); lower inappropriateness of admissions (16-25% versus 29-87%); lower in-hospital mortality in urgent admissions (2.2% versus 5.1%); for patients with urgent admissions due to gastrointestinnal haemorrhage, in-hospital mortality was 2.3% in Gastroenterology units versus 4.0% in others. The present document summarizes the scientific societies' official report, which constitutes the "White paper of Italian Gastroenterology". Copyright © 2014 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pitfalls of negationist approach in communicating induced seismicity hazard in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mucciarelli, Marco

2013-04-01

Italy is a country rich in hydropower, geothermal wells, extraction/reinjection of hydrocarbons, but surprisingly from 1964 to date only three papers have been published on the seismicity induced by dams, two on the problem of seismicity induced by reinjection of fluids and one that studies the effect on seismicity by the variation of the groundwater regime possibly caused by the excavation of a tunnel or by climate change. What has happened in Italy to cause this (at least apparent) disregard for the induced seismicity? We must go back to 1964, after the catastrophe of Vajont. In that year, prof. Caloi, then principal geophysicist of the National Institute of Geophysics published a work in which he noted as the start of the reservoir impounding gave rise to a sequence of induced seismicity in the same rock shoulder that later collapsed causing an inundation claiming more than 2000 casualties. Since then induced seismicity is a taboo, constantly downplayed by companies and utilities, dismissed as impossible or communicated with artifacts like the constant use of the prefix "micro-". The Emilia 2012 occurred close to a site that was selected for a gas storage facility in an (un)confined aquifer. Regional government denied permission due to the vicinity to an active fault and the question was still pending in front of the National authority in charge of licensing the plant when the earthquake occurred. The local residents, that were opposing the gas storage, misinterpreted the motivation of the denial of permission, understanding that the fault would became active only if the storage was working. Thus they concluded the the earthquake occurred because the company performed secret drillings. Badly informed journalists mounted the case, calling it a "fracking" operation. Incredible it may sound, the governor of the Emilia-Romagna region appointed an international commission charged to investigate the relationship between drillings (not storage) and earthquakes. In the meantime, the L'Aquila sentence convinced the population that all the seismologists are corrupted, politically-linked flunkeys. Other hydrocarbons operation are now strongly opposed by residents and even geothermal projects, once hailed as eco-friendly, are blocked by local authorities on the base that "any drilling will cause earthquakes". The fact that there are not reliable expert in the field of induced seismicity is making things difficult to resolve, since no opinion is considered trustworthy.

[The accuracy of the causes of death and the estimated trend: the case of cervix uteri].

PubMed

Mancuso, Pamela; Sacchettini, Claudio; Vicentini, Massimo; Caroli, Stefania; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo

2016-01-01

reduction in cervical cancer mortality is the ultimate goal of the screening. Quality of death certificate reports has been improved over time, but they are still inaccurate, making it difficult to assess time trends in mortality. to evaluate the accuracy of the topographic coding of causes of death and to estimate the mortality time trend for cervical cancer through the method of incidence-based mortality (IBM) using cancer registry (CR) data. from the mortality registry (MR), we extracted data on deaths for cervix uteri cancer, corpus uteri cancer, and uterus cancer not otherwise specified (NOS) referred to residents in Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy) from 1997 to 2013. Deaths were checked with the CR to verify the topographical site of the primary tumour. Furthermore, by using CR data, we constructed a cohort of incident cervical cancer cases diagnosed between 1997 and 2009 with a 5-year follow-up. We calculated cause-specific IBM (excluding ovary) and IBM for all cause, crude and standardized, and annual percentage change (APC). out of 369 deaths for uterine cancer, 269 were reported in the RT: 32 for cervix uteri cancer, 76 for corpus uteri cancer, 161 for uterus cancer NOS. 28 of the 32 persons who died for cervical cancer were incidents for cervix uteri cancer. 63 of the 76 who died for corpus uteri cancer were incidents for corpus uteri cancer. Of the 161 who died of uterus cancer NOS, 80 were incidents for corpus uteri cancer, 45 for cervix uteri cancer, 28 for uterus cancer NOS, 5 for vagina cancer, and 3 for cancer of other non-specified organs. Applying these proportions of misclassification, we can estimate that the real number of cervical cancer deaths is 2.4 folds the number of cases reported in the MR as cervical cancer. IBM for all causes decreased significantly over the years (APC: -9.5; 95%CI -17.1;-1.1); cause-specific IBM decreases, but not significantly (APC: -5.1; 95%IC -16.1;+7.3). There is no improvement in survival (r2=0.02; p=0.6), while the incidence shows a decrease (APC: -6.6;95%CI -10.0;-3.0). mortality for cervical cancer is still underestimated by deaths certificates: for each reported case, there are other 1.4 cases that are reported with other less specific causes.

Association between mothers' screening uptake and daughters' HPV vaccination: a quasi-experimental study on the effect of an active invitation campaign.

PubMed

Venturelli, Francesco; Baldacchini, Flavia; Campari, Cinzia; Perilli, Cinzia; Pascucci, Maria Grazia; Finarelli, Alba Carola; Moscara, Luigi; Rossi, Paolo Giorgi

2017-09-25

In Emilia-Romagna, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign started in 2008 offering free vaccines for 1996 and 1997 cohorts. Systematic active invitation was implemented for the 1997 cohort. Our study aimed at measuring the impact of the active invitation campaign on HPV vaccine coverage and on coverage inequalities in 11-year-old girls. Second, we evaluated the effect of the HPV vaccination campaign on participation in cervical cancer screening by mothers of target girls. We collected information on vaccination status for girls residing in Reggio Emilia in 2008 and mothers' screening history, before and after the 2008 vaccination campaign. Log-binomial regression models were performed to estimate Relative Risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of being vaccinated as regarded citizenship, siblings, mothers' education, marital status and screening history, stratified by birth cohort. We also calculated RR of receiving a Pap test after the vaccination campaign as regarded education, daughter's cohort and mothers' decision to have their daughter vaccinated. Interaction between education and cohort in mothers overdue for Pap testing was calculated. Vaccination coverage was 46.3% for the uninvited cohort (1046/2260) and 77.9% for the invited cohort (1798/2307). In the uninvited cohort, daughters' vaccination showed association with mothers' education (8 to 11 years of education vs. graduated mothers, RR 1.61 95% CI 1.14-2.28), citizenship (foreigners vs. Italians, RR 0.45 95% CI 0.37-0.56) and screening history (regular vs. non-participant; RR 1.72 95% CI 1.26-2.36). In the invited cohort, only a slight association with screening history persisted (regular vs. non-participant; RR 1.20 95% CI 1.04-1.40). Highly educated under-screened mothers of the invited cohort showed a higher probability of receiving a Pap test after the vaccination campaign period (RR 1.27 95% CI 1.04-1.56) compared with those not invited, CONCLUSION: Active invitation could increase overall HPV immunisation coverage and reduce socio-demographic inequalities and the association with mothers' screening participation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A Theory for Living: Walking with Reggio Emilia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wexler, Alice

2004-01-01

In the past decade, the Reggio Emilia preschools and toddler centers have emerged from Italy as a significant international influence in early childhood education and a challenging presence to the notions held about young children in the United States. The Reggio Emilia approach raises questions about the inherent limitations of the…

Innovations in Detroit Head Start. [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrill-Palmer Inst., Detroit, MI.

The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood teaching is based on curriculum and teaching practices developed in the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy. This video highlights an ongoing Detroit, Michigan Head Start staff development project, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. The staff development program was launched in consultation with…

Experiencing the Reggio Emilia Way: Reflections from Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishigaki, Emiko Hannah

2003-01-01

Recounts the experiences of a Japanese professor of Early Childhood Education participating in the Canadian delegation of a 6-day study tour in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Includes descriptions of lectures and workshops attended relating to the Reggio Emilia approach. Highlights facilities observed, including an educational materials recycling center,…

Reggio Emilia as Cultural Activity Theory in Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New, Rebecca S.

2007-01-01

This article situates Reggio Emilia's municipally funded early childhood program within the city's cultural traditions of resistance and collaboration and considers what it is about this highly localized program that is appealing and useful to contemporary school reform initiatives. Five features of Reggio Emilia's approach to early education are…

A Vygotskian Commentary on the Reggio Emilia Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Jake E.

2012-01-01

This article provides a commentary on the Reggio Emilia approach from a Vygotskian perspective. In particular, the article considers how Vygotskian rationalism and Vygotsky's theory of concept development cohere with the Reggio Emilia approach. The article argues that these aspects of Vygotskian theory are applicable to, and can strengthen the…

Understanding Natural Sciences Education in a Reggio Emilia-Inspired Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inan, Hatice Zeynep; Trundle, Kathy Cabe; Kantor, Rebecca

2010-01-01

This ethnographic study explored aspects of how the natural sciences were represented in a Reggio Emilia-inspired laboratory preschool. The natural sciences as a discipline--a latecomer to preschool curricula--and the internationally known approach, Reggio Emilia, interested educators and researchers, but there was little research about science in…

Going Deeper: Exploring Reflective Practices with Inspiration from Reggio Emilia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams-Kollitz, Sarah

2011-01-01

Rich artwork, beautiful classrooms, articulate educators: through conferences, art exhibits, lovely books, and fabulous study tours early childhood programs in Reggio Emilia have captured the attention of the early childhood community all over the world. The study of Reggio Emilia has engaged many educators in a dynamic dialogue about the…

Children and Place: Reggio Emilia's Environment as Third Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strong-Wilson, Teresa; Ellis, Julia

2007-01-01

Education is often understood as the sole responsibility of parents and teachers. Reggio Emilia identifies a 3rd teacher between child, teacher, and parent: the environment. In its attention to how space can be thoughtfully arranged, Reggio Emilia has reconceptualized space as a key source of educational provocation and insight. In what ways does…

The Chikungunya epidemic in Italy and its repercussion on the blood system.

PubMed

Liumbruno, Giancarlo Maria; Calteri, Deanna; Petropulacos, Kyriakoula; Mattivi, Andrea; Po, Claudio; Macini, Pierluigi; Tomasini, Ivana; Zucchelli, Paolo; Silvestri, Anna Rita; Sambri, Vittorio; Pupella, Simonetta; Catalano, Liviana; Piccinini, Vanessa; Calizzani, Gabriele; Grazzini, Giuliano

2008-10-01

The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and recently caused a massive epidemic on La Réunion Island, in the Indian Ocean. Between July and September 2007 it caused the first autochthonous epidemic outbreak in Europe, in the Region of Emilia-Romagna in the north-east of Italy. After the first reports of an unusually high number of patients with a febrile illness of unknown origin in two contiguous villages, an outbreak investigation was carried out to identify the primary source of infection, the modes of transmission and the dynamics of the epidemic. An active surveillance system was also implemented. Laboratory diagnosis was performed through serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Blood donation was discontinued in the areas involved from September to October 2007 and specific precautionary blood safety and self-sufficiency measures were adopted by the regional health and blood authorities and the National Blood Centre. An estimate method to early assess the risk of viraemic blood donations by asymptomatic donors was developed, as a tool for "pragmatic" risk assessment and management, aiming at providing a reliable order of magnitude of the mean risk of CHIKV transmission through blood transfusion. Two hundred and seventeen cases of CHIKV infection were identified between 4th July and 28th September. The disease was fairly mild in most of the cases. The precautionary measures adopted in the blood system caused a considerable reduction of the collection of blood components and of the delivery of plasma to the pharmaceutical industry for contract manufacturing. The estimated risk of CHIKV transmission through blood transfusion peaked in the third week of August. ACHIKV epidemic poses considerable problems for public health authorities, who not only need good routine programmes of vector control and epidemiological surveillance but also local and national emergency plans to sustain the blood supply, so as to promptly deal with the potentially severe effects of an epidemic outbreak, especially when affected areas locally require a significant blood inventory and at the same time represent a critical resource for other areas depending on external supplies of blood components.

An operational coupled wave-current forecasting system for the northern Adriatic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, A.; Coluccelli, A.; Deserti, M.; Valentini, A.; Benetazzo, A.; Carniel, S.

2012-04-01

Since 2005 an Adriatic implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (AdriaROMS) is being producing operational short-term forecasts (72 hours) of some hydrodynamic properties (currents, sea level, temperature, salinity) of the Adriatic Sea at 2 km horizontal resolution and 20 vertical s-levels, on a daily basis. The main objective of AdriaROMS, which is managed by the Hydro-Meteo-Clima Service (SIMC) of ARPA Emilia Romagna, is to provide useful products for civil protection purposes (sea level forecasts, outputs to run other forecasting models as for saline wedge, oil spills and coastal erosion). In order to improve the forecasts in the coastal area, where most of the attention is focused, a higher resolution model (0.5 km, again with 20 vertical s-levels) has been implemented for the northern Adriatic domain. The new implementation is based on the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System (COAWST)and adopts ROMS for the hydrodynamic and Simulating WAve Nearshore (SWAN) for the wave module, respectively. Air-sea fluxes are computed using forecasts produced by the COSMO-I7 operational atmospheric model. At the open boundary of the high resolution model, temperature, salinity and velocity fields are provided by AdriaROMS while the wave characteristics are provided by an operational SWAN implementation (also managed by SIMC). Main tidal components are imposed as well, derived from a tidal model. Work in progress is oriented now on the validation of model results by means of extensive comparisons with acquired hydrographic measurements (such as CTDs or XBTs from sea-truth campaigns), currents and waves acquired at observational sites (including those of SIMC, CNR-ISMAR network and its oceanographic tower, located off the Venice littoral) and satellite-derived wave-heights data. Preliminary results on the forecast waves denote how, especially during intense storms, the effect of coupling can lead to significant variations in the wave heights. Part of the activity has been funded by the EU FP VII program (project "MICORE", contract n. 202798) and by the Regione Veneto regional law 15/2007 (Progetto "MARINA").

Working in the Reggio Way: A Beginner's Guide for American Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wurm, Julianne P.

2005-01-01

Are you curious about the Reggio Emilia approach but not quite sure where to begin? "Working in the Reggio Way" helps early childhood teachers bring the reflective, high-quality practices of Reggio Emilia to American programs. Based on an American teacher's experience observing and working in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, this…

Reggio Emilia Inspired Learning Groups: Relationships, Communication, Cognition, and Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Seong Bock; Shaffer, LaShorage; Han, Jisu

2017-01-01

A key aspect of the Reggio Emilia inspired curriculum is a learning group approach that fosters social and cognitive development. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a Reggio Emilia inspired learning group approach works for children with and without disabilities. This study gives insight into how to form an appropriate learning group…

Science Education in Preschool: How to Assimilate the Reggio Emilia Pedagogy in a Turkish Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inan, Hatice Zeynep

2009-01-01

This commentary manuscript, which was part of a larger research project, aimed to show how teachers can help preschoolers construct their knowledge of science and meet preschool science standards successfully in a Reggio Emilia approach. The demonstrations for preschool teachers are summarized as follows: be inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach;…

Reggio Emilia: impulsor del dialogo y del cambio (Reggio Emilia: Catalyst for Change and Conversation). ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New, Rebecca S.

International perspectives on the care and education of preschool children that seem to be of greatest interest in the United States are those directly linked to prevailing concerns in American early childhood education. In this context, many early childhood specialists have explored the implications of Reggio Emilia's work for the theory,…

American Early Education Reform: Adaptation Not Adoption from Reggio Emilia, Italy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firlik, Russell J.

The Reggio Emilia preschools in Italy have much to offer U.S. early education practitioners. If adapted, based on an understanding of American culture and of how American children learn, four components of the Reggio Emilia model can be useful in American early childhood settings. First, projects based on the interests of children can be used to…

Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach: Keys to Understanding Why It Motivates Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Alexa Fraley; Jones, Brett D.

2016-01-01

Because of the success of the Reggio Emilia Approach in early childhood education, it could be useful to researchers and practitioners to identify and explicate components of the approach that make it effective in motivating students. In this paper, we examine the Reggio Emilia Approach through the lens of the MUSIC® Model of Motivation, a model…

Realizing a Progressive Pedagogy: A Comparative Case Study of Two Reggio Emilia Preschools in San Francisco

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdelfattah, Marwa

2015-01-01

This study aims to uncover how a particular imported philosophy of early childhood education, Reggio Emilia, is implemented in the context of one public and one private preschool in San Francisco. The philosophy of Reggio Emilia is believed to be progressive and to be developmentally appropriate for children in early childhood. The study involved…

[Systemic mastocytosis: a review of the literature and of the cases in Reggio Emilia from 1986 to 1994].

PubMed

D'Incà, M; Ghirarduzzi, A; Albertini, G; Iori, I

1996-01-01

Systemic mastocytosis is a rare pathology that can affect most systems of the human organism. Although diagnosis is often fortuitous and prognosis good in a very high percentage of cases, it can sometimes present in extremely severe and occasionally fatal forms. With the aid of the available literature, we discuss the most recent classifications, clinical features and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this disease. We then do an epidemiological review of the cases reported in Reggio Emilia over the past 9 years. Due to the lack of symptoms of this pathology, its reported incidence of about 0.3 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year is obviously underestimated. Drug therapy is purely symptomatic and does not affect its clinical evolution.

Strangers in a strange land: work experiences of foreign nurses in Parma's territory.

PubMed

Vesperoni, Pietro; Masera, Giuliana

2015-03-13

The purpose of this research is to explore, investigate and describe experiences and points of view of foreign nurses working in the area of Parma. We focalize particularly on two areas of interest: negativities and positivities in experiences related to the process of integration into the new working environment. The literature search has revealed that the phenomenon of "nursing immigration" is numerically significant in Italy and more particularly in Emilia Romagna. From studies conducted in other countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Iceland) there are two categories of factors which influence the process of integration of foreign nurses in the new working environment, facilitators and barriers. For this study we followed the phenomenological method . A total of twelve foreign nurses were interviewed in the months of October and November 2013 in the territory of Parma working in various professional fields (medicine, critical care and surgery). We did not impose any structure to interviews so that respondents were free to express their lived experiences spontaneously. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed by the method of Giorgi (1970). Results obtained from the analysis of interviews revealed seven themes, divided in positivities and negativities. Positivities are psycho-social support (Italian colleagues, fellow countrymen, patients), opportunities of cultural enrichment, positive work ethic. negativities are difficulty of language and communication, and inequalities racial prejudice, differences in care practices and inadequate opportunities for professional growth related to the Italian working environment. The study concludes by pointing out the importance of the role that foreign nurses can play in our health care system and how the results of this search can help all professionals in the health sector to have a greater understanding of their experiences. This knowledge can make a contribution to the development of new quantitative research in the same area and then to the formation of new strategies for hospitality and support.

The Seismotectonics of the Po Plain (Northern Italy): Tectonic Diversity in a Blind Faulting Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vannoli, Paola; Burrato, Pierfrancesco; Valensise, Gianluca

2015-05-01

We present a systematic and updated overview of a seismotectonic model for the Po Plain (northern Italy). This flat and apparently quiet tectonic domain is, in fact, rather active as it comprises the shortened foreland and foredeep of both the Southern Alps and the Northern Apennines. Assessing its seismic hazard is crucial due to the concentration of population, industrial activities, and critical infrastructures, but it is also complicated because (a) the region is geologically very diverse, and (b) nearly all potential seismogenic faults are buried beneath a thick blanket of Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments, and thus can be investigated only indirectly. Identifying and parameterizing the potential seismogenic faults of the Po Plain requires proper consideration of their depth, geometry, kinematics, earthquake potential and location with respect to the two confronting orogens. To this end, we subdivided them into four main, homogeneous groups. Over the past 15 years we developed new strategies for coping with this diversity, resorting to different data and modeling approaches as required by each individual fault group. The most significant faults occur beneath the thrust fronts of the Ferrara-Romagna and Emilia arcs, which correspond to the most advanced and buried portions of the Northern Apennines and were the locus of the destructive May 2012 earthquake sequence. The largest known Po Plain earthquake, however, occurred on an elusive reactivated fault cutting the Alpine foreland south of Verona. Significant earthquakes are expected to be generated also by a set of transverse structures segmenting the thrust system, and by the deeper ramps of the Apennines thrusts. The new dataset is intended to be included in the next version of the Database of Individual Seismogenic Sources (DISS; http://diss.rm.ingv.it/diss/, version 3.2.0, developed and maintained by INGV) to improve completeness of potential sources for seismic hazard assessment.

Cardiovascular health in migrants: current status and issues for prevention. A collaborative multidisciplinary task force report.

PubMed

Modesti, Pietro A; Bianchi, Stefano; Borghi, Claudio; Cameli, Matteo; Capasso, Giovambattista; Ceriello, Antonio; Ciccone, Marco Matteo; Germanò, Giuseppe; Maiello, Maria; Muiesan, Maria Lorenza; Novo, Salvatore; Padeletti, Luigi; Palmiero, Pasquale; Pillon, Sergio; Rotella, Carlo Maria; Saba, Pier Sergio; Scicchitano, Pietro; Trimarco, Bruno; Volpe, Massimo; Pedrinelli, Roberto; Di Biase, Matteo

2014-09-01

To review information on cardiovascular health and migration, to stress the attention of researchers that much needs to be done in the collection of sound data in Italy and to allow policy makers identifying this issue as an important public health concern. In Italy, the rate of immigrants in the total number of residents increased from 2.5% in 1990 to 7.4% in 2010, and currently exceeds 10% in regions such as Lombardia, Emilia Romagna and Toscana. A consensus statement was developed by approaching relevant Italian national scientific societies involved in cardiovascular prevention. Task force members were identified by the president and/or the boards of each relevant scientific society or working group, as appropriate. To obtain a widespread consensus, drafts were merged and distributed to the scientific societies for local evaluation and revision by as many experts as possible. The ensuing final draft was finally approved by scientific societies. In several western European countries, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome was found to be higher among immigrants than in the native population. Although migrants are often initially healthier than non-migrant populations in their host countries, genetic factors, and changing environments with lifestyle changes, social exclusion and insufficient medical control may expose them to health challenges. Cultural reasons may also hamper both the dissemination of prevention strategies and migrant communication with healthcare providers. However, great diversity exists across and within different groups of migrants, making generalizations very difficult and many countries do not collect registry or survey data for migrant's health. In the present economic context, the European Union is placing great attention to improve data collection for migrant health and to support the implementation of specific prevention policies aimed at limiting the future burden of cardiovascular and renal disease, and the consequent load for health systems. Wider initiatives on the topic are awaited in Italy.

Sounds to Share: The State of Music Education in Three Reggio Emilia-Inspired North American Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Vanessa L.

2015-01-01

Renowned around the world, schools within the municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy, have inspired North American early childhood educators for over 25 years. Despite the popularity and usage of the Reggio Emilia approach in the United States, music educators may find it unfamiliar. There is a lack of research that has discussed the use of music or…

Verification of forecast ensembles in complex terrain including observation uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorninger, Manfred; Kloiber, Simon

2017-04-01

Traditionally, verification means to verify a forecast (ensemble) with the truth represented by observations. The observation errors are quite often neglected arguing that they are small when compared to the forecast error. In this study as part of the MesoVICT (Mesoscale Verification Inter-comparison over Complex Terrain) project it will be shown, that observation errors have to be taken into account for verification purposes. The observation uncertainty is estimated from the VERA (Vienna Enhanced Resolution Analysis) and represented via two analysis ensembles which are compared to the forecast ensemble. For the whole study results from COSMO-LEPS provided by Arpae-SIMC Emilia-Romagna are used as forecast ensemble. The time period covers the MesoVICT core case from 20-22 June 2007. In a first step, all ensembles are investigated concerning their distribution. Several tests have been executed (Kolmogorov-Smirnov-Test, Finkelstein-Schafer Test, Chi-Square Test etc.) showing no exact mathematical distribution. So the main focus is on non-parametric statistics (e.g. Kernel density estimation, Boxplots etc.) and also the deviation between "forced" normal distributed data and the kernel density estimations. In a next step the observational deviations due to the analysis ensembles are analysed. In a first approach scores are multiple times calculated with every single ensemble member from the analysis ensemble regarded as "true" observation. The results are presented as boxplots for the different scores and parameters. Additionally, the bootstrapping method is also applied to the ensembles. These possible approaches to incorporating observational uncertainty into the computation of statistics will be discussed in the talk.

Epidemiological survey of swine influenza A virus in the wild boar population of two Italian provinces.

PubMed

Foni, Emanuela; Garbarino, Chiara; Chiapponi, Chiara; Baioni, Laura; Zanni, Irene; Cordioli, Paolo

2013-12-01

An epidemiological survey was carried out in order to obtain a better understanding of the role of wild boars in the epidemiology of the influenza virus. The samples were submitted to Real-Time PCR testing for gene M of the swine influenza virus (SIV), and virus isolation was performed from the positive PCR samples. Genome sequence analysis was performed on the isolates. Additionally, 1,977 boar sera samples were analyzed using ELISA and hemoagglutination inhibition. Over recent years, the wild boar population has greatly increased in Italy, including in areas of high-density industrial pig farming, where the influenza virus is widespread. From July to December 2012, wild boar lung samples were collected in the Parma and Piacenza area, in the Emilia Romagna region. 354 wild boar lung samples were collected. Wild-boar influenza A virus infection should be studied more broadly in order to obtain a better understanding of the epidemiological role played by this species. Three SIV strains were isolated out of 12 samples that resulted positive using PCR analysis and they were identified as avian-like SIV subtype H1N1. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences obtained from isolate A/wild boar/291320/2012 showed that it clustered with recent Italian avian-like H1N1 SIVs isolated from domestic pigs. Sixty-eight sera samples showed a positive titer to the isolate A/wild boar/291320/2012. This study suggests that SIV actively circulates in the wild boar population in the investigated. area. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Food habits and nutritional status of adolescents in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

PubMed

Toselli, S; Argnani, L; Canducci, E; Ricci, E; Gualdi-Russo, E

2010-01-01

The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity is increasing, with negative medical and psychosocial consequences. This study examines the association between weight status and nutrient intake, sport and leisure habits of middle school students in Bologna (Italy). Anthropometric data (height, weight) of 598 subjects (321 males and 277 females) 11-14 years old were collected. Questionnaires on nutrient intake, sport and leisure behaviour were administered. Protein, carbohydrate and total fat intakes of the adolescents were higher than the recommended ranges in all age groups and in both sexes. The proportion of energy from protein and total fat was higher than recommended, but the percentage from carbohydrate was lower. A significant proportion of the adolescents had a cholesterol intake above the Italian RDA and lower than recommended intakes for micronutrients. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is higher in males than in females at all ages (overweight: 35.2 vs 31.6 at 11 yrs.; 27.5 vs 20.2 at 12 yrs.; 18.6 vs 17.8 at 13 yrs.; 18.7 vs 10.9 at 14 yrs.; obesity: 5.5 vs 3.2 at 12 yrs.; 3.9 vs 1.1 at 13 yrs.; 5.3 vs 3.6 at 14 yrs.), except in subjects 11 years old (obesity: 7.4 vs 10.5). The overweight and obese adolescents consumed less carbohydrates and less fibre than their normal weight and underweight counterparts. The results of the present study indicate an unbalanced diet of the Bologna adolescents, which could damage their health and quality of life.

Soil resources, land cover changes and rural areas: towards a spatial mismatch?

PubMed

Ferrara, Agostino; Salvati, Luca; Sabbi, Alberto; Colantoni, Andrea

2014-04-15

The present study analyzes the impact of long-term urban expansion on soil depletion in Emilia-Romagna, an agricultural-specialized region of northern Italy. Using settlement density maps at three points in time (1945, 1971 and 2001) dense and diffused urbanization trends were assessed and correlated with soil quality. Non-urbanized land decreased from 11.8% in 1945 to 6.3% in 2001. Urbanization dynamics between 1945 and 1971 reflect the increase of dense settlements around pre-existing urban centers. To the contrary, a discontinuous, low- and medium-density urban expansion along the road network and in the most fertile lowland areas was observed between 1971 and 2001. Overall, urbanization consumed soils with progressively higher quality. However, a diverging trend was observed in the two investigated time intervals: soil with high quality was occupied by compact and dense settlements during 1945-1971 and by discontinuous, medium- and low-density settlements during 1971-2001. These findings document the polarization in areas with low and high soil capital and may reflect disparities in agricultural production and increasing environmental degradation. Moreover, the analysis shows a diverging trend between land and soil consumption patterns suggesting that the edification of pervious land is an unreliable indicator of soil quality depletion. Taken together, the results of this study illustrate the (increasing) spatial mismatch between agricultural land and high-quality soils as a consequence of urbanization-driven landscape transformations and may inform measures to contain soil depletion driven by economic growth. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Psychometric validation of the Italian Rehabilitation Complexity Scale-Extended version 13

PubMed Central

Agosti, Maurizio; Merlo, Andrea; Maini, Maurizio; Lombardi, Francesco; Tedeschi, Claudio; Benedetti, Maria Grazia; Basaglia, Nino; Contini, Mara; Nicolotti, Domenico; Brianti, Rodolfo

2017-01-01

In Italy, at present, a well-known problem is inhomogeneous provision of rehabilitative services, as stressed by MoH, requiring appropriate criteria and parameters to plan rehabilitation actions. According to the Italian National Rehabilitation Plan, Comorbidity, Disability and Clinical Complexity should be assessed to define the patient’s real needs. However, to date, clinical complexity is still difficult to measure with shared and validated tools. The study aims to psychometrically validate the Italian Rehabilitation Complexity Scale-Extended v13 (RCS-E v13), in order to meet the guidelines requirements. An observational multicentre prospective cohort study, involving 8 intensive rehabilitation facilities of the Emilia-Romagna Region and 1712 in-patients, [823 male (48%) and 889 female (52%), mean age 68.34 years (95% CI 67.69–69.00 years)] showing neurological, orthopaedic and cardiological problems, was carried out. The construct and concurrent validity of the RCS-E v13 was confirmed through its correlation to Barthel Index (disability) and Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (comorbidity) and appropriate admission criteria (not yet published), respectively. Furthermore, the factor analysis indicated two different components (“Basic Care or Risk—Equipment” and “Medical—Nursing Needs and Therapy Disciplines”) of the RCS-E v13. In conclusion, the Italian RCS-E v13 appears to be a useful tool to assess clinical complexity in the Italian rehab scenario case-mix and its psychometric validation may have an important clinical rehabilitation impact allowing the assessment of the rehabilitation needs considering all three dimensions (disability, comorbidity and clinical complexity) as required by the Guidelines and the inhomogeneity could be reduced. PMID:29045409

Real time hydro-metereological hazards monitoring system for the Ravenna municipality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertoni, W.; Cattarossi, A.; Gonella, M.

2003-04-01

The Ravenna municipality (Italy, Emilia Romagna region), through a cooperative agreement with ENI S.p.A’s., AGIP division, is carrying out a research study for the development of a real time monitoring system of hydro-meteorological conditions. The system aims to support the city Crisis Response Unit to provide more efficient support all over the municipal territory that is the largest in Italy with more than 700 km2. The support unit, a GIS computer based application, directly links to a broad range of sources, gathering real time information from a Local Area Model (meteorological data), a Wave Model (sea hydrodynamic circulation), monitoring stations, located partially on the Adriatic sea (AGIP offshore platform, SIMN) and partially over the Ravenna inland (SPDS, SIN). In the first phase, now completed and undergoing testing, this vast and diversified collection of data feeds a number of statistical models with up to 72 hours of forecast capabilities. The GIS application displays actual and forecast sea conditions offshore of Ravenna littorals in addition to actual and forecast flood conditions along the Ravenna Province inland. Model generated data are used for the forecast, which is then calibrated using the measured data. When the predefined warning limits are exceeded, end users are alerted via prerecorded phone messages, SMS, or visually through the direct or remote interaction with the GIS system (remotely accessible via portable computers). In the second stage, the statistical approach will be substituted by a more deterministic approach. A coupled hydrologic-hydraulic model will be used to forecast water stages along rivers and runoff volume along major watersheds. Moreover, already functioning capabilities allows direct control of remote monitoring points (stream and rain gages, etc.) The entire Real Time Monitoring System was developed on a GIS platform. The GEOdatabase, a relational database based on MSDE technology, is the core of the application which revolves around the conceptualization of a Hydro Data Model, a standardized way to store hydraulic based data such as watershed delineation, hydrologic network, monitoring points and time series data. Recent advancement in GIS software technologies and ready to use hydro-meteorological data offer an unprecedented opportunity to customize the GIS application and provide a powerful application to prevent and defeat flood hazards.

Clime: analyzing and producing climate data in GIS environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cattaneo, Luigi; Rillo, Valeria; Mercogliano, Paola

2014-05-01

In the last years, Impacts on Soil and Coasts Division (ISC) of CMCC (Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change) had several collaboration experiences with impact communities, including IS-ENES (FP7-INF) and SafeLand (FP7-ENV) projects, which involved a study of landslide risk in Europe, and is currently active in GEMINA (FIRB) and ORIENTGATE (SEE Transnational Cooperation Programme) research projects. As a result, it has brought research activities about different impact of climate changes as flood and landslide hazards, based on climate simulation obtained from the high resolution regional climate models COSMO CLM, developed at CMCC as member of the consortium CLM Assembly. ISC-Capua also collaborates with local institutions interested in atmospherical climate change and also of their impacts on the soil, such as river basin authorities in the Campania region, ARPA Emilia Romagna and ARPA Calabria. Impact models (e.g. hydraulic or stability models) are usually developed in a GIS environment, since they need an accurate territory description, so Clime has been designed to bridge the usually existing gap between climate data - both observed and simulated - gathered from different sources, and impact communities. The main goal of Clime, special purpose Geographic Information System (GIS) software integrated in ESRI ArcGIS Desktop 10, is to easily evaluate multiple climate features and study climate changes over specific geographical domains with their related effects on environment, including impacts on soil. Developed as an add-in tool, this software has been conceived for research activities of ISC Division in order to provide a substantial contribution during post-processing and validation phase. Therefore, it is possible to analyze and compare multiple datasets (observations, climate simulations, etc.) through processes involving statistical functions, percentiles, trends test and evaluation of extreme events with a flexible system of temporal and spatial filtering, and to represent results as maps, temporal and statistic plots (time series, seasonal cycles, PDFs, scatter plots, Taylor diagrams) or Excel tables; in addition, it features bias correction techniques for climate model results. Summarizing, Clime is able to provide users a simple and fast way to retrieve analysis over simulated climate data and observations within any geographical site of interest (provinces, regions, countries, etc.).

Unpacking Educational Environments: Visions from Reggio Emilia, Australia, Sweden, Denmark and the United States. A Selection of Papers Presented at the Conference (Institute of Early Childhood, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia, May 16, 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleet, Alma, Ed.; Robertson, Janet, Ed.

These four early childhood education conference papers discuss ideas and themes to create healthy educational environments inspired by preschool sites in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The first paper, "Environmental Visions: Daisies and the Possible" (Alma Fleet and Janet Robertson), discusses the influences of Reggio Emilia. The paper notes how…

The POLIMI forecasting chain for real time flood and drought predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceppi, Alessandro; Ravazzani, Giovanni; Corbari, Chiara; Mancini, Marco

2016-04-01

Nowadays coupling meteorological and hydrological models is recognized by scientific community as a necessary way to forecast extreme hydrological phenomena, in order to activate useful mitigation measurements and alert systems in advance. The development and implementation of a real-time forecasting chain with a hydro-meteorological operational alert procedure for flood and drought events is presented in this study. Different weather models are used to build the POLIMI operative chain: the probabilistic COSMO-LEPS model with 16 ensembles developed by ARPA-Emilia Romagna, the deterministic Bolam and Moloch models, developed by the Italian ISAC-CNR, and nine further simulations obtained by different runs of the WRF-ARW (3), WRF-NMM (2), ETA2012 (1) and the GFS (3), provided by the private Epson Meteo Center and Terraria companies. All the meteorological runs are then implemented with the rainfall-runoff physically-based distributed FEST-WB model, developed at Politecnico di Milano to obtain a multi-model approach system with hydrological ensemble forecasts in different areas of study over the Italian country. As far as concerning drought predictions, three test-beds are monitored: two in maize fields, one in the Puglia region (South of Italy), and another in the Po Valley area, (northern Italy), and one in a golf course in Milan city. The hydrological model was here calibrated and validated against measurements of latent heat flux and soil moisture acquired by an eddy-covariance station, TDR probes and remote sensing images. Regarding flood forecasts, two test-sites are chosen: the first one is the urban area northern Milan where three catchments (the Seveso, Olona, and Lambro River basins) are used to show how early warning systems are an effective complement to structural measures for flood control in Milan city which flooded frequently in the last 25 years, while the second test-site is the Idro Lake, located between the Lombardy and Trentino region where the POLIMI hydro-meteorological chain is performed to forecast the hydrometric lake level for a better management of the upstream and downstream basin. The same hydrological model has been here calibrated and validated with observed data coming from local bodies: ARPA Lombardy, Meteonetwork and Meteo Trentino. Reliability of the forecasting system and its benefits are assessed with skill scores on some cases-study occurred in the recent years and through the real-time visualization of the implemented dashboards.

Genesis and transport of hexavalent chromium in the system ophiolitic rocks - groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shchegolikhina, Anastasia; Guadagnini, Laura; Guadagnini, Alberto

2015-04-01

Our study aims at contributing to the quantification and characterization of chromium transport processes from host rocks and soil matrices to groundwater. We focus on dissolved hexavalent chromium detected in groundwaters of geological regions with ophiolitic rocks (ophiolites and serpentinites) inclusions due to its critical ecological impact. (Oze et al., 2004). Despite the large number of analyses on the occurrence of high concentrations of hazardous hexavalent chromium ions in natural waters, only few studies were performed with the objective of identifying and investigating the geochemical reactions which could occur in the natural system rock - groundwater - dissolved chromium (Fantoni et al., 2002, Stephen and James, 2004, Lelli et al., 2013). In this context, there is a need for integration of results obtained from diverse studies in various regions and settings to improve our knowledge repository. Our theoretical analyses are grounded and driven by practical scenarios detected in subsurface reservoirs exploited for civil and industrial use located in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy). Available experimental datasets are complemented with data from other international regional-scale settings (Altay mountains region, Russia). Modeling of chromium transformation and migration particularly includes characterization of the multispecies geochemical system. A key aspect of our study is the analysis of the complex competitive sorption processes governing heavy metal evolution in groundwater. The results of the research allow assessing the critical qualitative features of the mechanisms of hexavalent chromium ion mobilization from host rocks and soils and the ensuing transformation and migration to groundwater under the influence of diverse environmental factors. The study is then complemented by the quantification of the main sources of uncertainty associated with prediction of heavy metal contamination levels in the groundwater system explored. Fantoni, D., Brozzo, G., Canepa, M., Cipolli, F., Marini, L., Ottonello, G., Zuccolini, M., 2002. Natural hexavalent chromium in groundwaters interacting with ophiolitic rocks. Environmental Geology 42, 871-882. Lelli, M., Grassi, S., Amadori, M., Franceschini, F., 2013. Natural Cr(VI) contamination of groundwater in the Cecina coastal area and its inner sectors (Tuscany, Italy). Environmental Earth Sciences 71, 3907-3919. Oze, C., Fendorf, S., Bird, D.K., Coleman, R.G., 2004. Chromium geochemistry of serpentine soils. International Geology Review 46, 97-126. Stephen, M.T., James, A.J., 2004. Overview of chromium (VI) in the environment. Chromium (VI) Handbook. CRC Press, pp. 21.

Occurrence of putative virulence genes on Arcobacter butzleri isolated from three different environmental sites throughout the dairy chain.

PubMed

Piva, S; Gariano, G R; Bonilauri, P; Giacometti, F; Decastelli, L; Florio, D; Massella, E; Serraino, A

2017-04-01

This comparative study investigated the occurrence of cadF, cj1349, ciaB, pldA, tlyA, hecA, hecB, mviN, irgA and IroE genes in 212 Arcobacter butzleri isolated from three different environmental sites linked to the dairy chain (farms, industrial and artisanal dairy plants) located in three Italian regions (Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna and Calabria). According to the presence of these genes, different pathotypes (P-types) were determined. The main genes detected were ciaB, mviN, tlyA, cj1349, pldA and cadF, while the least common genes were iroE, hecA, hecB and irgA. TlyA, irgA, hecA, hecB and iroE, which were significantly more frequent in isolates recovered in industrial dairy plants. Twelve P-types were detected. The occurrence of the most frequently detected P-types (P-types 1, 2, 3 and 5) differed significantly (P < 0·001) in relation to both the environmental site and geographical area of isolation. The highest diversity in P-types was observed in industrial dairy plants and in the Calabria region. The results of this study show a correlation between the occurrence of putative virulence genes and virulence genotype variability depending on the environmental site and geographical origin of the isolates. The present study provides insights into the similar distribution of putative virulence genes in a dairy chain and other sources' isolates and also into a geographical distribution of some P-types. We have shown that industrial dairy plants may represent an environmental site favouring a selection of the isolates with a higher pathogenetic pattern. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Authenticating the recovery location of meteorites: The case of Castenaso

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folco, Luigi; D'Orazio, Massimo; Perchiazzi, Natale

2007-03-01

This forensic work aims to authenticate the recovery location of Castenaso, a 120 g ordinary chondritic (L5) meteorite reportedly found in 2003 along the sandy bank of the Idice Stream, near the village of Castenaso (Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy). Using the hypothesis that Castenaso was instead a hot-desert meteorite, we conducted a comparative mineralogical and geochemical study of major weathering effects on European and Saharan ordinary chondrites as potential markers of the environment where Castenaso resided during its terrestrial lifetime.Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) data reveals that Castenaso is significantly enriched in Sr, Ba, Tl, and U, and suggests geochemical alteration in a hot-desert environment. The alteration is minor: Castenaso is not coated by desert varnish and does not show significant light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment or loss of Ni and Co.The apparent contrast in size, morphology, and composition between the soil particles filling the external fractures of Castenaso and those from the bank of the Idice Stream observed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM) suggests that Castenaso did not reside at the reported find location. Abraded quartz grains (up to 1 mm in size) in Castenaso are undoubtedly from a hot-desert eolian environment: they are well-rounded and show external surfaces characterized by the presence of dish-shaped concavities and upturned silica plates that have been subject to solution-precipitation and subsequent smoothing.We therefore conclude that Castenaso is one of the many hot-desert ordinary chondrite finds, probably from the Sahara, that is currently available on the market. This forensic work provides the scientific grounds for changing the name of this meteorite.

The first 2 years of colorectal cancer screening in Ferrara, Italy.

PubMed

Matarese, Vincenzo G; Feo, Carlo Vittorio; Lanza, Giovanni; Fusetti, Nadia; Carpanelli, Maria Cristina; Cataldo, Serena; Cifalà, Viviana; Ferretti, Stefano; Gafà, Roberta; Marzola, Marina; Montanari, Enrica; Palmonari, Caterina; Simone, Loredana; Trevisani, Lucio; Stockbrugger, Reinhold; Gullini, Sergio

2011-05-01

We report on the first screening round in the District of Ferrara, a region of Emilia-Romagna, carried out between March 2005 and March 2007 to illustrate the effort of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening from administration and information to therapy and follow-up. After invitation of 38 344 persons aged 50-69 years (28.5%), 19 480 (50.8%) accepted the immunological faecal occult blood test, with 1 149 (6%) resulting positive. One thousand and one individuals (88.2%) who tested positive for immunological faecal occult blood test accepted examination by either colonoscopy (99.5%) or barium enema (0.5%). Out of 996 screenees having a colonoscopy, 231 had low-risk adenomas (23.2%) and 239 had high-risk adenomas (24%), and were treated endoscopically (96%) or surgically (4%). Ninety-one cancers were diagnosed in 9.1% of colonoscopies (Dukes stadia: A, 58.2%; B, 19.8%; C, 18.7%; D, 3.3%). Fourteen cancers (all in polyps) were treated endoscopically, and the remaining 77 were treated by surgery. One Dukes B patient and 13 of 17 Dukes C patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Three Dukes D patients had chemotherapy only. During the 2-year study period, 87 screenees had a follow-up colonoscopy: no neoplasia was found in 35 patients initially diagnosed with cancer; low-risk adenomas were found in 31 of 52 patients with initial high-risk adenomas. In conclusion, the first CRC screening round in Ferrara was easy to organize, had a high acceptance, and detected 91 cancers (78% of which were in Dukes stages A and B, compared with only 40% in sporadic CRC in the same background population). Chemotherapy was necessary in 17 cases. This report may motivate other health authorities to initiate CRC screening campaigns.

Maternal Education Is Associated with Disparities in Breastfeeding at Time of Discharge but Not at Initiation of Enteral Feeding in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

PubMed

Herich, Lena Carolin; Cuttini, Marina; Croci, Ileana; Franco, Francesco; Di Lallo, Domenico; Baronciani, Dante; Fares, Katia; Gargano, Giancarlo; Raponi, Massimiliano; Zeitlin, Jennifer

2017-03-01

To investigate the relationship between maternal education and breastfeeding in very preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units. This prospective, population-based cohort study analyzed the data of all very preterm infants admitted to neonatal care during 1 year in 3 regions in Italy (Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, and Marche). The use of mothers' own milk was recorded at initial enteral feedings and at hospital discharge. We used multilevel logistic analysis to model the association between maternal education and breastfeeding outcomes, adjusting for maternal age and country of birth. Region was included as random effect. There were 1047 very preterm infants who received enteral feeding, and 975 were discharged alive. At discharge, the use of mother's own milk, exclusively or not, and feeding directly at the breast were significantly more likely for mothers with an upper secondary education or higher. We found no relationship between maternal education and type of milk at initial enteral feedings. However, the exclusive early use of the mother's own milk at initial feedings was related significantly with receiving any maternal milk and feeding directly at the breast at discharge from hospital, and the association with feeding at the breast was stronger for the least educated mothers. In this population-based cohort of very preterm infants, we found a significant and positive association between maternal education and the likelihood of receiving their mother's own milk at the time of discharge. In light of the proven benefits of maternal milk, strategies to support breastfeeding should be targeted to mothers with less education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insecticidal activity and fungitoxicity of plant extracts and components of horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) and garlic (Allium sativum).

PubMed

Tedeschi, Paola; Leis, Marilena; Pezzi, Marco; Civolani, Stefano; Maietti, Annalisa; Brandolini, Vincenzo

2011-01-01

To avoid environmental pollution and health problems caused by the use of traditional synthetic pesticides, there is a trend to search for naturally occurring toxicants from plants. Among the compounds discussed for anti-fungal and insecticidal activity, the natural extracts from garlic and horseradish have attracted considerable attention. The objective of this study is to determine the insecticidal and anti-fungal activity of Armoracia rusticana and Allium sativum L. extracts against larvae of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and some pathogenic fungi. For the insecticidal test, horseradish and garlic extracts were prepared from fresh plants (cultivated in Emilia Romagna region) in a solution of ethanol 80 % and the two different solutions were used at different concentrations (for the determination of the lethal dose) against the fourth instar mosquito's larvae. The fungicidal test was carried out by the agar plates technique using garlic and horseradish extracts in a 10 % ethanol solution against the following organisms: Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., Trichoderma longibrachiatum, Botrytis cinerea Pers., Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. and Fusarium culmorum (Wm. G. Sm.) Sacc. The first results demonstrated that the horseradish ethanol extracts present only a fungistatic activity against Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc., Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. and F. culmorum (Wm.G. Sm) Sacc. while garlic extracts at the same concentration provided a good fungicidal activity above all against Botrytis cinerea Pers. and S. rolfsii. A. rusticana and A. sativum preparations showed also an interesting and significant insecticidal activity against larvae of A. albopictus, even if horseradish presented a higher efficacy (LC₅₀ value of 2.34 g/L), approximately two times higher than garlic one (LC₅₀ value of 4.48 g/L).

The Prognostic Roles of Gender and O6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase Methylation Status in Glioblastoma Patients: The Female Power.

PubMed

Franceschi, Enrico; Tosoni, Alicia; Minichillo, Santino; Depenni, Roberta; Paccapelo, Alexandro; Bartolini, Stefania; Michiara, Maria; Pavesi, Giacomo; Urbini, Benedetta; Crisi, Girolamo; Cavallo, Michele A; Tosatto, Luigino; Dazzi, Claudio; Biasini, Claudia; Pasini, Giuseppe; Balestrini, Damiano; Zanelli, Francesca; Ramponi, Vania; Fioravanti, Antonio; Giombelli, Ermanno; De Biase, Dario; Baruzzi, Agostino; Brandes, Alba A

2018-04-01

Clinical and molecular factors are essential to define the prognosis in patients with glioblastoma (GBM). O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation status, age, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), and extent of surgical resection are the most relevant prognostic factors. Our investigation of the role of gender in predicting prognosis shows a slight survival advantage for female patients. We performed a prospective evaluation of the Project of Emilia Romagna on Neuro-Oncology (PERNO) registry to identify prognostic factors in patients with GBM who received standard treatment. A total of 169 patients (99 males [58.6%] and 70 females [41.4%]) were evaluated prospectively. MGMT methylation was evaluable in 140 patients. Among the male patients, 36 were MGMT methylated (25.7%) and 47 were unmethylated (33.6%); among the female patients, 32 were methylated (22.9%) and 25 were unmethylated (17.9%). Survival was longer in the methylated females compared with the methylated males (P = 0.028) but was not significantly different between the unmethylated females and the unmethylated males (P = 0.395). In multivariate analysis, gender and MGMT methylation status considered together (methylated females vs. methylated males; hazard ratio [HR], 0.459; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.242-0.827; P = 0.017), age (HR, 1.025; 95% CI, 1.002-1.049; P = 0.032), and KPS (HR, 0.965; 95% CI, 0.948-0.982; P < 0.001) were significantly correlated with survival. Survival was consistently longer among MGMT methylated females compared with males. Gender can be considered as a further prognostic factor. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is medical perspective on clinical governance practices associated with clinical units' performance and mortality? A cross-sectional study through a record-linkage procedure.

PubMed

Sarchielli, Guido; De Plato, Giovanni; Cavalli, Mario; Albertini, Stefano; Nonni, Ilaria; Bencivenni, Lucia; Montali, Arianna; Ventura, Antonio; Montali, Francesca

2016-01-01

Assessment of the knowledge and application as well as perceived utility by doctors of clinical governance tools in order to explore their impact on clinical units' performance measured through mortality rates and efficiency indicators. This research is a cross-sectional study with a deterministic record-linkage procedure. The sample includes n = 1250 doctors (n = 249 chiefs of clinical units; n = 1001 physicians) working in six public hospitals located in the Emilia-Romagna Region in Italy. Survey instruments include a checklist and a research-made questionnaire which were used for data collection about doctors' knowledge and application as well as perceived utility of clinical governance tools. The analysis was based on clinical units' performance indicators which include patients' mortality, extra-region active mobility rate, average hospital stay, bed occupancy, rotation and turnover rates, and the comparative performance index as efficiency indicators. The clinical governance tools are known and applied differently in all the considered clinical units. Significant differences emerged between roles and organizational levels at which the medical leadership is carried out. The levels of knowledge and application of clinical governance practices are correlated with the clinical units' efficiency indicators (bed occupancy rate, bed turnover interval, and extra-region mobility). These multiple linear regression analyses highlighted that the clinical governance knowledge and application is correlated with clinical units' mortality rates (odds ratio, -8.677; 95% confidence interval, -16.654, -0.700). The knowledge and application, as well as perceived utility by medical professionals of clinical governance tools, are associated with the mortality rates of their units and with some efficiency indicators. However, the medical frontline staff seems to not consider homogeneously useful the clinical governance tools application on its own clinical practice.

Smoking habits, exposure to passive smoking and attitudes to a non-smoking policy among hospital staff.

PubMed

Zanetti, F; Gambi, A; Bergamaschi, A; Gentilini, F; De Luca, G; Monti, C; Stampi, S

1998-01-01

A survey was carried out into the smoking habits and exposure to passive smoking among health staff in the hospitals of Faenza, Forli and Rimini (Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy), 2453 subjects answered anonymously a 41 question questionnaire. 53% of the subjects were professionals nurses, 16% doctors, 15% maintenance staff, 10% ancillary staff, 1% non-medical graduates, 2% were administrators and 3% were assigned to the category ¿other'. Of the subjects answering the questionnaire 39% were smokers, 19% ex-smokers and 42% non smokers. The highest number of smokers was found among women (41%) compared to men (37%) and among ancillary staff (48%) compared to nurses (41%) and doctors (31%). The males were mostly heavy smokers (> or = 20 cigarettes/d) and smoked strong cigarettes (> or = 12 mg/cig condensate content). The females were mostly light smokers (< 10 cigarettes/d) and smoked light cigarettes (1-6 mg/cig condensate content). A high percentage of subjects (87%) smoked at work especially in areas reserved for staff. 43% and 26% of shift workers and non-shift workers tended not to modify their habit when on morning or afternoon shifts. During night shifts the majority of them increased their tobacco consumption. Around 87% of hospital employees stated they were exposed to passive smoking inside the hospital especially in cooking areas, at information desks and corridors. Nurses, ancillaries and maintenance staff were those most exposed and for a greater number of hours per day compared to doctors. Almost all subjects were aware of the harm caused by passive smoking. 56% of smokers, 65% of ex-smokers and 72% of non smokers said they were willing to participate in future campaigns to limit smoking in their hospitals.

Does soil fauna like truffles just as humans do? One-year study of biodiversity in natural brûlés of Tuber aestivum Vittad.

PubMed

Pinto, Stefania; Gatti, Fabio; García-Montero, Luis G; Menta, Cristina

2017-04-15

There are numerous aspects related to Tuber species, which have not been explored to date. Tuber aestivum Vitt. is an ectomycorrhizal fungus, that produces an area (called brûlé) around the host plant trunk, where the germination of other plants is inhibited. What happens inside this particular environment is still not sufficiently understood, especially in terms of soil fauna. A previous work showed that there were higher microarthropod abundances outside during the period of maximum activity of the mycelium. The genus Folsomia (Isotomidae Family; Order Collembola) showed higher abundance inside. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of brûlé, on soil parameters and soil fauna, during the annual biological cycle of T. aestivum. This study was carried out in nine spontaneous brûlés situated in Northern Italy (Emilia Romagna Region - Piacenza Province). Soil cores were collected in order to perform soil chemical and biological analysis. Moisture content, pH, organic matter content, total organic carbon were analyzed. Biodiversity and soil quality indices were applied. We found higher pH, lower carbon and organic matter content within the brûlé. Soil fauna community also showed some differences, seasonal and inside vs outside the brûlé. Some groups seem to be negatively affected by Tuber while Folsomia genus recorded almost always higher values inside. These results suggest that some organisms, such as some Collembola, might find a favorable environment inside the brûlé, while others - a negative one. However, these results should be compared by other analysis either on other Tuber species and on other soil organisms, such as nematodes and earthworms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flood loss modelling with FLF-IT: a new flood loss function for Italian residential structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasanzadeh Nafari, Roozbeh; Amadio, Mattia; Ngo, Tuan; Mysiak, Jaroslav

2017-07-01

The damage triggered by different flood events costs the Italian economy millions of euros each year. This cost is likely to increase in the future due to climate variability and economic development. In order to avoid or reduce such significant financial losses, risk management requires tools which can provide a reliable estimate of potential flood impacts across the country. Flood loss functions are an internationally accepted method for estimating physical flood damage in urban areas. In this study, we derived a new flood loss function for Italian residential structures (FLF-IT), on the basis of empirical damage data collected from a recent flood event in the region of Emilia-Romagna. The function was developed based on a new Australian approach (FLFA), which represents the confidence limits that exist around the parameterized functional depth-damage relationship. After model calibration, the performance of the model was validated for the prediction of loss ratios and absolute damage values. It was also contrasted with an uncalibrated relative model with frequent usage in Europe. In this regard, a three-fold cross-validation procedure was carried out over the empirical sample to measure the range of uncertainty from the actual damage data. The predictive capability has also been studied for some sub-classes of water depth. The validation procedure shows that the newly derived function performs well (no bias and only 10 % mean absolute error), especially when the water depth is high. Results of these validation tests illustrate the importance of model calibration. The advantages of the FLF-IT model over other Italian models include calibration with empirical data, consideration of the epistemic uncertainty of data, and the ability to change parameters based on building practices across Italy.

Effectiveness of palliative care services: A population-based study of end-of-life care for cancer patients.

PubMed

De Palma, Rossana; Fortuna, Daniela; Hegarty, Sarah E; Louis, Daniel Z; Melotti, Rita Maria; Moro, Maria Luisa

2018-06-01

Multiple studies demonstrate substantial utilization of acute hospital care and, potentially excessive, intensive medical and surgical treatments at the end-of-life. To evaluate the relationship between the use of home and facility-based hospice palliative care for patients dying with cancer and service utilization at the end of life. Retrospective, population-level study using administrative databases. The effect of palliative care was analyzed between coarsened exact matched cohorts and evaluated through a conditional logistic regression model. The study was conducted on the cohort of 34,357 patients, resident in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of metastatic or poor-prognosis cancer during the 6 months before death between January 2013 and December 2015. Patients who received palliative care experienced significantly lower rates of all indicators of aggressive care such as hospital admission (odds ratio (OR) = 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04-0.06), emergency department visits (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.21-0.25), intensive care unit stays (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.26-0.32), major operating room procedures (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.21-0.24), and lower in-hospital death (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.10-0.11). This cohort had significantly higher rates of opiate prescriptions (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.21-1.33) ( p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Use of palliative care at the end of life for cancer patients is associated with a reduction of the use of high-cost, intensive services. Future research is necessary to evaluate the impact of increasing use of palliative care services on other health outcomes. Administrative databases linked at the patient level are a useful data source for assessment of care at the end of life.

Unraveling Landscape Complexity: Land Use/Land Cover Changes and Landscape Pattern Dynamics (1954-2008) in Contrasting Peri-Urban and Agro-Forest Regions of Northern Italy.

PubMed

Smiraglia, D; Ceccarelli, T; Bajocco, S; Perini, L; Salvati, L

2015-10-01

This study implements an exploratory data analysis of landscape metrics and a change detection analysis of land use and population density to assess landscape dynamics (1954-2008) in two physiographic zones (plain and hilly-mountain area) of Emilia Romagna, northern Italy. The two areas are characterized by different landscape types: a mixed urban-rural landscape dominated by arable land and peri-urban settlements in the plain and a traditional agro-forest landscape in the hilly-mountain area with deciduous and conifer forests, scrublands, meadows, and crop mosaic. Urbanization and, to a lesser extent, agricultural intensification were identified as the processes underlying landscape change in the plain. Land abandonment determining natural forestation and re-forestation driven by man was identified as the process of change most representative of the hilly-mountain area. Trends in landscape metrics indicate a shift toward more fragmented and convoluted patterns in both areas. Number of patches, the interspersion and juxtaposition index, and the large patch index are the metrics discriminating the two areas in terms of landscape patterns in 1954. In 2008, mean patch size, edge density, interspersion and juxtaposition index, and mean Euclidean nearest neighbor distance were the metrics with the most different spatial patterns in the two areas. The exploratory data analysis of landscape metrics contributed to link changes over time in both landscape composition and configuration providing a comprehensive picture of landscape transformations in a wealthy European region. Evidence from this study are hoped to inform sustainable land management designed for homogeneous landscape units in similar socioeconomic contexts.

Vitamin D supplementation is required to normalize serum level of 25OH-vitamin D in older adults: an observational study of 974 hip fracture inpatients.

PubMed

Lauretani, F; Frondini, C; Davoli, M L; Martini, E; Pellicciotti, F; Zagatti, A; Giordano, A; Zurlo, A; Pioli, G

2012-11-01

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in older adults in all continents. In this study we assessed the vitamin D status of hip fracture subjects across different hospitals in a real word situation using the data from a multicenter cohort study on outcomes in orthogeriatric units. We performed a prospective cohort study on 974 consecutive patients 75 yr or older admitted with fragility hip fracture over a 12 months period at 4 general hospitals of different districts in Emilia Romagna Region, Italy. Data collected included comorbidity, cognitive impairment, prefracture functional status, walking ability, living arrangement along with the use of antiosteoporotic drugs, serum intact PTH and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Mean 25(OH)D serum levels were 12.2±9.4 ng/ml and 84.2% of patients had levels below recommended values. Male had a higher probability to have values within the reference range [odds ratio (OR): 1.74 (1.13-2.67); p=0.012] while living in nursing resulted negatively related even if only close to statistical significance [OR: 0.24 (0.06-1.02); p=0.051]. Vitamin D supplementation appeared to be the strongest factor associated with adequate level of vitamin D levels [OR: 4.50 (2.57-7.88); p<0.001). This study confirmed the very high rate of severe vitamin D deficiency in Italian subjects admitted with hip fracture. Our study also showed that supplementation of vitamin D is the strongest determinant influencing serum 25(OH)D level of older persons with hip fracture and these results should be taken into account when planning treatment in older persons.

Impact on Prehospital Delay of a Stroke Preparedness Campaign: A SW-RCT (Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial).

PubMed

Denti, Licia; Caminiti, Caterina; Scoditti, Umberto; Zini, Andrea; Malferrari, Giovanni; Zedde, Maria Luisa; Guidetti, Donata; Baratti, Mario; Vaghi, Luca; Montanari, Enrico; Marcomini, Barbara; Riva, Silvia; Iezzi, Elisa; Castellini, Paola; Olivato, Silvia; Barbi, Filippo; Perticaroli, Eva; Monaco, Daniela; Iafelice, Ilaria; Bigliardi, Guido; Vandelli, Laura; Guareschi, Angelica; Artoni, Andrea; Zanferrari, Carla; Schulz, Peter J

2017-12-01

Public campaigns to increase stroke preparedness have been tested in different contexts, showing contradictory results. We evaluated the effectiveness of a stroke campaign, designed specifically for the Italian population in reducing prehospital delay. According to an SW-RCT (Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial) design, the campaign was launched in 4 provinces in the northern part of the region Emilia Romagna at 3-month intervals in randomized sequence. The units of analysis were the patients admitted to hospital, with stroke and transient ischemic attack, over a time period of 15 months, beginning 3 months before the intervention was launched in the first province to allow for baseline data collection. The proportion of early arrivals (within 2 hours of symptom onset) was the primary outcome. Thrombolysis rate and some behavioral end points were the secondary outcomes. Data were analyzed using a fixed-effect model, adjusting for cluster and time trends. We enrolled 1622 patients, 912 exposed and 710 nonexposed to the campaign. The proportion of early access was nonsignificantly lower in exposed patients (354 [38.8%] versus 315 [44.4%]; adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.60-1.08; P =0.15). As for secondary end points, an increase was found for stroke recognition, which approximated but did not reach statistical significance ( P =0.07). Our campaign was not effective in reducing prehospital delay. Even if some limitations of the intervention, mainly in terms of duration, are taken into account, our study demonstrates that new communication strategies should be tested before large-scale implementation. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01881152. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

A cloud based brokering framework to support hydrology at global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boldrini, E.; Pecora, S.; Bordini, F.; Nativi, S.

2016-12-01

This work presents the hydrology broker designed and deployed in the context of a collaboration between the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna (ARPA-ER) and CNR-IIA (National Research Council of Italy). The hydrology brokering platform eases the task of discovering and accessing hydrological observation data, usually acquired and made available by national agencies by means of a set of heterogeneous services (e.g. CUAHSI HIS servers, OGC services, FTP servers) and formats (e.g. WaterML, O&M, ...). The hydrology broker makes all the already published data available according to one or more of the desired and well known discovery protocols, access protocols, and formats . As a result, the user is able to search and access the available hydrological data through his preferred client (e.g. CUAHSI HydroDesktop, 52North SWE client). It is also easy to build a hydrological web portal on top of the broker, using the user friendly js API. The hydrology broker has been deployed on the Amazon cloud to ensure scalability and tested in the context of the work of the Commission for Hydrology of WMO on three different scenarios: the La Plata river basin, the Sava river basin and the Arctic-HYCOS project. In each scenario the hydrology broker discovered and accessed heterogeneous data formats (e.g. Waterml 1.0/2.0, proprietary CSV documents) from the heterogeneous services (e.g. CUAHSI HIS servers, FTP service and agency proprietary services) managed by several national agencies and international commissions. The hydrology broker made possible to present all the available data uniformly through the user desired service type and format (e.g. an HIS server publishing Waterml 2.0), producing a great improvement in both system interoperability and data exchange. Interoperability tests were also successfully conducted with WMO Information System (WIS) nodes, making possible for a specific Global Information Center System (GISC) to gather the available hydrological records as ISO 19115:2007 metadata documents through the OAI-PMH interface exposed by the broker. The framework flexibility makes it also easy to add other sources, as well as additional published interfaces, in order to cope with the future standard requirements needed by the hydrological community.

An American Educator Reflects on the Meaning of the Reggio Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Margaret Inman

2001-01-01

Reflects on experience as participant in a Reggio Emilia study tour in Italy. Compares educational philosophy and practices in municipal preschools of Reggio Emilia with those of preschools in the United States. (Contains 10 references.) (PKP)

Climate change trends, grape production, and potential alcohol concentration in wine from the "Romagna Sangiovese" appellation area (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teslić, Nemanja; Zinzani, Giordano; Parpinello, Giuseppina P.; Versari, Andrea

2018-01-01

The trend of climate change and its effect on grape production and wine composition was evaluated using a real case study of seven wineries located in the "Romagna Sangiovese" appellation area (northern Italy), one of the most important wine producing region of Italy. This preliminary study focused on three key aspects: (i) Assessment of climate change trends by calculating bioclimatic indices over the last 61 years (from 1953 to 2013) in the Romagna Sangiovese area: significant increasing trends were found for the maximum, mean, and minimum daily temperatures, while a decreasing trend was found for precipitation during the growing season period (April-October). Mean growing season temperature was 18.49 °C, considered as warm days in the Romagna Sangiovese area and optimal for vegetative growth of Sangiovese, while nights during the ripening months were cold (13.66 °C). The rise of temperature shifted studied area from the temperate/warm temperate to the warm temperate-/warm grape-growing region (according to the Huglin classification). (ii) Relation between the potential alcohol content from seven wineries and the climate change from 2001 to 2012: dry spell index (DSI) and Huglin index (HI) suggested a large contribution to increasing level of potential alcohol in Sangiovese wines, whereas DSI showed higher correlation with potential alcohol respect to the HI. (iii) Relation between grape production and the climate change from 1982 to 2012: a significant increasing trend was found with little effect of the climate change trends estimated with used bioclimatic indices. Practical implication at viticultural and oenological levels is discussed.

The experience of accreditation of the Reggio Emilia Research Hospital with the OECI model.

PubMed

Mazzini, Elisa; Cerullo, Loredana; Mazzi, Giorgio; Costantini, Massimo

2015-01-01

The research hospital Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) of Reggio Emilia has a unique organization that involves a recently recognized IRCCS in oncology within a preexisting general hospital. The IRCCS of Reggio Emilia joined the "Tailored Accreditation Model for Comprehensive Cancer Centers: Validation through the Applicability of the Experimental OECI-based Model to the Network of Cancer IRCCS of the Alliance Against Cancer" and applied the accreditation & designation (A&D) Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) model in 2013. Before that accreditation, it had never been accredited according to international accreditation systems concerning cancer. By December 2015, the IRCCS of Reggio Emilia completed the first steps of the A&D OECI process (self-assessment period, peer review visit, implementation of the improvement plan). In December 2014, OECI confirmed the accreditation of our IRCCS and its designation as a Clinical Cancer Center and proposed a revisit at 2 years for upgrading the designation to Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). On the whole, the results given by adhesion to the A&D-OECI project are numerous and positive, under different points of view, formal (European accreditation and designation as a Clinical Cancer Center with possible upgrade to CCC) and substantial (involvement of professionals, attention to ongoing improvement, work on the sectors mainly of interest). The balance between the advantages and disadvantages linked to this accreditation model was positive. Following our experience, we conclude that the model was useful also for our kind of IRCCS, with its features useful for investigating all the sectors of the patient care pathway and research and necessity to stimulate change.

Reggio Emilia: New Ways To Think About Schooling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New, Rebecca S.

2003-01-01

The Reggio Emilia approach to education reveals new ways for promoting children's academic learning; offers documentation as a tool for studying, sharing, and planning children's education experiences; and provokes a new way to think about the role of the teacher. (Contains 17 references.) (MLF)

Teachers and Children Inquire into Reggio Emilia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clyde, Jean Anne; Miller, Carol; Sauer, Stacy; Liebert, Karen; Parker, Susan; Runyan, Sarah

2006-01-01

"Reggio Emilia" is a remarkable, interdisciplinary inquiry-based approach typically found in preschools. What happens when elementary teachers confined by curricular mandates embrace key features of this learner-centered philosophy? This article provides compelling evidence that when multiple literacies are harnessed in support of inquiry, the…

Impact of storms on coastlines: preparing for the future without forgetting the past? Examples from European coastlines using a Storm Impact Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciavola, Paolo; Garnier, Emmanuel; Ferreira, Oscar; Spencer, Thomas; Armaroli, Clara

2017-04-01

Severe storms have historically affected many European coastlines but the impact of each storm has been evaluated in different ways in different countries, often using local socio-economic impact criteria (e.g. loss of lives and damage to properties). Although the Xynthia (2010) storm, Atlantic coast of France, was the largest coastal disaster of the last 50 years, similar events have previously impacted Europe. The 1953 storm surge in the southern North Sea, resulted in over 2000 deaths and extensive flooding and was the catalyst for post WWII improvements in flood defences and storm early warning systems. On a longer timescale, the very extreme storm of 1634 AD re-configured Wadden Sea coastlines, accompanied by thousands of deaths. Establishing patterns of coastal risk and vulnerability is greatly helped by the use of historical sources, as these allow the development of more complete time series of storm events and their impacts. The work to be presented was supported by the EU RISC-KIT (Resilience-Increasing Strategies for Coasts - toolKIT) Project. RISC-KIT (http://www.risckit.eu/np4/home.html) is a EU FP7 Collaborative project that has developed methods, tools and management approaches to reduce risk and increase resilience to low frequency, high-impact hydro-meteorological events in the coastal zone. These products will enhance forecasting, prediction and early warning capabilities, improve the assessment of long-term coastal risk and optimize the mix of prevention, mitigation and preparedness measures. We analyse historical large-scale events occurred from The Middle Ages to the 1960s at the case study sites of North Norfolk Coast (UK), the Charente-Maritime and Vendée coast (France), the Cinque Terre-Liguria (Italy), the Emilia-Romagna coast (Italy), and the Ria Formosa coast (Portugal). The work presented here uses a database of events built by the project, examining records for the last 300 years, including the characteristics of the storms as well as recorded losses. Finally, lessons learned will be presented, understanding the interaction between DRR elements such as prevention, resilience, mitigation and preparedness. The project's database is publicly available (http://risckit.cloudapp.net/risckit/#/)

[Determinants of occupational injuries in the construction of the "high speed train" Bologna-Florence].

PubMed

Pavone, Venere Leda Mara; Lisi, Catiuscia; Cinti, Danilo; Cervino, Daniela; Costantini, Adele Seniori; Forastiere, Francesco

2007-01-01

to study determinants of occupational injuries in tunnel construction using data from the surveillance system which had been implemented in order to monitor accidents during the construction of the "high speed train tracks in the Italian Regions Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. retrospective cohort study. 16 sites for the construction of 14 tunnels of the high speed railway-tract Bologna-Firenze, in Italy. 1,602 workers (of 3,000 employed in the underground tunnelling), aged 18 - 67 years, operating during excavation with traditional method in 1999-2002. A total of 549 injuries occurred among 385 workers. The number of worked hours were used as time at risk. incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals for all injuries, serious injuries and first injuries were considered in separate multiple regression analyses (Poisson). residence, task and working phase were taken into consideration. An increased risk was found for younger workers, for carpenters (IRR "all-events" = 2.33; 95% CI=1.85-2.94; IRR" first-events" = 2.12; 95% CI 1.62-2.77) and miners (IRR "all-events" = 1.76; 95% CI 1.39-2.24; IRR"first-events" = 1.71; 95% CI 1.30-2.24) vs. machinery operators. Construction of inverted arch turns out to have an incidence rate ratio three times higher than digging out (IRR "all-events" = 2.79; 95% CI 2.27-3.43; IRR "firsts-event = 2.98; 95% CI 2.33-3.81). The probability of "serious" injuries (>30 days) is higher for miners (IRR=2.45; 95% CI 1.65-3.64) and for carpenters (IRR=2.31; 95% CI 1.53-3.49). this study pointed out to indicate some determinants (age, task and work phase) of injuries in tunneling about which little had been published previously. These results are useful for addressing preventive measures, for control and prevention activities and point to the need to explore the effect of experience and to study, through a case crossover design, transient working and individual risk factors for traumatic injury within these working sites.

The Reggio Emilia Approach and Inclusive Early Childhood Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vakil, Shernavaz; Freeman, Ramona; Swim, Terry Jo

2003-01-01

Discusses benefits of inclusion in preschool and compares educational practices of high-quality inclusive preschools in the United States with those characterizing the Reggio Emilia approach. Offers recommendations for better serving children with special needs in inclusive settings, including viewing teachers as researchers, and using…

Art Spoken Here: Reggio Emilia for the Big Kids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutcher, Alexandra

2013-01-01

Developing one's creative potential is a basic human right, and thus the relationship between democracy and creativity is ineffable. Reggio Emilia pedagogies recognise this intrinsically; teaching through this modality embeds deep learning and an aesthetic awareness not often evident in formal schooling, despite the overwhelming evidence…

Play in Other Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Susan

2007-01-01

How do children from different cultural backgrounds who are learning to speak English respond to the Reggio Emilia approach? This article builds on the author's research into Reggio Emilia and children from diverse cultural backgrounds. She describes the strategies the teachers used to enable the children to express their ideas verbally and…

Documentation: Ideas and Applications from the Reggio Emilia Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder-Yu, Gigi

2008-01-01

Teachers of the visual arts have long considered the importance of how to collect and display their students' work. Throughout history, bulletin boards have covered classrooms and school hallways neatly displaying children's art work. This article briefly summarizes how documentation functions within the Reggio Emilia approach and then discusses…

Children, Objects, and Relations: Constructivist Foundations in the Reggio Emilia Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swann, Annette C.

2008-01-01

This article examines how children's construction of relationships in exploring materials helps to explain the constructivist foundations of the Reggio Emilia approach. A quasi-naturalistic study of 12 preschool children, ages 3 and 4 years, individually exploring different kinds of collage papers reveals a range of constructivist categories…

Using Technology in Reggio Emilia-Inspired Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Linda M.

2007-01-01

All young children need to interact with their environments to achieve maximum development and learning. Technology has great potential for supporting the learning needs of all young children in early childhood programs supported by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. This article discusses possible uses of technologies that are appropriate for young…

A search for model parsimony in a real time flood forecasting system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grossi, G.; Balistrocchi, M.

2009-04-01

As regards the hydrological simulation of flood events, a physically based distributed approach is the most appealing one, especially in those areas where the spatial variability of the soil hydraulic properties as well as of the meteorological forcing cannot be left apart, such as in mountainous regions. On the other hand, dealing with real time flood forecasting systems, less detailed models requiring a minor number of parameters may be more convenient, reducing both the computational costs and the calibration uncertainty. In fact in this case a precise quantification of the entire hydrograph pattern is not necessary, while the expected output of a real time flood forecasting system is just an estimate of the peak discharge, the time to peak and in some cases the flood volume. In this perspective a parsimonious model has to be found in order to increase the efficiency of the system. A suitable case study was identified in the northern Apennines: the Taro river is a right tributary to the Po river and drains about 2000 km2 of mountains, hills and floodplain, equally distributed . The hydrometeorological monitoring of this medium sized watershed is managed by ARPA Emilia Romagna through a dense network of uptodate gauges (about 30 rain gauges and 10 hydrometers). Detailed maps of the surface elevation, land use and soil texture characteristics are also available. Five flood events were recorded by the new monitoring network in the years 2003-2007: during these events the peak discharge was higher than 1000 m3/s, which is actually quite a high value when compared to the mean discharge rate of about 30 m3/s. The rainfall spatial patterns of such storms were analyzed in previous works by means of geostatistical tools and a typical semivariogram was defined, with the aim of establishing a typical storm structure leading to flood events in the Taro river. The available information was implemented into a distributed flood event model with a spatial resolution of 90m; then the hydrologic detail was reduced by progressively assuming a uniform rainfall field and constant soil properties. A semi-distributed model, obtained by subdividing the catchment into three sub-catchment, and a lumped model were also applied to simulate the selected flood events. Errors were quantified in terms of the peak discharge ratio, the flood volume and the time to peak by comparing the simulated hydrographs to the observed ones.

System Dynamics Model to develop resilience management strategies for lifelines exposed to natural hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagano, Alessandro; Pluchinotta, Irene; Giordano, Raffaele; Vurro, Michele

2016-04-01

Resilience has recently become a key concept, and a crucial paradigm in the analysis of the impacts of natural disasters, mainly concerning Lifeline Systems (LS). Indeed, the traditional risk management approaches require a precise knowledge of all potential hazards and a full understanding of the interconnections among different infrastructures, based on past events and trends analysis. Nevertheless, due to the inner complexity of LS, their interconnectedness and the dynamic context in which they operate (i.e. technology, economy and society), it is difficult to gain a complete comprehension of the processes influencing vulnerabilities and threats. Therefore, resilience thinking addresses the complexities of large integrated systems and the uncertainty of future threats, emphasizing the absorbing, adapting and responsive behavior of the system. Resilience thinking approaches are focused on the capability of the system to deal with the unforeseeable. The increasing awareness of the role played by LS, has led governmental agencies and institutions to develop resilience management strategies. Risk prone areas, such as cities, are highly dependent on infrastructures providing essential services that support societal functions, safety, economic prosperity and quality of life. Among the LS, drinking water supply is critical for supporting citizens during emergency and recovery, since a disruption could have a range of serious societal impacts. A very well-known method to assess LS resilience is the TOSE approach. The most interesting feature of this approach is the integration of four dimensions: Technical, Organizational, Social and Economic. Such issues are all concurrent to the resilience level of an infrastructural system, and should be therefore quantitatively assessed. Several researches underlined that the lack of integration among the different dimensions, composing the resilience concept, may contribute to a mismanagement of LS in case of natural disasters. Moving in such direction, System Dynamics Modeling (SDM) is a suitable operative approach. The SDM allows taking into account all resilience dimensions in an integrated and dynamic way. Furthermore, it allows to combine predictive and learning functionality through feedback mechanisms, and to foster active involvement of stakeholders in the modelling process. The present paper show some results of ongoing research activities. The main aim of the work is to describe using SDM, the relationships and interdependencies between drinking water supply infrastructures and societies in building the resilience of urban communities in case of natural disasters. Reflections are carried out on the comparison between two major earthquakes in Italy: L'Aquila in 2009 and Emilia Romagna in 2012. The model aims at defining a quantitative tool to assess the evolution of resilience of drinking water supply system. Specifically, it has been used to evaluate the impact of actions and strategies for resilience improvement on the dynamic evolution of the system, thus suggesting the most suitable ones.

Loris Malaguzzi, Reggio Emilia and Democratic Alternatives to Early Childhood Education Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts-Holmes, Guy

2017-01-01

This article responds to the dangers arising from baseline assessment in reception classes. It contrasts predictive testing which claims to ascertain each child's ability and potential with the processes of observation, documentation and discussion developed in Reggio Emilia. It explores the two very different understandings of children which they…

Curriculum Planning and the Concept of Participation in the Reggio Emilia Pedagogical Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hocevar, Andreja; Šebart, Mojca Kovac; Štefanc, Damijan

2013-01-01

The article analyses two defining assumptions about the Reggio Emilia (RE) approach: the absence of a planned curriculum designed in advance as a basis for educational work and children's participation in preschools. The authors demonstrate that different approaches to planning preschool education have advantages and disadvantages, which we cannot…

Reggio Emilia: Catalyst for Change and Conversation. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New, Rebecca S.

International perspectives on the care and education of preschool children that seem to be of greatest interest in the United States are those directly linked to prevailing concerns in American early childhood education. In this context, many early childhood specialists have explored the implications of Reggio Emilia's work for the theory,…

Successful Transition to Elementary School and the Implementation of Facilitative Practices Specified in the Reggio-Emilia Philosophy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Barry H.; Manetti, Mara; Frattini, Laura; Rania, Nadia; Santo, Jonathan Bruce; Coplan, Robert J.; Cwinn, Eli

2014-01-01

Systematic, mandated facilitation of school transitions is an important but understudied aspect of the Reggio-Emilia approach to early childhood education admired internationally as best practice. We studied the links between Northern Italian transition practices and academic achievement, school liking, cooperativeness, and problem behaviors. We…

Reconsidering the Education of Gifted Young Children with the Reggio Emilia Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Yuan

2009-01-01

While conceptualizations of giftedness have been broadened to include many forms of giftedness, a reconceptualization of gifted programs has not followed. The paper argues that the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, combining important features of the fields of early childhood education and gifted education, is a good fit for…

Including the Child with Special Needs: Learning from Reggio Emilia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilman, Sheryl

2007-01-01

Inclusive education aims toward integrating special needs students into all events of the typical classroom. For North American educators, the process of inclusion does not unfold naturally as in the routines of the Reggio Emilia approach. Reggio's powerful image of the child nourishes the authentic practice of maximizing each child's…

Through a Different Lens: Exploring Reggio Emilia in a Welsh Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maynard, Trisha; Chicken, Sarah

2010-01-01

In Wales, concerns about the perceived over-formalisation of young children's educational experiences led to the introduction of a Foundation Phase Framework for children aged three to seven years that advocates a more holistic, play-based approach. Following the staging of the Reggio Emilia travelling exhibition, funding was secured for a project…

Affordances for Participation: Children's Appropriation of Rules in a Reggio Emilia School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Cathrin; Evaldsson, Ann-Carita

2012-01-01

This study explores how young children appropriate school rules and what opportunities for active participation are afforded in a Reggio Emilia elementary classroom with particular interest in the interactional and communicative competences children display in situated practice. An ethnographic and microanalytic approach is used to study how the…

Pore Pressure Pulse Drove the 2012 Emilia (Italy) Series of Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pezzo, Giuseppe; De Gori, Pasquale; Lucente, Francesco Pio; Chiarabba, Claudio

2018-01-01

The 2012 Emilia earthquakes sequence is the first debated case in Italy of destructive event possibly induced by anthropic activity. During this sequence, two main earthquakes occurred separated by 9 days on contiguous thrust faults. Scientific commissions engaged by the Italian government reported complementary scenarios on the potential trigger mechanism ascribable to exploitation of a nearby oil field. In this study, we combine a refined geodetic source model constrained by precise aftershock locations and an improved tomographic model of the area to define the geometrical relation between the activated faults and investigate possible triggering mechanisms. An aftershock decay rate that deviates from the classical Omori-like pattern and Vp/Vs changes along the fault system suggests that natural pore pressure pulse drove the space-time evolution of seismicity and the activation of the second main shock.

[Output standard in the mental health services of Reggio Emilia, Italy. Methodological issues].

PubMed

Grassi, G

2000-01-01

The project Output Standards of the Mental Health Department (MHD) of Reggio Emilia is set out to define outputs and quality standards and to guarantee transparency and to facilitate organizational improvement. The MHD started an interprofessional working group that defined the MHD outputs as long as process, quality peculiarities, indicators and standards for each output. The MHD Director validated the group results. The MHD defined 9 outputs and its indicators and standards and consequently modified its data registration system, the way to supply free and partially charged services and budget indicators. As a result, a new instrument for management and quality control has been provided. The A. maintains that to define outputs, indicators and standards will allow to compare several services of the Department, get them omogeneous and guarantee and improve quality.

Reggio Emilia, Vygotsky, and Family Childcare: Four American Providers Describe Their Pedagogical Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Ramona

2011-01-01

This case study considers pedagogical techniques used in family childcare to promote children's learning experiences. Data extracted from an earlier study were used to inform this examination of four family childcare providers' pedagogy. In the current study, I use socio-cultural theory and the Reggio Emilia approach to address the following…

The Struggle for Early Childhood Curricula: A Comparison of the English Foundation Stage Curriculum, "Te Whariki" and Reggio Emilia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soler, Janet; Miller, Linda

2003-01-01

Focuses upon the way visions for early childhood are expressed through curricula in England, New Zealand, and Reggio Emilia in Italy. Includes curricular examples illustrating how growing pressure from vocational and instrumental influences affect progressive and socioculturally inspired early childhood curricula. Reveals how curricula and…

Discoveries from a Reggio-Inspired Classroom: Meeting Developmental Needs through the Visual Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griebling, Susan

2011-01-01

Educators from Reggio Emilia encourage educators to see children as competent and strong. They persuade educators to acknowledge the children's use of the visual arts as a "language," especially during project work. Inspired by the philosophy from Reggio Emilia, the author initiated a 10-week ethnographic study of young children in a…

The May 20 (MW 6.1) and 29 (MW 6.0), 2012, Emilia (Po Plain, northern Italy) earthquakes: New seismotectonic implications from subsurface geology and high-quality hypocenter location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carannante, Simona; Argnani, Andrea; Massa, Marco; D'Alema, Ezio; Lovati, Sara; Moretti, Milena; Cattaneo, Marco; Augliera, Paolo

2015-08-01

This study presents new geological and seismological data that are used to assess the seismic hazard of a sector of the Po Plain (northern Italy), a large alluvial basin hit by two strong earthquakes on May 20 (MW 6.1) and May 29 (MW 6.0), 2012. The proposed interpretation is based on high-quality relocation of 5369 earthquakes ('Emilia sequence') and a dense grid of seismic profiles and exploration wells. The analyzed seismicity was recorded by 44 seismic stations, and initially used to calibrate new one-dimensional and three-dimensional local Vp and Vs velocity models for the area. Considering these new models, the initial sparse hypocenters were then relocated in absolute mode and adjusted using the double-difference relative location algorithm. These data define a seismicity that is elongated in the W-NW to E-SE directions. The aftershocks of the May 20 mainshock appear to be distributed on a rupture surface that dips ~ 45° SSW, and the surface projection indicates an area ~ 10 km wide and 23 km long. The aftershocks of the May 29 mainshock followed a steep rupture surface that is well constrained within the investigated volume, whereby the surface projection of the blind source indicates an area ~ 6 km wide and 33 km long. Multichannel seismic profiles highlight the presence of relevant lateral variations in the structural style of the Ferrara folds that developed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. There is also evidence of a Mesozoic extensional fault system in the Ferrara arc, with faults that in places have been seismically reactivated. These geological and seismological observations suggest that the 2012 Emilia earthquakes were related to ruptures along blind fault surfaces that are not part of the Pliocene-Pleistocene structural system, but are instead related to a deeper system that is itself closely related to re-activation of a Mesozoic extensional fault system.

Application of the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Science Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stegelin, Dolores A.

2003-01-01

This article focuses on the relevance of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education for science knowledge and content standards for the preK-12 student population. The article includes: (1) a summary of key concepts; (2) a description of the science curriculum standards for K-3 in the United States; and (3) an example of an in-depth…

A Small Angle Polarized Neutron Scattering Investigation of Magnetic Correlations in Nanocrystalline Fe89Zr7B3Cu1

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

INFM - S3, Dipartimento di Fisica, UniversitA degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia , Italy. ’School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney...the PNFM Research Center - S3 (Nanostructures and Biosysters at Surfaces), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia , Italy and the Australian Research

Taking Inspiration from Reggio Emilia: An Analysis of a Professional Development Workshop on Fostering Authentic Art in the Early Childhood Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mages, Wendy K.

2016-01-01

This article documents the implementation of a professional development workshop on the Reggio Emilia approach in early childhood art education. It describes how early childhood educators participated in a collaborative collage experience and how a similar art activity can be engaging for young children. It also highlights philosophies,…

Reflections in the Mirror of Reggio Emilia's Soul: John Dewey's Foundational Influence on Pedagogy in the Italian Educational Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, Gai

2015-01-01

This paper articulates John Dewey's socio-political and historical influence upon the foundation and evolution of the world-renowned Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. It proposes that the pedagogical depth, influence and endurance of the Italian project are grounded in Dewey's philosophies of education, aesthetics and democracy.…

The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edwards, Carolyn, Ed.; And Others

This collection of 18 essays and interviews documents the unique approach to early childhood education taken by schools in the Reggio Emilia region of Northern Italy for the last 30 years. The book is divided into four major parts. Part I includes an introduction by Carolyn Edwards and others, and the essay, "What Can We Learn From Reggio…

Transformative Learning of Pre-Service Teachers during Study Abroad in Reggio Emilia, Italy: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vatalaro, Angela; Szente, Judit; Levin, Judith

2015-01-01

The present paper explores the transformative learning of five pre-service teachers participating in a two-week study abroad program to Reggio Emilia, Italy. The study was conducted in order to understand how a study abroad program could contribute to pre-service teachers' content knowledge, teaching practices, and global competence. Through a…

Journeying to Make Reggio Emilia "Our Own" in a University Lab School and Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zehrt, J. E. R.

2010-01-01

This study was undertaken to develop a rich image and understanding of the actions taken by the leaders in charge to translate the Reggio Emilia approach into their university Child Development Lab School and associated teacher education classes. As the university selling is one in which the links between theory, research and practice are highly…

The Emilia 2012 seismic sequence: hints on incipient basement-involved deformation in the foreland of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argnani, Andrea; Carannante, Simona; Massa, Marco; D'Alema, Ezio; Lovati, Sara

2015-04-01

The deformation front of the Northern Apennines is buried under the sediments of the Po Plain and was formed mainly during the Pliocene. The remarkably arcuate shape of the thrust front contrasts with the linear northwestern trend of the pede-Apennines, where recent deformation is documented by both geological and geodetic evidence. This study presents new geological and seismological data that are used to assess the structural style of the Ferrara Arc, a sector of the Northern Apennine front that was hit by two strong earthquakes on May 20 (MW 6.1) and May 29 (MW 6.0), 2012. The proposed interpretation is based on a dense grid of commercial seismic profiles and exploration wells, and high-quality relocation of ~5,300 earthquakes (the Emilia sequence). The seismicity was used to calibrate new one-dimensional and three-dimensional local Vp and Vs velocity models for the area. On the basis of these new models, the initial sparse hypocenters were then relocated in absolute mode and adjusted using the double-difference relative location algorithm. Seismicity distribution is elongated in the W-NW to E-SE directions, reaching a depth of 10-12 km. The aftershocks of the May 20 mainshock appear to be distributed on a rupture surface that dips ~45° SSW, and the surface projection indicates an area ~10 km wide and 23 km long. The aftershocks of the May 29 second mainshock followed a steep rupture surface that is well constrained within the investigated volume, whereby the surface projection of the blind source indicates an area ~6 km wide and 33 km long. The analysed multichannel seismic profiles highlight the presence of relevant lateral variations in the structural style of the Ferrara folds that developed during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, and also show the occurrence of a Mesozoic extensional fault system in the Ferrara arc, which in places has been seismically reactivated. These geological and seismological observations suggest that the 2012 Emilia earthquakes were related to ruptures along blind fault surfaces that are not part of the Pliocene-Pleistocene structural system, but are instead related to a deeper system that is itself closely related to re-activation of a Mesozoic extensional fault system. The implication is that the Emilia 2012 seismic sequence was related to activation of a new deformation system that has developed since the late Pleistocene and that affects the deeper structural levels within the Adriatic crust. This interpretation has major relevance for the seismotectonic characterization of the Po Plain, because the location and extent of the Ferrara folds, that were formed during the Pliocene-Pleistocene, cannot simply be used to estimate the seismogenic potential of the Ferrara Arc region.

Reflections on the Reggio Emilia Approach as Inspiration for Early Childhood Teacher Education in Abu Dhabi, UAE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Fiona S.

2015-01-01

This article discusses a teacher educator's reflections on her participation in an international study group and visits to the infant-toddler and pre-schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, as inspiration for early childhood teacher education in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The following five themes are reflected on, for teacher education in the context of Abu Dhabi:…

Early Childhood Education and Beyond: Can We Adapt the Practices and Philosophies from the Preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy into Our Elementary Schools in America?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firlik, Russell

The model presented by the preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy, is one of cooperation and collaborations among teachers, parents, and children; curriculum based on the "project approach," and constructivist learning philosophy, which states that children construct their knowledge and values as a result of interactions with and action on…

Radiocaesium in Cortinarius spp. mushrooms in the regions of the Reggio Emilia in Italy and Pomerania in Poland.

PubMed

Zalewska, Tamara; Cocchi, Luigi; Falandysz, Jerzy

2016-11-01

Activity concentrations of 134 Cs and 137 Cs have been determined in 23 species of mushrooms of the genus Cortinarius (59 individual samples) collected from the Reggio Emilia in Italy 1992-1999 and in 4 species (16 composite samples and 413 individuals) from the Pomerania region in Poland from 1996 to 2015. Across all the Cortinarius species from the Reggio Emilia, the activity concentrations were relatively high in Cortinarius alboviolaceus, Cortinarius duracinus, Cortinarius orellanus, Cortinarius rapaceus, and Cortinarius subannulatus, in which 137 Cs was at 10,000 ~ 100,000 Bq kg -1 dry biomass (db) in 1994. Smaller activity concentrations were found in Cortinarius bivelus, Cortinarius bulliardii, Cortinarius cotoneus, Cortinarius largus, Cortinarius lividoviolaceus, Cortinarius purpureus, Cortinarius rufo-olivaceus, Cortinarius torvus, and Cortinarius venetus with levels at 1000 ~ 6000 Bq kg -1 db from 1992 to 1994, and further in Cortinarius anserinus, Cortinarius auroturbinatus, C. largus, Cortinarius praestans, Cortinarius purpurascens, Cortinarius scaurus, Cortinarius sebaceous, Cortinarius talus, and Cortinarius variecolor with activity concentrations at 100 ~ 600 Bq kg -1  db in 1994. All the data were calculated for dehydrated fungal material corrected back to the exact date samples of collection. The greatest activity concentrations of 137 Cs both in Italy (1992-1999) and Poland (1996-2010) were found in the popular Cortinarius caperatus, confirming its very high capacity of radiocaesium accumulation. Besides 137 Cs, the isotope 134 Cs was detected in some species from the Reggio Emilia. An average calculated ratio of activities of 134 Cs to 137 Cs referenced to 1986 was equal to 0.38 in mushrooms from the Reggio Emilia, and this value slightly differ from that specific for Chernobyl fallout, which was 0.54. It was calculated that 137 Cs originating from Chernobyl accident constituted about 68 % of the total activity concentration of the isotope in Reggio Emilia in 1986, while as much as 32 % of 137 Cs in mushrooms were from the global fallout from nuclear bomb testing.

[Intercensal reconstruction of population and descriptive epidemiological measures in Italy: what is the impact on the cancer incidence rates?].

PubMed

Rashid, Ivan; Giacomin, Adriano; Michiara, Maria; Minerba, Sante; Sgargi, Paolo; Mincuzzi, Antonia; Silvestrini, Angela

2016-01-01

to test the effect on cancer incidence rates when using precensal computation (computed population) or intercensal reconstruction of population (reconstructed population). comparison between computed and reconstructed population by area and period in 2002-2011; evaluation of the effect on cancer rates using Italian cancer registries data. Setting e participants: population data from the Italian National Institute for Statistics, cancer data from Italian cancer registries; specific analysis involves data from Parma (Emilia-Romagna Region, Northern Italy) and Taranto (Apulia Region, Southern Italy) cancer registries. ratio between computed and reconstructed population by area, gender, age, and period; ratio between corresponding age-standardized incidence rates. Italian population estimates by precensal computation for years 2002-2011 was generally higher than that obtained by intercensal reconstruction especially in 2011, when this has been found in more than 86% of Italian Municipalities. In the same year a smaller proportion of Municipalities (11%) showed an inverse population ratio. Among the most populated Municipalities, the City of Milan showed the higher precensal to intercensal population ratio (1.076), while the City of Taranto showed the lower precensal to intercensal population ratio (0.956). The ratios between age standardized rates obtained with precensal population to those obtained with intercensal population show similar differences; in particular, for all cancer in males and females they were, respectively, 0.985 and 0.982 in the Province of Parma, 0.974 and 0.968 in the City of Parma, 1.023 and 1.013 in the Province of Taranto, and 1.08 and 1.051 in the City of Taranto. using precensal population as denominator for the year 2002- 2011 produces a remarkable distortion of both temporal trend and geographical comparisons. It is, therefore, necessary that researchers take into account this possible distortion when reporting descriptive measures in the years between the last two censuses in Italy.

Some examples of geomorphodiversity in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panizza, Mario

2014-05-01

The concept of geomorphodiversity (Panizza, 2009) is presented: "the critical and specific assessment of the geomorphological features of a territory, by comparing them in a way both extrinsic (comparison of the geomorphological characteristics with those from other territories) and intrinsic (comparison of the geomorphological characteristics with other areas within the territory itself) and taking into account the level of their scientific quality, the scale of investigation and the purpose of the research". A first example concerns the Dolomites: they have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List because of their exceptional beauty and unique landscape, together with their scientific importance from the geological and geomorphological point of view. They are of international significance for geomorphodiversity, as the classic site for the development of mountains in dolomite limestone and present a wide range of landforms related to erosion, tectonics and glaciation. They represent a kind of high altitude, open air laboratory of geomorphological heritage of exceptional global value, among the most extraordinary and accessible in the world and ideal for researching, teaching, understanding and developing Earth Science theories. The second example concerns the Emilia-Romagna Apennines, candidate for enrolment in the List of European Geoparks: they show a multifaceted and complex image from the international and regional geomorphological (extrinsic and intrinsic geomorphodiversity) point of view and are an educational example for illustrating morphotectonic evolution, stratigraphic and sedimentological sequences and morpholithological peculiarities connected with gypsum karst and clay mass wasting phenomena. The third example concerns the Vesuvius, one of the National Italian Parks: it shows an extrinsic geomorphodiversity mainly referred to the type of eruptions, with some exemplary processes inserted in international volcanic nomenclature; it makes up an important geoheritage that can be considered a field laboratory for research on volcanic geomorphology. At a regional level, intrinsic geomorphodiversity includes typical examples ascribable to lahars, relief inversion and pseudo-karst morphology.

Why do paediatricians prescribe antibiotics? Results of an Italian regional project

PubMed Central

Moro, Maria Luisa; Marchi, Massimiliano; Gagliotti, Carlo; Di Mario, Simona; Resi, Davide

2009-01-01

Background To investigate determinants of antibiotic prescription in paediatric care, as a first step of a multilevel intervention to improve prescribing for common respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in a northern Italian region with high antibiotic prescription rate. Methods A two-step survey was performed: in phase I, knowledge, and attitudes were explored involving all family and hospital paediatricians of Emilia-Romagna and a sample of parents. In phase II, patient care practices were explored in a stratified random sample of visits, both in hospitals and family physician's clinics; parent expectations were investigated in a sub-sample of these visits. Results Out of overall 4352 visits for suspected RTIs, in 38% of children an antibiotic was prescribed. Diagnostic uncertainty was perceived by paediatricians as the most frequent cause of inappropriate prescription (56% of 633 interviewed paediatricians); but, rapid antigen detecting tests was used in case of pharyngitis/pharyngotonsillitis by 36% and 21% of family and hospital paediatricians only. More than 50% of paediatricians affirmed to not adopt a "wait and see strategy" in acute otitis. The perceived parental expectation of antibiotics was not indicated by paediatricians as a crucial determinant of prescription, but this perception was the second factor most strongly associated to prescription (OR = 12.8; 95% CI 10.4 - 15.8), the first being the presence of othorrea. Regarding parents, the most important identified factors, potentially associated to overprescribing, were the lack of knowledge of RTIs and antibiotics (41% of 1029 parents indicated bacteria as a possible cause of common cold), and the propensity to seek medical care for trivial infections (48% of 4352 children accessing ambulatory practice presented only symptoms of common cold). Conclusion A wide gap between perceived and real determinants of antibiotic prescription exists. This can promote antibiotic overuse. Inadequate parental knowledge can also induce inappropriate prescription. The value of this study is that it simultaneously explored determinants of antimicrobial prescribing in an entire region involving both professionals and parents. PMID:19895678

Preselection statistics and Random Forest classification identify population informative single nucleotide polymorphisms in cosmopolitan and autochthonous cattle breeds.

PubMed

Bertolini, F; Galimberti, G; Schiavo, G; Mastrangelo, S; Di Gerlando, R; Strillacci, M G; Bagnato, A; Portolano, B; Fontanesi, L

2018-01-01

Commercial single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays have been recently developed for several species and can be used to identify informative markers to differentiate breeds or populations for several downstream applications. To identify the most discriminating genetic markers among thousands of genotyped SNPs, a few statistical approaches have been proposed. In this work, we compared several methods of SNPs preselection (Delta, F st and principal component analyses (PCA)) in addition to Random Forest classifications to analyse SNP data from six dairy cattle breeds, including cosmopolitan (Holstein, Brown and Simmental) and autochthonous Italian breeds raised in two different regions and subjected to limited or no breeding programmes (Cinisara, Modicana, raised only in Sicily and Reggiana, raised only in Emilia Romagna). From these classifications, two panels of 96 and 48 SNPs that contain the most discriminant SNPs were created for each preselection method. These panels were evaluated in terms of the ability to discriminate as a whole and breed-by-breed, as well as linkage disequilibrium within each panel. The obtained results showed that for the 48-SNP panel, the error rate increased mainly for autochthonous breeds, probably as a consequence of their admixed origin lower selection pressure and by ascertaining bias in the construction of the SNP chip. The 96-SNP panels were generally more able to discriminate all breeds. The panel derived by PCA-chrom (obtained by a preselection chromosome by chromosome) could identify informative SNPs that were particularly useful for the assignment of minor breeds that reached the lowest value of Out Of Bag error even in the Cinisara, whose value was quite high in all other panels. Moreover, this panel contained also the lowest number of SNPs in linkage disequilibrium. Several selected SNPs are located nearby genes affecting breed-specific phenotypic traits (coat colour and stature) or associated with production traits. In general, our results demonstrated the usefulness of Random Forest in combination to other reduction techniques to identify population informative SNPs.

Characterization of events of transport over the Mediterranean Basin during summer 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bucci, Silvia; Fierli, Federico; Di Donfrancesco, Guido; Diliberto, Luca; Viterbini, Maurizio; Ravetta, François; Pap, Ines; Weinhold, Kay; Größ, Johannes; Wiedensohler, Alfred; Cairo, Francesco

2014-05-01

Long-range transport has a great influence on the atmospheric composition in the Mediterranean Basin (MB). This work focuses on the dust intrusion events and the outflows of polluted air from the Po Valley during the PEGASOS (Pan-European Gas-AeroSOls Climate Interaction Study), TRAQA (TRAnsport et Qualité de l'Air au dessus du bassin Méditerranéen) and Supersito Arpa (Emilia Romagna) measurements campaigns of June - July 2012. In order to investigate the sources and identify the transport patterns, numerical simulations, in-situ, remote sensing and airborne aerosol measurements were jointly used. The ground based lidar situated at the San Pietro Capofiume (SPC) station, in the eastern part of the Po Valley, provides continuous measurements of backscatter and depolarization profiles and the Aerodynamical Particle Sizer (APS), in the same site, gives the aerosol spectral distribution at the ground. Observations show two main events of mineral aerosol inflow over north Italy (19- 21 June and 29-01 July). Optical properties provide a primary discrimination between coarser (likely dust) and finer particles (probably anthropogenic). The vertical statistical distribution of the different aerosol classes shows that larger particles are mainly individuated over the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) level while smaller particles tend to follow the daily evolution of the PBL or remain confined under it. Dust events are also detected during the TRAQA airborne campaign in the area of the gulf of Genoa, contributing to the identification of the dust plume characterization. Cluster trajectories analysis coupled to mesoscale simulations highlights the effective export of air masses from the Sahara with frequent intrusions of dust over the Po Valley, as recorded in the observational SPC site. Transport analysis also indicates an inversion of the main advection pattern (the Po Valley outflow is mainly directed eastward in the Adriatic region) during 23th and 26th June, with a possible impact of the Po Valley emissions on the Genoa Gulf where simultaneous airborne observations occurred.

An early (3-6 weeks) active surveillance study to assess the safety of pandemic influenza vaccine Focetria in a province of Emilia-Romagna region, Italy - part one.

PubMed

Candela, Silvia; Pergolizzi, Sara; Ragni, Pietro; Cavuto, Silvio; Nobilio, Lucia; Di Mario, Simona; Dragosevic, Valentina; Groth, Nicola; Magrini, Nicola

2013-02-27

An observational, non-comparative, prospective, surveillance study of individuals vaccinated with the MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 influenza vaccine, Focetria, (Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Siena, Italy), was performed in Italy during the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic. This study assessed the short-term (six-week) safety profile of the investigational vaccine in real time. After vaccination (N=7943), adverse events (AE) were assessed using both active (telephone) and passive (healthcare database) follow-up in enrolled vaccinated subjects, including infants (6-23 months), pregnant women, and the immunosuppressed. The treating physicians of all subjects experiencing AEs post-vaccination were consulted for clinical information on the conditions reported. All AEs were coded according to ICD-10. A total of 1583 AEs occurred during the study, 67 (4.2%) of which were serious adverse events (SAEs). One SAE was considered to be possibly related to vaccination (transitory and ill-defined neurologic disorder experienced by a 16-year-old asthmatic male). Three adverse events of special interest (AESI) were identified (convulsions experienced by two epileptic subjects), none of which were considered to be vaccine-related. Six individuals died during the study period, in each case the cause of death was not related to vaccination (four cases of severe underlying co-morbidity, one case of psychoactive drug misuse, and one case of acute myocardial infarction). No cases of clinically relevant AEs, SAEs, or AESI were observed within a six-week period of vaccine administration. In accordance with existing clinical and post-marketing safety data, the results of this active surveillance study demonstrate a good safety profile for the MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 vaccine, Focetria, within the general population. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ground-based & satellite DOAS measurements integration for air quality evaluation/forecast management in the frame of QUITSAT Project.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostadinov, Ivan; Petritoli, Andrea; Giovanelli, Giorgio; Masieri, Samuele; Premuda, Margarita; Bortoli, Daniele; Ravegnani, Fabrizio; Palazzi, Elisa

The observations of the Earth's atmosphere from space provide excellent opportunities for the exploration of the sophisticated physical-chemical processes on both global and regional scales. The major interest during the last three decades was focused mainly on the stratosphere and the ozone depletion. More recently the continuous improvements of satellite sensors have revealed new opportunities for larger applications of space observations, attracting scientific interest to the lower troposphere and air quality issues. The air quality depends strongly on the anthropogenic activity and therefore regional environmental agencies along with policy makers are in need of appropriate means for its continuous monitoring and control to ensure the adoption of the most appropriate actions. The goal of the pilot project QUITSAT, funded by the Italian Space Agency, is to develop algorithms and procedures for the evaluation and prediction of the air quality in Lombardia and Emilia-Romagna regions (Italy) by means of integrating satellite observations with ground-based in-situ and remote sensing measurements. This work presents dedicated Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) measurements performed during the summer of 2007 and the winter of 2008. One of the DOAS instruments operate at Mt.Cimone station (2165m a.s.l) and the other two instruments conducted measurements in/near Bologna (90 m. a.s.l). Different observational geometry was adopted (zenith-sky, multi-axis and long-path) aimed to provide tropospheric NO2 columns and O3, SO2 and HCHO concentrations at ground level as an input data for QUITSAT procedures. Details of the instruments, the radiative transfer model used and the algorithms for retrieving and calculation of the target gases concentrations are presented. The obtained experimental results are correlated with the corresponding ones retrieved from SCIAMACHY /ENVISAT observations during the overpasses above the ground-based instruments. The analysis stresses on the specificity of the satellite and ground-based observations and the importance of the right choice of appropriate scenario for correlative studies.

Socioeconomic factors influencing childhood vaccination in two northern Italian regions.

PubMed

Anello, Paola; Cestari, Laura; Baldovin, Tatjana; Simonato, Lorenzo; Frasca, Gabriella; Caranci, Nicola; Grazia Pascucci, Maria; Valent, Francesca; Canova, Cristina

2017-08-24

Infant vaccination rates have been declining in Italy over the past 5-7years. The aims of this study were to assess the trend in the proportions of children unvaccinated at 24months old, to identify sociodemographic factors associated with non-vaccination; and to examine changes in parental attitudes to vaccination over time. We conducted a population-based birth cohort study by combining existing electronic data sets. The study population consisted of children born from 1995 to 2010 in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG) region, and from 2007 to 2011 in part of the Emilia Romagna (ER) region, in north-eastern Italy. The immunization registers were linked with the medical birth registers, which contain sociodemographic data on both parents and the newborn. Unconditional logistic regressions were used to identify associations between vaccine uptake at 24months and maternal sociodemographic variables. Of 145,571 babies born in FVG and 75,308 in ER, there were 4222 (1.9%) who had not been vaccinated at all, and 23,948 (11.0%) without the optional measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination. The number of unvaccinated infants increased over time. Mothers who were over 35 or under 25years old, unmarried, with a higher formal education, and citizens of highly-developed countries were less compliant with vaccination recommendations in both the regions. A cohort effect was observed in FVG, for both educational level and citizenship: babies born between 1995 and 2000 to mothers without an Italian citizenship and with a lower formal education were more likely to refuse vaccination for their offspring, while this association was reversed between 2006 and 2010. Mothers who are Italian citizens and have a good formal education have begun to refuse vaccination for their children in recent years. Future public health action in this setting should target highly educated parents. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Earthquake damage orientation to infer seismic parameters in archaeological sites and historical earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín-González, Fidel

2018-01-01

Studies to provide information concerning seismic parameters and seismic sources of historical and archaeological seismic events are used to better evaluate the seismic hazard of a region. This is of especial interest when no surface rupture is recorded or the seismogenic fault cannot be identified. The orientation pattern of the earthquake damage (ED) (e.g., fallen columns, dropped key stones) that affected architectonic elements of cities after earthquakes has been traditionally used in historical and archaeoseismological studies to infer seismic parameters. However, in the literature depending on the authors, the parameters that can be obtained are contradictory (it has been proposed: the epicenter location, the orientation of the P-waves, the orientation of the compressional strain and the fault kinematics) and authors even question these relations with the earthquake damage. The earthquakes of Lorca in 2011, Christchurch in 2011 and Emilia Romagna in 2012 present an opportunity to measure systematically a large number and wide variety of earthquake damage in historical buildings (the same structures that are used in historical and archaeological studies). The damage pattern orientation has been compared with modern instrumental data, which is not possible in historical and archaeoseismological studies. From measurements and quantification of the orientation patterns in the studied earthquakes, it is observed that there is a systematic pattern of the earthquake damage orientation (EDO) in the proximity of the seismic source (fault trace) (<10 km). The EDO in these earthquakes is normal to the fault trend (±15°). This orientation can be generated by a pulse of motion that in the near fault region has a distinguishable acceleration normal to the fault due to the polarization of the S-waves. Therefore, the earthquake damage orientation could be used to estimate the seismogenic fault trend of historical earthquakes studies where no instrumental data are available.

Spatio-temporal patterns of distribution of West Nile virus vectors in eastern Piedmont Region, Italy

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background West Nile Virus (WNV) transmission in Italy was first reported in 1998 as an equine outbreak near the swamps of Padule di Fucecchio, Tuscany. No other cases were identified during the following decade until 2008, when horse and human outbreaks were reported in Emilia Romagna, North Italy. Since then, WNV outbreaks have occurred annually, spreading from their initial northern foci throughout the country. Following the outbreak in 1998 the Italian public health authority defined a surveillance plan to detect WNV circulation in birds, horses and mosquitoes. By applying spatial statistical analysis (spatial point pattern analysis) and models (Bayesian GLMM models) to a longitudinal dataset on the abundance of the three putative WNV vectors [Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas 1771), Culex pipiens (Linnaeus 1758) and Culex modestus (Ficalbi 1890)] in eastern Piedmont, we quantified their abundance and distribution in space and time and generated prediction maps outlining the areas with the highest vector productivity and potential for WNV introduction and amplification. Results The highest abundance and significant spatial clusters of Oc. caspius and Cx. modestus were in proximity to rice fields, and for Cx. pipiens, in proximity to highly populated urban areas. The GLMM model showed the importance of weather conditions and environmental factors in predicting mosquito abundance. Distance from the preferential breeding sites and elevation were negatively associated with the number of collected mosquitoes. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was positively correlated with mosquito abundance in rice fields (Oc. caspius and Cx. modestus). Based on the best models, we developed prediction maps for the year 2010 outlining the areas where high abundance of vectors could favour the introduction and amplification of WNV. Conclusions Our findings provide useful information for surveillance activities aiming to identify locations where the potential for WNV introduction and local transmission are highest. Such information can be used by vector control offices to stratify control interventions in areas prone to the invasion of WNV and other mosquito-transmitted pathogens. PMID:22152822

Spatio-temporal patterns of distribution of West Nile virus vectors in eastern Piedmont Region, Italy.

PubMed

Bisanzio, Donal; Giacobini, Mario; Bertolotti, Luigi; Mosca, Andrea; Balbo, Luca; Kitron, Uriel; Vazquez-Prokopec, Gonzalo M

2011-12-09

West Nile Virus (WNV) transmission in Italy was first reported in 1998 as an equine outbreak near the swamps of Padule di Fucecchio, Tuscany. No other cases were identified during the following decade until 2008, when horse and human outbreaks were reported in Emilia Romagna, North Italy. Since then, WNV outbreaks have occurred annually, spreading from their initial northern foci throughout the country. Following the outbreak in 1998 the Italian public health authority defined a surveillance plan to detect WNV circulation in birds, horses and mosquitoes. By applying spatial statistical analysis (spatial point pattern analysis) and models (Bayesian GLMM models) to a longitudinal dataset on the abundance of the three putative WNV vectors [Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas 1771), Culex pipiens (Linnaeus 1758) and Culex modestus (Ficalbi 1890)] in eastern Piedmont, we quantified their abundance and distribution in space and time and generated prediction maps outlining the areas with the highest vector productivity and potential for WNV introduction and amplification. The highest abundance and significant spatial clusters of Oc. caspius and Cx. modestus were in proximity to rice fields, and for Cx. pipiens, in proximity to highly populated urban areas. The GLMM model showed the importance of weather conditions and environmental factors in predicting mosquito abundance. Distance from the preferential breeding sites and elevation were negatively associated with the number of collected mosquitoes. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was positively correlated with mosquito abundance in rice fields (Oc. caspius and Cx. modestus). Based on the best models, we developed prediction maps for the year 2010 outlining the areas where high abundance of vectors could favour the introduction and amplification of WNV. Our findings provide useful information for surveillance activities aiming to identify locations where the potential for WNV introduction and local transmission are highest. Such information can be used by vector control offices to stratify control interventions in areas prone to the invasion of WNV and other mosquito-transmitted pathogens.

Organic aerosol evolution and transport observed at Mt. Cimone (2165 m a.s.l.), Italy, during the PEGASOS campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinaldi, M.; Gilardoni, S.; Paglione, M.; Sandrini, S.; Fuzzi, S.; Massoli, P.; Bonasoni, P.; Cristofanelli, P.; Marinoni, A.; Poluzzi, V.; Decesari, S.

2015-10-01

High-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer measurements were performed, for the first time, at the Mt. Cimone Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station between June and July 2012, within the EU project PEGASOS and the ARPA-Emilia-Romagna project SUPERSITO. Submicron aerosol was dominated by organics (63 %), with sulfate, ammonium and nitrate contributing the remaining 20, 9 and 7 %, respectively. Organic aerosol (OA) was in general highly oxygenated, consistent with the remote character of the site; our observations suggest that oxidation and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation processes occurred during aerosol transport to high altitudes. All of the aerosol component concentrations as well as the OA elemental ratios showed a clear daily trend, driven by the evolution of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and by the mountain wind regime. Higher loadings and lower OA oxidation levels were observed during the day, when the site was within the PBL, and therefore affected by relatively fresh aerosol transported from lower altitudes. Conversely, lower loadings and higher OA oxidation levels were observed at night, when the top of Mt. Cimone resided in the free troposphere although affected by the transport of residual layers on several days of the campaign. Analysis of the elemental ratios in a Van Krevelen space shows that OA oxidation follows a slope comprised between -0.5 and -1, consistent with addition of carboxylic groups, with or without fragmentation of the parent molecules. The increase of carboxylic groups during OA ageing is confirmed by the increased contribution of organic fragments containing more than one oxygen atom in the free troposphere night-time mass spectra. Finally, positive matrix factorization was able to deconvolve the contributions of relatively fresh OA (OOAa) originating from the PBL, more aged OA (OOAb) present at high altitudes during periods of atmospheric stagnation, and very aged aerosols (OOAc) transported over long distances in the free troposphere.

Formation of Oxidized Organic Aerosol (OOA) through Fog Processing in the Po Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilardoni, S.; Paglione, M.; Rinaldi, M.; Giulianelli, L.; Massoli, P.; Hillamo, R. E.; Carbone, S.; Lanconelli, C.; Laaksonen, A. J.; Russell, L. M.; Poluzzi, V.; Fuzzi, S.; Facchini, C.

2014-12-01

Aqueous phase chemistry might be responsible for the formation of a significant fraction of the organic aerosol (OA) observed in the atmosphere, and could explain some of the discrepancies between OA concentration and properties predicted by models and observed in the environment. Aerosol - fog interaction and its effect on submicron aerosol properties were investigated in the Po Valley (northern Italy) during fall 2011, in the framework of the Supersite project (ARPA Emilia Romagna). Composition and physical properties of submicron aerosol were measured online by a High Resolution- Time of Flight - Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-TOF-AMS), a Soot Photometer - Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (SP-AMS), and a Tandem Differential Mobility Particle Sizer (TDMPS). Organic functional group analysis was performed off-line by Hydrogen - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (H-NMR) spectrometry and by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. Aerosol absorption, scattering, and total extinction were measured simultaneously with a Particle Soot Absorption Photometer (PSAP), a Nephelometer, and a Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift Spectrometer particle extinction monitor (CAPS PMex), respectively. Water-soluble organic carbon in fog-water was characterized off-line by HR-TOF-AMS. Fourteen distinct fog events were observed. Fog dissipation left behind an aerosol enriched in particles larger than 400 nm, typical of fog and cloud processing, and dominated by secondary species, including ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and oxidized OA (OOA). Source apportionment of OA allowed us to identify OOA as the difference between total OA and primary OA (hydrocarbon like OA and biomass burning OA). The formation of OOA through fog processing is proved by the correlation of OOA concentration with hydroxyl methyl sulfonate signal and by the similarity of OOA spectra with organic mass spectra obtained by re-aerosolization of fog water samples. The oxygen to carbon ratio and the hydrogen to carbon ratio of this OOA fraction was about 0.6 and 1.3, respectively. Organic functional group analysis showed that OOA observed after fog dissipation was characterized by organic-sulfur and organic-nitrogen species.

Inappropriate prescribing in a large community-dwelling older population: a focus on prevalence and how it relates to patient and physician characteristics.

PubMed

Amos, T B; Keith, S W; Del Canale, S; Orsi, P; Maggio, M; Baccarini, S; Gonzi, G; Liu, M; Maio, V

2015-02-01

The prescription of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) for older adults is a well-known population health concern. Updated country-specific estimates of inappropriate prescribing in older adults using germane explicit criteria are needed to facilitate physician-tailored quality improvement strategies. Therefore, we sought to determine the prevalence of PIMs for older adults in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, using the updated Maio criteria. We also evaluated patient and general practitioner (GP) characteristics related to inappropriate prescribing. Older adults (≥ 65) in 2012 were evaluated in a one-year retrospective study using administrative health care data. The 2011 Maio criteria includes 25 medications reimbursed by the Italian National Formulary, in the following categories in terms of severity: 16 medications that 'should always be avoided,' 3 that are 'rarely appropriate,' and 6 that have 'some indications although they are often misused.' To evaluate the extent of associations between patient and GP related characteristics, we used generalized estimating equations with an exchangeable covariance design to fit robust logistic regression models. A total of 865,354 older adults were in the cohort and 28% had at least one PIM. Of the entire cohort, 8%, 10%, and 14% of individuals were prescribed at least one medication that 'should always be avoided,' is 'rarely appropriate,' and has 'some indications but are often misused,' respectively. Older patients (≥ 75) and females were more likely to be exposed to PIMs. 2,923 GPs were identified in the region, each having prescribed at least one PIM, of which older GPs (≥ 56), male GPs, and solo practice GPs were more likely to prescribe PIMs to their older patients. The high prevalence of PIM exposure among older adults is a substantial issue in the region. Knowing how patient and GP characteristics relate to PIMs exposure may improve the design and targeting of initiatives for improving prescribing safety in this population. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Enhance knowledge on sustainable use of plant protection products within the framework of the sustainable use directive.

PubMed

Calliera, Maura; Berta, Fabio; Galassi, Tiziano; Mazzini, Floriano; Rossi, Rossana; Bassi, Roberto; Meriggi, Pierluigi; Bernard, Alfredo; Marchis, Alex; Di Guardo, Andrea; Capri, Ettore

2013-08-01

In 2008-2009, a survey in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy collected information on the farm use of plant protection products (PPPs) and evaluated whether the provisions of the Directive for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides are applicable. It was concluded that the provisions can be implemented, even if some gaps need to be filled and also the behaviour of farmers needs to be improved. Moreover, it was observed that all stages in the use of PPPs on farms could generate risks for the operator and/or the environment. One of the recommendations is to promote training for operators and to adopt good agronomic practices in order to improve sustainable use of PPPs. The findings were used, in the following years, to develop a Guideline for Sustainable Use of PPPs to help the user in identifying the flaws in current practices at farm level as well as their corresponding corrective actions. The Guidelines are accompanied by free online software to be used as a diagnostic tool as well as to provide recommendations for improvements. The approach adopted, taking into account the variability in farm structure, cropping pattern, risk attitude and economic availability, is not an instrument to identify the most suitable protection strategy for a given crop in a given period, but to help professional users to improve their practices in managing PPPs on farms and to make the most appropriate choices leading to reduced environmental and human risk, without compromising the profitability of agricultural production and food standards. This work has, as an underlying principle, a holistic approach to link the different elements of the three pillars of sustainability (environment, economy and society) and to enhance knowledge, which represents one of the main aspects of the Directive. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Communications and relationships between patient and nurse in Intensive Care Unit: knowledge, knowledge of the work, knowledge of the emotional state.

PubMed

Foà, Chiara; Cavalli, Lisa; Maltoni, Alessia; Tosello, Nicoletta; Sangilles, Chiara; Maron, Ilaria; Borghini, Marina; Artioli, Giovanna

2016-11-22

In an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) the communication between nurse and patient, the core of the care, is often hindered by patient's cognitive alterations and critical situation, by devices employed for the mechanical ventilation, and by the clinical and care-giving setting. How to overcome these barriers? How is the relational and communicative approach between nurse and patient unable to express him or herself to be managed? The available literature reveals that studies on communication with difficult patients, such as those treated in ICU are currently scarce. The present research offers a contribution in this respect, through fact-finding about the knowledge acquired by professional studies or work experiences, the personal and institutional techniques implemented in regards to communication (knowledge of the work), the relational behaviours and the emotional experience with patients (knowledge of the emotional state) of nurses working in the Intensive Care Units. A semi-structured interview have been designed and submitted to 30 nurses working in fourteen Highly Specialized Centres (HUB) in Emilia Romagna, Italy. Two nurses with different years of experience in the field have been chosen for each Operating Unit. According to the interviewees paraverbal communication is the most common way to communicate with patients: different strategies are employed such as facial expression or lip movement. In any case, the nurse has the task to choose the most suitable technique according to his or her experiences, his or her knowledge and the patient him or herself. The results claim that lack of specific training on communicative aspects of care, should be combined with an attitude of being prone to listening to and understanding the needs of the patient and of his or her family as well. The interviewees declare they have a solid preparation in the bio-clinical aspect of care, but both new hired nurses and experts affirm that they need a specific training in relational and communicative aspects, proving its importance.

[Proposal of an Italian national protocol of health surveillance for former asbestos workers: an ongoing project].

PubMed

Marchiori, Luciano; Marangi, Gianluca; Ballarin, Nicoletta; Valentini, Flavio; D'Anna, Mauro; Barbina, Paolo; Franchi, Alberto; Mastrangelo, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

to define an Italian national protocol of post-occupational health surveillance for asbestos workers according to effectiveness, appropriateness, saving, and social utility. data for 1,071 former asbestos workers from several Italian Regions were collected and analysed. For these workers, a retrospective estimate of asbestos exposure was carried out. A cohort study of 1,588 asbestos workers recruited from 2000 onward during statutory health examinations in Veneto and followed-up for lung cancer mortality until December 2010 was executed. A literature search on methods of follow-up of asbestos workers (imaging, spirometry, and questionnaires) and diagnosis of non-malignant (asbestosis and pleural plaques) and malignant (lung cancer) asbestos disease was done. A consensus, i.e., a process of agreeing on one result among the participants, was made. 19 Italian Regions (North: Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Lombardia, Piemonte, Valle d'Aosta, Autonomous Province of Trento, Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria; Centre:Toscana, Umbria; South and Islands: Calabria, Abruzzo, Puglia, Campania, Basilicata,Marche, Sicilia, Sardegna), Department of Occupational Medicine at Italian National Institute for Compensation ofWork-Related Diseases and Accidents (INAIL), and Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences at University of Padova. analysis of current regional experiences on health surveillance; retrospective estimate of asbestos exposure; data collection and analysis of a cohort of asbestos workers; search of the relevant literature; final report with the consensus document. the results obtained in each of the above areas of research, along with the relevant findings of the literature, were presented and discussed among the participants. The several phases of expression and evaluation of the participants' opinions were conducted according to an iterative method of investigation (Delphi method), which allows a progressive converging of different views into one shared result. based on all the above, a consensus has been reached on a proposal for an Italian national protocol of health surveillance for asbestos workers.

Investigation and monitoring in support of the structural mitigation of large slow moving landslides: an example from Ca' Lita (Northern Apennines, Reggio Emilia, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corsini, A.; Borgatti, L.; Caputo, G.; de Simone, N.; Sartini, G.; Truffelli, G.

2006-01-01

The Ca' Lita landslide is a large and deep-seated mass movement located in the Secchia River Valley, in the sector of the Northern Apennines falling into Reggio Emilia Province, about 70 km west of Bologna (Northern Italy). It consists of a composite landslide system that affects Cretaceous to Eocene flysch rock masses and chaotic complexes. Many of the components making up the landslide system have resumed activity between 2002 and 2004, and are now threatening some hamlets and an important road serving the upper watershed area of River Secchia, where many villages and key industrial facilities are located. This paper presents the analysis and the quantification of displacement rates and depths of the mass movements, based on geological and geomorphological surveys, differential DEM analysis, interpretation of underground stratigraphic and monitoring data collected during the investigation campaign that has been undertaken in order to design cost-effective mitigation structures, and that has been conducted with the joint collaboration between public offices and research institutes.

On the importance of a correct divulgation of monitoring results for an efficient management of landslide emergencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giordan, Daniele; Manconi, Andrea; Allasia, Paolo

2015-04-01

In the last decades, technological evolution has strongly increased the number of instruments that can be used to monitor landslide phenomena. Robotized Total Stations, GB-InSAR, and GPS are only few examples of the systems that can be used for the control of the topographic changes due to the landslide activity. These monitoring systems are often merged in a complex network, aimed at controlling the most important physical parameters influencing the evolution of landslide activity. The technological level reached by these systems allows us to use them for early warning purposes. Critical thresholds are identified and, when overcome, emergency actions are associated to protect population living in areas potentially involved by landslide failure. The use of these early warning systems can be very useful for the decision makers, which have to manage emergency conditions due to a landslide acceleration likely precursor of a collapse. At this stage, every instrument has a proper management system and the dataset obtained is often not compatible with the results of the others systems. The level of complexity increases with the number of monitoring systems and often could generate a paradox: the source of data are so numerous and difficult to interpret that a full understanding of the phenomenon could be hampered. Nowadays, a correct divulgation of the recent evolution of a landslide potentially dangerous for the population is very important. The Geohazard Monitoring Group of CNR IRPI developed a communication strategy to divulgate the monitoring network results based on both, a dedicated web page (for the publication in near real time of last updates), and periodical bulletins (for a deeper analysis of the available dataset). To manage the near real time application we developed a system called ADVICE (ADVanced dIsplaCement monitoring system for Early warning) that collects all the available data of a monitoring network and creates user-friendly representations of the recent landslide evolution. The system is also able to manage early warnings based on pre-defined thresholds (usually related to the analysis of displacement and/or velocity) sending emails and SMS. Starting from the same dataset, the representations are different if the information has to be delivered to the population or the technicians involved in the landslide emergency. Our communication strategy considers three different levels of representations of the acquired dataset to be able to communicate the results to the different stakeholders potentially involved in the emergency. This communication scheme has been achieved over time, thank to the experience acquired during the management of monitoring networks relevant to different case studies, such as: Mt. de La Saxe Landslide (Aosta Valley, NW Italy), Ripoli landslide (Emilia Romagna region, central Italy), Montaguto landslide (Campania region, south Italy). Here we present how the correct and user-friendly communication of the monitoring results has been an important added value to support decision makers and population during emergency scenarios.

Passivhaus: indoor comfort and energy dynamic analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guida, Antonella; Pagliuca, Antonello; Cardinale, Nicola; Rospi, Gianluca

2013-04-01

The research aims to verify the energy performance as well as the indoor comfort of an energy class A+ building, built so that the sum of the heat passive contributions of solar radiation, transmitted through the windows, and the heat generated inside the building, are adeguate to compensate for the envelope loss during the cold season. The building, located in Emilia Romagna (Italy), was built using a wooden structure, an envelope realized using a pinewood sandwich panels (transmittance U = 0.250 W/m2K) and, inside, a wool flax insulation layer and thermal window frame with low-emissivity glass (U = 0524 W/m2K). The building design and construction process has followed the guidelines set by "CasaClima". The building has been modeled in the code of dynamic calculation "Energy Plus" by the Design Builder application and divided it into homogenous thermal zones, characterized by winter indoor temperature set at 20 ° (+ / - 1 °) and summer indoor temperature set at 26 ° (+ / - 1 °). It has modeled: the envelope, as described above, the "free" heat contributions, the air conditioning system, the Mechanical Ventilation system as well as home automation solutions. The air conditioning system is an heat pump, able to guarantee an optimization of energy consumption (in fact, it uses the "free" heat offered by the external environment for conditioning indoor environment). As regards the air recirculation system, it has been used a mechanical ventilation system with internal heat cross-flow exchanger, with an efficiency equal to 50%. The domotic solutions, instead, regard a system for the control of windows external screening using reeds, adjustable as a function of incident solar radiation and a lighting management system adjusted automatically using a dimmer. A so realized building meets the requirement imposed from Italian standard UNI/TS 11300 1, UNI/TS 11300 2 and UNI/TS 11300 3. The analysis was performed according to two different configurations: in "spontaneous-state analysis" (that provides the only energy performance of the structure) and considering the "building-equipments" as a system (which provides the overall performance of the "building system"). The first analysis shows as the absence of thermal mass and the envelope super-heating prevent to incoming heat to exit, overheating the indoor environment. The analysis of the overall performance of the "building system" highlights, instead, as the thermal load is much greater during the summer than in winter; this means that, using a low inertia envelopes, the energy saved in the winter can be used to satisfy the thermal performance in the summer. This is further demonstrated by comparing the performance of indoor temperatures and the relative energy consumption of a similar building with greater thermal inertia. Further analysis involved a critical comparison between the "semisteady-state analysis" ("CasaClima" methodology) and the analysis in dynamic conditions (using "Energy Plus" software).

Assessing ionospheric activity by long time series of GNSS signals: the search of possible connection with seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galeandro, Angelo; Mancini, Francesco; De Giglio, Michaela; Barbarella, Maurizio

2014-05-01

The modifications of some atmospheric physical properties prior to a high magnitude earthquake were recently debated in the frame of the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere (LAI) Coupling model. Among this variety of phenomena, the ionization of air at the ionospheric levels due to leaking of gases from earth crust through the analysis of long time series of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals was investigated in this work. Several authors used the dispersive properties of the ionospheric strata towards the GNSS signals to detect possible ionospheric anomalies over areas affected by earthquakes and some evidences were encountered. However, the spatial scale and temporal domains over which such disturbances come into evidence is still a controversial item. Furthermore, the correspondence by chance between ionospheric disturbances and relevant seismic activity is even more difficult to model whenever the reference time period and spatial extent of investigation are confined. Problems could also arise from phenomena due to solar activity (now at culmination within the 11 years-long solar cycle) because such global effects could reduce the ability to detect disturbances at regional or local spatial scale. In this work, two case studies were investigated. The first one focuses on the M = 6.3 earthquake occurred on April 6, 2009, close to the city of L'Aquila (Abruzzo, Italy). The second concerns the M = 5.9 earthquake occurred on May 20, 2012, between the cities of Ferrara and Modena (Emilia Romagna, Italy). To investigate possible connections between the ionospheric activity and seismicity for such events, a five-year (2008-2012) long series of high resolution ionospheric maps was used. These maps were produced by authors from GNSS data collected by permanent stations uniformly distributed around the epicenters and allowed to assess the ionospheric activity through the analysis of the TEC (Total Electron Content). To avoid the influence of solar activity, only nighttime hours were considered. Moreover, to de?ne the temporal domain of potential ionospheric disturbances and separate local from global effects, results from local observations were compared with regional TEC series. The whole analysis shows episodes where anomalies in the ionospheric activity were detected in the vicinity of the mentioned shocks. However, their statistical significance and the temporal correlation with seismic activity are still controversial.

[Hyperkalemia as a limiting factor in the use of drugs that block the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS)].

PubMed

Santoro, Antonio; Mandreoli, Marcora

2018-05-01

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE-I) inhibitors and ARBs have shown real efficacy in reducing blood pressure, proteinuria, in slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease (MRC) and in clinical improvement. in patients with heart failure, diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease. However, their use is limited by some side effects such as the increase in serum potassium (K), which can be particularly severe in patients with renal insufficiency. In the 23,000 patients followed by the PIRP project of the Emilia-Romagna Region, hyperkalaemia at the first visit (K> 5.5 mEq / L) was present in about 7% of all patients. The prevalence of K values> 5.5 mEq / L increased in relation to the CKD stage, reaching 11% in patients in stage 4 and 5. Among patients with values of K> 5.5 at baseline, 44.8% were in therapy with ACE-I / ARB inhibitors, 3.8% with anti-mineralcortoid and a further 3.9% concurrently taking SRAA-blocking agents and K-sparing diuretics. Counter-measures to avoid the onset of hyperkalemia during treatment with drugs that block the RAAS range from the low-K diet, to diuretics and finally to drugs that promote fecal elimination of K. Among these, polystyrene sulfonates, which have more than 50 years of life, exchange K with sodium or calcium. These drugs, however, in chronic use, can lead to sodium or calcium overload and cause dangerous intestinal necrosis. Recently two new highly promising drugs have been introduced on the market for the treatment of hyperkalemia, the patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate. The patiromer, which is a potassium-calcium exchanger, acts at the level of the colon where there is a higher concentration of K and where the drug is most ionized. Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (ZS-9) is a resin with micropores of well-defined dimensions, placed in the crystalline structure of the zirconium silicate. The trapped K is exchanged with other protons and sodium. However, even these drugs will have to demonstrate their long-term efficacy and safety to be considered true partners of RAAS blockers in some categories of patients. Copyright by Società Italiana di Nefrologia SIN, Rome, Italy.

Creating, Constructing, and Cultivating Professional Development within a Reggio-Inspired Early Childhood Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haigh, Karen M.

2009-01-01

The study examined the professional development system of an early childhood education program which was influenced by the Reggio Emilia Approach to early learning. This multi-site program thrived within low-income, inner-city communities of Chicago. Literature connected to the program's historical context of the Settlement House and the Reggio…

Performance analysis of coupled and uncoupled hydrodynamic and wave models in the northern Adriatic Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busca, Claudia; Coluccelli, Alessandro; Valentini, Andrea; Benetazzo, Alvise; Bonaldo, Davide; Bortoluzzi, Giovanni; Carniel, Sandro; Falcieri, Francesco; Paccagnella, Tiziana; Ravaioli, Mariangela; Riminucci, Francesco; Sclavo, Mauro; Russo, Aniello

2014-05-01

The complex dynamics of the Adriatic Sea are the result of geographical position, orography and bathymetry, as well as rivers discharge and meteorological conditions that influence, more strongly, the shallow northern part. Such complexity requires a constant monitoring of marine conditions in order to support several activities (marine resources management, naval operations, emergency management, shipping, tourism, as well as scientific ones). Platforms, buoys and mooring located in Adriatic Sea supply almost continuously real time punctual information, which can be spatially extended, with some limitations, by drifters and remote sensing. Operational forecasting systems represent valid tools to provide a complete tridimensional coverage of the area, with a high spatial and temporal resolution. The Hydro-Meteo-Clima Service of the Emilia-Romagna Environmental Agency (ARPA-SIMC, Bologna, Italy) and the Dept. of Life and Environmental Sciences of Università Politecnica delle Marche (DISVA-UNIVPM, Ancona, Italy), in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Science of the National Research Council (ISMAR-CNR, Italy) operationally run several wave and hydrodynamic models on the Adriatic Sea. The main implementations are based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), the wave model Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN), and the coupling of the former two models in the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) system. Horizontal resolutions of the different systems range from the 2 km of AdriaROMS to the 0.5 km of the recently implemented northern Adriatic COAWST. Forecasts are produced every day for the subsequent 72 hour with hourly resolution. All the systems compute the fluxes exchanged through the interface with the atmosphere from the numerical weather prediction system named COSMO-I7, an implementation for Italy of the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model, at 7 km horizontal resolution. Considering the several operational implementations currently running, there is the need to: assess their forecast skill; quantitatively evaluate if the new, coupled systems provide better performances than the uncoupled ones; individuate weaknesses and eventual time trends in the forecasts quality, their causes, and actions to improve the systems. This work presents a first effort aimed to satisfy such need. We employ in situ and remote sensing data collected starting from November 2011, in particular: temperature and salinity data collected during several oceanographic cruises, sea surface temperature derived from satellite measurements, waves, sea level and currents measurements from oceanographic buoys and platforms; specific observational activities funded by the Italian Flagship project RITMARE allowed to collect new measurements in NA coastal areas. Data-model comparison is firstly performed with exploratory qualitative comparisons in order to highlight discrepancies between observed and forecasted data, then a quantitative comparison is performed through the computation of standard statistical scores (root mean square error, mean error, mean bias, standard deviation, cross-correlation). Results are plotted in Taylor diagrams for a rapid evaluation of the overall performances.

Active stress from earthquake focal mechanisms along the Padan-Adriatic side of the Northern Apennines (Italy), with considerations on stress magnitudes and pore-fluid pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boncio, Paolo; Bracone, Vito

2009-10-01

The active tectonic regime along the outer Northern Apennines (Padan-Adriatic area) is a matter of debate. We analyse the active tectonic regime by systematically inverting earthquake focal mechanisms in terms of their driving stress field, comparing two different stress inversion methods. Earthquakes within the area often deviate from Andersonian conditions, being characterized by reverse or transpressional slip on high-angle faults even if the regime is almost purely thrust faulting (e.g. Reggio Emilia 1996 and Faenza 2000 earthquakes). We analyse the stress conditions at faulting for the Reggio Emilia and Faenza earthquakes in order to infer the stress magnitudes and the possible role of fluid pressures. The stress analysis defines a consistent pattern of sub-horizontal active deviatoric compression arranged nearly perpendicular to the eastern front of the Padan-Adriatic fold-and-thrust system, independent of the stress inversion method used. The results are consistent with active compression operating within the Padan-Adriatic belt. The stress field is thrust faulting (sub-vertical σ3), except for the Cesena-Forlì and Ancona areas, where a strike-slip regime (sub-vertical or steeply-plunging σ2) operates. The strike-slip regimes are interpreted as being caused by the superposition of local tensional stresses due to oroclinal bending (i.e. rotations of the belt about vertical axes) on the regional compressional stress field. Kinematic complexities characterize the 1996 Reggio Emilia seismic sequence. The distribution of these complexities is not random, suggesting that they are due to local variations of the regional stress field within the unfaulted rocks surrounding the coseismic rupture. The stress conditions at faulting for the Reggio Emilia 1996 and Faenza 2000 earthquakes, coupled with the observation that seismicity in the Padan-Adriatic area often occurs in swarms, suggest that high pore-fluid pressures (Pf ≥ 70% of the lithostatic load) operate within the compressed crust. The estimated stress difference ( σ1- σ3) is ≤ 460-560 MPa at 15-20 km depth.

[Epidemiologic investigation on the prevalence of goiter and urinary excretion of iodine in the school population of the province of Reggio Emilia].

PubMed

Zini, M; Poluzzi, V; Bertani, A; Portioli, I; Cavalchi, B; Valcavi, R

1998-01-01

The prevalence of goiter was evaluated in a sample from the schoolchildren population of Reggio Emilia district. 1020 children underwent physical examination of thyroid gland and thyroid ultrasonography for determination of thyroid volume. Urinary iodine excretion (UIE) was measured in 837/1020 (82.1%). Iodine content was measured in water samples collected from 65 wells and 12 springs all around the district. The prevalence of goiter according to thyroid gland palpation was 26.2%. Thyroid volume was 4.74 +/- 1.87 ml, and the median UIE value 85 micrograms/l. According to the UIE classes as defined by WHO, 57.8% of all subjects showed a UIE less than 100 micrograms/l. In 57 out of 65 wells and in all the 12 springs examined, iodine was completely absent. In the remaining 8 wells, only iodine traces were found. Based on the results of physical examination of the thyroid gland, Reggio Emilia district should be regarded as an endemic goiter area. Nevertheless, thyroid volume measurement by ultrasound indicates that goiter prevalence may be markedly overestimated by palpation. The high prevalence of subjects featuring an increased thyroid volume, the low median UIE value and the poor iodine content in the local reservoirs of drinkable water suggest the opportunity for iodine prophylaxis in the Reggio Emilia district.

Sustainability at the local scale: defining highly aggregated indices for assessing environmental performance. The province of Reggio Emilia (Italy) as a case study.

PubMed

Clerici, Nicola; Bodini, Antonio; Ferrarini, Alessandro

2004-10-01

In order to achieve improved sustainability, local authorities need to use tools that adequately describe and synthesize environmental information. This article illustrates a methodological approach that organizes a wide suite of environmental indicators into few aggregated indices, making use of correlation, principal component analysis, and fuzzy sets. Furthermore, a weighting system, which includes stakeholders' priorities and ambitions, is applied. As a case study, the described methodology is applied to the Reggio Emilia Province in Italy, by considering environmental information from 45 municipalities. Principal component analysis is used to condense an initial set of 19 indicators into 6 fundamental dimensions that highlight patterns of environmental conditions at the provincial scale. These dimensions are further aggregated in two indices of environmental performance through fuzzy sets. The simple form of these indices makes them particularly suitable for public communication, as they condensate a wide set of heterogeneous indicators. The main outcomes of the analysis and the potential applications of the method are discussed.

Province wide clinical governance network for clinical audit for quality improvement in endometrial cancer management.

PubMed

Mandato, Vincenzo Dario; Formisano, Debora; Pirillo, Debora; Ciarlini, Gino; Cerami, Lillo Bruno; Ventura, Alessandro; Spreafico, Lorenzo; Palmieri, Tamara; La Sala, Giovanni Battista; Abrate, Martino

2012-01-01

According to the hub-and-spoke model introduced in the Provincial Healthcare System of Reggio Emilia, early endometrial cancer is treated in peripheral low-volume hospitals (spokes) by general gynecologist, whereas more complex cancers are treated by gynecological oncologists at the main hospital (hub). To guarantee a uniformly high standard of care to all patients with endometrial cancer treated in hub and spoke hospitals of Reggio Emilia Province. The specialists of the 5 hospitals of Reggio Emilia Province instituted an inter hospital and multidisciplinary oncology group to write common and shared guidelines based on evidence-based medicine through the use of clinical audit. They valued the process indicators before and after guidelines introduction identifying the site of improvement and verifying the standard achievement. Diagnostic hysteroscopy use increased significantly from preguideline period, 53%, to postguideline period, 74%. Magnetic resonance use and accuracy increased significantly from preguideline to postguideline periods: 8.1% to 35.3% and 37.3% to 74.7%, respectively. Laparoscopy use increased from 1.6% (preguideline) to 18.6 (postguideline). Early surgical complications decreased from 16% (preguideline) to 9% (postguideline). Radiotherapy use increased from 14.% (preguideline) to 32.3% (postguideline). It is possible for a provincial oncology group to build an oncology network providing an improvement in the assistance of patients with endometrial cancer through the use of clinical audit. Clinical audit made it possible to obtain the full attendance of specialists of various disciplines involved in the treatment of endometrial cancer to optimize response time schematizing process.

STS-65 Earth observation of Hurricane Emilia taken aboard Columbia, OV-102

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-07-23

STS-65 Earth observation of Hurricane Emilia in Pacific Ocean was taken aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102. This vertical view, photographed with a handheld 70mm camera, reveals the well-defined eye of the hurricane as it moves westerly several hundred miles southeast of the big island of Hawaii. Early in the flight the crew was able to observe the evolution of the storm and there was some concern that it might eventually head toward the Hawaiian Islands. Fortunately it did not.

Radioactive caesium (134Cs and 137Cs) in mushrooms of the genus Boletus from the Reggio Emilia in Italy and Pomerania in Poland.

PubMed

Cocchi, Luigi; Kluza, Karolina; Zalewska, Tamara; Apanel, Anna; Falandysz, Jerzy

2017-12-01

Activity concentrations of 134 Cs and 137 Cs were determined in mushrooms of the Boletus species B. aereus, B. reticulatus, B. appendiculatus, B. calopus, B. edulis, B. erythropus, B. fechtneri, B. pinophilus, B. pseudoregius, B. rhodopurpureus, B. rhodoxanthus collected in the Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 1993 and 1994 and in B. edulis collected in Pomerania in northern Poland in the period from 1995-2015. Boletus edulis from the Reggio Emilia showed presence of 137 Cs at 330 ± 220 Bq kg -1 dry biomass in 1993 and at 370 ± 180 Bq kg -1 dry biomass in 1994. In B. edulis sampled in the Reggio Emilia in 1993 and 1994, the pre-Chernobyl 137 Cs from global fallout amounted to 39-46 % of the total activity concentrations of isotope 137 Cs. B. edulis from Pomerania contained 137 Cs in caps at 270 ± 15 Bq kg -1 dry biomass in 1995, and in whole fruiting bodies it was found to be 470 ± 9 Bq kg -1 dry biomass in 2015. The activity concentrations of 137 Cs determined in fruiting bodies of B. edulis from Pomerania fluctuated but persisted over the period from 1995 to 2015, while the maximum activity concentrations were well below the tolerance limit of 600 Bq kg -1 fresh product.

Tutorship process in health care professions: a survey investigation in Emilia Romagna.

PubMed

Priami, Diletta; Sollami, Alfonso; Vivoli, Vanessa; Artioli, Giovanna

2015-09-09

The areas that we wanted to investigate include: tasks performed, tools used, formalization of the assignment, workload, empowerment and satisfaction of the function performed, and training. The results clearly show that the processes of tutoring are different for physicians and non-physician healthcare professionals. The first interesting difference is the method of assignment of mentoring. While among medical professions the function is assigned by others, tutors are often non-medical volunteers. This evidence leads to two unanswered questions: what are the criteria by which they are chosen as tutors? Do volunteers really possess the skills and ability to carry out this role? Future research should be directed towards clearly defining the profile of the "tutor" among both doctors and non-medical professionals. Another difference is the way the work of the mentor is formalized. If they are doctors, the task is assigned to them; this is not the case for non-medical professions. Despite this difference, a high percentage of both medical professionals and doctors said they did not feel valued for their role of tutor. However, differences emerge: physicians see their role as a paid tutor and / or recognized in their curriculum vitae. For non-medical professions, however, the only reward is a recognition of ECM (Educazione Continua in Medicina)credits. A common feature among professionals is that for both physicians and non-physician healthcare tutors, a system of evaluation is rarely reported. Another common feature is the skills that professionals would like to see improved. Both groups of professionals, in fact, would like to see improved teaching methods, communication strategies and reporting and evaluation systems. Finally, non-physician tutors report the same level of satisfaction, although the non-physician professionals are more satisfied in their relationship with colleagues. The degree of empowerment reveals perceived differences and similarities among the professionals. In fact, both professional groups reported the same levels of competence and impact, but differ in meaning and self-determination. More specifically, the non-medical professionals show high scores, while doctors get a higher score for self-determination. These results suggest that for increased attention to the system of evaluation and enhancement of the function tutorial we need not only to increase the satisfaction of those who act as tutors, but also to improve the tutorial process itself. Furthermore, the results suggest the carrying out of training projects for teaching and assessment methods that represent the issues that are most in demand by tutors. The training should include the use of tools for the governance process that project tutorial and apprenticeships. The responses indicate that these tools are already in use, although not as widespread and continuous.

Safety Profile and Costs of Related Adverse Events of Trastuzumab Emtansine for the Treatment of HER2-Positive Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer Compared to Capecitabine Plus Lapatinib from the Perspective of the Canadian Health-Care System.

PubMed

Piwko, Charles; Prady, Catherine; Yunger, Simon; Pollex, Erika; Moser, Aurelie

2015-08-01

Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1, KADCYLA(®)) is an antibody-drug conjugate comprised of the cytotoxic agent DM1 and trastuzumab (HERCEPTIN(®)). The safety profile of T-DM1 in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane was investigated in the phase III EMILIA trial. The trial demonstrated clinically and statistically meaningful differences in the safety profile between T-DM1 and capecitabine plus lapatinib (CAP + LAP). The objective of this study was to estimate the costs of managing treatment-related grade ≥ 3 adverse events (AEs) that occurred in ≥ 2% of patients and grade 2 AEs that occurred in ≥ 5% of patients taking T-DM1 compared with patients taking CAP + LAP based on the EMILIA trial, from the perspective of Canadian public payers. An Excel-based model was utilized to estimate the relevant costs. Clinical data were obtained from the EMILIA trial. Cost information was obtained from the literature, clinical experts, and standard cost sources. The analysis was conducted from the Canadian public-payer perspective and reported in 2014 Canadian dollars (CAD). The management of included treatment-related AEs resulted in higher estimated per-patient costs of CAD6901 for CAP + LAP versus CAD3380 for T-DM1, resulting in savings of CAD3521. From a Canadian perspective, this analysis demonstrated that utilizing T-DM1 for the management of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer results in substantial savings to the public health-care system when considering the costs of treatment-related AEs, due to fewer amount of toxicities compared with CAP + LAP. Results of various sensitivity analyses investigating changes in number and costs of AEs confirmed the findings; however, the magnitude of cost savings varied. Further analyses are necessary to determine whether these cost savings would occur in other countries and health-care systems.

[Mortality of psychiatric patients. A retrospective cohort study of in-patients at the Psychiatric Hospital of Reggio Emilia].

PubMed

Ballone, E; Contini, G

1992-03-01

The authors report the results of historical cohort study in long-term patients of psychiatric hospitals in Reggio Emilia. The cohort was formed by 790 patients hospitalized before 1978, and has been followed-up until 31/12/'89. The results of the study are: 269 subjects deceased (34%); 117 discharges (14.8%) and 411 (52.1%) still in hospital on 1/1/'90. An excess mortality was observed in the cohort. Mortality appears to be particularly high among young patient and females.

[MISSCARE Survey - Italian Version: findings from an Italian validation study].

PubMed

Sist, Luisa; Contini, Carla; Bandini, Anna; Bandini, Stefania; Massa, Licia; Zanin, Roberta; Maricchio, Rita; Gianesini, Gloria; Bassi, Erika; Tartaglini, Daniela; Palese, Alvisa; Ferraresi, Annamaria

2017-01-01

The Missed Nursing Care (MNC) refers to nursing interventions that are not completed, partially completed, or postponed. Despite the relevance of MNC, no assessment tools are available in the Italian context, and no data regarding the occurrence of this phenomenon has been documented on a large scale to date. The study aims were: (1) to validate the Italian version of the MISSCARE Survey tool; (2) to measure the prevalence of missed interventions and reasons for missed care as perceived by clinical nurses working in Italian health care settings. After having conducted the forward and backward translation, pre-pilot and pilot phases were developed to ensure face and content validity as well as semantic and conceptual equivalence of the Italian version with the original version. The MISSCARE survey questionnaire was then distributed to 1,233 clinical nurses of whom 1,003 completed the questionnaire. Overall, 979 questionnaires were analysed. The questionnaires were completed from January to March 2012, by nurses working in medical and surgical hospital departments in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. Construct validity and internal consistency of the instrument were assessed. The face and content validity were ascertained by a group of experts. The instrument acceptability was good given that 79.4% of respondents replied to all items. Construct validity was investigated by an Exploratory Factor Analysis. Four factors explaining 64.18% of variance emerged: communication, lack of facilities/supplies, lack of staff, and unexpected events. Internal consistency, evaluated with Cronbach a, was 0.94. The nursing interventions omitted with greater frequency were, in order: ambulation (74.8%), passive mobilization (69.6%) and oral care (51.3%). The three main reasons for missed interventions were: an unexpected increase in the number of patients (90.5%), increased instability of the clinical condition (86.1%) and insufficient human resources (85.5%). The Italian version of the MISSCARE Survey was shown to have good psychometric properties. Therefore, it can be used to evaluate the missed nursing care phenomenon in Italy and will allow for international comparisons.

Feasibility and effectiveness of a low cost campaign on antibiotic prescribing in Italy: community level, controlled, non-randomised trial.

PubMed

Formoso, Giulio; Paltrinieri, Barbara; Marata, Anna Maria; Gagliotti, Carlo; Pan, Angelo; Moro, Maria Luisa; Capelli, Oreste; Magrini, Nicola

2013-09-12

To test the hypothesis that a multifaceted, local public campaign could be feasible and influence antibiotic prescribing for outpatients. Community level, controlled, non-randomised trial. Provinces of Modena and Parma in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, November 2011 to February 2012. 1,150,000 residents of Modena and Parma (intervention group) and 3,250,000 residents in provinces in the same region but where no campaign had been implemented (control group). Campaign materials (mainly posters, brochures, and advertisements on local media, plus a newsletter on local antibiotic resistance targeted at doctors and pharmacists). General practitioners and paediatricians in the intervention area participated in designing the campaign messages. Primary outcome was the average change in prescribing rates of antibiotics for outpatient in five months, measured as defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants/day, using health districts as the unit of analysis. Antibiotic prescribing was reduced in the intervention area compared with control area (-4.3%, 95% confidence interval -7.1% to -1.5%). This result was robust to "sensitivity analysis" modifying the baseline period from two months (main analysis) to one month. A higher decrease was observed for penicillins resistant to β lactamase and a lower decrease for penicillins susceptible to β lactamase, consistent with the content of the newsletter on antibiotic resistance directed at health professionals. The decrease in expenditure on antibiotics was not statistically significant in a district level analysis with a two month baseline period (main analysis), but was statistically significant in sensitivity analyses using either a one month baseline period or a more powered doctor level analysis. Knowledge and attitudes of the target population about the correct use of antibiotics did not differ between the intervention and control areas. A local low cost information campaign targeted at citizens, combined with a newsletter on local antibiotic resistance targeted at doctors and pharmacists, was associated with significantly decreased total rates of antibiotic prescribing but did not affect the population's knowledge and attitudes about antibiotic resistance. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01604096.

Toxin levels and profiles in microalgae from the north-Western Adriatic Sea--15 years of studies on cultured species.

PubMed

Pistocchi, Rossella; Guerrini, Franca; Pezzolesi, Laura; Riccardi, Manuela; Vanucci, Silvana; Ciminiello, Patrizia; Dell'Aversano, Carmela; Forino, Martino; Fattorusso, Ernesto; Tartaglione, Luciana; Milandri, Anna; Pompei, Marinella; Cangini, Monica; Pigozzi, Silvia; Riccardi, Elena

2012-01-01

The Northern Adriatic Sea is the area of the Mediterranean Sea where eutrophication and episodes related to harmful algae have occurred most frequently since the 1970s. In this area, which is highly exploited for mollusk farming, the first occurrence of human intoxication due to shellfish consumption occurred in 1989, nearly 10 years later than other countries in Europe and worldwide that had faced similar problems. Until 1997, Adriatic mollusks had been found to be contaminated mostly by diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins (i.e., okadaic acid and dinophysistoxins) that, along with paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins (i.e., saxitoxins), constitute the most common marine biotoxins. Only once, in 1994, a toxic outbreak was related to the occurrence of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in the Adriatic coastal waters. Moreover, in the past 15 years, the Adriatic Sea has been characterized by the presence of toxic or potentially toxic algae, not highly widespread outside Europe, such as species producing yessotoxins (i.e., Protoceratium reticulatum, Gonyaulax spinifera and Lingulodinium polyedrum), recurrent blooms of the potentially ichthyotoxic species Fibrocapsa japonica and, recently, by blooms of palytoxin-like producing species of the Ostreopsis genus. This review is aimed at integrating monitoring data on toxin spectra and levels in mussels farmed along the coast of the Emilia-Romagna region with laboratory studies performed on the species involved in the production of those toxins; toxicity studies on toxic or potentially toxic species that have recently appeared in this area are also reviewed. Overall, reviewed data are related to: (i) the yessotoxins producing species P. reticulatum, G. spinifera and L. polyedrum, highlighting genetic and toxic characteristics; (ii) Adriatic strains of Alexandrium minutum, Alexandrium ostenfeldii and Prorocentrum lima whose toxic profiles are compared with those of strains of different geographic origins; (iii) F. japonica and Ostreopsis cf. ovata toxicity. Moreover, new data concerning domoic acid production by a Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata strain, toxicity investigations on a Prorocentrum cf. levis, and on presumably ichthyotoxic species, Heterosigma akashiwo and Chattonella cf. subsalsa, are also reported.

Toxin Levels and Profiles in Microalgae from the North-Western Adriatic Sea—15 Years of Studies on Cultured Species

PubMed Central

Pistocchi, Rossella; Guerrini, Franca; Pezzolesi, Laura; Riccardi, Manuela; Vanucci, Silvana; Ciminiello, Patrizia; Dell’Aversano, Carmela; Forino, Martino; Fattorusso, Ernesto; Tartaglione, Luciana; Milandri, Anna; Pompei, Marinella; Cangini, Monica; Pigozzi, Silvia; Riccardi, Elena

2012-01-01

The Northern Adriatic Sea is the area of the Mediterranean Sea where eutrophication and episodes related to harmful algae have occurred most frequently since the 1970s. In this area, which is highly exploited for mollusk farming, the first occurrence of human intoxication due to shellfish consumption occurred in 1989, nearly 10 years later than other countries in Europe and worldwide that had faced similar problems. Until 1997, Adriatic mollusks had been found to be contaminated mostly by diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins (i.e., okadaic acid and dinophysistoxins) that, along with paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins (i.e., saxitoxins), constitute the most common marine biotoxins. Only once, in 1994, a toxic outbreak was related to the occurrence of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in the Adriatic coastal waters. Moreover, in the past 15 years, the Adriatic Sea has been characterized by the presence of toxic or potentially toxic algae, not highly widespread outside Europe, such as species producing yessotoxins (i.e., Protoceratium reticulatum, Gonyaulax spinifera and Lingulodinium polyedrum), recurrent blooms of the potentially ichthyotoxic species Fibrocapsa japonica and, recently, by blooms of palytoxin-like producing species of the Ostreopsis genus. This review is aimed at integrating monitoring data on toxin spectra and levels in mussels farmed along the coast of the Emilia-Romagna region with laboratory studies performed on the species involved in the production of those toxins; toxicity studies on toxic or potentially toxic species that have recently appeared in this area are also reviewed. Overall, reviewed data are related to: (i) the yessotoxins producing species P. reticulatum, G. spinifera and L. polyedrum, highlighting genetic and toxic characteristics; (ii) Adriatic strains of Alexandrium minutum, Alexandrium ostenfeldii and Prorocentrum lima whose toxic profiles are compared with those of strains of different geographic origins; (iii) F. japonica and Ostreopsis cf. ovata toxicity. Moreover, new data concerning domoic acid production by a Pseudo-nitzschia multistriata strain, toxicity investigations on a Prorocentrum cf. levis, and on presumably ichthyotoxic species, Heterosigma akashiwo and Chattonella cf. subsalsa, are also reported. PMID:22363227

Weight status and perception of body image in children: the effect of maternal immigrant status.

PubMed

Gualdi-Russo, Emanuela; Manzon, Vanessa Samantha; Masotti, Sabrina; Toselli, Stefania; Albertini, Augusta; Celenza, Francesca; Zaccagni, Luciana

2012-10-15

Recent studies have shown that body image perception is an important factor in weight control and may be influenced by culture and ethnicity. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between immigrant status of the mother and weight status and body image perception of the child. In total, 2706 schoolchildren (1405 boys and 1301 girls) aged 8-9 years and their mothers participated in a cross-sectional survey in Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy). Weight and height of the children were measured and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Actual and ideal body image perception by the children and by the mothers with respect to their children was evaluated according to Collins' body image silhouettes. The BMI values were significantly lower in children of immigrants than in children of Italian mothers (F:17.27 vs 17.99 kg/m²; M:17.77 vs 18.13 kg/m²). The prevalence of overweight/obesity was lower, and the prevalence of underweight higher, in children of immigrant mothers than in those of Italian mothers (overweight- F:21.3 vs 29.1%; M. 28.3 vs 31.4%; underweight- F:5.16 vs 3.84%; M:6.63 vs 2.82%). The children's body image perception was consistent with the differing pattern of nutritional status. In the comparison between actual and ideal figures, the Feel-Ideal Difference Index (FID) scores resulted different between the subsample with foreign-born mother in comparison to the native one (significantly lower in daughters of immigrants) (FID- F: 0.31 vs 0.57; M: 0.35 vs 0.32). There were significant differences in the choice of the ideal figure of the child between immigrant mothers and Italian mothers (FID- F: -0.05 vs 0.19; M: -0.35 vs -0.03): the ideal figure values were higher in the immigrant mothers of male children and lower in the Italian mothers of female children. Our results suggest that cultural and behavioral factors linked to ethnicity play an important role in the nutritional status of children and in the perceived and ideal body image.

Fog scavenging of organic and inorganic aerosol in the Po Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilardoni, S.; Massoli, P.; Giulianelli, L.; Rinaldi, M.; Paglione, M.; Pollini, F.; Lanconelli, C.; Poluzzi, V.; Carbone, S.; Hillamo, R.; Russell, L. M.; Facchini, M. C.; Fuzzi, S.

2014-07-01

The interaction of aerosol with atmospheric water affects the processing and wet removal of atmospheric particles. Understanding such interaction is mandatory to improve model description of aerosol lifetime and ageing. We analyzed the aerosol-water interaction at high relative humidity during fog events in the Po Valley within the framework of the Agenzia Regionale per la Prevenzione e l'Ambiente (ARPA) - Emilia Romagna supersite project. For the first time in this area, the changes in particle chemical composition caused by fog are discussed along with changes in particle microphysics. During the experiment, 14 fog events were observed. The average mass scavenging efficiency was 70% for nitrate, 68% for ammonium, 61% for sulfate, 50% for organics, and 39% for black carbon. After fog formation, the interstitial aerosol was dominated by particles smaller than 200 nm Dva (vacuum aerodynamic diameter) and enriched in carbonaceous aerosol, mainly black carbon and water-insoluble organic aerosol. For each fog event, the size-segregated scavenging efficiency of nitrate and organic aerosol (OA) was calculated by comparing chemical species size distribution before and after fog formation. For both nitrate and OA, the size-segregated scavenging efficiency followed a sigmoidal curve, with values close to zero below 100 nm Dva and close to 1 above 700 nm Dva. OA was able to affect scavenging efficiency of nitrate in particles smaller than 300 nm Dva. A linear correlation between nitrate scavenging and particle hygroscopicity (κ) was observed, indicating that 44-51% of the variability of nitrate scavenging in smaller particles (below 300 nm Dva) was explained by changes in particle chemical composition. The size-segregated scavenging curves of OA followed those of nitrate, suggesting that organic scavenging was controlled by mixing with water-soluble species. In particular, functional group composition and OA elemental analysis indicated that more oxidized OA was scavenged more efficiently than less oxidized OA. Nevertheless, the small variability of organic functional group composition during the experiment did not allow us to discriminate the effect of different organic functionalities on OA scavenging.

On the seismic behavior of the main tower of the San Felice sul Panaro (Italy) fortress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castellazzi, Giovanni; D'Altri, Antonio Maria; de Miranda, Stefano; Magagnini, Stefano; Tralli, Antonio

2016-12-01

The medieval fortresses are a very common and distinctive type among the Emilian historical constructions and the earthquakes of May 20th and 29th, 2012 underlined their high vulnerability. Among those heavily damaged, there is the fortress of San Felice sul Panaro located between the two epicenters. This study presents some FE results regarding the behavior under seismic actions of the main tower (Mastio tower). The Mastio has peculiar geometric features and represents a typical example of non-isolated tower. In fact, it is constrained in very different ways by the surrounding parts of the fortress along two of its sides: on the north side it is constrained by the perimeter wall until one third of his high, while a stiffer building constrains it on the west side. In order to remodel the entire fortress, a multidisciplinary project involving the Municipality of San Felice sul Panaro and four Universities of the Emilia- Romagna (Bologna, Ferrara, Parma and Modena) together with the University of Genoa is going on. The study, oriented to the structural restoration, produced an accurate survey of the entire building including a fine definition of architectural peculiarities, historical stages and materials evolution. Based on such geometrical data, we developed a detailed 3D realistic mesh, with a point-by-point characterization of each single geometric element. We performed both pushover and nonlinear dynamic analyses using accelerograms data measured near the fortress on May 29th. A damage-plasticity material model exhibiting softening in both tension and compression, already available in the commercial code Abaqus, has been used for masonry in nonlinear dynamic analyses. On the other hand, pushover analyses have been performed utilizing similar constitutive equations available on code DIANA. The effects of higher modes of vibration have been taken into account by means of the modal pushover analysis technique. For the sake of conciseness, only some preliminary findings are presented in this paper. The results obtained with pushover analyses fit reasonably well with nonlinear dynamic simulations.

Targeting growth factor supply in keratopathy treatment: comparison between maternal peripheral blood and cord blood as sources for the preparation of topical eye drops

PubMed Central

Versura, Piera; Buzzi, Marina; Giannaccare, Giuseppe; Terzi, Adriana; Fresina, Michela; Velati, Claudio; Campos, Emilio C.

2016-01-01

Background Epitheliotrophic growth factors (GF) can be supplied topically to patients with severe keratopathy through a variety of blood-derived products. We compared GF content in adult peripheral blood serum (PB-S) and cord blood serum (CB-S) as potential sources of GF. To limit inter-individual variability the assessment was performed in maternal-child pairs at the time of delivery. Material and methods The amounts of epidermal GF (EGF), insulin-like GF (IGF), transforming GF-beta (TGF-β), vascular endothelial GF (VEGF) in CB units collected from the umbilical vein and PB from mothers (each group n=30) were estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Obstetric characteristics and haematological data were recorded from the archives of the Emilia Romagna Cord Blood Bank. Statistical evaluations were performed by Wilcoxon’s test and correlations between variables were determined using Spearman’s (ρ) coefficient; p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results EGF, TGF-β and VEGF levels were significantly higher in CB-S than in PB-S (median 1,254.4 vs 646.0 pg/mL, 51.3 vs 38.4 μg/mL and 686.8 vs 30 pg/mL, respectively; all p<0.0001) whereas IGF content was significantly higher in PB-S than in CB-S (159.9 vs 53.5 pg/mL, respectively; p<0.0001). In CB-S, the CD34+ cell concentration appeared to be related to EGF, IGF and TGF-β levels whereas white blood cell count appeared to be related to EGF and TGF-β levels. VEGF levels showed no relation to the haematological parameters considered. Platelet counts were not related to GF level in either CB or PB. Discussion The GF content in the two blood sources was different, with CB containing larger amounts. Each GF selectively regulates cellular processes involved in corneal healing, so the use of PB or CB should be targeted to supply specific GF on the basis of the type and severity of the keratopathy. PMID:26192781

[Health impact assessment of policies for municipal solid waste management: findings of the SESPIR Project].

PubMed

Ranzi, Andrea; Ancona, Carla; Angelini, Paola; Badaloni, Chiara; Cernigliaro, Achille; Chiusolo, Monica; Parmagnani, Federica; Pizzuti, Renato; Scondotto, Salvatore; Cadum, Ennio; Forastiere, Francesco; Lauriola, Paolo

2014-01-01

The SESPIR Project (Epidemiological Surveillance of Health Status of Resident Population Around the Waste Treatment Plants) assessed the impact on health of residents nearby incinerators, landfills and mechanical biological treatment plants in five Italian regions (Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont, Lazio, Campania, and Sicily). The assessment procedure took into account the available knowledge on health effects of waste disposal facilities. Analyses were related to three different scenarios: a Baseline scenario, referred to plants active in 2008-2009; the regional future scenario, with plants expected in the waste regional plans; a virtuous scenario (Green 2020), based on a policy management of municipal solid waste (MSW) through the reduction of production and an intense recovery policy. Facing with a total population of around 24 million for the 5 regions, the residents nearby the plants were more than 380,000 people at Baseline. Such a population is reduced to approximately 330.000 inhabitants and 170.000 inhabitants in the regional and Green 2020 scenarios, respectively. The health impact was assessed for the period 2008-2040. At Baseline, 1-2 cases per year of cancer attributable to MSW plants were estimated, as well as 26 cases per year of adverse pregnancy outcomes (including low birth weight and birth defects), 102 persons with respiratory symptoms, and about a thousand affected from annoyance caused by odours. These annual estimates are translated into 2,725 years of life with disability (DALYs) estimated for the entire period. The DALYs are reduced by approximately 20% and 80% in the two future scenarios. Even in these cases, health impact is given by the greater effects on pregnancy and the annoyance associated with the odours of plants. In spite of the limitations due to the inevitable assumptions required by the present exercise, the proposed methodology is suitable for a first approach to assess different policies that can be adopted in regional planning in the field of waste management. The greatest reduction in health impact is achieved with a virtuous policy of reducing waste production and a significant increase in the collection and recycling of waste.

Asthma medication prescribing before, during and after pregnancy: a study in seven European regions.

PubMed

Charlton, Rachel A; Pierini, Anna; Klungsøyr, Kari; Neville, Amanda J; Jordan, Susan; de Jong-van den Berg, Lolkje T W; Thayer, Daniel; Bos, H Jens; Puccini, Aurora; Hansen, Anne V; Gini, Rosa; Engeland, Anders; Nybo Andersen, Anne-Marie; Dolk, Helen; Garne, Ester

2016-01-19

To explore utilisation patterns of asthma medication before, during and after pregnancy as recorded in seven European population-based databases. A descriptive drug utilisation study. 7 electronic healthcare databases in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Italy (Emilia Romagna and Tuscany), Wales, and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink representing the rest of the UK. All women with a pregnancy ending in a delivery that started and ended between 2004 and 2010, who had been present in the database for the year before, throughout and the year following pregnancy. The percentage of deliveries where the woman received an asthma medicine prescription, based on prescriptions issued (UK) or dispensed (non-UK), during the year before, throughout or during the year following pregnancy. Asthma medicine prescribing patterns were described for 3-month time periods and the choice of asthma medicine and changes in prescribing over the study period were evaluated in each database. In total, 1,165,435 deliveries were identified. The prevalence of asthma medication prescribing during pregnancy was highest in the UK and Wales databases (9.4% (CI95 9.3% to 9.6%) and 9.4% (CI95 9.1% to 9.6%), respectively) and lowest in the Norwegian database (3.7% (CI95 3.7% to 3.8%)). In the year before pregnancy, the prevalence of asthma medication prescribing remained constant in all regions. Prescribing levels peaked during the second trimester of pregnancy and were at their lowest during the 3-month period following delivery. A decline was observed, in all regions except the UK, in the prescribing of long-acting β-2-agonists during pregnancy. During the 7-year study period, there were only small changes in prescribing patterns. Differences were found in the prevalence of prescribing of asthma medications during and surrounding pregnancy in Europe. Inhaled β-2 agonists and inhaled corticosteroids were, however, the most popular therapeutic regimens in all databases. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Multisensor surveys of historical buildings before, during and after a seismic sequence: the leaning bell tower of Ficarolo (Rovigo)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teza, Giordano; Pesci, Arianna; Trevisani, Sebastiano

2014-05-01

Three regions of Northern Italy (Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Lombardy) were struck in May-June 2012 by a seismic sequence that included a moment magnitude 5.9 earthquake. Such a sequence caused significant damage to several historical buildings; in some cases complete structural collapse occurred. The 69-m high bell tower of Ficarolo (Rovigo province, Northern Italy) leans at a significant angle (~3° in the shaft). Because the combination of height and leaning angle is visually impressive, Ficarolo is also known as the 'Pisa of Polesine' (Polesine is the Venetian bank of the Po River), referring to the well-known 55-m high, 4° leaning tower of Pisa. A project aimed at studying the geometry of the tower, by means of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), possible local seismic amplification and soil-structure interaction (SSI), by means of low-cost operational modal analysis (OMA) and geophysical measurements, began in early 2012, before the earthquake. In particular, the first series of data were taken in February 2012 (OMA) and April 2012 (TLS). The distance from Ficarolo of the epicenters of the six events with moment magnitude higher than 5.0 ranged from 9 km to 37 km. Several cracks appeared in the bell tower belfry and cusp. An inclinometer installed in 2003 showed that the base was unchanged, but the upper part of the shaft had moved by 2.5 cm after the main shock. No further displacements were detected as a result of the aftershocks. The repetition of the TLS and OMA surveys during and after the seismic sequence, together with infrared thermal imaging (IRT) measurements, allowed an evaluation of the changes caused by the earthquake. Two main results were obtained: (1) an estimate of earthquake induced damage to the Ficarolo's bell tower, which were relatively limited thanks to absence of SSI, and (2) it was demonstrated that fast measurements can be repeated during earthquake emergencies and that preventive measures can be carried out under reasonable time and budget constraints in high seismic hazard areas. The second point is particularly important from the viewpoint of cultural heritage management purposes.

Doctors and local media: a synergy for public health information?: a controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a multifaceted campaign on antibiotic prescribing (protocol).

PubMed

2011-10-19

Use of information campaigns and educational interventions directed to citizens and supported by physicians, aimed at promoting the appropriate use of medicines, have been evaluated by several studies with conflicting results. These interventions are potentially relevant, favouring the reduction of unnecessary use of medicines and related risks. Several studies have specifically evaluated the promotion of the appropriate use of antibiotics in adults and children, with variable results. A controlled study is proposed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention aimed at reducing antibiotic prescription by increasing awareness on risks of their unnecessary use. Information will be provided to citizens through several media (posters, local TV, radio and newspapers, video terminals, websites of Local Health Authorities). Brochures with information on expected benefits and risks of antibiotics will be also available, either with direct access in waiting rooms and pharmacies or handed out and mediated by doctors. Physicians and pharmacists will get specific data on local antibiotic resistance. A small group of representative doctors have also actively participated in defining the campaign key messages. A sample of general practitioners and paediatricians will be trained in patient counselling strategies.The information campaign will be implemented in two Provinces of Emilia-Romagna during the fall-winter season (November 2011-February 2012). Change in the overall prescribing rate of antibiotics (expressed as DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day) in the intervention area will be compared versus other areas in the same Region. Knowledge and attitudes of the general population will be evaluated through a phone and internet survey on a representative sample. While the campaign messages will be mainly directed to the general population, doctors' prescribing will be assessed. The main rationale for this apparent discrepancy lies in the influence patients may have on physicians' prescribing behaviour (directly or indirectly) and in physicians' endorsement of the campaign goals, considering their participation in its design.This study could observe a reduction lower than 5% in the prescribing rate of antibiotics. Such a reduction would be of public health relevance and would determine average savings of almost twice as much as the campaign costs.

Performances of the snow accumulation melting model SAMM: results in the Northern Apennines test area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagomarsino, Daniela; Martelloni, Gianluca; Segoni, Samuele; Catani, Filippo; Fanti, Riccardo

2013-04-01

In this work we propose a snow accumulation-melting model (SAMM) to forecast the snowpack height and we compare the results with a simple temperature index model and an improved version of the latter.For this purpose we used rainfall, temperature and snowpack thickness 5-years data series from 7 weather stations in the Northern Apennines (Emilia Romagna Region, Italy). SAMM is based on two modules modelling the snow accumulation and the snowmelt processes. Each module is composed by two equations: a mass conservation equation is solved to model snowpack thickness and an empirical equation is used for the snow density. The processes linked to the accumulation/depletion of the snowpack (e.g. compression of the snowpack due to newly fallen snow and effects of rainfall) are modelled identifying limiting and inhibitory factors according to a kinetic approach. The model depends on 13 empirical parameters, whose optimal values were defined with an optimization algorithm (simplex flexible) using calibration measures of snowpack thickness. From an operational point of view, SAMM uses as input data only temperature and rainfall measurements, bringing the additional advantage of a relatively easy implementation. In order to verify the improvement of SAMM with respect to a temperature-index model, the latter was applied considering, for the amount of snow melt, the following equation: M = fm(T-T0), where M is hourly melt, fm is the melting factor and T0 is a threshold temperature. In this case the calculation of the depth of the snowpack requires the use of 3 parameters: fm, T0 and ?0 (the mean density of the snowpack). We also performed a simulation by replacing the SAMM melting module with the above equation and leaving unchanged the accumulation module: in this way we obtained a model with 9 parameters. The simulations results suggest that any further extension of the simple temperature index model brings some improvements with a consequent decrease of the mean error between model and experimental data of the snowpack thickness.

Epidemiology and clinical course of Behçet's disease in the Reggio Emilia area of Northern Italy: a seventeen-year population-based study.

PubMed

Salvarani, Carlo; Pipitone, Nicolò; Catanoso, Maria Grazia; Cimino, Luca; Tumiati, Bruno; Macchioni, Pierluigi; Bajocchi, Gianluigi; Olivieri, Ignazio; Boiardi, Luigi

2007-02-15

To investigate the epidemiology and clinical course of Behçet's disease (BD) over a 17-year period in a defined area of northern Italy. All patients with incident BD diagnosed over a 17-year period (from January 1, 1988 to December 31, 2004) living in the Reggio Emilia area were identified through the following sources: physicians at Reggio Emilia Hospital, medical practitioners, and community-based specialists. We identified all patients registered in a centralized index and in the Reggio Emilia district database for rare diseases. Patients were followed up from the time of diagnosis until either their death or April 1, 2005. Eighteen patients (9 men and 9 women) had complete BD. Mean +/- SD age at diagnosis was 33 +/- 7 years. The incidence rate of BD was 0.24 per 100,000. The prevalence of BD on January 1, 2005 was 3.8 per 100,000. No patients died during the followup period. Although all patients developed oral ulceration during the disease course, 22.2% had no oral lesions at disease onset. Eye disease occurred in 55.6%. Ocular disease was more common in men and appeared at disease onset or within the first few years of disease onset (median 3 years). Only 1 patient had loss of useful vision in at least 1 eye at the end of followup. In all affected patients, visual acuity improved once treatment was started. This population-based study is the first to report the prevalence and incidence of BD in Italy. In Italian patients, BD is nonfatal and the prognosis of eye disease is good.

Persistent Scatterer Interferometry analysis of ground deformation in the Po Plain (Piacenza-Reggio Emilia sector, Northern Italy): seismo-tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonielli, Benedetta; Monserrat, Oriol; Bonini, Marco; Cenni, Nicola; Devanthéry, Núria; Righini, Gaia; Sani, Federico

2016-08-01

This work aims to explore the ongoing tectonic activity of structures in the outermost sector of the Northern Apennines, which represents the active leading edge of the thrust belt and is dominated by compressive deformation. We have applied the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) technique to obtain new insights into the present-day deformation pattern of the frontal area of the Northern Apennine. PSI has proved to be effective in detecting surface deformation of wide regions involved in low tectonic movements. We used 34 Envisat images in descending geometry over the period of time between 2004 and 2010, performing about 300 interferometric pairs. The analysis of the velocity maps and of the PSI time-series has allowed to observe ground deformation over the sector of the Po Plain between Piacenza and Reggio Emilia. The time-series of permanent GPS stations located in the study area, validated the results of the PSI technique, showing a good correlation with the PS time-series. The PS analysis reveals the occurrence of a well-known subsidence area on the rear of the Ferrara arc, mostly connected to the exploitation of water resources. In some instances, the PS velocity pattern reveals ground uplift (with mean velocities ranging from 1 to 2.8 mm yr-1) above active thrust-related anticlines of the Emilia and Ferrara folds, and part of the Pede-Apennine margin. We hypothesize a correlation between the observed uplift deformation pattern and the growth of the thrust-related anticlines. As the uplift pattern corresponds to known geological features, it can be used to constrain the seismo-tectonic setting, and a working hypothesis may involve that the active Emilia and Ferrara thrust folds would be characterized by interseismic periods possibly dominated by aseismic creep.

Compulsory and recommended vaccination in Italy: evaluation of coverage and non-compliance between 1998-2002 in Northern Italy

PubMed Central

Stampi, Serena; Ricci, Rita; Ruffilli, Isa; Zanetti, Franca

2005-01-01

Background Since vaccinations are an effective prevention tool for maintaining the health of society, the monitoring of immunization coverage allows us to identify areas where disease outbreaks are likely to occur, and possibly assist us in predicting future outbreaks. The aim of this study is the investigation of the coverage achieved for compulsory (diphtheria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B,) and recommended (pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae, measles-mumps-rubella) vaccinations between 1998 and 2002 in the municipality of Bologna and the identification of the subjects not complying with compulsory and recommended vaccinations. Methods The statistics regarding vaccinal coverage were elaborated from the data supplied by the Bologna vaccinal registration system (1998–2000) and the IPV4 program (2001–2002). To calculate the coverage for compulsory vaccinations and cases of non-compliance reference was made to the protocol drawn up by the Emilia Romagna Regional Administration. The reasons for non-compliance were divided into various categories Results In Bologna the levels of immunization for the four compulsory vaccinations are satisfactory: over 95% children completed the vaccinal cycle, receiving the booster for anti-polio foreseen in their 3rd year and for anti-dyphteria, tetanus, pertussis at 6 years. The frequency of subjects with total non-compliance (i.e. those who have not begun any compulsory vaccinations by the age of one year) is generally higher in Bologna than in the region, with a slight increase in 2002 (2.52% and 1.06% in the city and the region respectively). The frequency of the anti-measles vaccination is higher than that of mumps and rubella, which means that the single vaccine, as opposed to the combined MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) was still being used in the period in question. The most common reason for non compliance is objection of parents and is probably due to reduction of certain diseases or anxiety about the possible risks. Conclusion In Bologna the frequency of children aged 12 and 24 months who have achieved compulsory vaccination varied, in 2002, between 95% and 98%. As regards recommended vaccinations the percentage of coverage against Haemophilus influenzae is 93.3%, while the levels for measles, mumps and pertussis range from 84% to approx. 92%. Although these percentages are higher if compared to those obtained by other Italian regions, every effort should be made to strengthen the aspects that lead to a successful vaccinal strategy. PMID:15845144

Sperm quality and environment: A retrospective, cohort study in a Northern province of Italy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Santi, Daniele, E-mail: santi.daniele@gmail.com; Department of Medicine, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Geriatrics; Vezzani, Silvia

Background: Several studies proposed a relationship between environmental factors and semen quality, as well as the negative effect of air pollution on spermatogenesis and gonadal function. No specific studies evaluated the environmental influence on semen quality in a specific geographical area. Aim: to evaluate the environmental influence on male sperm parameters in a Northern Italian population referred for semen analysis in the National Health System. The objective of the study is the assessment of the relationship of both air pollution and environmental parameters with quality-related sperm variables, during the coldest months of the year when air is usually most polluted,more » due to low ventilation and poor rainfall. Study design: A retrospective, observational, cohort study was carried out in the province of Modena, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Methods: Semen analyses (n=406), environmental temperature, air humidity and air particulate matter (PM) measurements from the 1st of November 2014 to the 19th of February 2015 were acquired to the first database. Since spermatogenesis lasts over two months, a second, wider database was arranged, evaluating environmental exposure in the 3 months before semen collection (from August 1st 2014). All data included in the database were registered by geo-coding the residential address of the patients and the site of registration of environmental factors. The geo-codification of parameters was performed using Fusion Tables of Google available at (https://www.google.com/fusiontables/data? dsrcid=implicit), considering the exact time of measurement. Results: Average air temperature was inversely related to sperm concentration and to total sperm number (p<0.001). Semen volume was inversely related only to the minimum (p<0.001) and not to maximum recorded temperature (p=0.110). Air humidity was not related to sperm quantity and quality. PM{sub 2.5} was directly related to total sperm number (p<0.001). PM{sub 10} was directly related to both semen volume (0<0.001), and typical forms (p<0.001), inversely related to atypical forms (p<0.001), but related neither to sperm concentration (p=0.430) nor to sperm motility. The extended analyses considering environmental parameters in the 3 months before semen collection, confirmed the relationship between air temperature and sperm quantity, whereas no influence was found between PM and sperm quality. Conclusion: An influence of environmental temperature on semen quantity is suggested, without a clear effect of air pollution, as assessed through PM{sub 10} levels, on sperm parameter variations.« less

Dispersion and transport of tropospheric aerosol and pollutants in the Western Mediterranean: the role of the Po Valley under different transport regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bucci, Silvia; Fierli, Federico; Ravetta, François; Raut, Jean Christophe; Cristofanelli, Paolo; Decesari, Stefano; Diliberto, Luca; Größ, Johannes; Pap, Ines; Weinhold, Kay; Wiedensohler, Alfred; Cairo, Francesco

2016-04-01

This work reports a characterization of the vertical variability of tropospheric aerosol and gaseous pollutants, over the western Mediterranean, during the 2012 summer season. In particular, we investigate the role of the Po Valley region as a receptor and emissive region of both natural and anthropogenic aerosol. The observational analysis, based on a comprehensive database of meteorological, aerosol and chemical measurements, is integrated with a model analysis using the Lagrangian transport system FLEXPART combined with emission databases, and WRF-Chem, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with Chemistry. Observations have been performed in the framework of the Supersito project by Regional Agency of Prevention and Environment of the Emilia Romagna region (ARPA-ER, Ital), the TRAQA campaign (TRAnsport et Qualité de l'Air au dessus du bassin Méditerranéen) performed in the ChArMEx (Chemistry-Aerosol Mediterranean Experiment) project, and the european project PEGASOS (Pan-European Gas-AeroSOl-climate interaction Study). An alternation between different transport regimes characterized the 2012 summer, resulting in a large variability of aerosol and pollution at different time and spatial scales. Particles of different nature have been discriminated basing on optical properties retrieved from lidar data and supported by in-situ observations and transport analysis. Results show that, during the analysed season, aerosol in the Po Valley was mainly confined below 2000 m and dominated (50% of detections) by spherical particles. Two events of dust advection from northern Africa were identified (19th-21th June and 29th June-2nd July), with intrusion and mixing with local pollution in the PBL and a non-negligible occurrence (~7%) of dust at the ground. Frequent events (22% of occurrence) of non-spherical particles resuspension, likely due to uplift of mineral soil particles, were observed from the ground to 2000 m during afternoon and evening. In the same season, the combination of airborne measurements with transport and chemical model analysis, allowed to individuate two episodes of inversion in the main advection pattern (23th -24th June and 26th -27th June), causing an easterly pollution export from the Po basin toward the Genoa Gulf (North-Western Mediterranean). Using the CO species as a tracer of pollution, we estimated the Po Valley contribution over the local pollution background value. The CO plume affected a layer from the sea level to 1000 m over the Genoa Gulf, with concentrations reaching 50 ppbv.

Sperm quality and environment: A retrospective, cohort study in a Northern province of Italy.

PubMed

Santi, Daniele; Vezzani, Silvia; Granata, Antonio Rm; Roli, Laura; De Santis, Maria Cristina; Ongaro, Chiara; Donati, Federica; Baraldi, Enrica; Trenti, Tommaso; Setti, Monica; Simoni, Manuela

2016-10-01

Several studies proposed a relationship between environmental factors and semen quality, as well as the negative effect of air pollution on spermatogenesis and gonadal function. No specific studies evaluated the environmental influence on semen quality in a specific geographical area. to evaluate the environmental influence on male sperm parameters in a Northern Italian population referred for semen analysis in the National Health System. The objective of the study is the assessment of the relationship of both air pollution and environmental parameters with quality-related sperm variables, during the coldest months of the year when air is usually most polluted, due to low ventilation and poor rainfall. A retrospective, observational, cohort study was carried out in the province of Modena, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. Semen analyses (n=406), environmental temperature, air humidity and air particulate matter (PM) measurements from the 1st of November 2014 to the 19th of February 2015 were acquired to the first database. Since spermatogenesis lasts over two months, a second, wider database was arranged, evaluating environmental exposure in the 3 months before semen collection (from August 1st 2014). All data included in the database were registered by geo-coding the residential address of the patients and the site of registration of environmental factors. The geo-codification of parameters was performed using Fusion Tables of Google available at https://www.google.com/fusiontables/data? dsrcid=implicit, considering the exact time of measurement. Average air temperature was inversely related to sperm concentration and to total sperm number (p<0.001). Semen volume was inversely related only to the minimum (p<0.001) and not to maximum recorded temperature (p=0.110). Air humidity was not related to sperm quantity and quality. PM2.5 was directly related to total sperm number (p<0.001). PM10 was directly related to both semen volume (0<0.001), and typical forms (p<0.001), inversely related to atypical forms (p<0.001), but related neither to sperm concentration (p=0.430) nor to sperm motility. The extended analyses considering environmental parameters in the 3 months before semen collection, confirmed the relationship between air temperature and sperm quantity, whereas no influence was found between PM and sperm quality. An influence of environmental temperature on semen quantity is suggested, without a clear effect of air pollution, as assessed through PM10 levels, on sperm parameter variations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

D Geomatics Techniques for AN Integrated Approach to Cultural Heritage Knowledge: the Case of San Michele in Acerboli's Church in Santarcangelo DI Romagna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitelli, G.; Dellapasqua, M.; Girelli, V. A.; Sanchini, E.; Tini, M. A.

2017-05-01

The modern Geomatics techniques, such as Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and multi-view Structure from Motion (SfM), are gaining more and more interest in the Cultural Heritage field. All the data acquired with these technologies could be stored and managed together with other information in a Historical Building Information Model (HBIM). In this paper, it will be shown the case study of the San Michele in Acerboli's church, located in Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy. This church, dated about the 6th century A.D., represents a high relevant Romanic building of the high Medieval period. The building presents an irregular square plan with a different length of the lateral brick walls and a consequential oblique one in correspondence of the apse. Nevertheless, the different lengths of the lateral brick walls are balanced thanks to the irregular spaces between the windows. Different changes occurred during the centuries, such as the closing of the seven main doors and the building of the bell tower, in the 11th century A.D., which is nowadays the main entrance of the church. An integrated survey was realized, covering the exterior and the interior. The final 3D model represents a valid support not only for documentation, but also to maintain and manage in an integrate approach the available knowledge of this Cultural Heritage site, developing a HBIM system in which all the mentioned historical, geometrical, material matters are collected.

Comment on "The May 20 (MW 6.1) and 29 (MW 6.0), 2012, Emilia (Po Plain, Northern Italy) earthquakes: New seismotectonic implications from subsurface geology and high-quality hypocenter location" by Carannante et al., 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonini, Lorenzo; Toscani, Giovanni; Seno, Silvio

2016-10-01

Carannante et al. (2015) proposed an original seismotectonic interpretation of the Ferrara arc in the Po Plain (Italy) based on an accurate hypocenter relocation of the 2012 Emilia earthquake sequence and on structural analyses of sub-surface data. They contend that the causative faults of the 2012 sequence do not belong to the fold-and-thrusts system comprising the Ferrara Arc but in fact are located in the underlying basement. In our view this interpretation does not agree with observations, including: 1) the structural interpretation of the seismic reflection lines, that contrasts with some of the available data, e.g. the stratigraphy inferred from deep wells; 2) the seismotectonic setting, that is based exclusively on the correlation between inferred structural features and the location of late aftershocks; and 3) the inconsistency of the proposed seismogenic sources with the elevation changes caused by the sequence. All these points compromise the Carannante et al.'s interpretation and, as a consequence, previously proposed seismotectonic models are still valid.

Cohort profile: the Italian Network of Longitudinal Metropolitan Studies (IN-LiMeS), a multicentre cohort for socioeconomic inequalities in health monitoring

PubMed Central

Giorgi Rossi, Paolo; Spadea, Teresa; Pacelli, Barbara; Broccoli, Serena; Ballotari, Paola; Costa, Giuseppe; Zengarini, Nicolás; Agabiti, Nera; Bargagli, Anna Maria; Cacciani, Laura; Canova, Cristina; Cestari, Laura; Biggeri, Annibale; Grisotto, Laura; Terni, Gianna; Costanzo, Gianfranco; Mirisola, Concetta; Petrelli, Alessio

2018-01-01

Purpose The Italian Network of Longitudinal Metropolitan Studies (IN-LiMeS) is a system of integrated data on health outcomes, demographic and socioeconomic information, and represents a powerful tool to study health inequalities. Participants IN-LiMeS is a multicentre and multipurpose pool of metropolitan population cohorts enrolled in nine Italian cities: Turin, Venice, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Florence, Leghorn, Prato and Rome. Data come from record linkage of municipal population registries, the 2001 population census, mortality registers and hospital discharge archives. Depending on the source of enrolment, cohorts can be closed or open. The census-based closed cohort design includes subjects resident in any of the nine cities at the 2001 census day; 4 466 655 individuals were enrolled in 2001 in the nine closed cohorts. The open cohort design includes subjects resident in 2001 or subsequently registered by birth or immigration until the latest available follow-up (currently 31 December 2013). The open cohort design is available for Turin, Venice, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Prato and Rome. Detailed socioeconomic data are available for subjects enrolled in the census-based cohorts; information on demographic characteristics, education and citizenship is available from population registries. Findings to date The first IN-LiMeS application was the study of differentials in mortality between immigrants and Italians. Either using a closed cohort design (nine cities) or an open one (Turin and Reggio Emilia), individuals from high migration pressure countries generally showed a lower mortality risk. However, a certain heterogeneity between the nine cities was noted, especially among men, and an excess mortality risk was reported for some macroareas of origin and specific causes of death. Future plans We are currently working on the linkage of the 2011 population census data, the expansion of geographical coverage and the implementation of the open design in all the participating cohorts. PMID:29678981

Environmental prospection for PCDD/PCDF, PAH, PCB and heavy metals around the incinerator power plant of Reggio Emilia town (Northern Italy) and surrounding main roads.

PubMed

Capuano, F; Cavalchi, B; Martinelli, G; Pecchini, G; Renna, E; Scaroni, I; Bertacchi, M; Bigliardi, G

2005-03-01

Samples of soil, sediment and pine needles from the Reggio Emilia area were analysed in order to estimate the environmental pollution caused by an MSWI. PCDD/PCDF, PCB, PAH and metals were analysed in the collected samples. The data obtained showed relatively low pollution levels. Indeed, the PCDD/PCDF and PCB data were comparable to the values usually found in the grazing areas of the European Union countries. Metal concentrations in soils and sediments may be related to local geological occurrences and to agricultural activities. PAH values are significantly lower than the limit values set by the Italian law.

An Evaluation of a High-Resolution Operational Wave Forecasting System in the Adriatic Sea

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

work of Martina Tudor. We thank APAT for sharing RON wave buoy data. We thank Jacopo Chiggiato and Servizio Idro-Meteo-Clima ARPA-SIMC of Emilia...influences on the Adriatic sirocco wind. Ann. Geophys. 25.1263-1267. Pasaric. Z., BeluSic, D.. Chiggiato . J.. 2009. Orographic effects on meteorological...Southern California Bight. Coastal Eng. 54(1). 1-15. Signell. R.P.S.. Camiel. S., Cavaleri. L. Chiggiato . J.. Doyle. J.D.. Pullen. J„ Scavo. M

Body mass index trend in haemodialysis patients: the shift of nutritional disorders in two Italian regions.

PubMed

Postorino, Maurizio; Mancini, Elena; D'Arrigo, Graziella; Marino, Carmela; Vilasi, Antonio; Tripepi, Giovanni; Gallus, Silvano; Lugo, Alessandra; Santoro, Antonio; Zoccali, Carmine

2016-10-01

In the USA, the increase in the prevalence of obesity in the general population has been accompanied by a marked increase in the prevalence and incidence of obesity in the dialysis population. However, secular trends of body mass index (BMI) have not been investigated in European renal registries. We investigated the secular trend of BMI across 18 years (1994-2011) in two haemodialysis (HD) registries (Calabria in southern Italy and Emilia in northern Italy) on a total of 16 201 prevalent HD patients and in a series of 3559 incident HD patients. We compared trends in BMI for HD patients with those in the background general population of the same regions. The average BMI rose from 23.5 kg/m(2) in 1994 to 25.5 (+8.5%) in 2011 in the Calabria registry and from 23.7 in 1998 to 25.4 (+7.1%) in 2011 in the Emilia registry (P < 0.001). The proportion of obese patients (i.e. with BMI >30 kg/m(2)) rose from 6 to 14% in Calabria and from 6 to 16% in Emilia (P < 0.001). These patterns were fully confirmed in incident patients and were mirrored by a substantial decline in the prevalence of underweight-normal and underweight (P < 0.001) patients. Of note, the steepness of the increase in BMI in haemodialysis patients was 3.7 times more pronounced than that in the coeval, age- and sex-matched general population of Calabria and Emilia. In two regional haemodialysis registries in Italy a steady increase in overweight and obese patients is observed. These patterns are more pronounced than those found in the general population. If further confirmed in other European haemodialysis cohorts, these findings may have relevant public health implications. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved.

Reply to the "Comment on "The May 1 20 (MW 6.1) and 29 (MW 6.0), 2012, Emilia (Po Plain, northern Italy) earthquakes: New seismotectonic implications from subsurface geology and high-quality hypocenter location" by Carannante et al., 2015" by Bonini L., et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Argnani, Andrea; Carannante, Simona; Massa, Marco; Lovati, Sara; D'Alema, Ezio

2016-12-01

In their comments Bonini et al. argue that our seismotectonic interpretation of the Emilia 2012 seismic sequence does not agree with observations, and follow three lines of arguments to support their statement. These concern the structural interpretation of seismic reflection profiles, the relationship between seismogenic sources and seismicity patterns, and the fit of inferred fault geometry to InSAR observations. These lines of arguments are mostly repeating what has been previously presented by the same authors, and none of them, as discussed in detail in our reply, presents a strong case against our structural interpretation, that, we are convinced, does not conflict with the available data. The two adjacent rupture surfaces outlined by accurately relocated aftershocks are an indication of the presence of two different active fault planes. Interpretation of seismic profiles supports seismological observation and indicates the occurrence of relevant along-strike changes in structural style. These pieces of information have been integrated to build a new seismotectonic interpretation for the area of the Emilia 2012 seismic sequence. Analysis of geodetic data from the area of the Emilia earthquakes has produced very different models of the fault planes; unlike what has been stated by Bonini et al., who see a difficult fit to InSAR data for the fault planes we have identified, the most recent results are consistent with our interpretation that see a steep fault in the upper 8-10 km under the Mirandola anticline. We point out that the geological structures in the subsurface of the Ferrara Arc do change along strike, and the attempt of Bonini et al. to explain both the May 20 and May 29 sequences using a single cross section is not appropriate.

Epidemiological survey of multiple sclerosis in the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena, Italy.

PubMed

Guidetti, D; Cavalletti, S; Merelli, E; Zanoni, P; Simonazzi, P; Sola, P; Solimé, F

1995-01-01

We present the results of an epidemiological survey on MS conducted in the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena (4,980 km2) from 1970 to 1990. The population increased from 943,182 residents in 1970 to 1,024,223 in 1990, with an average population during the period of the survey of 993,056. The mean annual incidence was 1.59 cases/100,000 inhabitants (c.i. 95% 1.42-1.78). The prevalence as of December 31, 1990, was 39.44/100,000 inhabitants. Our study is a further demonstration that Italy is a high-risk zone for this disease, and also demonstrates the possibility of carrying out reliable epidemiological surveys even over extensive territories.

Cyclic migration of weak earthquakes between Lunigiana earthquake of October 10, 1995 and Reggio Emilia earthquake of October 15, 1996 (Northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Giovambattista, R.; Tyupkin, Yu

The cyclic migration of weak earthquakes (M 2.2) which occurred during the yearprior to the October 15, 1996 (M = 4.9) Reggio Emilia earthquake isdiscussed in this paper. The onset of this migration was associated with theoccurrence of the October 10, 1995 (M = 4.8) Lunigiana earthquakeabout 90 km southwest from the epicenter of the Reggio Emiliaearthquake. At least three series of earthquakes migrating from theepicentral area of the Lunigiana earthquake in the northeast direction wereobserved. The migration of earthquakes of the first series terminated at adistance of about 30 km from the epicenter of the Reggio Emiliaearthquake. The earthquake migration of the other two series halted atabout 10 km from the Reggio Emilia epicenter. The average rate ofearthquake migration was about 200-300 km/year, while the time ofrecurrence of the observed cycles varied from 68 to 178 days. Weakearthquakes migrated along the transversal fault zones and sometimesjumped from one fault to another. A correlation between the migratingearthquakes and tidal variations is analysed. We discuss the hypothesis thatthe analyzed area is in a state of stress approaching the limit of thelong-term durability of crustal rocks and that the observed cyclic migrationis a result of a combination of a more or less regular evolution of tectonicand tidal variations.

78 FR 24670 - Notice of a Determination Regarding the Swine Vesicular Disease Status of Certain Regions in Italy

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-26

.... APHIS-2012-0094] Notice of a Determination Regarding the Swine Vesicular Disease Status of Certain...-Romagna, Veneto, and Piemonte and the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano are free of swine... introducing swine vesicular disease into the United States. This determination is based on our review of the...

Evidence for bovine besnoitiosis being endemic in Italy--first in vitro isolation of Besnoitia besnoiti from cattle born in Italy.

PubMed

Gentile, A; Militerno, G; Schares, G; Nanni, A; Testoni, S; Bassi, P; Gollnick, N S

2012-03-23

Until 2009, bovine besnoitiosis had never been considered endemic in Italy and the only report on the disease in this country referred to animals imported from France shortly before. However, recently, an autochthonous outbreak of bovine besnoitiosis was reported in four herds located at the intersection of the borders between Emilia-Romagna, Toscana and Marche (Northern Apennine Mountains), which has led to an increased awareness concerning this disease. The present study describes a further outbreak of bovine besnoitiosis in Italy. The afflicted herd was a dairy herd with no evidence for contact with cattle from regions known to be endemic for bovine besnoitiosis. The farm investigation was initiated after a three-year old Holstein Friesian dairy cow with generalized thickening and lichenification of the skin was diagnosed with bovine besnoitiosis. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by gross pathology, histopathology, serology and PCR. Bradyzoites released from tissue cysts obtained from the skin of this animal enabled the first in vitro isolation of Besnoitia besnoiti in Italy. This isolate was named Bb-Italy1. Sequencing of a 2118 bp spanning region including the complete internal transcribed spacer 1 and parts of the 18S and the 5.8S rRNA gene from DNA extracted from skin-derived zoites revealed a 99.9% identity to sequences known for other B. besnoiti isolated from cattle in Europe. Two GKO mice which had been inoculated intraperitoneally with bovine skin-derived bradyzoites became ill 7 days post inoculation. Parasitophorous vacuoles with multiplying zoites were observed in the cell culture inoculated with peritoneal fluids of these mice and a B. besnoiti infection in the mice and in the cell culture could be confirmed by real-time PCR. A serological investigation in the afflicted herd using immunoblots and an immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) revealed an overall herd seroprevalence of 9.7% (31/321), whereas within the female animals older than 2 years 17.0% (29/171) of the dams were tested positive. With one exception, an imported cow from Germany, all the seropositive animals were born in Italy. In connection with previously described autochthonous cases of bovine besnoitiosis the case described herein suggests that bovine besnoitiosis should be considered endemic in Italy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulation of the Basin Effects in the Po Plain During the Emilia-Romagna Seismic Sequence (2012) Using Empirical Green's Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dujardin, Alain; Causse, Mathieu; Courboulex, Françoise; Traversa, Paola

2016-06-01

The two main earthquakes that occurred in 2012 (May 20 and 29) in the Reggio-Emiliano region (Northern Italy) were relatively small (Mw 6.1 and Mw 5.9) but they generated unexpected damages in a large area around the epicenter. On some stations, the observed seismic levels exceeded design levels recommended by the EC8 seismic code for buildings and civil engineering works. The ground motions generated by the two mainshocks have specific characteristics: the waveforms are mainly controlled by surface waves generated by the deep sedimentary Po plain, by local site effects and also, on some stations, by non-linear behaviors. In this particular context, we test the ability of an empirical Green's function (EGF) simulation approach to reproduce the recorded seismograms in a large frequency band without any knowledge of the underground medium. We focus on the possibility to reproduce the strong surface waves generated by the basin at distances between 25 and 90 km. We choose to work on the second mainshock of the sequence (Mw 5.9), which occurred on May 29, 2012, because it is better recorded by the seismological networks than the May 20th first mainshock. We use a k-2 kinematic source model to generate a set of 100 slip distributions on the fault plane and choose the recordings of a close-by Mw 3.9 event as EGF. We then generate a set of broad-band seismograms (from 0.2 to 35 Hz) and compare them to the mainshock signals at 15 stations (Seismograms, Fourier spectra, PGA, PGV, duration, Stockwell Transforms) at epicentral distances from 5 to 160 km. We find that the main specific features of the signals are very well reproduced for all the stations within and beyond the basin. Nevertheless, at nearby stations, the PGA values are over-evaluated, which could be explained by the fact that non- linear effects are not taken into account in the simulation process. A better fit was found for a position of the nucleation point to the bottom west of the fault, that suggest a directivity effect of the rupture process of the May 29th event towards the North-East.

A multi-element psychosocial intervention for early psychosis (GET UP PIANO TRIAL) conducted in a catchment area of 10 million inhabitants: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Multi-element interventions for first-episode psychosis (FEP) are promising, but have mostly been conducted in non-epidemiologically representative samples, thereby raising the risk of underestimating the complexities involved in treating FEP in ‘real-world’ services. Methods/Design The Psychosis early Intervention and Assessment of Needs and Outcome (PIANO) trial is part of a larger research program (Genetics, Endophenotypes and Treatment: Understanding early Psychosis - GET UP) which aims to compare, at 9 months, the effectiveness of a multi-component psychosocial intervention versus treatment as usual (TAU) in a large epidemiologically based cohort of patients with FEP and their family members recruited from all public community mental health centers (CMHCs) located in two entire regions of Italy (Veneto and Emilia Romagna), and in the cities of Florence, Milan and Bolzano. The GET UP PIANO trial has a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled design. The randomized units (clusters) are the CMHCs, and the units of observation are the centers’ patients and their family members. Patients in the experimental group will receive TAU plus: 1) cognitive behavioral therapy sessions, 2) psycho-educational sessions for family members, and 3) case management. Patient enrolment will take place over a 1-year period. Several psychopathological, psychological, functioning, and service use variables will be assessed at baseline and follow-up. The primary outcomes are: 1) change from baseline to follow-up in positive and negative symptoms’ severity and subjective appraisal; 2) relapse occurrences between baseline and follow-up, that is, episodes resulting in admission and/or any case-note records of re-emergence of positive psychotic symptoms. The expected number of recruited patients is about 400, and that of relatives about 300. Owing to the implementation of the intervention at the CMHC level, the blinding of patients, clinicians, and raters is not possible, but every effort will be made to preserve the independency of the raters. We expect that this study will generate evidence on the best treatments for FEP, and will identify barriers that may hinder its feasibility in ‘real-world’ clinical settings, patient/family conditions that may render this intervention ineffective or inappropriate, and clinical, psychological, environmental, and service organization predictors of treatment effectiveness, compliance, and service satisfaction. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01436331 PMID:22647399

The 1980 Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake: the environmental phenomena and the choices of reconstruction.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porfido, Sabina; Alessio, Giuliana; Avallone, Paola; Gaudiosi, Germana; Lombardi, Giovanni; Nappi, Rosa; Salvemini, Raffaella; Spiga, Efisio

2016-04-01

This paper, by means of a multidisciplinary approach, deals with changes of the urban and territorial setting in many localities of the epicentral area of the 23 November 1980 Irpinia earthquake. The 23 November 1980 earthquake, known as the "Irpinia-Basilicata earthquake" was the strongest seismic event of the last 80 years in the Southern Apennines of Italy (Mw 6.9, I0=X MCS). It was felt nearly everywhere in Italy, from Sicily in the South, to Emilia Romagna and Liguria in the North. This earthquake was characterized by a complex main rupture, composed of three major sub-events, interpreted as a succession of normal faulting events. Many localities in the Avellino, Salerno and Potenza provinces were nearly completely destroyed (I=IX-X MSK, Postpischl et al., 1985); among them Castelnuovo di Conza, Conza della Campania, Lioni, Santomenna, San Mango sul Calore, San Michele di Serino and Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi. About 800 localities suffered serious damage (Balvano, Bisaccia, Calitri, etc); 75,000 houses collapsed totally and 275,000 were badly damaged. Casualties were 3000, and 10,000 people were wounded. A large amount of information on primary and secondary environmental effects, over all slope movements, was available on the basis of several geological surveys of the area affected by this earthquake. The amount of surface faulting was about 40 km in length and the maximum displacement about 100 cm, while the total area interested by slope movements was estimated in 7400 km2 (Porfido et al., 2002, 2007; Serva et al.2009). In this study we aim to describe trends and specific effects that have taken place in the 35 years following the 1980 earthquake: how the urban and territorial setting have changed, especially in the villages located in the epicentral area; the consequences of the environmental effects on the choices of reconstruction, both in situ, and far from the original historical centre. Therefore, some case histories as San Mango sul Calore and Calitri villages, affected by severe landslide phenomena, and in situ rebuilt, will be examined; whereas Conza della Campania, on the basis of the suffered damages, has been reconstructed far from its original position. In addition, we also illustrate the socio-economic implications that the choices of reconstruction have had, not only for the local communities, but also on the whole Italian country.

Chronic disease prevalence from Italian administrative databases in the VALORE project: a validation through comparison of population estimates with general practice databases and national survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Administrative databases are widely available and have been extensively used to provide estimates of chronic disease prevalence for the purpose of surveillance of both geographical and temporal trends. There are, however, other sources of data available, such as medical records from primary care and national surveys. In this paper we compare disease prevalence estimates obtained from these three different data sources. Methods Data from general practitioners (GP) and administrative transactions for health services were collected from five Italian regions (Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Marche and Sicily) belonging to all the three macroareas of the country (North, Center, South). Crude prevalence estimates were calculated by data source and region for diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For diabetes and COPD, prevalence estimates were also obtained from a national health survey. When necessary, estimates were adjusted for completeness of data ascertainment. Results Crude prevalence estimates of diabetes in administrative databases (range: from 4.8% to 7.1%) were lower than corresponding GP (6.2%-8.5%) and survey-based estimates (5.1%-7.5%). Geographical trends were similar in the three sources and estimates based on treatment were the same, while estimates adjusted for completeness of ascertainment (6.1%-8.8%) were slightly higher. For ischaemic heart disease administrative and GP data sources were fairly consistent, with prevalence ranging from 3.7% to 4.7% and from 3.3% to 4.9%, respectively. In the case of heart failure administrative estimates were consistently higher than GPs’ estimates in all five regions, the highest difference being 1.4% vs 1.1%. For COPD the estimates from administrative data, ranging from 3.1% to 5.2%, fell into the confidence interval of the Survey estimates in four regions, but failed to detect the higher prevalence in the most Southern region (4.0% in administrative data vs 6.8% in survey data). The prevalence estimates for COPD from GP data were consistently higher than the corresponding estimates from the other two sources. Conclusion This study supports the use of data from Italian administrative databases to estimate geographic differences in population prevalence of ischaemic heart disease, treated diabetes, diabetes mellitus and heart failure. The algorithm for COPD used in this study requires further refinement. PMID:23297821

Parameter regionalisation methods for a semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model: application to a Northern Apennine region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neri, Mattia; Toth, Elena

2017-04-01

The study presents the implementation of different regionalisation approaches for the transfer of model parameters from similar and/or neighbouring gauged basin to an ungauged catchment, and in particular it uses a semi-distributed continuously-simulating conceptual rainfall-runoff model for simulating daily streamflows. The case study refers to a set of Apennine catchments (in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy), that, given the spatial proximity, are assumed to belong to the same hydrologically homogeneous region and are used, alternatively, as donors and regionalised basins. The model is a semi-distributed version of the HBV model (TUWien model) in which the catchment is divided in zones of different altitude that contribute separately to the total outlet flow. The model includes a snow module, whose application in the Apennine area has been, so far, very limited, even if snow accumulation and melting phenomena do have an important role in the study basins. Two methods, both widely applied in the recent literature, are applied for regionalising the model: i) "parameters averaging", where each parameter is obtained as a weighted mean of the parameters obtained, through calibration, on the donor catchments ii) "output averaging", where the model is run over the ungauged basin using the entire set of parameters of each donor basin and the simulated outputs are then averaged. In the first approach, the parameters are regionalised independently from each other, in the second one, instead, the correlation among the parameters is maintained. Since the model is a semi-distributed one, where each elevation zone contributes separately, the study proposes to test also a modified version of the second approach ("output averaging"), where each zone is considered as an autonomous entity, whose parameters are transposed to the ungauged sub-basin corresponding to the same elevation zone. The study explores also the choice of the weights to be used for averaging the parameters (in the "parameters averaging" approach) or for averaging the simulated streamflow (in the "output averaging" approach): in particular, weights are estimated as a function of the similarity/distance of the ungauged basin/zone to the donors, on the basis of a set of geo-morphological catchment descriptors. The predictive accuracy of the different regionalisation methods is finally assessed by jack-knife cross-validation against the observed daily runoff for all the study catchments.

Cord blood serum-based eye drops: the impact of donor haematological and obstetric factors on the variability of epidermal growth factor levels

PubMed Central

Versura, Piera; Buzzi, Marina; Giannaccare, Giuseppe; Grillini, Marco; Terzi, Adriana; Pagliaro, Pasqualepaolo; Campos, Emilio C.

2014-01-01

Background Cord blood serum (CBS)-based eye drops are successfully used in corneal epithelial wound healing and are prepared to supply a known amount of epidermal growth factor (EGF). Product standardisation includes expensive EGF dosage in all cord blood (CB) units. The influence of donor obstetric and haematological characteristics on EGF content was evaluated, to exclude unsuitable CBS and pre-select those CB units able to provide the correct EGF supply for healing corneal wounds. Materials and methods Data were retrospectively collected from 135 donors included in the Emilia Romagna Cord Blood Bank records. Obstetric characteristics, parity and gestational age of the mother, sex, birth weight and Apgar score of the neonate, placental weight, duration of labour and mode of delivery were considered. Haematological characteristics, CD34+ cell number, and total nucleated cell, white blood cell and platelet counts were recorded. EGF content in CB units was estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical evaluation was performed by Mann-Whitney unpaired and Student’s t tests. Correlations between variables were evaluated by using Pearson’s (r) or Spearman’s (ρ) correlation coefficients. Results EGF content was significantly higher in CBS from donors aged <30 years and after vaginal deliveries as compared with scheduled Caesarean sections (1,386±580 vs 1,106±391 pg/mL; P=0.002). EGF content was significantly correlated with duration of labour (r=0.45; P=0.0001), number of CD34+ cells/mL (r=0.3; P=0.002) particularly in vaginal deliveries (r=0.36; P=0.003), mother’s age (−0.25; P=0.005), neonate’s birth weight (r=0.27; P=0.005), and total nucleated cell (r=0.25; P=0.006), white cell (r=0.29; P=0.001) and platelet (r=0.24; P=0.009) counts. No significant correlations were found between EGF content and parity, gestational age, placental weight, neonate’s sex or Apgar scores. Discussion EGF levels are higher in CB units from younger mothers (<30 years), with longer labour duration (>6 hours), and higher CD34+ cell content (>0.05×106/mL). In order to optimise the preparation and costs of CBS–based eye drops, pre-selection of CB units is recommended. PMID:24120597

Doctors and local media: a synergy for public health information? A controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a multifaceted campaign on antibiotic prescribing (protocol)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Use of information campaigns and educational interventions directed to citizens and supported by physicians, aimed at promoting the appropriate use of medicines, have been evaluated by several studies with conflicting results. These interventions are potentially relevant, favouring the reduction of unnecessary use of medicines and related risks. Several studies have specifically evaluated the promotion of the appropriate use of antibiotics in adults and children, with variable results. A controlled study is proposed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention aimed at reducing antibiotic prescription by increasing awareness on risks of their unnecessary use. Methods/design Information will be provided to citizens through several media (posters, local TV, radio and newspapers, video terminals, websites of Local Health Authorities). Brochures with information on expected benefits and risks of antibiotics will be also available, either with direct access in waiting rooms and pharmacies or handed out and mediated by doctors. Physicians and pharmacists will get specific data on local antibiotic resistance. A small group of representative doctors have also actively participated in defining the campaign key messages. A sample of general practitioners and paediatricians will be trained in patient counselling strategies. The information campaign will be implemented in two Provinces of Emilia-Romagna during the fall-winter season (November 2011-February 2012). Change in the overall prescribing rate of antibiotics (expressed as DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day) in the intervention area will be compared versus other areas in the same Region. Knowledge and attitudes of the general population will be evaluated through a phone and internet survey on a representative sample. Discussion While the campaign messages will be mainly directed to the general population, doctors' prescribing will be assessed. The main rationale for this apparent discrepancy lies in the influence patients may have on physicians' prescribing behaviour (directly or indirectly) and in physicians' endorsement of the campaign goals, considering their participation in its design. This study could observe a reduction lower than 5% in the prescribing rate of antibiotics. Such a reduction would be of public health relevance and would determine average savings of almost twice as much as the campaign costs. PMID:22011332

Beach morphodynamics and types of foredune erosion generated by storms along the Emilia-Romagna coastline, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armaroli, Clara; Grottoli, Edoardo; Harley, Mitchell D.; Ciavola, Paolo

2013-10-01

The objectives of this study are to examine the response of a dune and beach system on the Adriatic coastline in northern Italy to the arrival of storms, compare it with seasonal (months) and medium-term (3-year) morphodynamic change, and evaluate results predicted by the numerical model XBeach. The studied coastline stretches 4 km from the Bevano River mouth to the north of the site to the township of Lido di Classe to the south, where the beach is protected by coastal structures. Fieldwork consisted of topographic profile surveys using RTK-DGPS technology (7 times over an approx. 3-year period). 103 samples of surface sediment were collected along 20 of the cross-shore profiles at 6 distinct cross-shore positions, selected on the basis of morphological beach characteristics. Data analyses of dune and beach slopes enabled the study area to be divided into 6 separate morphological zones using the spatial (longshore and cross-shore) variation of morphologies located on the backshore and intertidal beach observed in a preliminary survey of the area. Other criteria were a spatial consistency in beach slopes and/or presence/absence of intertidal morphologies identified in the aerial photographs and Lidar data. The swash zone slope did not show any significant variability for the entire area. A weak seasonal trend in the variability of the mean foredune slope was observed, with steeper slopes typically during winter and flatter slopes during summer. Analysis of grain size revealed that the beach sediment is well-sorted fine sand tending to medium, with a decreasing trend in size from the Bevano River mouth southwards towards Lido di Classe. According to the Masselink and Short (1993) classification, the natural part of the study site has an Intermediate Barred Beach (IBB) and following the Short (1999) classification, results in a modally LBT (longshore bar-trough) or LTT (low tide terrace) with a small section being TBR (transverse bar and rip). Storms are considered the main factor controlling changes in the beach and dune slope. The most significant storm was recorded in March 2010 with a peak significant wave height of 3.91 m. Contrary to the seasonal dune trend, several foredune slopes were observed to flatten following this event, which can be attributed to the action of dune slumping from the already weakened dune state. Modelling of foredune erosion, using a process-based model (XBeach), reproduced the erosion of the upper beach and dune toe reasonably well, but is currently limited by the acceptable slope value for dune stability, which does not account for biotic factors (e.g. plant roots). The comparison between the storm impact categories of Sallenger (2000) and the DSF (Dune Stability Factor) of Armaroli et al. (2012) shows a very good correspondence between the effects of the winter 2008-2009 storms and the vulnerability of the dune system predicted using both classifications.

A high resolution Adriatic-Ionian Sea circulation model for operational forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciliberti, Stefania Angela; Pinardi, Nadia; Coppini, Giovanni; Oddo, Paolo; Vukicevic, Tomislava; Lecci, Rita; Verri, Giorgia; Kumkar, Yogesh; Creti', Sergio

2015-04-01

A new numerical regional ocean model for the Italian Seas, with focus on the Adriatic-Ionian basin, has been implemented within the framework of Technologies for Situational Sea Awareness (TESSA) Project. The Adriatic-Ionian regional model (AIREG) represents the core of the new Adriatic-Ionian Forecasting System (AIFS), maintained operational by CMCC since November 2014. The spatial domain covers the Adriatic and the Ionian Seas, extending eastward until the Peloponnesus until the Libyan coasts; it includes also the Tyrrhenian Sea and extends westward, including the Ligurian Sea, the Sardinia Sea and part of the Algerian basin. The model is based on the NEMO-OPA (Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean - Ocean PArallelise), version 3.4 (Madec et al. 2008). NEMO has been implemented for AIREG at 1/45° resolution model in horizontal using 121 vertical levels with partial steps. It solves the primitive equations using the time-splitting technique for solving explicitly the external gravity waves. The model is forced by momentum, water and heat fluxes interactively computed by bulk formulae using the 6h-0.25° horizontal-resolution operational analysis and forecast fields from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) (Tonani et al. 2008, Oddo et al. 2009). The atmospheric pressure effect is included as surface forcing for the model hydrodynamics. The evaporation is derived from the latent heat flux, while the precipitation is provided by the Climate Prediction Centre Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP) data. Concerning the runoff contribution, the model considers the estimate of the inflow discharge of 75 rivers that flow into the Adriatic-Ionian basin, collected by using monthly means datasets. Because of its importance as freshwater input in the Adriatic basin, the Po River contribution is provided using daily average observations from ARPA Emilia Romagna observational network. AIREG is one-way nested into the Mediterranean Forecasting System (MFS, http://medforecast.bo.ingv.it/) using daily means fields computed from daily outputs of the 1/16° general circulation model. One-way nesting is done by a novel pre-processing tool for an on-the-fly computation of boundary datasets compatible with BDY module provided by NEMO. It imposes the interpolation constraint and correction as in Pinardi et al. (2003) on the total velocity, ensuring that the total volume transport across boundaries is preserved after the interpolation procedures. In order to compute the lateral open boundary conditions, the model applies the Flow Relaxation Scheme (Engerdhal, 1995) for temperature, salinity and velocities and the Flather's radiation condition (Flather, 1976) for the depth-mean transport. Concerning the forecasting production cycle, AIFS produces 9-days forecast every day, producing hourly and daily means of temperature, salinity, surface currents, heat flux, water flux and shortwave radiation fields. AIREG model performances have been verified by using statistics (root mean square errors and BIAS) with respect to observed data (ARGO and CDT datasets)

Frontal compression along the Apennines thrust system: The Emilia 2012 example from seismicity to crustal structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiarabba, Claudio; De Gori, Pasquale; Improta, Luigi; Lucente, Francesco Pio; Moretti, Milena; Govoni, Aladino; Di Bona, Massimo; Margheriti, Lucia; Marchetti, Alessandro; Nardi, Anna

2014-12-01

The evolution of the Apennines thrust-and-fold belt is related to heterogeneous process of subduction and continental delamination that generates extension within the mountain range and compression on the outer front of the Adria lithosphere. While normal faulting earthquakes diffusely occur along the mountain chain, the sparse and poor seismicity in the compressional front does not permit to resolve the ambiguity that still exists about which structure accommodates the few mm/yr of convergence observed by geodetic data. In this study, we illustrate the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence that is the most significant series of moderate-to-large earthquakes developed during the past decades on the compressional front of the Apennines. Accurately located aftershocks, along with P-wave and Vp/Vs tomographic models, clearly reveal the geometry of the thrust system, buried beneath the Quaternary sediments of the Po Valley. The seismic sequence ruptured two distinct adjacent thrust faults, whose different dip, steep or flat, accounts for the development of the arc-like shape of the compressional front. The first shock of May 20 (Mw 6.0) developed on the middle Ferrara thrust that has a southward dip of about 30°. The second shock of May 29 (Mw 5.8) ruptured the Mirandola thrust that we define as a steep dipping (50-60°) pre-existing (Permo-Triassic) basement normal fault inverted during compression. The overall geometry of the fault system is controlled by heterogeneity of the basement inherited from the older extension. We also observe that the rupture directivity during the two main-shocks and the aftershocks concentration correlate with low Poisson ratio volumes, probably indicating that portions of the fault have experienced intense micro-damage.

Establishment, operation and development of a donor human milk bank.

PubMed

Biasini, Augusto; Stella, Marcello; Malaigia, Laura; China, Mariachiara; Azzalli, Milena; Laguardia, Maria Chiara; Rizzo, Vittoria

2013-10-01

Human milk is very valuable in premature infant nutrition. The collection, screening, processing and distribution of donor human milk are described in this report. These activities take place in the Donor Human Milk Bank (DHMB) of the Large Romagna Area (LRA) in Italy, the development of which is also described here. Over the years, the activities of this bank, which is located in Cesena Hospital, in the center of the LRA, have developed from an informal and domestic-level activity to become a multistep controlled process designed to prevent the possibility of disease transmission. This little food-supply industry, run by a multi-disciplinary team with strict rules and diverse responsibilities, complies with the Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. © 2013.

Cohort profile: the Italian Network of Longitudinal Metropolitan Studies (IN-LiMeS), a multicentre cohort for socioeconomic inequalities in health monitoring.

PubMed

Caranci, Nicola; Di Girolamo, Chiara; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo; Spadea, Teresa; Pacelli, Barbara; Broccoli, Serena; Ballotari, Paola; Costa, Giuseppe; Zengarini, Nicolás; Agabiti, Nera; Bargagli, Anna Maria; Cacciani, Laura; Canova, Cristina; Cestari, Laura; Biggeri, Annibale; Grisotto, Laura; Terni, Gianna; Costanzo, Gianfranco; Mirisola, Concetta; Petrelli, Alessio

2018-04-20

The Italian Network of Longitudinal Metropolitan Studies (IN-LiMeS) is a system of integrated data on health outcomes, demographic and socioeconomic information, and represents a powerful tool to study health inequalities. IN-LiMeS is a multicentre and multipurpose pool of metropolitan population cohorts enrolled in nine Italian cities: Turin, Venice, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Florence, Leghorn, Prato and Rome. Data come from record linkage of municipal population registries, the 2001 population census, mortality registers and hospital discharge archives. Depending on the source of enrolment, cohorts can be closed or open. The census-based closed cohort design includes subjects resident in any of the nine cities at the 2001 census day; 4 466 655 individuals were enrolled in 2001 in the nine closed cohorts. The open cohort design includes subjects resident in 2001 or subsequently registered by birth or immigration until the latest available follow-up (currently 31 December 2013). The open cohort design is available for Turin, Venice, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, Prato and Rome. Detailed socioeconomic data are available for subjects enrolled in the census-based cohorts; information on demographic characteristics, education and citizenship is available from population registries. The first IN-LiMeS application was the study of differentials in mortality between immigrants and Italians. Either using a closed cohort design (nine cities) or an open one (Turin and Reggio Emilia), individuals from high migration pressure countries generally showed a lower mortality risk. However, a certain heterogeneity between the nine cities was noted, especially among men, and an excess mortality risk was reported for some macroareas of origin and specific causes of death. We are currently working on the linkage of the 2011 population census data, the expansion of geographical coverage and the implementation of the open design in all the participating cohorts. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The 2012 Emilia seismic sequence (Northern Italy): Imaging the thrust fault system by accurate aftershock location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Govoni, Aladino; Marchetti, Alessandro; De Gori, Pasquale; Di Bona, Massimo; Lucente, Francesco Pio; Improta, Luigi; Chiarabba, Claudio; Nardi, Anna; Margheriti, Lucia; Agostinetti, Nicola Piana; Di Giovambattista, Rita; Latorre, Diana; Anselmi, Mario; Ciaccio, Maria Grazia; Moretti, Milena; Castellano, Corrado; Piccinini, Davide

2014-05-01

Starting from late May 2012, the Emilia region (Northern Italy) was severely shaken by an intense seismic sequence, originated from a ML 5.9 earthquake on May 20th, at a hypocentral depth of 6.3 km, with thrust-type focal mechanism. In the following days, the seismic rate remained high, counting 50 ML ≥ 2.0 earthquakes a day, on average. Seismicity spreads along a 30 km east-west elongated area, in the Po river alluvial plain, in the nearby of the cities Ferrara and Modena. Nine days after the first shock, another destructive thrust-type earthquake (ML 5.8) hit the area to the west, causing further damage and fatalities. Aftershocks following this second destructive event extended along the same east-westerly trend for further 20 km to the west, thus illuminating an area of about 50 km in length, on the whole. After the first shock struck, on May 20th, a dense network of temporary seismic stations, in addition to the permanent ones, was deployed in the meizoseismal area, leading to a sensible improvement of the earthquake monitoring capability there. A combined dataset, including three-component seismic waveforms recorded by both permanent and temporary stations, has been analyzed in order to obtain an appropriate 1-D velocity model for earthquake location in the study area. Here we describe the main seismological characteristics of this seismic sequence and, relying on refined earthquakes location, we make inferences on the geometry of the thrust system responsible for the two strongest shocks.

[Prevalence of intestinal parasitosis in Reggio Emilia (Italy) during 2009].

PubMed

Guidetti, Carlotta; Ricci, Lidia; Vecchia, Luigi

2010-09-01

The purpose of this survey is to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasites in Reggio Emilia during 2009. We analyzed 1961 samples from 1503 subjects: a copro-parasitological standard examination was performed in 1416 of the subjects and the scotch-test in the remaining 87. Of the 1503 subjects examined, 111 (7.4%) were positive for one or more parasites. Pathogenic parasites were found in 44 subjects (39.6% of all positive subjects) and non-pathogenic protozoa were found in 67 subjects (60.4% of all positive subjects). The most commonly found species were, of the protozoa, Blastocystis hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis and Giardia intestinalis and, of the helminths, Enterobius vermicularis and Taenia Spp. This epidemiological survey shows the need to pay more attention to immigrants and travellers to endemic areas as potential carriers of major parasitic infections in the community.

Roles of mucilage in Emilia fosbergii, a myxocarpic Asteraceae: Efficient seed imbibition and diaspore adhesion.

PubMed

De-Paula, Orlando C; Marzinek, Juliana; Oliveira, Denise M T; Paiva, Élder A S

2015-09-01

Several angiosperm families have myxodiaspory, such as the Asteraceae in which cypselae are frequently wind-dispersed. The roles of mucilage in cypselae remain misunderstood, and the route of water uptake from substrate to embryo remains unknown. In this work, we analyze the fruits of Emilia fosbergii aiming to clarify how the water is absorbed and how the structure of the pericarp can be related to the processes of diaspore adhesion and seed imbibition. The anatomy and ultrastructure of the cypselae of Emilia fosbergii were analyzed with histochemical tests and light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. We assessed the roles of mucilage in seed imbibition using apoplasmic tracing with Lucifer yellow and epifluorescence microscopy and in adhesion with a sand assay. We describe structural and ultrastructural aspects of the exocarpic cells, especially the mucilaginous twin hairs. Lucifer yellow was absorbed only by the twin hairs, the cells where water primarily enters the seed during seed imbibition. In the sand assay, the mucilage was adhesive. The twin hairs on the surface of the cypselae can play a dual role in the establishment of new plants of this species. First, these trichomes constitute the main passage for water intake, which is essential for seed imbibition and germination, and after imbibition, they release mucilage that can adhere the diaspore. Therefore, the presence of myxocarpy in Asteraceae could be important in anemochoric species to avoid secondary dispersal. © 2015 Botanical Society of America.

[A pilot study on pain assessment among elderly with severe dementia
in residential aged care facilities of Reggio Emilia district].

PubMed

Bargellini, Annalisa; Mastrangelo, Stefano; Cervi, Monica; Bagnasco, Michele; Reghizzi, Jlenia; Coriani, Sandra

2017-01-01

. A pilot study on pain assessment among elderly with severe dementia in residential aged care facilities of Reggio Emilia district. Despite the availability of pain assessment tools and best practice recommendations for the assessment and management of pain in people with severe dementia, pain in residential aged care facilities is still undetected or misinterpreted. To assess pain prevalence and analgesic load medication in people with severe cognitive impairment admitted to residential aged care facilities of Reggio Emilia (Italy) province. A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted on 84 elderly patients affected by severe dementia and resident in aged care facilities. Pain was assessed with the PAINAD observational scale, both at rest and during routine procedures: positioning in bed, from bed to standing position, from bed to chair or during the medication of a pressure sore (under challenge). 33.4% of patients had pain at rest, mainly mild, and 86.9 % under challenge. During routine interventions, in 64 patients (76.2%) pain increased compared to at rest condition (for 39, 2/3, moderate-severe); although 46 of them were prescribed as-required analgesic medication, none had received the drug. Also patients with analgesics on regular basis experienced more pain during routine procedures. Many patients experienced pain during routine procedures. The regular use of pain assessment tools and adequate training of all healthcare professionals are essential requirements for an effective pain control.

Seismic anisotropy and its relation with crust structure and stress field in the Reggio Emilia Region (Northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margheriti, L.; Ferulano, M. F.; Di Bona, M.

2006-11-01

Shear wave splitting is measured at 14 seismic stations in the Reggio Emilia region above local background seismicity and two sequences of seismic events. The good quality of the waveforms together with the favourable distribution of earthquake foci allows us to place strong constraints on the geometry and the depth of the anisotropic volume. It is about 60 km2 wide and located between 6 and 11 km depth, inside Mesozoic age carbonate rocks. The splitting results suggest also the presence of a shallower anisotropic layer about 1 km thick and few km wide in the Pliocene-Quaternary alluvium above the Mesozoic layer. The fast polarization directions (N30°E) are approximately parallel to the maximum horizontal stress (σ1 is SSW-NNE) in the region and also parallel to the strike of the main structural features in the Reggio Emilia area. The size of the delay times suggests about 4.5 per cent shear wave velocity anisotropy. These parameters agree with an interpretation of seismic anisotropy in terms of the extensive-dilatancy anisotropy model which considers the rock volume to be pervaded by fluid-saturated microcracks aligned by the active stress field. We cannot completely rule out the contribution of aligned macroscopic fractures as the cause of the shear wave anisotropy even if the parallel shear wave polarizations we found are diagnostic of transverse isotropy with a horizontal axis of symmetry. This symmetry is commonly explained by parallel stress-aligned microcracks.

Trastuzumab Emtansine for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Cancer.gov

An NCI Cancer Currents blog on results from the TH3RESA and EMILIA clinical trials showing trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) improved overall survival in patients with previously treated metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.

[The effect of a strategy to improve adherence of irregular non UE citizens to tuberculosis screening in a clinic of Reggio Emilia].

PubMed

Leone, Nicola; Bonvicini, Francesca; Fornaciari, Rossano; Greci, Marina; Manghi, Mara; Vinceti, Marco; Mecugni, Daniela

2008-01-01

Latent tubercolar infection in irregular non EU-citizens in Italy is an important issue of public health. Aim of this paper is to describe the effects of a new organization of the Centre for the health of foreign families of Reggio Emilia. A dedicated nurse, responsible of patients' screening and follow-up, in strict collaboration with a cultural interpreter were made available. Patients adherence to the screening was measured. On 177 eligible patients, 12 (6.7%) refused the Mantoux text. Over the 165 screened patients, 147 (89%) returned to the clinic after 3-4 days. Only 16 (10.8%) needed a phone reminder. Adherence to the screening improved remarkably compared to the previous year (89% vs 68%). A dedicated nurse and the improvement of communication may contribute to improve patients compliance.

Optimized design of total energy systems: The RETE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alia, P.; Dallavalle, F.; Denard, C.; Sanson, F.; Veneziani, S.; Spagni, G.

1980-05-01

The RETE (Reggio Emilia Total Energy) project is discussed. The total energy system (TES) was developed to achieve the maximum quality matching on the thermal energy side between plant and user and perform an open scheme on the electrical energy side by connection with the Italian electrical network. The most significant qualitative considerations at the basis of the plant economic energy optimization and the selection of the operating criterion most fitting the user consumption characteristics and the external system constraints are reported. The design methodology described results in a TES that: in energy terms achieves a total efficiency evaluated on a yearly basis to be equal to about 78 percent and a fuel saving of about 28 percent and in economic terms allows a recovery of the investment required as to conventional solutions, in about seven years.

Gravitating Toward Reggio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desouza, Josephine M. Shireen; Jereb, Jill

2000-01-01

Explains the process of teaching about force, inertia, gravity, and friction to kindergarten students using the Reggio Emilia Approach. Incorporates writing, reading, counting, building vocabulary, and developing science and social skills. Addresses the Science as Inquiry Content Standard A and Physical Science Content Standard B of the National…

Power, Patriarchy, and Punishment in Shakespeare's "Othello."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Kimberly

An informal survey revealed that graduate students presented with Shakespeare's works felt academically unfit and powerless. These student-teacher-text power relationships parallel the power relationships between the dominant patriarchy and the female characters in "Othello"--Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. However, "Antony and…

Reggio Social Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stejzygier, Aneta

2009-01-01

The paper presents the social capital as the essential element of success of the Reggio Emilia preschools known for their unique approach to the early childhood education. The collaborative effort is introduced through examples of the currently ongoing "Reggio Narrates" project of Reggio preschools, the "Dialogue with the…

Senile anorexia in different geriatric settings in Italy.

PubMed

Donini, L M; Dominguez, L J; Barbagallo, M; Savina, C; Castellaneta, E; Cucinotta, D; Fiorito, A; Inelmen, E M; Sergi, G; Enzi, G; Cannella, C

2011-11-01

Anorexia is the most frequent modification of eating habits in old age, which may lead to malnutrition and consequent morbidity and mortality in older adults. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated to anorexia in a sample of Italian older persons living in different settings. Our secondary aim was to evaluate the impact of senile anorexia on nutritional status and on eating habits, as well as on functional status. Observational study in nursing homes, in rehabilitation and acute geriatric wards, and in the community in four Italian regions (Lazio, Sicily, Emilia-Romagna, and Veneto). 526 over 65 years old participants were recruited; 218 free-living subjects, 213 from nursing homes, and 96 patients from rehabilitation and acute geriatric wards in the context of a National Research Project (PRIN) from the Italian Ministry of Instruction, University and Research (2005-067913 "Cause e Prevalenza dell'Anoressia senile"). Anthropometric and nutritional evaluation, olfactory, chewing, and swallowing capacity, food preferences, cognitive function, functional status, depression, quality of life, social aspects, prescribed drugs, and evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms and pain. Laboratory parameters included prealbumin, albumin, transferrin, C-reactive protein, mucoprotein, lymphocyte count, as well as neurotransmitters leptin, and ghrelin. Anorexia was considered as ≥50% reduction in food intake vs. a standard meal (using 3-day "Club Francophone de Gériatrie et Nutrition" form), in absence of oral disorders preventing mastication. The overall prevalence of anorexia was 21.2% with higher values among hospitalized patients (34.1% women and 27.2% men in long-term facilities; 33.3% women and 26.7% men in rehabilitation and geriatric wards; 3.3% women and 11.3% men living in the community) and in the oldest persons. Anorexic subjects were significantly less self-sufficient and presented more often a compromised nutritional and cognitive status. Diet composition analyses of anorexic older adults revealed a lower intake of all food groups and a general tendency to a monotonous diet. Anorexia is a frequent condition in older Italians, particularly those hospitalized, with important consequences in the nutritional and functional status. The analysis of dietary components and its quality along with the frequency of intake of single food groups may be useful to plan intervention strategies aiming to improve the nutritional and health status of older adults with anorexia. An early detection of anorexia followed by an adequate intervention in older hospitalized patients to avoid further worsening of clinical and functional status is warranted.

The National Tumor Association Foundation (ANT): A 30 year old model of home palliative care

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Models of palliative care delivery develop within a social, cultural, and political context. This paper describes the 30-year history of the National Tumor Association (ANT), a palliative care organization founded in the Italian province of Bologna, focusing on this model of home care for palliative cancer patients and on its evaluation. Methods Data were collected from the 1986-2008 ANT archives and documents from the Emilia-Romagna Region Health Department, Italy. Outcomes of interest were changed in: number of patients served, performance status at admission (Karnofsky Performance Status score [KPS]), length of participation in the program (days of care provided), place of death (home vs. hospital/hospice), and satisfaction with care. Statistical methods included linear and quadratic regressions. A linear and a quadratic regressions were generated; the independent variable was the year, while the dependent one was the number of patients from 1986 to 2008. Two linear regressions were generated for patients died at home and in the hospital, respectively. For each regression, the R square, the unstandardized and standardized coefficients and related P-values were estimated. Results The number of patients served by ANT has increased continuously from 131 (1986) to a cumulative total of 69,336 patients (2008), at a steady rate of approximately 121 additional patients per year and with no significant gender difference. The annual number of home visits increased from 6,357 (1985) to 904,782 (2008). More ANT patients died at home than in hospice or hospital; this proportion increased from 60% (1987) to 80% (2007). The rate of growth in the number of patients dying in hospital/hospice was approximately 40 patients/year (p < 0.01), vs. approximately 177 patients/year for patients who died at home. The percentage of patients with KPS < 40 at admission decreased from 70% (2003) to 30% (2008); the percentage of patients with KPS > 40 increased. Mean days of care for patients with KPS > 40 exceeded mean days for patients with KPS < 40 (p < 0.001). Patients and caregivers reported high satisfaction with care in each year of assessment; in 2008, among 187 interviewed caregivers, 95% judged the quality of doctors' assistance, and 91% judged the quality of nurses' assistance, to be "optimal." Conclusions The ANT home care model of palliative care delivery has been well-received, with progressively growing numbers of patients served. It has resulted in a greater proportion of home deaths and in patients' accessing palliative care at an earlier point in the disease trajectory. Changes in ANT chronicle palliative care trends in general. PMID:20529310

[Thermal comfort and indoor air quality in some of the italian state police workplaces.

PubMed

Chirico, Francesco; Rulli, Giuseppina

2017-12-01

Little can be found in the literature about thermal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ) in law enforcement workplaces. This study, based on environmental surveys carried out by the Centro Sanitario Polifunzionale of Milan (Italian State Police Health Service Department), aims to assess the thermal comfort and IAQ in some of the Italian State Police workplaces. Measurements were performed in some indoor workplaces such as offices, archives, laboratories and guard-houses in various regions (Lombardia, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige) of Northern Italy. The PMV/PPD model developed by Fangar for the evaluation of the thermal comfort was used. We measured both CO2 concentration and relative humidity indoor levels for the evaluation of IAQ. We used Chi square and t Student tests to study both prevalence of thermal discomfort and low IAQ, and their differences between summer and winter. For the purposes of the present study we carried out 488 measurements in 36 buildings (260 in winter and 228 in summer). Our results showed that thermal comfort was reached in 95% and 68% of environmental measurements (in winter and summer, respectively). In summer, we measured different types of thermal discomfort. As regard to IAQ, CO2 exceeded the threshold limit value (1000 ppm) in 39% (winter) and 9% (summer) of our measurements. Chi-square test showed a statistically significant difference between summer and winter for all outcomes considered. Indeed, thermal comfort was better in winter than summer (X2 = 61.0795), while IAQ was found to be better in the summer than winter considering both the CO2 1000 ppm and 1200 ppm threshold values (X2 = 56.9004 and X2 = 8.8845 respectively). Prevalence of low relative humidity in winter was higher than in summer (X2 = 124.7764). Even though this study did not report any situation of risk to Italian police officers health and safety, it has highlighted some potential issues in some of the examined workplaces, concerning thermal comfort in summer and IAQ in winter. Regarding the risk assessment process, simple and inexpensive preventive measures are already feasible in the 'observation phase' of the risk assessment, before execution of instrumental environmental survey. According to the technical standards and risk assessment models, this way might increase both comfort levels for workers employed in indoor environments and the effectiveness of the risk assessment process, through the optimization of available resources. Copyright© by Aracne Editrice, Roma, Italy.

A cross selectional survey in a critical care: the job satisfaction and functioning team of the health professionals.

PubMed

La Sala, Rachele; Boninsegni, Katiuscia; Tani, Alice; Rasi, Alice; Ricci, Barbara; Sansovini, Linda; Scarpelli, Giulia; Artioli, Giovanna; Sarli, Leopoldo

2015-01-01

Health care workers, especially those who are part of the OS core, are essential in the delivery of services, as they represent the institution at the time of the contact with the user and they represent also the image of the organization. Health administrations, therefore, are called to improve the performance through a better motivation and satisfaction of the staff, in view of two strategic aspects: job satisfaction of professionals and team collaboration. Between January and September 2014, a survey at the OU (UUOO) intensive care and sub intensive has been made inside three hospitals in Emilia Romagna. It' s been a multicentre cross-sectional quantitative study by administering a self-report questionnaire designed to investigate the different constructs. On 742 questionnaires were spread 454 professionals gave it back  (response rate = 73%). Of those, 273 (60.1%) were nurses, 119 (26.2%) were physicians and 62 (13.7%) were healthcare operators. 62 (13.7%) Job Satisfaction was measured with the McCloskey Mueller Satisfaction Scale. Team Functioning was measured with the Index of Interprofessional Team Collaboration. Results from MANOVA indicated that physicians were less satisfied of scheduling than both nurses and healthcare operators. For professional opportunities, instead, healthcare operators showed the lower level of satisfaction. The participants seem to perceive a high level of team effectiveness and therefore the professionals involved in the care of critically ill patients than the two dimensions analysed, (reflection between the processes and interdependent roles), also state a greater tendency to respect the roles interdisciplinary, maintaining their professional autonomy and a lower tendency to use critical thinking to act professionally in order to improve the effectiveness of care provided. The study results oriented healthcare administrators, to take paths that feed the job satisfaction and the collaboration of professionals by developing the aspects investigated. Considering the shared perception among the professions studied, compared to the constructs under investigation, it seems to be clear how the routes should be designed in a systematic order to involve, in an integrated way the best professionals (nurses, doctors and OSS) involved in taking managing critical patients. No statistically significant difference have been found between these three professions considered, on most dimensions of job satisfaction investigated (relations between colleagues, 'social interactions, work-family balance, time work organization and working professional opportunity). There is a difference between two specific factors: the work time planning organization and wich is seen less by the nurses, while the job opportunities that are perceived less from the OOS.

Assessing the impact of extreme air temperature on fruit trees by modeling weather dependent phenology with variety-specific thermal requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfieri, Silvia Maria; De Lorenzi, Francesca; Missere, Daniele; Buscaroli, Claudio; Menenti, Massimo

2013-04-01

Extremely high and extremely low temperature may have a terminal impact on the productivity of fruit tree if occurring at critical phases of development. Notorious examples are frost during flowering or extremely high temperature during fruit setting. The dates of occurrence of such critical phenological stages depend on the weather history from the start of the yearly development cycle in late autumn, thus the impact of climate extremes can only be evaluated correctly if the phenological development is modeled taking into account the weather history of the specific year being evaluated. Climate change impact may lead to a shift in timing of phenological stages and change in the duration of vegetative and reproductive phases. A changing climate can also exhibit a greater climatic variability producing quite large changes in the frequency of extreme climatic events. We propose a two-stage approach to evaluate the impact of predicted future climate on the productivity of fruit trees. The phenological development is modeled using phase - specific thermal times and variety specific thermal requirements for several cultivars of pear, apricot and peach. These requirements were estimated using phenological observations over several years in Emilia Romagna region and scientific literature. We calculated the dates of start and end of rest completion, bud swell, flowering, fruit setting and ripening stages , from late autumn through late summer. Then phase-specific minimum and maximum cardinal temperature were evaluated for present and future climate to estimate how frequently they occur during any critically sensitive phenological phase. This analysis has been done for past climate (1961 - 1990) and fifty realizations of a year representative of future climate (2021 - 2050). A delay in rest completion of about 10-20 days has been predicted for future climate for most of the cultivars. On the other hand the predicted rise in air temperature causes an earlier development of crops thus a reduction in the length of the different phenological stages. Despite the earlier timing of phenological phases may expose the crops to frost hazard, the mean increase of air temperature avoids relevant impacts on crops. The frequency of air temperatures higher than the cardinal temperatures is expected to increase by 5% compared with the reference 1961 - 1990 climate. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

[Test and programme sensitivities of screening for colorectal cancer in Reggio Emilia].

PubMed

Campari, Cinzia; Sassatelli, Romano; Paterlini, Luisa; Camellini, Lorenzo; Menozzi, Patrizia; Cattani, Antonella

2011-01-01

to estimate the sensitivity of the immunochemical test for faecal occult blood (FOBT) and the sensitivity of the colorectal tumour screening programme in the province of Reggio Emilia. retrospective cohort study, including a sample of 80,357 people of both genders, aged 50-69, who underwent FOBT, during the first round of the screening programme in the province of Reggio Emilia, from April 2005 to December 2007. incidence of interval cancer. The proportional incidence method was used to estimate the sensitivity of FOBT and of the screening programme. Data were stratified according to gender, age and year of interval. the overall sensitivity of FOBT was 73.2% (95%IC 63.8-80.7). The sensitivity of FOBT was lower in females (70.5% vs 75.1%), higher in the 50-59 age group (78.6% vs 70.2%) and higher in the colon than rectum (75.1% vs 68.9%). The test had a significantly higher sensitivity in the 1st year of interval than in the 2nd (84.4% vs 60.5%; RR=0.39, 95%IC 0.22-0.70), a difference which was confirmed, also when data were stratified according to gender. The overall sensitivity of the programme is 70.9% (95%IC 61.5-78.5). No statistically significant differences were shown, if data were stratified according to gender, age or site. Again the sensitivity in the 1st year was significantly higher than in the 2nd year of interval (83.2% vs 57.0%; RR=0.41, 95%IC 0.24-0.69). Overall our data confirmed the findings of similar Italian studies, despite subgroup analysis showed some differences in sensitivity in our study.

Two novel partial deletions of LDL-receptor gene in Italian patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH Siracusa and FH Reggio Emilia).

PubMed

Garuti, R; Lelli, N; Barozzini, M; Tiozzo, R; Ghisellini, M; Simone, M L; Li Volti, S; Garozzo, R; Mollica, F; Vergoni, W; Bertolini, S; Calandra, S

1996-03-01

In the present study we report two novel partial deletions of the LDL-R gene. The first (FH Siracusa), found in an FH-heterozygote, consists of a 20 kb deletion spanning from the 5' flanking region to the intron 2 of the LDL-receptor gene. The elimination of the promoter and the first two exons prevents the transcription of the deleted allele, as shown by Northern blot analysis of LDL-R mRNA isolated from the proband's fibroblasts. The second deletion (FH Reggio Emilia), which eliminates 11 nucleotides of exon 10, was also found in an FH heterozygote. The characterization of this deletion was made possible by a combination of techniques such as single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis, direct sequence of exon 10 and cloning of the normal and deleted exon 10 from the proband's DNA. The 11 nt deletion occurs in a region of exon 10 which contains three triplets (CTG) and two four-nucleotides (CTGG) direct repeats. This structural feature might render this region more susceptible to a slipped mispairing during DNA duplication. Since this deletion causes a shift of the BamHI site at the 5' end of exon 10, a method has been devised for its rapid screening which is based on the PCR amplification of exon 10 followed by BamHI digestion. FH Reggio Emilia deletion produces a shift in the reading frame downstream from Lys458, leading to a sequence of 51 novel amino acids before the occurrence of a premature stop codon (truncated receptor). However, since RT-PCR failed to demonstrate the presence of the mutant LDL-R mRNA in proband fibroblasts, it is likely that the amount of truncated receptor produced in these cells is negligible.

The 2012 Emilia (Northern Italy) earthquake sequence: an attempt of historical reading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graziani, L.; Bernardini, F.; Castellano, C.; Del Mese, S.; Ercolani, E.; Rossi, A.; Tertulliani, A.; Vecchi, M.

2015-04-01

In May-June 2012, the Po Valley (Northern Italy) was struck by an earthquake sequence whose strongest event occurred on 20 May (Mw 5.9). The intensity values (Imax 7-8 EMS98) assessed through macroseismic field surveys seemed inappropriate to describe the whole range of effects observed, especially those to monumental heritage, which suffered very heavy damage and destruction. The observed intensities in fact were significantly lower than those we could have expected after a Mw 5.9 event for Italy. As magnitude-intensity regressions are mainly based on historical earthquake data, we handle this issue going back in time and debating the following hypotheses: (a) the 2012 Emilia earthquake sequence shows lower intensity values than expected because the affected urban context is more heterogeneous and much less vulnerable than that in the past; (b) some historical earthquakes, especially those that occurred centuries ago and are provided with little information, could show a tendency to be overestimated in intensity, and consequently in magnitude. In order to give consistency to such hypotheses, we have introduced, as a test, a dual historical reading of the 2012 Emilia earthquake sequence as if it had occurred in the past: the first reading refers to a period prior to the introduction of concrete in buildings assessing the intensity on traditional masonry buildings only. A further historical reading, assessed by using information on monumental buildings only, was performed, and it can be roughly referred to the XVI-XVII centuries. In both cases, intensity values tend to grow significantly. The results could have a relevant impact when considered for seismic hazard assessments if confirmed on a large scale.

[Evidence-based practice in nursing curricula: the experience of nursing degree course of Reggio Emilia. A pilot study].

PubMed

Finotto, Stefano; Chiesi, Ivens; Mecugni, Daniela; Casali, Patrizia; Doro, Lucia Maria Grazia; Lusetti, Simona

2010-01-01

Given the lack of evidence in literature concerning the presence of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in nursing curricula, but considering its importance in order to educate future nurses to use critical thinking and to base their practice on scientific evidence, tutors and nursing teachers of the Nursing Degree Course of Reggio Emilia (Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia), have decided to introduce a three-year laboratory of EBP. The purposes of this project are: to describe the three-year EBP laboratory of Nursing Degree, its objectives, its structure, its integration with practical training and nursing subjects and its students evaluation strategies; to get students verify the perception of the usefulness of the three-year EBP laboratory regarding the elaboration of the graduation thesis, the search for appropriatem answers for patients met during clinical trainings and the usefulness of the EBP process in view of the development of their professional career. The design of research of this pilot study is correlation-descriptive. It has been selected a sample of convenience consisting of 56 nurses graduated in the autumn session of the academic year 2007-2008. For data collection we have used an electronic questionnaire (Microsoft Word with closed fields) structured for the purpose. The laboratory has been effective in learning to use the database to search for evidences and to use the database to search for evidences related to nursing problems met in training placements. Finally, graduated nurses consider the EBP process an essential element of professional nursing luggage. Although the sample is restricted the results indicates the good educational choice made by our Nursing Degree Course of integrating the EBP Laboratory in the curriculum.

Climate change, variability and extreme events : risk assessment and management strategies in a Peach cultivated area in Italy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfieri, Silvia Maria; De Lorenzi, Francesca; Basile, Angelo; Bonfante, Antonello; Missere, Daniele; Menenti, Massimo

2014-05-01

Climate change in Mediterranean area is likely to reduce precipitation amounts and to increase temperature thus affecting the timing of development stages and the productivity of crops. Further, extreme weather events are expected to increase in the future leading to significant increase in agricultural risk. Some strategies for effectively managing risks and adapting to climate change involve adjustments to irrigation management and use of different varieties. We quantified the risk on Peach production in an irrigated area of "Emilia Romagna" region ( Italy) taking into account the impact on crop yield due to climate change and variability and to extreme weather events as well as the ability of the agricultural system to modulate this impact (adaptive capacity) through changes in water and crop management. We have focused on climatic events causing insufficient water supply to crops, while taking into account the effect of climate on the duration and timing of phenological stages. Further, extreme maximum and minimum temperature events causing significant reduction of crop yield have been considered using phase-specific critical temperatures. In our study risk was assessed as the product of the probability of a damaging event (hazard), such as drought or extreme temperatures, and the estimated impact of such an event (vulnerability). To estimate vulnerability we took into account the possible options to reduce risk, by combining estimates of the sensitivity of the system (negative impact on crop yield) and its adaptive capacity. The latter was evaluated as the relative improvement due to alternate management options: the use of alternate varieties or the changes in irrigation management. Vulnerability was quantified using cultivar-specific thermal and hydrologic requirements of a set of cultivars determined by experimental data and from scientific literature. Critical temperatures determining a certain reduction of crop yield have been estimated and used to assess thermal hazard and vulnerability in sensitive phenological stages. Cultivar-specific yield response functions to water availability were used to assess the reduction of yield for a determinate management option. Downscaled climate scenarios have been used to calculate indicators of soil water availability and thermal times and to evaluate the variability of crop phenology in combination with critical temperatures. Two climate scenarios were considered: reference (1961-90) and future (2021-2050) climate, the former from climatic statistics on observed variables, and the latter from statistical downscaling of general circulation models (AOGCM). Management options were defined by combinations of irrigation strategies (optimal, rainfed and deficit) with use of alternate varieties. As regards hydrologic conditions, risk assessment has been done at landscape scale in all soil units within each study area. The mechanistic model SWAP (Soil-Water-Atmosphere-Plant model) of water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system was used to describe the hydrological conditions in response to climate and irrigation. Different farm management options were evaluated. In a moderate water shortage scenario, deficit irrigation was an effective strategy to cope with climate change risks. In a severe water shortage scenario, the study showed the potentiality of intra-specific biodiversity to reduce risk of yield losses, although costs should be evaluated against the benefits of each specific management option. The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

Making Your Environment "The Third Teacher"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Margie

2007-01-01

The Italian Schools of Reggio Emilia are acclaimed for the stunning environments their educators have created, provoking us to recognize the instructive power of an environment. Their schools vibrantly exemplify learning environments that dazzle the senses, invite curiosity and discovery, and foster strong, respectful relationships. Unlike…

Duas Leituras da Infancia Segundo Monteiro Lobato (Two Readings of Childhood according to Monteiro Lobato).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bignotto, Cilza Carla

1997-01-01

Focuses on a resource used by author Monteiro Lobato to maintain a dialogue with society, i.e., giving voice to the character Emilia in his children's novels to express his own opinions about the "world order." (PA)

[The perception of the risk related to nursing activities in Bachelor student of Modena and Reggio Emilia university: An observational study].

PubMed

Mecugni, Daniela; Serpe, Alessandra; Bravo, Giulia; Iemmi, Marina; Gobba, Fabrizio Maria

2009-01-01

Professional risk and security in the health sector is becoming ever more important : the number of accidents in hospital environments during 2005 was 19,000 and nurses were the most frequently involved category. This study deals with clinical risk perception . A questionnaire was issued to 259 student and 100 professional nurses at the Modena and Reggio Emilia University Hospital., comprising 70 questions regarding 5 dimensions: general risk perception, personal risk perception, nursing skills, observed experience and direct experience. Results were evaluated using the ANOVA and t-tests and showed significant differences among the various groups (first, second and third-year students and professional nurses) in relation to each dimension. On the whole , the perception of risk was relatively low in comparison to its real level in the working environment. Therefore, specific training for a correct perception of health risks is required, not only for students but also for trained nurses, so that the culture of risk management becomes a routine issue.

[A concertation experience: prevention of WMSDs in workmanship of Parmigiano-Reggiano].

PubMed

Zecchi, G

2012-01-01

The dairy industry of Parmigiano-Reggiano represents in Emilia a resource and an important source of employment. A Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) regulates all stages of processing of milk into cheese "forms" in excess of 40 kg weight, favouring a "traditional" working which involves various manual steps tiring and stressful. From 2002 to 2008 the Service in charge of the Azienda USL of Reggio Emilia has developed a plan focused on musculoskeletal risks in this sector. The need for comparison on the conservation "craftsmanship" of the complex manufacturing process maintaining high attention to health and safety brought the AUSL of Reggio E. and later the AUSL of Modena and Parma, to choose the path of concertation with the social partners, aiming at substantial and non-formal application of the law. It is thus obtained the adoption of preventive measures in a sector so peculiar, complex and constantly changing. Conciliation remains privileged tool in relations between social partners and AUSL of Reggio E. in dairies.

Combining stress transfer and source directivity: the case of the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence

PubMed Central

Convertito, Vincenzo; Catalli, Flaminia; Emolo, Antonio

2013-01-01

The Emilia seismic sequence (Northern Italy) started on May 2012 and caused 17 casualties, severe damage to dwellings and forced the closure of several factories. The total number of events recorded in one month was about 2100, with local magnitude ranging between 1.0 and 5.9. We investigate potential mechanisms (static and dynamic triggering) that may describe the evolution of the sequence. We consider rupture directivity in the dynamic strain field and observe that, for each main earthquake, its aftershocks and the subsequent large event occurred in an area characterized by higher dynamic strains and corresponding to the dominant rupture direction. We find that static stress redistribution alone is not capable of explaining the locations of subsequent events. We conclude that dynamic triggering played a significant role in driving the sequence. This triggering was also associated with a variation in permeability and a pore pressure increase in an area characterized by a massive presence of fluids. PMID:24177982

Talking about the Impact of Screen-viewing on Health.

PubMed

Clavagnier, Isabelle

2018-01-01

Emilia is a young woman admitted to the hospital for pyelonephritis. Sophie finds out, from the morning reports about her, that she stays awake very late every night watching television or chatting on her mobile phone. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Learning Together

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Sherry

2014-01-01

In spring 2012, Sherry Kaufman, a consultant at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, was asked to support kindergarten teachers in deepening their practice of constructivism and exploring the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Central to such an approach is the belief that all learning is socially constructed through interaction…

The Construction Site Project: Transforming Early Childhood Teacher Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNaughton, Kathryn; Krentz, Caroline

2007-01-01

The work of Malaguzzi (in Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1998; Fraser, 2006) has made the fundamentals of the preschools of Reggio Emilia familiar to many early childhood educators. The article describes an authentic project that enhanced undergraduate and postgraduate participants' understanding of the impact of collaboration, conversation, and…

What's in a Name?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCorquodale, Gwenyth

2005-01-01

The world-renowned infant-toddler and preprimary programs in the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia offer teachers in the United States ways to use the resources in their own landscape to break through the boundaries of textbook-driven instruction in the social studies, to go beyond mandated curricula, and to explore learning possibilities…

Planning and Implementing the Daily Routine in Slovene Kindergartens and Reggio Emilia Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bercnik, Sanja; Devjak, Tatjana

2012-01-01

Authors in this paper present the design and implementation of daily routines in Slovenian kindergartens. Slovenian national document for preschool education, "Curriculum for Kindergartens" (1999), describes daily kindergarten activities (communication and interaction with and among children, use of compliment and reprehension, and rules…

Inquiry and Intersubjectivity in a Reggio Emilia-Inspired Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanphear, Jacquelyn; Vandermaas-Peeler, Maureen

2017-01-01

By utilizing inquiry processes, such as observing and questioning, young children learn to investigate and use evidence to evaluate information. Through intersubjectivity, or social collaboration and mutual focus, children coconstruct an understanding of the world. Children's inquiry and intersubjectivity were observed in a range of activities in…

Pedagogical Voyeurism: Dialogic Critique of Documentation and Assessment of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matusov, Eugene; Marjanovic-Shane, Ana; Meacham, Sohyun

2016-01-01

We challenge a common emphasis on documentation and assessment of learning for providing good education: from the mainstream of neoliberal accountability movement to the progressive Reggio Emilia schools. We develop these arguments through discussing: 1) immeasurableness of education and learning, 2) students' ownership/authorship of education and…

The Development of an Early Childhood Teacher Research Collaborative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldhaber, Jeanne

2007-01-01

This article investigates young children's understanding of and relationships to their communities and the natural world. Inspired by the pedagogy of Reggio Emilia (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1998) and guided by the concept of documentation as a cycle of inquiry (Gandini & Goldhaber, 2001), a group of early childhood educators from across…

Innovations in Early Education: The International Reggio Exchange, 2000-2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaminsky, Judith Allen, Ed.

2001-01-01

This document is comprised of four issues of a quarterly publication presenting information related to the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Regularly appearing features of the publication include a calendar of Reggio conferences; information on the Reggio Children organization, contacts, exhibit schedule, and study tours; and a…

Rich Environments for Adult Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentham, Renee

2008-01-01

Unaware of the messages a bare adult learning environment sends and its effect on adult learners, a trainer attends an intensive Reggio Emilia course and learns that the physical environment is the "third teacher"--for adults as well as for children. Using principles of Reggio, she offers suggestions for enhancing adult learning spaces and…

Public and private pregnancy care in Reggio Emilia Province: an observational study on appropriateness of care and delivery outcomes.

PubMed

Bonvicini, Laura; Candela, Silvia; Evangelista, Andrea; Bertani, Daniela; Casoli, Morena; Lusvardi, Annarella; Messori, Antonella; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo

2014-02-17

In industrialized countries, improvements have been made in both maternal and newborn health. While attention to antenatal care is increasing, excessive medicalization is also becoming more common.The aim of this study is to compare caesarean section (CS) frequency and ultrasound scan utilization in a public model of care involving both midwives and obstetricians with a private model in which care is provided by obstetricians only. Observational population-based study. Reggio Emilia Province. 5957 women resident in the province who delivered between October 2010 and November 2011. CS frequency and ultrasound scan utilization, stillbirths, and other negative perinatal outcomes. Women in the study were searched in the public family and reproductive health clinic medical records to identify those cared for in the public system. Outcomes of the two antenatal care models were compared through multivariate logistic regression adjusting for maternal characteristics and, for CS only, by stratifying by Robson's Group. Compared to women cared for in private services (N = 3,043), those in public service (N = 2,369) were younger, less educated, more frequently non-Italian, and multiparous. The probability of CS was slightly higher for women cared for by private obstetricians than for those cared for in the public system (31.8% vs. 27.1%; adjusted odds ratio: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.93-1.29): The probability of having more than 3 ultrasound scans was higher in private care (89.6% vs. 49.8%; adjusted odds ratio: 5.11; 95% CI: 4.30-6.08). CS frequency was higher in private care for all Robson's classes except women who underwent CS during spontaneous labour. Among negative perinatal outcomes only a higher risk of pre-term birth was observed for pregnancies cared for in private services. The public model provides less medicalized and more guidelines-oriented care than does the private model, with no increase in negative perinatal outcomes.

Coseismic and Early Post-Seismic Slip Distributions of the 2012 Emilia (Northern Italy) Seismic Sequence: New Insights in the Faults Activation and Resulting Stress Changes on Adjacent Faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheloni, D.; Giuliani, R.; D'Agostino, N.; Mattone, M.; Bonano, M.; Fornaro, G.; Lanari, R.; Reale, D.

2015-12-01

The 2012 Emilia sequence (main shocks Mw 6.1 May 20 and Mw 5.9 May 29) ruptured two thrust segments of a ~E-W trending fault system of the buried Ferrara Arc, along a portion of the compressional system of the Apennines that had remained silent during past centuries. Here we use the rupture geometry constrained by the aftershocks and new geodetic data (levelling, InSAR and GPS measurements) to estimate an improved coseismic slip distribution of the two main events. In addition, we use post-seismic displacements, described and analyzed here for the first time, to infer a brand new post-seismic slip distribution of the May 29 event in terms of afterslip on the same coseismic plane. In particular, in this study we use a catalog of precisely relocated aftershocks to explore the different proposed geometries of the proposed thrust segments that have been published so far and estimate the coseismic and post-seismic slip distributions of the ruptured planes responsible for the two main seismic events from a joint inversion of the geodetic data.Joint inversion results revealed that the two earthquakes ruptured two distinct planar thrust faults, characterized by single main coseismic patches located around the centre of the rupture planes, in agreement with the seismological and geological information pointing out the Ferrara and the Mirandola thrust faults, as the causative structures of the May 20 and May 29 main shocks respectively.The preferred post-seismic slip distribution related to the 29 May event, yielded to a main patch of afterslip (equivalent to a Mw 5.6 event) located westward and up-dip of the main coseismic patch, suggesting that afterslip was triggered at the edges of the coseismic asperity. We then use these co- and post-seismic slip distribution models to calculate the stress changes on adjacent fault.

Emotions Count: Scaffolding Children's Representations of Themselves and Their Feelings To Develop Emotional Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuster, Claudia

Noting that linguistic intelligence is often the primary focus of teaching young children, this paper examines the relationship between children's learning and their social-emotional development. The paper first describes the preschools of Reggio Emilia and the theory of multiple intelligences. The paper then synthesizes research on children's…

Persistence and internalization of Salmonella on/in organic spinach sprout: exploring the contamination route

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Purpose: The effects of contamination route, including seed and water, on the persistence and internalization of Salmonella in organic spinach cultivars- Lazio, Space, Emilia and Waitiki were studied. Methods: Seeds (1g) were contaminated with S. Newport using 10 ml of S. Newport-water suspension ov...

Designs for Living and Learning: Transforming Early Childhood Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Deb; Carter, Margie

While the early childhood field has formed standards to help in recognizing quality programs for children, practitioners seldom use values to guide in selection of materials or to help plan early childhood environments. This book draws on a variety of educational approaches, including Waldorf, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia, to outline hundreds of…

Reflections on Documentation: A Discussion with Thought Leaders from Reggio Emilia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Terri; Wilson, Daniel Gray

2010-01-01

This article presents the voices of three central thinkers in the documentation movement in a round-table discussion that explores the key questions regarding the definition of documentation, common misunderstandings of the strategy, lessons that have emerged over decades of documenting in various contexts, and puzzles that are emerging for the…

Who Are the Teachers? Who Are the Learners?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Terri; Krechevsky, Mara

2003-01-01

In Reggio Emilia classrooms, working in small groups and documenting the learning process brings to light new understandings of teaching and learning for both children and adults. The classroom example is part of the Making Learning Visible Project, between Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Municipal Infant-Toddler…

Changing School Culture: Using Documentation to Support Collaborative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Given, Heidi; Kuh, Lisa; LeeKeenan, Debbie; Mardell, Ben; Redditt, Susan; Twombly, Susan

2010-01-01

This article considers how documentation as a professional development tool acts as a change agent for teachers and how collective engagement in the documentation process mediates the inherent tensions of working and learning in a group. Three groups of educators, at three distinct schools, used Reggio Emilia-inspired documentation as the…

Documentation as a Forum and Showcase in an Education Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Anne; Nason, Pamela Nuttall; Whitty, Pam

Based on an influential talk by Lilian Katz on the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and the Project Approach, this paper recounts the establishment of a community of learners, including children, teachers, parents, and teacher educators, who worked together using the Project Approach. The work represents a deliberate effort to bring children into…

Engaging First Graders in Transformational Early Childhood Emergent Learning Themes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pendergrass, Amanda Daniel

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to encourage learners to care for others and make a difference in the world through Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching and learning practice that promoted transformational education. Students were anticipated to take an active role in helping to develop the transformational educational curriculum.…

A Qualitative Study: Integrating Art and Science in the Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Deborah N.

2013-01-01

The study was used to develop an understanding of the nature of a creative learning experience that incorporated the foundational elements of Reggio Emilia, place-based education, and experience design. The study took place in an urban high school with eight students in an advanced placement art class. The qualitative research project revolved…

Open Listening: Creative Evolution in Early Childhood Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Bronwyn

2011-01-01

This article sketches out a philosophy and practice of open listening, linking open listening to Bergson's (1998) concept of creative evolution. I draw on examples of small children at play from a variety of sources, including Reggio-Emilia-inspired preschools in Sweden. The article offers a challenge to early childhood educators to listen and to…

Capturing Student Perspectives through a "Reggio" Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Diane; Bath, Caroline

2017-01-01

This research considers the views and perspectives of a group of students on an Education Studies and Early Years course in an English university that took part in an arts project inspired by the philosophy and pedagogy of the Reggio Emilia preschools in Italy. This ethnographic study included semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire which…

Parental Engagement in a Reggio Emilia-Inspired Head Start Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Stephanie C.

2014-01-01

In the United States, progressive education programs have historically failed to take hold among low-income families, even when that population has been their initial focus. Instead, these programs tend to become popular among middle-class or affluent families. Some research suggests that working-class/poor families' expectations of education may…

Rethink, Reimagine, Reinvent: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Incorporating Reclaimed Materials in Children's Artworks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckhoff, Angela; Spearman, Mindy

2009-01-01

Introducing reclaimed materials into the art classroom provides students with unique opportunities to connect ordinary, discarded objects with unique, personal artistic creations. In an effort to better understand this connection, this article explores existing pedagogical precedents that support the role of the inclusion of reclaimed materials in…

Shifting the Culture of Higher Education: Influences on Students, Teachers, and Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiore, Lisa; Rosenquest, Barbara

2010-01-01

This article identifies a critical tension within the traditional higher education setting--specifically teacher education classrooms. Using the metaphor of a journey, the authors describe pedagogy and practice using inspirations from the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. Participation in a monthly inquiry group is the catalyst…

Epidemiological survey of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy: influence of environmental exposure to lead.

PubMed

Guidetti, D; Bondavalli, M; Sabadini, R; Marcello, N; Vinceti, M; Cavalletti, S; Marbini, A; Gemignani, F; Colombo, A; Ferrari, A; Vivoli, G; Solimè, F

1996-01-01

We carried out a retrospective incidence, prevalence and mortality survey of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the province of Reggio Emilia, northern Italy. Based on 79 patients, the mean incidence per year for the period 1980 through 1992 was 1.5 cases per 100,000. On December 31st, 1992, the prevalence rate was 5.4 per 100,000. In the 10-year period of 1983-1992 the average mortality rate was 1.3 per 100,000 per year. The average age at onset was 61.3 +/- 10.2, the average survival period thereafter was 26.3 months +/- 17.7; 27.3 +/- 17.6 for classic ALS, 19.5 +/- 8.4 for progressive bulbar palsy and 36.3 +/- 41.4 for pseudopolyneuritic ALS. The incidence rate, recorded in public health district No.12, an area with documented lead pollution since the 1970s, was standardized to the sex and age of the population of the province. Its incidence and prevalence rate were comparable to the rates found in the remaining area of the province.

Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: a 5-year epidemiologic and clinical study in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

PubMed

Salvarani, C; Macchioni, P L; Tartoni, P L; Rossi, F; Baricchi, R; Castri, C; Chiaravalloti, F; Portioli, I

1987-01-01

Among the population of Reggio Emilia, Italy, 56 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) were identified during the 5-year period 1981-85. The average annual incidence rates of PR and GCA were 12.8 and 8.8 respectively per 100,000 population aged 50 years or older. Forty-nine patients were followed up and the mean duration of follow-up was 32 months. All the patients received steroid therapy. We have evaluated the cumulative probability of requiring continued steroid therapy between patients with PR only, GCA only, and PR associated with GCA using life-table methods with permanent discontinuation of therapy as an end point. The different duration of steroid therapy between these 3 groups did not achieve statistical significance by the method of Lee and Desu. We identified a 5 variable discriminant function that correctly predicted whether the duration of therapy would be longer or shorter than 16 months (median duration of therapy) in 80% of our patients followed up for at least 24 months. The presence of synovitis in PR is also discussed.

New insights into the 2012 Emilia (Italy) seismic sequence through advanced numerical modeling of ground deformation InSAR measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tizzani, P.; Castaldo, R.; Solaro, G.; Pepe, S.; Bonano, M.; Casu, F.; Manunta, M.; Manzo, M.; Pepe, A.; Samsonov, S.; Lanari, R.; Sansosti, E.

2013-05-01

We provide new insights into the two main seismic events that occurred in 2012 in the Emilia region, Italy. We extend the results from previous studies based on analytical inversion modeling of GPS and RADARSAT-1 InSAR measurements by exploiting RADARSAT-2 data. Moreover, we benefit from the available large amount of geological and geophysical information through finite element method (FEM) modeling implemented in a structural-mechanical context to investigate the impact of known buried structures on the modulation of the ground deformation field. We find that the displacement pattern associated with the 20 May event is consistent with the activation of a single fault segment of the inner Ferrara thrust, in good agreement with the analytical solution. In contrast, the interpretation of the 29 May episode requires the activation of three different fault segments and a block roto-translation of the Mirandola anticline. The proposed FEM-based methodology is applicable to other seismic areas where the complexity of buried structures is known and plays a fundamental role in the modulation of the associated surface deformation pattern.

[Emergency room services utilization in the province of Reggio Emilia: a comparison between immigrants and Italians].

PubMed

Bonvicini, Laura; Broccoli, Serena; D'Angelo, Stefania; Candela, Silvia

2011-01-01

The aim of the study is to compare Italian and immigrant accesses to Emergency Room (ER) Services in the province of Reggio Emilia, with particular attention to time differences and to potentially inappropriate accesses. the database of ER accesses in the province of Reggio Emilia was analyzed for the years 2007- 2010. In the analysis of the resident population all autochthonous citizens and all immigrants from Developed Countries were considered Italians, while citizens from Developing Countries were Immigrants. Temporary Immigrants were those immigrants with residence and citizenship in a Developing Country. A descriptive analysis was conducted using demographic variables related to patients (age, gender, citizenship and residence) and variables related to access (admission emergency codes, cause of admission, hour, day of the week, month and discharge modality). Standardized access Ratios (SRs) were calculated for the resident population, together with 95%Confidence Intervals (95% CI). The SRs were calculated separately for children and for adults. In the years 2007-2010, 562,658 accesses to ER were recorded for Italians, 95,300 accesses for Immigrants and 6,800 for the Temporary Immigrants. Access rates for resident Immigrants were higher than Italian ones. In 2010, the SR for men was 1.24 (95%CI 1.22-1.27) while for women it was 1.18 (95%CI 1.15-1.27). Considering only non-urgent accesses, the SRs were even higher (SR men=1.65, 95% CI 1.58-1.72, women=1.43, 95% CI 1.36-1.50). Similar findings were observed in children. Immigrants access the ER services more than Italians do.They also show more non-urgent accesses in comparison with Italians. This finding is consistent with results of studies conducted in other European countries and it underlines the necessity to reorganize primary care in order to better meet immigrants' needs.

Epidemiology of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis) in Northern Italy: a 15-year population-based study.

PubMed

Catanoso, Mariagrazia; Macchioni, Pierluigi; Boiardi, Luigi; Manenti, Lucio; Tumiati, Bruno; Cavazza, Alberto; Luberto, Ferdinando; Pipitone, Nicolò; Salvarani, Carlo

2014-10-01

To investigate the epidemiology of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) over a 15-year period in a defined area of northern Italy. All patients with incident GPA diagnosed from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2009 living in the Reggio Emilia area were identified by looking at computerized hospital discharge diagnoses, by contacting Reggio Emilia Hospital physicians and community-based specialists, and by checking the databases of the pathology and the laboratory departments and the Reggio Emilia district database for rare diseases. Patients were classified according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) algorithm. Patients were followed up from the time of diagnosis until either their death or December 31, 2011. For each case, we identified 20 control subjects from the same geographic area matched for age and gender. A total of 18 patients (7 men and 11 women) with GPA were identified. The overall age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate (IR) was 2.4 per million (95% CI: 1.2-3.5). The mean annual IR increased from 1.7/million/year during 1995-1999 to 3.4 during 2005-2009. The highest IR occurred in females aged 70-79 years (13.5 per million; 95% CI: 5.0-30.0) and in males aged ≥ 80 years (14.9 per million; 95% CI: 2.5-49.4). The prevalence of GPA on December 31, 2009 was 34.3 per million (95% CI: 20.3-54.2). The point prevalence per million increased from 17.8 (95% CI: 7.7-35.1) in 1999 to 34.3 (95% CI: 20.3-54.2) in 2009. Survival among individuals with GPA was significantly reduced compared to that observed in the matched control population (p < 0.001). In the Italian population, GPA is very uncommon and GPA patients have reduced survival. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrospective application of the "guidelines for monitoring mining subsurface activities for hydrocarbons exploitation, re-injection and storage activities (ILG)": insights from the analysis of 2012-2013 Emilia seismic sequence at the Cavone oilfield pilot site (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttinelli, M.; Chiarabba, C.; Anselmi, M.; Pezzo, G.; Improta, L.; Antoncecchi, I.

2017-12-01

In recent years, the debate on the interactions between wastewater disposal and induced seismicity is increasingly drawing the attention of the scientific community, since injections by high-rate wells have been directly associated to occurrence of even large seismic events. In February 2014, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development (MiSE), within the Commission on Hydrocarbon and Mining Resources (CIRM), issued the "guidelines for monitoring mining subsurface activities for hydrocarbons exploitation, re-injection and storage activities (ILG)". The ILG represent the first action in italy aimed at keeping the safety standards mostly in areas where the underground resources exploitation can induce seismicity, ground deformations and pore pressure changes of the reservoirs. Such guidelines also launched a "traffic light" operating system, for the first time defining threshold values and activation levels for such monitored parameters. To test the ILG implications (in particular of the traffic light system) we select the Cavone oilfield (Northern Italy) as test case, since this area was interested during the 2012-2013 by the Emilia Seismic sequence. Moreover, the potential influence of the Cavone oilfield activities in the 2012 earthquake trigger was debated for a long time within the scientific and not contexts, highlighting the importance of seismic monitoring in hydrocarbons exploitation, re-injection and storage areas. In this work we apply the ILG retrospectively to the Cavone oilfield and surrounding areas, just for the seismicity parameter (pore pressure and ground deformation were not taken into account because out of the traffic light system). Since each seismicity catalogue available for the 2012 sequence represents a different setting of monitoring system, we carefully analyzed how the use of such catalogues impact on the overcoming of the threshold imposed by the ILG. In particular, we focus on the use of 1D and 3D velocity models developed ad hoc or not for the investigated area. Results show that different approaches strongly affect the location of seismic event, therefore generating proper or un-proper warnings applying the traffic light system. Our analysis also highlighted the importance of accounting for local geological complexity in the seismicity location strategy.

The Major Project in the Field of Education in the Latin American and Caribbean Region. Bulletin #13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Santiago (Chile). Regional Office for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This document addresses several of the problems of educational planning in Latin America. Emilia Ferreiro, in "Alternatives to Understanding Illiteracy in the Region," suggests that illiteracy in this region is preventing the attainment of democracy. As social inequality increases, so does the percentage of illiterate adults.…

Revealing the Experience of Children and Teachers Even in Their Absence: Documenting in the Early Childhood Studio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parnell, Will

2011-01-01

Inspired by the educational approach in the municipal pre-primary schools and infant-toddler centers of Reggio Emilia, Italy, two studio teachers and a researcher participant in Portland, Oregon capture classroom work, make investigations and interpretations in the studio as a laboratory space of learning, help children represent thinking, and…

Using the Reggio Exhibit to Enrich Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of How Children Construct and Represent Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ede, Anita R.; Da Ros-Voseles, Denise A.

2010-01-01

This teacher research study explores the changes in early childhood teacher candidates' perceptions of how children construct and represent knowledge following repeated exposure to "The Wonder of Learning: the Hundred Languages of Children" exhibit. When the renowned exhibit from Reggio Emilia was housed on the study participants' campus for 6…

Skinner Meets Piaget on the Reggio Playground: Practical Synthesis of Applied Behavior Analysis and Developmentally Appropriate Practice Orientations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warash, Bobbie; Curtis, Reagan; Hursh, Dan; Tucci, Vicci

2008-01-01

We focus on integrating developmentally appropriate practices, the project approach of Reggio Emilia, and a behavior analytic model to support a quality preschool environment. While the above practices often are considered incompatible, we have found substantial overlap and room for integration of these perspectives in practical application. With…

"You Can't Mandate What Matters": Bumping Visions against Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merz, Alice H.; Swim, Terri Jo

2011-01-01

In this study, an American public school principal's vision of promoting growth in her teachers and students was inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. Unlike other educational approaches, this approach did not involve a product, i.e., "to become Reggio", and it did not involve a set of rules or mandates. Instead, the principal had her…

Finding One's Place: A Case Study of a Music Atelierista

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Vanessa L.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to document one teacher's journey as he negotiated the role of music atelierista (music studio teacher) in a school inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach (REA). Through the collection of qualitative data over a one-year time period and subsequent analysis, the author identified and described the…

A Reggio-Inspired Music Atelier: Opening the Door between Visual Arts and Music

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanna, Wendell

2014-01-01

The Reggio Emilia approach is based on the idea that every child has at least, "one hundred languages" available for expressing perspectives of the world, and one of those languages is music. While all of the arts (visual, music, dance, drama) are considered equally important in Reggio schools, the visual arts have been particularly…

Children, Spaces, Relations: Metaproject for an Environment for Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceppi, Giulio, Ed.; Zini, Michele, Ed.

This book describes a project on designing spaces for young children; the aim of the project is to enable a "meeting of minds" between the pedagogical philosophy of Reggio Emilia preschools and the innovative experiences within the culture of design and architecture. The book presents the project in three main sections: (1) a critical analysis of…

Monet, Malaguzzi, and the Constructive Conversations of Preschoolers in a Reggio-Inspired Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Bo Sun; Darling, Linda Farr

2009-01-01

This study was conducted in a Reggio inspired child care classroom of 4-year olds where the fundamental principles of Reggio Emilia preschools are interpreted for a Canadian context. Qualitative case study methodology was employed to investigate how social interaction plays a role in young children's learning processes. Drawing on social…

"Little Pig, Little Pig, Yet Me Come In!" Animating "The Three Little Pigs" with Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhoades, Mindi

2016-01-01

Early childhood education, particularly through the influence of the Reggio Emilia model, traditionally has a strong affinity for arts-based, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary pedagogy. However, in the US, as standardized testing and curricula creep into early childhood classrooms, they marginalize arts-based learning and the kinds of playful,…

Children's Participation in Slovene Preschools: The Teachers' Viewpoints and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorec, Marcela Batistic

2015-01-01

This article presents part of the research performed in a project from 2008 to 2013, regarding the introduction of the Reggio Emilia approach to Slovene preschool educators. The study's aim was to recognize the possible influence of the training--from 2009 to 2011--in this project on educators' viewpoints and the promotion of children's…

How Many Languages Can Reggio Children Speak? Many More than a Hundred!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Jinju

2007-01-01

This article presents the author's experiences during a 5-day tour at Reggio Emilia, Italy, that is well known for the phrase, "the hundred languages of children" (Edwards, Gandini, & Forman, 1993). The author saw the infinite ways that children expressed their ideas in each Reggio school being visited. The author found three means…

Reggio Emilia: An Essential Tool to Develop Critical Thinking in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernández Santín, Mercè; Feliu Torruella, Maria

2017-01-01

We seem to have a problem in arts education at pre-school level: the lack of specific training for teachers teaching this subject to very young children. The future preschool teachers' training seems to be focused on the teaching and learning aspects of artistic education however they receive little training on methodologies and philosophies.…

Contrasting perceptions of anthropogenic coastal agricultural landscape meanings and management in Italy and Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Targetti, Stefano; Sherren, Kate; Raggi, Meri; Viaggi, Davide

2016-04-01

The Anthropocene concept entails the idea that humans have become the most influential driving factor on the environment. In this context, it is useful to get insights from coastal areas that are affected by a huge impact of human activities in shaping the territory, are prone to several threats linked with climate change, and featured by interlinked economic, cultural and social systems. We compare evidence from three different methods focusing on the perceptions of coastal agricultural landscapes: i) a survey focusing on residents' perceptions of local rural landscape elements; ii) an expert-elicitation multicriteria exercise (Analytic Network Process) focusing on the relationship between economic actors, ecosystem services and local competitiveness; and iii) a Q-methodology survey to identify public discourses concerning management alternatives. The methods were applied in two coastal case studies characterized by land drainage, shoreline barriers and coastal armoring that represent high cultural heritage; created by humans they rely on active management to persist. Moreover, in both the case studies concerns have been raised about the role of agriculture in the rural development context and the perspectives of local stakeholders towards the management of the reclaimed lands. The first area is located on the southern side of the Po River Delta (Emilia Romagna, Italy). The area was reclaimed during the 19th and 20th centuries for agricultural production and is now characterized by intensive agriculture in the hinterlands, an urbanised coastal area with a developed tourism sector, and the presence of remnant wetlands which are mostly included in the Po Delta Natural Park (covering around 30% of the case study). The second area is located in the dykelands of the Bay of Fundy (Nova Scotia, Canada) whose origins go back to the 17th Century when French settlers built the first dykes to reclaim salt marshes for farmland. While some are still farmed, a range of different cultural and economic assets is present in the Dykelands including commercial and recreational infrastructures. Both case study areas are included in UNESCO World Heritage Sites ("Ferrara, City of the Renaissance, and its Po Delta" and the "Landscape of Grand Pré"). In both cases evidence points to the tendency of the residents to acknowledge public goods related to recreational assets as important to manage for, whereas more pragmatic experts/educated stakeholders are more prone to rate protection-related services (e.g. flood protection) together with cultural services. Several differences were also evidenced in the two case studies. First, the importance of farming in the Dykelands was mainly a cultural/emotional attachment, whereas provision services were considered as the main valorisation factor in the Po Delta area. Secondly, second-home dwellers in the Po Delta showed a higher interest on local landscape elements, non residents in the Dykelands showed a higher interest in governance of the territory than on management of specific traditional landscape elements such as dykelands or wetlands. These results outline the need to consider different management perspectives and options and the critical role of awareness concerning local environmental threats and challenges in the two case study areas.

3D decompaction and sequential restoration: a tool to quantify sedimentary and tectonic control on elusive Quaternary structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Ambrogi, Chiara; Emanuele Maesano, Francesco

2015-04-01

Basin-wide detailed 3D model, deeply constrained by the interpretation of an impressive dense seismic dataset (12.000 km, provided confidentially by ENI S.p.A.) and 136 well stratigraphies, is the core of a workflow of decompaction and sequential restoration in 3D aimed to quantify the sedimentation and uplift rate in the central part of the Po Plain (northern Italy), during Quaternary. The Po basin is the common foredeep of two opposite verging chains, the Southern Alps, to the north, and the Northern Apennines, to the south, that influenced the evolution of the foreland basin from Paleogene onward. In this particular setting there are many examples of interaction of sedimentary processes and tectonics, both at regional and local scale. During the Quaternary the complex interaction of tectonic processes, sea-level fluctuations, climate changes, and sediment supply produced the filling of the basin with the progradation of the fluvio-deltaic system, from west toward east. The most important tectonic phases can be easily recognized along the basin margin marked by the deformation and tilting of river terraces and of exposed syntectonic sediments; conversely their detection is particularly difficult in the central-distal part of the basin. In such structurally complex area analysis of syntectonic deposits and growth strata are strategic to describe the basin evolution and tectonic control; in their analysis 3D decompaction and regional tilting must be taken into account to assess the residual vertical separation that can be attributed to tectonic processes only. The Pleistocene portion of a detailed 3D model, build in the framework of the EU-funded GeoMol Project, is the starting point of a sequential restoration workflow in 3D that included the unfolding and decompaction of 6, chronologically constrained, sedimentary units ranging from 1.5 to 0.45 Myr. This previously unavailable detail in the definition of the geometry of Quaternary bodies in the central part of the Po Basin provided a set of detailed pictures that show the topography and the evolution of the infilling at different point during time. As a matter of fact the resulting 3D surfaces describe the basin configuration and the changes and migration of regional depocentres controlled by thrust activity up to the Pleistocene but also allow to highlight the interference of active tectonic and sedimentation in the central portion of the Po basin, an area considered less affected by the main structures (e.g. the Emilia and Ferrara-Romagna arcs). In the analysis of this structure also the foreland tilting has been subtracted from the topography resulting after unfolding and decompaction, for the 6 time intervals; we obtained a residual signal related to the growing anticline, and the uplift rate of the structure during its Pleistocene evolution. The project GeoMol is co-funded by the Alpine Space Program as part of the European Territorial Cooperation 2007-2013. The project integrates partners from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland and runs from September 2012 to June 2015. Further information on www.geomol.eu

Statistical and hydrogeochemical approach to study processes that affect groundwater composition in the Ferrara province (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di roma, Antonella; Vaccaro, Carmela

2017-04-01

The ground water should not be seen only as a reserve for the water supply, but also be protected for its environmental value. Groundwater plays an essential role in the hydrological cycle for which the characterization, pollution prevention, monitoring and restoration are essential in view of the recovery and identification of the water bodies to be submitted to recharge for the adaptation to DM n. 100/2016. Groundwater of Ferrara province presents salinisation problems and pollution of noxious metals that can be mitigated through recharge processes evaluated based on the specific site characteristics. It is essential to know the hydrogeochemical characteristics of different aquifer levels. To do this have been discuss analytical results of groundwater (2014-2015 monitoring phreatic ground water and temporal series from 2003-2015 A1-A2-A3 samples from Emilia Romagna databases). Results showed that in the territory analyzed insist both salinization and refreshening processes. Factor analysis(FA) conducted on samples has divided them into three groups. 1: samples affected by ionic exchange, 2: pH reaction on heavy metal, 3: samples affected by mineralization. The geochemical groundwater facies changed from Ca-HCO3, and NaHCO3 with a small samples group of CaSO4 and through geochemical investigations were observed the reactions that take place in the waters mixing of different composition. The Na excesses are explained by ionic exchange processes. A determinant role is played by ionic exchange between Ca and Na. In this territory is important also the role of CH4 presence which typically rises towards the surface along faults and fractures and influence rise of deep water with different composition. On samples selected from FA Group 1 has been observed an increase of the CEC (Cation exchange capacity). Adsorption-desorption exchanges take place between water and the fine fraction sediment rich in clay minerals. Higher CEC values are found in rich organic substance areas which is noticeably water sediment interaction contributing to the increase of some elements (Ca, Na, Mg, K). The salinization processes are attributable to a change in the weather conditions, with increased evapotranspiration and change in pH that leads to the decomposition of organic matter resulting in an increase of Na in the waters. The refreshening processes involving deepwater characterized by a marked increase in HCO3. Overall, mixing, cation exchange and oxidation of organic matter are identified as the major processes determining the general groundwater quality. This approach represents a new method of identification and classification of phreatic and deep groundwater and identifies areas on which it would be interesting to intensify monitoring to see which water bodies may be intended for regeneretion through innovative processes.

Students' and Teachers' Perceptions of a "Successful" Lifelong Learning Training Intervention--An EMILIA Project Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogunleye, James; Griffiths, Chris; Ryan, Peter

2015-01-01

This study reviews the definition of lifelong learning in the context of the European Union policy agenda as sets out in the Lisbon strategy. The paper also reports on the mental health service users' and trainers' perceptions of a "successful" lifelong learning training intervention. The work reported in this paper was part of a larger…

Intellectual Pursuits of Young Children through Picture Book Literacy, Focusing on Italian Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beltchenko, Laura

2016-01-01

In this article, I will examine the use of picture books as a means of supporting the intellectual pursuits of young children. Theoretical frameworks will be discussed as they pertain to the integration of these books in the Municipal Infant Toddler Centers and Preschools of Reggio Emilia and Pistoia, Italy. The pedagogical framework of these…

Feminist Tales of Teaching and Resistance: Reimagining Gender in Early Childhood Education (Reggio Emilia, Italy)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balfour, Beatrice Jane Vittoria

2016-01-01

This article investigates whether the memories of women's movements that grew out of the Italian Resistance to the Nazi-Fascist Regime during the Second World War have left any legacy to women teachers in early childhood education. The article focuses on the case of internationally renowned and high-quality schools for young children, the…

Building on Successes: Reflections from Two Approaches to Study Abroad for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Sandra; McGaha, Julie

2013-01-01

This essay offers suggestions for faculty who are designing study abroad (SA) experiences by outlining a three-week Maymester study abroad to Reggio Emilia, Italy, and a semester-long study abroad to Brussels, Belgium. The authors reflect on commonalities in planning, recruiting, preparing students, and conducting each trip, as well as some of the…

Created in Context: A Comparative Case Study of the Use of Music in Two Reggio Emilia-Inspired Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Vanessa L.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this comparative case study was to investigate the use of music in two Reggio-inspired preschools in the United States. I used purposeful sampling to select two sites that represented contrasting sociocultural contexts: one urban school serving a Latino population from low socioeconomic backgrounds and one suburban early childhood…

Sex differences in cardiovascular mortality in diabetics and nondiabetic subjects: a population-based study (Italy).

PubMed

Ballotari, Paola; Ranieri, Sofia Chiatamone; Luberto, Ferdinando; Caroli, Stefania; Greci, Marina; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo; Manicardi, Valeria

2015-01-01

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality, focusing on sex differences. The inhabitants of Reggio Emilia province on December 31, 2009, aged 20-84 were followed up for three years for mortality. The exposure was determined using Reggio Emilia diabetes register. The age-adjusted death rates were estimated as well as the incidence rate ratios using Poisson regression model. Interaction terms for diabetes and sex were tested by the Wald test. People with diabetes had an excess of mortality, compared with nondiabetic subjects (all cause: IRR = 1.68; 95%CI 1.60-1.78; CVD: IRR = 1.61; 95%CI 1.47-1.76; AMI: IRR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.27-1.99; renal causes: IRR = 1.71; 95%CI 1.22-2.38). The impact of diabetes is greater in females than males for all causes (P = 0.0321) and for CVD, IMA, and renal causes. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the difference in cardiovascular risk profile or in the quality of care delivered justifies the higher excess of mortality in females with diabetes compared to males.

Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Mortality in Diabetics and Nondiabetic Subjects: A Population-Based Study (Italy)

PubMed Central

Ballotari, Paola; Ranieri, Sofia Chiatamone; Luberto, Ferdinando; Caroli, Stefania; Greci, Marina; Manicardi, Valeria

2015-01-01

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of diabetes on cardiovascular mortality, focusing on sex differences. The inhabitants of Reggio Emilia province on December 31, 2009, aged 20–84 were followed up for three years for mortality. The exposure was determined using Reggio Emilia diabetes register. The age-adjusted death rates were estimated as well as the incidence rate ratios using Poisson regression model. Interaction terms for diabetes and sex were tested by the Wald test. People with diabetes had an excess of mortality, compared with nondiabetic subjects (all cause: IRR = 1.68; 95%CI 1.60–1.78; CVD: IRR = 1.61; 95%CI 1.47–1.76; AMI: IRR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.27–1.99; renal causes: IRR = 1.71; 95%CI 1.22–2.38). The impact of diabetes is greater in females than males for all causes (P = 0.0321) and for CVD, IMA, and renal causes. Further studies are needed to investigate whether the difference in cardiovascular risk profile or in the quality of care delivered justifies the higher excess of mortality in females with diabetes compared to males. PMID:25873959

The epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

PubMed

Bonvicini, Francesca; Vinceti, Marco; Marcello, Norina; Rodolfi, Rossella; Rinaldi, Manuela

2008-12-01

Incidence and mortality rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) vary between countries, and in some studies appear to increase over time. We performed a study to assess ALS incidence in a northern Italy area over a 10-year period. We identified the new cases of probable or definite ALS diagnosed among residents in Reggio Emilia province between 1996 and 2005 using several sources of data, such as death certificates, clinical records, hospital discharge registers and drug prescriptions. A total of 94 newly-diagnosed patients were identified. The average standardized incidence in the period was 2.0 and 1.0 cases/100,000/year, using the Italian and the world population, respectively, as reference. There was no variation in rates over time. Incidence was 1.3 in males and 0.8 in females. No cases were observed in patients under 35 years of age. Incidence increased after the age of 55 years, reaching a peak in the group aged 70-74 years and declining thereafter. We concluded that ALS incidence in this population was similar to that observed in other Italian regions and European countries, and no variation was identified during the study period.

Hydrologic behavior of a steep forested slope prone to shallow landsliding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berti, Matteo; Simoni, Alessandro

2015-04-01

Over the past ten years, the frequency of debris flows in the Northern Apennines of Italy has significantly increased. Gravitational movements in the area are dominated by slow-moving landslides involving fine-grained soils and, to a lesser extent, by shallow slips in weathered arenaceous rocks. During the past 5 years, at least 20 debris flow events were triggered by exceptional rainfall events. Although no fatalities of injuries resulted from these landslides, the appearance of this new danger generated great concern among local communities. The Civil Protection Agency of the Emilia-Romagna region therefore decided to produce a debris flow susceptibility map to target high-risk zones and to help local authorities in emergency planning. This task, however, is particularly difficult due to the lack of historical data required to apply heuristic or statistical methods. In this context we installed a monitoring system on a representative slope in order to investigate the hydrologic response to rainfall and to support the choice of a suitable deterministic model. The selected slope is close to the village of Porretta Terme (Province of Bologna, Italy) at an elevation of 510 m asl. The slope has an inclination of about 30° and consists of a thin soil cover (0.5-1 thickness) lying over a fractured arenaceous bedrock. The soil is a well-graded sand with silt, gravel, cobbles, and weathered rock blocks. The slope is densely vegetated with grass, shrubs and mature trees. Part of the slope failed on the 30th November 2008 after a rainfall of 140 mm in 24 hours. A shallow slide of the soil mantle rapidly mobilized into debris flow leaving the bedrock exposed in the source area. The monitoring system is located on an unfailed slope close to the initiation area. The system consists of three stations aligned along the maximum slope at a distance of 15-20 m. Each station is equipped with: i) an open-standpipe piezometer installed near the soil-rock interface (1 m deep); ii) three tensiometers installed in the soil cover at different depths (0.2, 0.5 and 0.8 m); iii) three soil moisture capacitance sensors installed beside the tensiometer probes. The uphill station also includes an ultrasonic sensor for measuring snow depth and a barometric/temperature sensor. A tipping-bucket rain gage is installed in an area free of tree vegetation located 50 m further uphill. All the data are recorded every 10 minutes and stored on site. The monitoring system was installed in September 2012 and the first two years of data provide a consistent picture of slope hydrology. During all the dry season (from June to September) the sandy soil is essentially dry with strong negative pore pressures (less than -80 kPa). Occasional summer rainfall causes the infiltration of water into the unsaturated soil but the soil never approaches the saturation, nor groundwater is accumulated at the soil-rock interface. With the start of the wet season (around October) the soil water content progressively increases and the pore pressure rises to values detectable by the tensiometers (higher than 80 kPa). The soil, however, remains generally unsaturated with negative pore pressures in the order of -20/-30 kPa. Full saturation is temporarily reached in response to intense rainfall events. Rainfall water induce fast, transient pore pressure increases in the soil mantle and moves vertically toward the soil-rock interface, eventually leading to the development of a transient perched water table during the heaviest rainfall events. The thickness of the perched water table is clearly related to rainfall intensity (very intense rainfall may saturate up to 80% of the soil profile) while the contribution of lateral flow is less evident probably because it is dominated by macropores or because because bedrock fractures favour deeper circulation.

Secchi, Angelo (1818-78)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Born in Reggio Emilia, became a Jesuit and was exiled with the rest of the order by Mazzini's Roman Republic. After a period at Georgetown Observatory, he returned to Italy in 1849 as director of the Roman College Observatory, constructing a new observatory dome on top of the main pillars of the incomplete church of Saint Ignazio. Secchi used its telescopes for solar and stellar research, one of ...

Move, Act, Play, Sing (MAPS): Exploring Early Childhood Arts Teaching and Learning Strategies and Concepts through Community Arts Interventions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lines, David; Naughton, Chris; Roder, John; Matapo, Jacoba; Whyte, Marjolein; Liao, Tiffany

2014-01-01

This project/report worked with three early childhood education centres who have adopted the Reggio Emilia philosophy of educational practice. Each centre works with children and parents in close collaboration and all the staff and centre management are committed to the project. The aim of this project was to work with each centre in developing…

Early Childhood Curriculum Reform in China: Perspectives from Examining Teachers' Beliefs and Practices in Chinese Literacy Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Hui; Wang, X. Christine; Wong, Jessie Ming Sin

2011-01-01

Two waves of reform have been conducted in China since the 1980s to transform its early childhood curriculum into a Western-style, progressive model. Western curricula and programs such as the Montessori method, the project approach, the Reggio Emilia method, and the high/scope method have been imported and adopted all over the country. But the…

Epidemiological survey of X-linked bulbar and spinal muscular atrophy, or Kennedy disease, in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy.

PubMed

Guidetti, D; Sabadini, R; Ferlini, A; Torrente, I

2001-01-01

Commencing with the work carried out during the epidemiological survey of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the period 1980-1992 and the pathology follow-up, we carried out a perspective incidence, prevalence and mortality survey of X-linked bulbar and spinal muscular atrophy (X-BSMA) in the province of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy. Based on 11 patients (eight familial and three sporadic cases), the mean incidence per year for the period 1980 through 1997, as evaluated at the onset of symptoms, was 0.09 cases/100,000 for the total population and 0.19 cases/100,000 for the male population. On December 31, 1997, the prevalence rate was 1.6/100,000 for the total population and 3.3/100,000 for the male population. In the 18-year period of 1980-1997, the average yearly mortality rate was: 0.03 cases/100,000 per year for the total population and 0.06 cases/ 100,000 for the male population. The average age at onset was 44.8 +/- 10.1, and the average survival period was 27.3 +/- 2.3 years. The average age of the prevalence day was 58.9 +/- 14.9, and the average age at death was 71.3 +/- 4.7 years. Whereas the incidence rate of X-BSMA in the province of Reggio Emilia is 16 times lower that of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the incidence rate of progressive bulbar palsy in the male population is only slightly higher than X-BSMA; and the prevalence rate of ALS for males is two times the prevalence rate for X-BSMA, with overlapping of confidence intervals. X-BSMA is a rare disease, which is probably under-diagnosed, but due to the long survival period of this disease its frequency is not negligible. Because of the presence of sporadic cases or non-evident familial cases, it is appropriate to consider this diagnostic possibility in making a diagnosis of ALS in patients in whom lower motor neuron dysfunction or bulbar onset predominates.

The Mw 5.4 Reggio Emilia 1996 earthquake: active compressional tectonics in the Po Plain, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvaggi, G.; Ferulano, F.; Di Bona, M.; Frepoli, A.; Azzara, R.; Basili, A.; Chiarabba, C.; Ciaccio, M. G.; Di Luccio, F.; Lucente, F. P.; Margheriti, L.; Nostro, C.

2001-01-01

We have analysed the seismic sequence that occurred in October 1996 near the town of Reggio Emilia on the southern edge of the Po Plain. The onset of the sequence was marked by a 5.4 moment magnitude main shock, located at 15km depth. The main-shock focal mechanism is a reverse solution with a strike-slip component and the scalar moment is 1.46×1017Nm. We used broad-band digital recordings from a borehole station, located at about 70km from the epicentre, for a spectral analysis in order to estimate attenuation and source parameters for the main shock. In addition, the empirical Green's function method has been applied to evaluate the source time function in terms of both moment rate and stress rate. We infer an asperity-like rupture process for the main shock, as suggested by the short duration of the stress release with respect to the overall duration of the moment rate function. This analysis also allows us to estimate the average dynamic stress drop of the main shock (600bar). We analysed the digital recordings of the temporary local seismic network deployed after the main shock and of a permanent local network maintained by the Italian Petroleum Agency (AGIP). During 15days of field experiments, we recorded more than 800 aftershocks, which delineate a 9km long, NE-elongated distribution, confined between 12 and 15km depth, suggesting that the basement is involved in the deformation processes. 102 focal mechanism of aftershocks have been computed from P-wave polarities, showing mainly pure reverse solutions. We calculate the principal stress axes from a selected population of earthquakes providing a constraint on the stress regime of this part of the Po Plain. The focal mechanisms are consistent with a N-S subhorizontal σ1. All the seismological data we have analysed confirm that this region is undergoing active compressional tectonics, as already inferred from recent earthquakes, geomorphological data and other stress indicators. Moreover, the elongation of the Reggio Emilia aftershock sequence is consistent with the regional direction of the thrust fronts cropping out in the area, suggesting that they are still active.

Public and private pregnancy care in Reggio Emilia Province: an observational study on appropriateness of care and delivery outcomes

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In industrialized countries, improvements have been made in both maternal and newborn health. While attention to antenatal care is increasing, excessive medicalization is also becoming more common. The aim of this study is to compare caesarean section (CS) frequency and ultrasound scan utilization in a public model of care involving both midwives and obstetricians with a private model in which care is provided by obstetricians only. Methods Design: Observational population-based study. Setting: Reggio Emilia Province. Population: 5957 women resident in the province who delivered between October 2010 and November 2011. Main outcome measures: CS frequency and ultrasound scan utilization, stillbirths, and other negative perinatal outcomes. Women in the study were searched in the public family and reproductive health clinic medical records to identify those cared for in the public system. Outcomes of the two antenatal care models were compared through multivariate logistic regression adjusting for maternal characteristics and, for CS only, by stratifying by Robson’s Group. Results Compared to women cared for in private services (N = 3,043), those in public service (N = 2,369) were younger, less educated, more frequently non-Italian, and multiparous. The probability of CS was slightly higher for women cared for by private obstetricians than for those cared for in the public system (31.8% vs. 27.1%; adjusted odds ratio: 1.10; 95% CI: 0.93–1.29): The probability of having more than 3 ultrasound scans was higher in private care (89.6% vs. 49.8%; adjusted odds ratio: 5.11; 95% CI: 4.30–6.08). CS frequency was higher in private care for all Robson’s classes except women who underwent CS during spontaneous labour. Among negative perinatal outcomes only a higher risk of pre-term birth was observed for pregnancies cared for in private services. Conclusions The public model provides less medicalized and more guidelines-oriented care than does the private model, with no increase in negative perinatal outcomes. PMID:24533853

Translations on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs No. 268

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-10-21

Marcelino Sertiche, Jose Arroyave and Madeiro Cifuentes . They were found in possession of several kg of cocaine with an estimated value of 5 million...Jesus Valdes Espinosa, Gregorio Estrada and Alberto Mireles Sanchez near the Rio Bravo and confiscated 1/2 ton of marihuana from them. Mireles Sanchez ...prisoners are Isaias Perez Jaimes, Jose Guadalupe Valencia, Adela Betancourt Blanco, Domingo Sanchez Cabrera, Manuel and Jose Calvillo Cruz, Emilia Toscano

The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibition: A Unique Early Childhood Education Professional Development Program. Final Evaluation Report (September 15 to December 15, 1998).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramson, Shareen; Huggins, Joyce M.

The "Exhibition of the Hundred Languages of Children" (HLC) was organized in the early 1980s by the early childhood schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy to promote the study of their educational methods and to reveal the potential of young children for learning and creative expression. This report details an evaluation of the exhibition and…

Tailoring the Crystal Structure Toward Optimal Super Conductors

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-23

AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0210 TAILORING THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE TOWARD OPTIMAL SUPERCONDUCTORS Emilia Morosan WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIV HOUSTON TX Final...TAILORING THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE TOWARD OPTIMAL SUPERCONDUCTORS 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA9550-11-1-0023 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...studied the properties of layered transition metal compounds in search of unconventional superconductors . The aim is to identify ground states competing

Environmental quality and sustainability in the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy): using multi-criteria analysis to assess and compare municipal performance.

PubMed

Ferrarini, A; Bodini, A; Becchi, M

2001-10-01

Sustainability has become an increasingly significant issue, although practical implementation remains difficult. In Italy, promoting sustainability is particularly problematic at the provincial and municipal level, where the lack of resources and expertise, and the effects of uncoordinated policies make it difficult to achieve minimum requirements to make sustainable policies operational. One essential requirement is knowledge of baseline environmental conditions in each municipality. In the province of Reggio Emilia (Northern Italy) Legambiente, an environmental association, launched an initiative called 'Ecopaese' aimed at gathering data on environmental conditions and stimulating local administrations to implement sustainable policies. To this end, the state of the environment in the 45 municipalities within the province has been monitored using 25 indicators. Their values have been used to rank the municipalities by multiple criteria analysis (MCA). The results of this comparative approach provide information about the level of sustainability attained in the province as a whole as well as in the single municipalities. It is hoped that it will provide the basis for direct action plans at the provincial level by identifying areas for remedial action, as recommended by Agenda 21, the declaration adopted by many countries attending the Rio Summit in 1992.

Descriptive sensory analysis of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP.

PubMed

Zeppa, Giuseppe; Gambigliani Zoccoli, Mario; Nasi, Enrico; Masini, Giovanni; Meglioli, Giuseppe; Zappino, Matteo

2013-12-01

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale (ABT) is a typical Italian vinegar available in two different forms: Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP (ABTM) and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP (ABTRE). ABT is obtained by alcoholic fermentation and acetic bio-oxidation of cooked grape must and aged at least 12 years in wooden casks and is known and sold around the world. Despite this widespread recognition, data on sensory characteristics of these products are very scarce. Therefore a descriptive analysis was conducted to define a lexicon for the ABT sensory profile and to create a simple, stable and reproducible synthetic ABT for training panellists. A lexicon of 20 sensory parameters was defined and validated and a synthetic ABT was prepared as standard reference. Simple standards for panellist training were also defined and the sensory profiles of ABTM and ABTRE were obtained. The obtained results confirm that descriptive analysis can be used for the sensory characterisation of ABT and that the sensory profiles of ABTM and ABTRE are very different. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that a lexicon and proper standard references are essential for describing the sensory qualities of ABT both for technical purposes and to protect the product from commercial fraud. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hydrogeochemical characterization of the phreatic system of the coastal wetland located between Fiumi Uniti and Bevano rivers in the southern Po plain (Northern Italy).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marconi, V.; Dinelli, E.; Antonellini, M.; Capaccioni, B.; Balugani, E.; Gabbianelli, G.

2009-04-01

A hydrogeochemical study has been undertaken on the phreatic system of the coastal area included between Fiumi Uniti and Bevano rivers (in the southern part of the Po plain, near the city of Ravenna) within the framework of the CIRCLE-ERANET project WATERKNOW on the effects of climate change on the mediterranean catchments. It is one of the first attempt in the area to characterize the shallow groundwater water system and to investigate if the arsenic anomaly, known in deeper groundwater (about 100 µg/l according to recent Annual Groundwater Quality Reports of Emilia-Romagna Region), occurs also in the phreatic system. The coastal part of the Po plain consists of a low-lying and mechanically-drained farmland further from the sea and of a narrow belt of dunes and pine forests in the backshore area. The study area is recognized as a protected area at european (ZPS and SIC, site code number: IT 14070009), national and regional level (Po delta Park area). As a result of an intensive exploitation of coastal aquifers for agricultural, industrial, and civil uses, both the phreatic aquifer and the surface waters (drainage ditches and ponds) have been contaminated by seawater and by deeper groundwater. Samples representative of the top of the water table were collected in Summer 2008 in 22 auger-holes and in 3 shallow piezometers (6 m deep) documenting the deeper layers of the phreatic groundwater system. Temperature, electrical conductivity, pH and Eh of the groundwater and of the surface water were measured on site using portable instruments. Samples were filtered directly in the field, an aliquot was acidified with diluted HCl for metal analysis. Cations were determined by Flame Atomic Absorption (thermo S-series spectrometer), anions by ion chromatography (Dionex ICS-90), Fe, As, Si, B by ICP-OES (Thermo iCAP6000). The data collected in the field show that a fresh groundwater lens is still present at the top of the phreatic aquifer in the backshore area and that the surface water is all brackish to salty and characterised by negative values of Eh, which is probably due to the low hydraulic gradients of the area. Hydrochemistry indicates that a simple mixing model does not completely account for the observed groundwater chemistry, thus a more complex and dynamic system must be invoked. The interaction between saltwater and freshwater could be possibly complicated by contributions from deeper and older connate waters and, considering the type of water sample, by precipitation-dissolution reactions taking place in the vadose zone. Application of the BEX (Base Exchange Index, Stuyfzand, 1993), corrected for the occurrence of dolomite in the aquifer, indicate that a salinization processes is taking place in the largest part of the studied area and only in few locations close to the Fiumi Uniti river mouth there are geochemical evidences of freshening probably because there is a different geological situation: silt-clay lenses containing exchangeable minerals are intercalated and/or overlying the sandy aquifer. However an influence of the river on groundwater chemistry cannot be at present completely excluded for the proximity of these sites to the river. Apart groundwater salinization another major environmental problem concerning water quality is represented by elevated Arsenic concentrations. The element display a good negative correlation with Eh but no evident sign of correlation with other measured parameters. Observed arsenic concentrations reach a maximum of 42 µg/l in an auger-hole close to a pond, which is characterized by abundant precipitation of iron hydroxides in the hyporheic zone as well as most of the others surface water bodies. Other relatively high concentration (about 60 µg/l ) are observed in a piezometer (screen depth of 5 m) in the southern area. The ongoing salinization process and the detected anomalies in Arsenic in the phreatic aquifer and in surface water are jeopardizing this wetland ecosystem, which poses a major environmental issue for phreatic water management in the coast. Stuyfzand, P.J. 1993. Hydrochemistry and hydrology of the coastal dune area of the Western Netherlands. Ph.D Thesis Vrije Univ. Amsterdam, KIWA, ISBN 90-74741-01-0, 366 p.

Effect of compost supplies on soil bulk density and aggregate stability. Results from a six years trial in two experimental fields in Northern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calzolari, C.; Ungaro, F.; Salvador, P.; Torri, D.

2009-04-01

Results of a long term trial (2002-2007) on the effect of different organic amendments on topsoil structural properties at the end of the 6th year are presented. Two soils located in two experimental farms of the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy), namely a silty clay loam Haplic Calcisol under sorghum (Sorghum bicolor, L.) continuous cropping, and a silty Calcaric Cambisols under peach (Persica vulgaris, Mill.), have been treated with a different amount of organic amendments. Four different treatments were tested plus control: manure (10 Mg ha-1 y-1), low input compost (5 and 10 Mg ha-1 y-1), high input compost (10 and 40 Mg ha-1 y-1), and no-tillage. In all the plots soil samples were collected three times every year: at the beginning of the growing season, at full crop coverage and after harvest. At each time, samples were collected in three replicates and soil bulk density and aggregate stability were measured. At the end of the 6 years trial 930 bulk density and 405 aggregate stability measurements were made available. The influence of organic amendments on soil physical properties is different according to the considered soil property and to the different soils. Soil bulk density (BD) shows clear and statistically significant differences among the tested theses, all with a marked seasonality and distinct temporal trends. The overall trends observed in the two soils are coherent with the amount of organic matter distributed in the different theses and with the field operations (tillage mainly), but with a short term effect. More important, over the period of observation and within each year, the treatments exhibit cyclical variations due to climate seasonality. Among the treatments, that with distribution of manure exhibits the weakest seasonal variations and a substantially stable general trend, with BD values slightly lower than those observed for the control. Different effects are also observed on soil aggregates stability, but also in this case a temporal trend is not clearly detectable, suggesting that the amendments have no cumulative effect at least during the 6 years of observations, and the responses are different in the two trials: slightly positive for the low compost supply in the silty clay loam Haplic Calcisol and negative for both low and high compost supply in the silty Calcaric Cambisols. The dominant issue is the seasonal variability of aggregate resistance which is well shown at the site where more data are available. Data also hints an ambiguous behavior of the compost: increasing the amount of applied compost leads to a slight increase in aggregate stability which is then followed by a decrease, as if the aggregation capability of the compost is counteracted by a dispersion effect.

Antimicrobial Activity of Emilia sonchifolia DC., Tridax procumbens L. and Vernonia cinerea L. of Asteracea Family: Potential as Food Preservatives.

PubMed

Yoga Latha, L; Darah, I; Sasidharan, S; Jain, K

2009-09-01

Chemical preservatives have been used in the food industry for many years. However, with increased health concerns, consumers prefer additive-free products or food preservatives based on natural products. This study evaluated antimicrobial activities of extracts from Emilia sonchifolia L. (Common name: lilac tassel flower), Tridax procumbens L. (Common name: tridax daisy) and Vernonia cinerea L. (Common name: Sahadevi), belonging to the Asteracea family, to explore their potential for use against general food spoilage and human pathogens so that new food preservatives may be developed. Three methanol extracts of these plants were tested in vitro against 20 bacterial species, 3 yeast species, and 12 filamentous fungi by the agar diffusion and broth dilution methods. The V. cinerea extract was found to be most effective against all of the tested organisms and the methanol fraction showed the most significant (p < 0.05) antimicrobial activity among all the soluble fractions tested. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of extracts determined by the broth dilution method ranged from 1.56 to 100.00mg/mL. The MIC of methanol fraction was the lowest in comparison to the other four extracts. The study findings indicate that bioactive natural products from these plants may be isolated for further testing as leads in the development of new pharmaceuticals in food preservation as well as natural plant-based medicine.

Novel molecular approach to define pest species status and tritrophic interactions from historical Bemisia specimens.

PubMed

Tay, W T; Elfekih, S; Polaszek, A; Court, L N; Evans, G A; Gordon, K H J; De Barro, P J

2017-03-27

Museum specimens represent valuable genomic resources for understanding host-endosymbiont/parasitoid evolutionary relationships, resolving species complexes and nomenclatural problems. However, museum collections suffer DNA degradation, making them challenging for molecular-based studies. Here, the mitogenomes of a single 1912 Sri Lankan Bemisia emiliae cotype puparium, and of a 1942 Japanese Bemisia puparium are characterised using a Next-Generation Sequencing approach. Whiteflies are small sap-sucking insects including B. tabaci pest species complex. Bemisia emiliae's draft mitogenome showed a high degree of homology with published B. tabaci mitogenomes, and exhibited 98-100% partial mitochondrial DNA Cytochrome Oxidase I (mtCOI) gene identity with the B. tabaci species known as Asia II-7. The partial mtCOI gene of the Japanese specimen shared 99% sequence identity with the Bemisia 'JpL' genetic group. Metagenomic analysis identified bacterial sequences in both Bemisia specimens, while hymenopteran sequences were also identified in the Japanese Bemisia puparium, including complete mtCOI and rRNA genes, and various partial mtDNA genes. At 88-90% mtCOI sequence identity to Aphelinidae wasps, we concluded that the 1942 Bemisia nymph was parasitized by an Eretmocerus parasitoid wasp. Our approach enables the characterisation of genomes and associated metagenomic communities of museum specimens using 1.5 ng gDNA, and to infer historical tritrophic relationships in Bemisia whiteflies.

Trastuzumab emtansine versus capecitabine plus lapatinib in patients with previously treated HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (EMILIA): a descriptive analysis of final overall survival results from a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

PubMed

Diéras, Véronique; Miles, David; Verma, Sunil; Pegram, Mark; Welslau, Manfred; Baselga, José; Krop, Ian E; Blackwell, Kim; Hoersch, Silke; Xu, Jin; Green, Marjorie; Gianni, Luca

2017-06-01

The antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab emtansine is indicated for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Approval of this drug was based on progression-free survival and interim overall survival data from the phase 3 EMILIA study. In this report, we present a descriptive analysis of the final overall survival data from that trial. EMILIA was a randomised, international, open-label, phase 3 study of men and women aged 18 years or older with HER2-positive unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a hierarchical, dynamic randomisation scheme and an interactive voice response system to trastuzumab emtansine (3·6 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks) or control (capecitabine 1000 mg/m 2 self-administered orally twice daily on days 1-14 on each 21-day cycle, plus lapatinib 1250 mg orally once daily on days 1-21). Randomisation was stratified by world region (USA vs western Europe vs or other), number of previous chemotherapy regimens for unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic disease (0 or 1 vs >1), and disease involvement (visceral vs non-visceral). The coprimary efficacy endpoints were progression-free survival (per independent review committee assessment) and overall survival. Efficacy was analysed in the intention-to-treat population; safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment, with patients analysed according to the treatment actually received. On May 30, 2012, the study protocol was amended to allow crossover from control to trastuzumab emtansine after the second interim overall survival analysis crossed the prespecified overall survival efficacy boundary. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00829166. Between Feb 23, 2009, and Oct 13, 2011, 991 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either trastuzumab emtansine (n=495) or capecitabine and lapatinib (control; n=496). In this final descriptive analysis, median overall survival was longer with trastuzumab emtansine than with control (29·9 months [95% CI 26·3-34·1] vs 25·9 months [95% CI 22·7-28·3]; hazard ratio 0·75 [95% CI 0·64-0·88]). 136 (27%) of 496 patients crossed over from control to trastuzumab emtansine after the second interim overall survival analysis (median follow-up duration 24·1 months [IQR 19·5-26·1]). Of those patients originally randomly assigned to trastuzumab emtansine, 254 (51%) of 495 received capecitabine and 241 [49%] of 495 received lapatinib (separately or in combination) after study drug discontinuation. In the safety population (488 patients treated with capecitabine plus lapatinib, 490 patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine), fewer grade 3 or worse adverse events occurred with trastuzumab emtansine (233 [48%] of 490) than with capecitabine plus lapatinib control treatment (291 [60%] of 488). In the control group, the most frequently reported grade 3 or worse adverse events were diarrhoea (103 [21%] of 488 patients) followed by palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (87 [18%]), and vomiting (24 [5%]). The safety profile of trastuzumab emtansine was similar to that reported previously; the most frequently reported grade 3 or worse adverse events in the trastuzumab emtansine group were thrombocytopenia (70 [14%] of 490), increased aspartate aminotransferase levels (22 [5%]), and anaemia (19 [4%]). Nine patients died from adverse events; five of these deaths were judged to be related to treatment (two in the control group [coronary artery disease and multiorgan failure] and three in the trastuzumab emtansine group [metabolic encephalopathy, neutropenic sepsis, and acute myeloid leukaemia]). This descriptive analysis of final overall survival in the EMILIA trial shows that trastuzumab emtansine improved overall survival in patients with previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer even in the presence of crossover treatment. The safety profile was similar to that reported in previous analyses, reaffirming trastuzumab emtansine as an efficacious and tolerable treatment in this patient population. F Hoffmann-La Roche/Genentech. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benthic foraminifera or Ostracoda? Comparing the accuracy of palaeoenvironmental indicators from a Pleistocene lagoon of the Romagna coastal plain (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbieri, Giulia; Vaiani, Stefano Claudio

2018-01-01

Integrated analyses of multiple groups of microfossils are frequently performed to unravel the palaeoenvironmental evolution of subsurface coastal successions, where the complex interaction among several palaeoecological factors can be detected with benthic assemblages. This work investigates the palaeoenvironmental resolution potential provided by benthic foraminifera and ostracoda within a Pleistocene lagoonal succession of the Romagna coastal plain (northern Italy). Quantitative approaches and statistical techniques have been applied to both groups in order to understand the main factors that controlled the composition of assemblages and compare the palaeoecological record provided by single fossil groups. The two faunal groups are characterized by the high dominance of opportunistic species (Ammonia tepida-Ammonia parkinsoniana and Cyprideis torosa); however, detailed palaeoecological information is inferred from less common taxa. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages are mainly determined by the frequencies of abnormal individuals and species related to high concentrations of organic matter, showing two assemblages: a stressed assemblage, consistent with a brackish-water environment subject to salinity and oxygen fluctuations, and an unstressed assemblage, which indicates more stable conditions. Despite the lower number of species, ostracoda show more significant differences in terms of species composition and ecological structure between their three assemblages, formed in response to a salinity gradient and indicative of inner, central, and outer lagoon conditions. The stratigraphic distribution of ostracod assemblages shows a general transgressive-regressive trend with minor fluctuations, whereas benthic foraminifera highlight the presence of a significant palaeoenvironmental stress. In this case, the higher abundance along the stratigraphic succession, the higher differentiation of the assemblages, and the well-defined relationship between taxa and ecological parameters determine Ostracoda as the most reliable fossil group for precise palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. Nevertheless, benthic foraminifera indicate palaeoenvironmental stress and can be used to refine the environmental interpretation in the presence of monospecific ostracod assemblages.

[Exposure to Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula among cattle breeders in the province of Reggio Emilia and the risk of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (farmer's lung)].

PubMed

Ferri, F; Dottori, M; Bedogni, Lorena; Perini, S; Ligabue, M

2003-01-01

Nearly 2.350 dairy farms (and 137.000 milk cows) are located in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy, to produce the famous Parmigiano-Reggiano" cheese. Feeding is hay-based both in the cold season and (together with grazing) in the warm season. This requires a large production of hay and frequent handling by the farmers. Hay is packed in large cylindrical bales, "round bales" (nearly 2.41 m3), or, rarely, in traditional small prisms-shaped bales (about 0.15 m3), only used on small farms. We estimated there were 6.000-9.000 the workers exposed to hay dust. The risks for the farmer's health due to the hay dust exposure are well known; in particular Farmer's Lung disease (FL) is rather frequent in this Region (1.5%-3.0% among people exposed). We studied hay and air pollution by Saccharopolyspora Rectivirgula (SR) in relation to these two different hay-packing techniques (hay dried in the open air) both in flat and in hilly areas. On 56 cattle-farms, hay and air samples were collected and analyzed using a six-stage Andersen sampler and a sedimentation chamber (SC) for hay samples with plastic Petri dishes containing culture medium. Round bales were richer in SR spores than the small prism-shaped bales (n = 37, mean = 6.20 logn ufc/m3 in SC, ds: 3.87 vs n = 15, mean = 2.40 logn ufc/m3 in SC; ds: 4.16) and they seem to produce higher air pollution (n = 30, mean = 5.30 logn ufc/m3; ds: 3.71 vs n = 15, mean = 2.32 logn ufc/m3; ds: 2.99). In hilly areas the pollution produced by round bales (in hay and air) was higher than in flat areas. On the contrary hay from small bales produced in hilly areas was poorest in SR spores. An heavy exposure to actinomycetes spores, therefore, comes from "round bales" hay handling, especially when the bales are produced in mountain areas. New drying systems, probably, can reduce this risk and raise hay quality.

Effectiveness of integrated care model for type 2 diabetes: A population-based study in Reggio Emilia (Italy).

PubMed

Ballotari, Paola; Venturelli, Francesco; Manicardi, Valeria; Ferrari, Francesca; Vicentini, Massimo; Greci, Marina; Pignatti, Fabio; Storani, Simone; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo

2018-01-01

To compare the effectiveness of integrated care with that of the diabetes clinic care model in terms of mortality and hospitalisation of type 2 diabetes patients with low risk of complications. Out of 27234 people with type 2 diabetes residing in the province of Reggio Emilia on 31/12/2011, 3071 were included in this cohort study as eligible for integrated care (i.e., low risk of complications) and cared for with the same care model for at least two years. These patients were followed up from 2012 to 2016, for all-cause and diabetes-related mortality and hospital admissions. We performed a Poisson regression model, using the proportion of eligible patients included in the integrated care model for each general practitioner as an instrumental variable. 1700 patients were cared for by integrated care and 1371 by diabetes clinics. Mortality rate ratios were 0.83 (95%CI 0.60-1.13) and 0.95 (95%CI 0.54-1.70) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively, and incidence rate ratios were 0.90 (95%CI 0.76-1.06) and 0.91 (95%CI 0.69-1.20) for all-cause and cardiovascular disease hospitalisation, respectively. For low risk patients with type 2 diabetes, the integrated care model involving both general practitioner and diabetes clinic professionals showed similar mortality and hospitalisation as a model with higher use of specialized care in an exclusively diabetes clinic setting.

Tomographic models and seismotectonics of the Reggio Emilia region, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciaccio, M. G.; Chiarabba, C.

2002-02-01

The aim of this study is to define the Vp and Vp/Vs structure of the fault zone ruptured by the M L 5.1 earthquake of October 15, 1996 which occurred near Reggio Emilia (central-northern Italy). A 1-month-long seismic sequence followed the mainshock and occurred in a small region along the outer border of the northern Apenninic belt, at depth ranging between 10 and 17 km. P- and S-wave arrival times from 304 aftershocks recorded by two local dense seismic arrays installed in the epicentral region have been inverted to obtain one- and three-dimensional velocity models by using state of the art local earthquake tomographic techniques. Velocity models and aftershock relocation help us to infer the seismotectonic of the region. Earthquakes originated along a NW-dipping backthrust of a NE-trending main thrust, composing the western part of the broad Ferrara Arc. A main high Vp and high Vp/Vs region delineates a pop-up structure in the center of the area. The high Vp/Vs within the pop-up structure supports the presence of a zone with increased pore pressure. The hypocentral depth of both mainshock and aftershocks is greater than those usually found for the main seismogenic regions of the Apenninic belt. P-wave velocity values in the seismogenic area, obtained by tomography, are compatible with rocks of the Mesozoic cover and suggest that seismicity occurred within the Mesozoic units stack at present by compressional tectonics.

The veterinary food hygienist in the food industry: contextual analysis and perspectives.

PubMed

Brindani, F; Paris, A; Giusti, L

2008-09-01

After an introduction concerning the structure of Italian and European Veterinary Offices, the authors outline the features of food production in the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia, particularly concerning the role of veterinary hygienists and of the other professionals operating along the food chain. The authors underline that veterinarians should improve their managerial skills, together with the technical and legal competences acquired during the bachelor course, (eventually integrated by stages in food factories) and undertake continuous post-university improvement, enabling them to face the competition presented by new professionals.

Asbestos quantification in track ballast, a complex analytical problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavallo, Alessandro

2016-04-01

Track ballast forms the trackbeb upon which railroad ties are laid. It is used to bear the load from the railroad ties, to facilitate water drainage, and also to keep down vegetation. It is typically made of angular crushed stone, with a grain size between 30 and 60 mm, with good mechanical properties (high compressive strength, freeze - thaw resistance, resistance to fragmentation). The most common rock types are represented by basalts, porphyries, orthogneisses, some carbonatic rocks and "green stones" (serpentinites, prasinites, amphibolites, metagabbros). Especially "green stones" may contain traces, and sometimes appreciable amounts of asbestiform minerals (chrysotile and/or fibrous amphiboles, generally tremolite - actinolite). In Italy, the chrysotile asbestos mine in Balangero (Turin) produced over 5 Mt railroad ballast (crushed serpentinites), which was used for the railways in northern and central Italy, from 1930 up to 1990. In addition to Balangero, several other serpentinite and prasinite quarries (e.g. Emilia Romagna) provided the railways ballast up to the year 2000. The legal threshold for asbestos content in track ballast is established in 1000 ppm: if the value is below this threshold, the material can be reused, otherwise it must be disposed of as hazardous waste, with very high costs. The quantitative asbestos determination in rocks is a very complex analytical issue: although techniques like TEM-SAED and micro-Raman are very effective in the identification of asbestos minerals, a quantitative determination on bulk materials is almost impossible or really expensive and time consuming. Another problem is represented by the discrimination of asbestiform minerals (e.g. chrysotile, asbestiform amphiboles) from the common acicular - pseudo-fibrous varieties (lamellar serpentine minerals, prismatic/acicular amphiboles). In this work, more than 200 samples from the main Italian rail yards were characterized by a combined use of XRD and a special SEM-EDS analytical procedure. The first step consists in the macroscopic petrographic description of the rock fragments, in order to identify and quantify the "green stones". The second step is represented by the "self-grinding" of the clasts (Los Angeles rattle test), and the powders (< 2 mm) are characterized by XRD (main rock-forming minerals) and quantitative SEM-EDS. Especially in serpentinic clasts with superficial slip-fibre chrysotile mineralizations, the "self-grinding" procedure allows to release a large part of the fibers. The third and last step consists in the total grinding of the bulk ballast sample ("self grinding" powders + remaining rock fragments), followed by quantitative SEM-EDS procedure. The most important aspects in the SEM-EDS procedure are represented by an accurate sample preparation (e.g. using ultrasound and a surfactant to avoid fiber agglomeration), as well as effective criteria for the distinction of asbestos fibers and non-asbestiform/pseudo-fibrous varieties (presence of fibril bundles, fibril diameter, splayed ends). The results show a great variability in the lithological composition of the ballast samples, and some critical issues in serpentinite-rich ballast, sometimes exceeding the legal threshold of 1000 ppm. On the other hand, the presence of metabasites (prasinites, amphibolites) is much less critical, because the presence of asbestiform amphiboles (especially tremolite - actinolite) is really rare.

The «Natural Hazard WIKISAURUS»: explanation and understanding of natural hazards to build disaster resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapisardi, Elena; Di Franco, Sabina; Giardino, Marco

2013-04-01

In the Internet and Web 2.0 era, the need of information is increased. Moreover, recent major and minor disasters highlighted that information is a crucial element also in emergency management. Informing the population is now the focal point of any civil protection activity and program. Risk perception and social vulnerability become widely discussed issues "when a disaster occurs": a "day-after" approach that should be replaced by a "day-before" one. Is that a cultural problem? Is it a communication issue? As a matter of fact, nowadays academics, experts, institutions are called to be more effective in transferring natural hazards knowledge (technical, operational, historical, social) to the public, for switching from «protection/passivity» (focused on disaster event) to «resilience» (focused on vulnerability). However, this change includes to abandon the "Elites Knowledge" approach and to support "Open Knowledge" and "Open Data" perspectives. Validated scientific information on natural hazards is not yet a common heritage: there are several cases of misleading or inaccurate information published by media. During recent Italian national emergencies [Flash Floods Liguria-Toscana 2011, Earthquake Emilia-Romagna 2012], social media registered people not only asking for news on the disaster event, but also talking trivially about scientific contents on natural hazards. By considering these facts, in the framework of a phD program in Earth Science, a joint team UNITO-NatRisk and CNR-IIA conceived the web project "Natural Hazards Wikisaurus" [NHW], combining two previous experiences: "HyperIspro" - a wiki on civil protection set up by Giuseppe Zamberletti, former Italian minister of Civil Protection - and "Earth Thesaurus", developed by CNR-IIA. The team decided to start from the «words» using both the collaboration of the wiki concept (open and participatory knowledge) and the power of explanation of a thesaurus. Why? Because a word is not enough, as a term has not a unique meaning: e.g. Mercury could stand for the Roman god, the metallic element, the planet, or Freddy the singer. Similarly the word «alert»: in the common language has a certain meaning, whilst in the civil protection framework includes regulations, responsibilities and procedures. The NHW is intended as a collaborative virtual source with validated information on geosciences to support a common understanding of natural hazards, risks and civil protection. The NHW aims to become a point of reference both for acknowledged practitioners, who will share their expertise and data, and for citizens, civil servants, media representatives, and students allowed to comment and contribute to the scientifically validated content. The NHW is a simple tool to support information and communication on natural hazards and civil protection at all levels and would set up a shared and common knowledge. Moreover, NHW could represent the first step of a further challenging programme: through the power of «linked data» NHW could develop and contribute first to a natural hazard semantic, then to a «semantic disaster resilience».

Hydrological character of the soil of a degraded area: comparison of analysis physical, chemical and floristic vegetational

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manfredi, Paolo; Cassinari, Chiara; Giupponi, Luca; Sichel, Giorgio Maria; Trevisan, Marco

2013-04-01

This work is an integral part of a project co-financed by the European Union "Environmental recovery of degraded soils and desertified land by a new technology treatment for the recovery of the land" (Life 10 ENV IT 400 "New Life"); this technology is based on a treatment (patented by m.c.m. Ecosistemi) of chemical mechanical processing of degraded soils with an initial process of disgregation of the same followed by their reconstitution incorporating soil matrices, a subsequent polycondensation with humic acids and a final restoration. The area of intervention of the New Life project lies in the municipal territory of Piacenza, where between the years 70 and 80 has been made a landfill for municipal solid waste with subsequent restoration work by placing a layer of soil cover. The first phase of the New Life project was that of a physical and chemical characterization of different cover soils of the area combined with floristic-vegetational analysis. At this stage the present study aims to compare the data related to the analysis of the vegetation with those returned by investigation of hydrological characteristics of soils performed by laboratory methods, together to confront two theoretical calculation methods for determination of hydrological parameters. The comparison of the ecological study of the vegetation with the outcomes obtained by the classical methods regarding the determination of water retention, allows you to have a picture that is as detailed as possible in describing the characteristics of the substrate. The comparison also with the two methods of calculation, which determines the hydrological character conditions in average soil condition, allows you to ascertain the actual disturbance of the soil in the area. In order to delineate the hydrological characteristics of the soils sampled, were quantified by the Maximum Water Concentration, the capacity range, the point of Withering by the method of the Tensiometric box and the Pressure Membrane Extractor (Piastre di Richards): were carried out from water retention curves and calculated the values of percolating water (water circulation) and the useful water (maximum available water) were also determined physical and chemical parameters that most affect the hydrological characteristics of the soil such as texture, organic carbon, salinity and total limestone. The same soils were subjected to a floristic and vegetational analysis with relative comparison of the biological spectrum of the site with the spectra of other territories taken in comparison (Piacenza, Emilia Romagna, northern Italy, southern Italy). The 40% of the plants of the area is represented by Therophytes, species that are adapted to live in environments disturbed by human activities or climate. The high frequency of this species does not seem motivated either by the ombrothermic diagram elaborated with the help of the climatic data of the meteorological station of Piacenza, which was observed for a brief period the appearance of water deficit, neither linked to the interference from human activities which turns out to be low. Keywords: degraded soils, hydrological character, floristic vegetation analysis

Comparative effectiveness of ceramic-on-ceramic implants in stemmed hip replacement: a multinational study of six national and regional registries.

PubMed

Sedrakyan, Art; Graves, Stephen; Bordini, Barbara; Pons, Miquel; Havelin, Leif; Mehle, Susan; Paxton, Elizabeth; Barber, Thomas; Cafri, Guy

2014-12-17

The rapid decline in use of conventional total hip replacement with a large femoral head size and a metal-on-metal bearing surface might lead to increased popularity of ceramic-on-ceramic bearings as another hard-on-hard alternative that allows implantation of a larger head. We sought to address comparative effectiveness of ceramic-on-ceramic and metal-on-HXLPE (highly cross-linked polyethylene) implants by utilizing the distributed health data network of the ICOR (International Consortium of Orthopaedic Registries), an unprecedented collaboration of national and regional registries and the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration). A distributed health data network was developed by the ICOR and used in this study. The data from each registry are standardized and provided at a level of aggregation most suitable for the detailed analysis of interest. The data are combined across registries for comprehensive assessments. The ICOR coordinating center and study steering committee defined the inclusion criteria for this study as total hip arthroplasty performed without cement from 2001 to 2010 in patients forty-five to sixty-four years of age with osteoarthritis. Six national and regional registries (Kaiser Permanente and HealthEast in the U.S., Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, Catalan region in Spain, Norway, and Australia) participated in this study. Multivariate meta-analysis was performed with use of linear mixed models, with survival probability as the unit of analysis. We present the results of the fixed-effects model and include the results of the random-effects model in an appendix. SAS version 9.2 was used for all analyses. We first compared femoral head sizes of >28 mm and ≤28 mm within ceramic-on-ceramic implants and then compared ceramic-on-ceramic with metal-on-HXLPE. A total of 34,985 patients were included; 52% were female. We found a lower risk of revision associated with use of ceramic-on-ceramic implants when a larger head size was used (HR [hazard ratio] = 0.73, 95% CI [confidence interval] = 0.60 to 0.88, p = 0.001). Use of smaller-head-size ceramic-on-ceramic bearings was associated with a higher risk of failure compared with metal-on-HXLPE bearings (HR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.68, p = 0.006). Use of large-head-size ceramic-on-ceramic bearings was associated with a small protective effect relative to metal-on-HXLPE bearings (not subdivided by head size) in years zero to two, but this difference dissipated over the longer term. Our multinational study based on a harmonized, distributed network showed that use of ceramic-on-ceramic implants with a smaller head size in total hip arthroplasty without cement was associated with a higher risk of revision compared with metal-on-HXLPE and >28-mm ceramic-on-ceramic implants. These findings warrant careful reflection by regulatory and clinical communities and wide dissemination to patients for informed decision-making regarding such surgery. Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

Rapid building damage assessment system using mobile phone technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cimellaro, Gian Paolo; Scura, G.; Renschler, C. S.; Reinhorn, A. M.; Kim, H. U.

2014-09-01

One common scenario during disasters such as earthquakes is that the activity of damage field reconnaissance on site is not well-coordinated. For example in Italy the damage assessment of structures after an earthquake is managed from the Italian Emergency Authority, using printed forms (AeDES) which are filled by experts on site generating a lot of confusion in filling and transferring the forms to the Disaster Management Operative Center. Because of this, the paper explores the viability of using mobile communication technologies (smart phones) and the Web to develop response systems that would aid communities after a major disaster, providing channels for allowing residents and responders of uploading and distributing information, related to structural damages coordinating the damage field reconnaissance. A mobile application that can be run by residents on smart phones has been developed, to give an initial damage evaluation of the area, which is going to be very useful when resources (e.g. the number of experts is limited). The mobile application has been tested for the first time during 2012 Emilia earthquake to enhance the emergency response, showing the efficiency of the proposed method in statistical terms comparing the proposed procedure with the standard procedure.

Teaching evidence-based practice: developing a curriculum model to foster evidence-based practice in undergraduate student nurses.

PubMed

Finotto, Stefano; Carpanoni, Marika; Turroni, Elena Casadei; Camellini, Riccarda; Mecugni, Daniela

2013-09-01

For the nature of the Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) and its relevance to nursing, the skills that it requires should be a component in the basic Nursing degree courses. For this reason, the EBP process should be introduced early on in nursing education to develop students' independence and ability to self-learning. the aim of this study is to describe the perception that newly graduated nurses have relative to the benefits of the skills learned during the laboratory's three-year EBP in consideration of the construction of the thesis, the research of evidence and usefulness of the EBP process for the development of their professional career. A descriptive study with a sample of 300 newly graduated nurses from the Degree Course in Nursing of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, venue of Reggio Emilia. The data collection instrument was an anonymous questionnaire. It was possible to answer through a 10 Likert scale. The sample considers effective the research of evidence carried out (mean 6, SD 2), related to the problems of patients (mean 7, SD 2); the sample considered the skills acquired during the laboratory's three-year EBP to be useful for career development (mean 7, SD 2). the decision to include the laboratory's three-year EBP in the curriculum of the Nursing degree promotes the development of skills relating to the use of the EBP process, competence that in the literature is indicated as one of the core competencies that all health professionals should develop and maintain throughout their professional career. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Prevalence of extrinsic allergic alveolitis in cattle breeders from the province of Reggio Emilia].

PubMed

Ferri, F; Ruggieri, Maria Paola; Guidetti, G; Azzarone, G; Giammartini, Pasquina; Capanni, S; Mantovani, P; Bertani, Marisa

2003-01-01

Several new cases of Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis or Farmer's Lung (FL) in farm workers were reported to Occupational Health Services in the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy). This prompted the Public Health Department to study the prevalence of the disease among milk-cow breeders involved in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese production: who are the biggest hay users. A suitable questionnaire was sent to 1875 farmers in three of the six districts of the province. Half of them (935: 841 males, 94 females) answered; further contacts and medical history research revealed 33 case of "likely FL". Twenty-three (2 females) (10 "missing"), underwent pulmonary function tests, chest X-rays, precipitins tests against Saccharopolyspora Rectivirgula and other fungal antigens and (22 farmers) bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). According to the "Società Italiana di Medicina del Lavoro e di Igiene Industriale" diagnostic standards, we found 20 subjects suffering from FL among farmers collecting hay in large cylindrical (round) bales, dried on field (2.6%) and among others still using small (traditional), prismatic bales (0.5%). The prevalence on the whole exposed population (6000-9000 people) was estimated between 1.5% and 3.0% (90-270 people); no difference was found in FL prevalence between flat and hilly or mountain areas; the method of collecting hay in big "round" bales, dried on field, seems to produce higher frequencies of FL cases if compared with the traditional ones (more frequent in mountain areas). The new hay packing methods, using forced air driers, are suggested as a possible solution.

Effectiveness of integrated care model for type 2 diabetes: A population-based study in Reggio Emilia (Italy)

PubMed Central

Ballotari, Paola; Manicardi, Valeria; Ferrari, Francesca; Vicentini, Massimo; Greci, Marina; Pignatti, Fabio; Storani, Simone; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo

2018-01-01

Aims To compare the effectiveness of integrated care with that of the diabetes clinic care model in terms of mortality and hospitalisation of type 2 diabetes patients with low risk of complications. Methods Out of 27234 people with type 2 diabetes residing in the province of Reggio Emilia on 31/12/2011, 3071 were included in this cohort study as eligible for integrated care (i.e., low risk of complications) and cared for with the same care model for at least two years. These patients were followed up from 2012 to 2016, for all-cause and diabetes-related mortality and hospital admissions. We performed a Poisson regression model, using the proportion of eligible patients included in the integrated care model for each general practitioner as an instrumental variable. Results 1700 patients were cared for by integrated care and 1371 by diabetes clinics. Mortality rate ratios were 0.83 (95%CI 0.60–1.13) and 0.95 (95%CI 0.54–1.70) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively, and incidence rate ratios were 0.90 (95%CI 0.76–1.06) and 0.91 (95%CI 0.69–1.20) for all-cause and cardiovascular disease hospitalisation, respectively. Conclusion For low risk patients with type 2 diabetes, the integrated care model involving both general practitioner and diabetes clinic professionals showed similar mortality and hospitalisation as a model with higher use of specialized care in an exclusively diabetes clinic setting. PMID:29584749

Building a population-based diabetes register: an Italian experience.

PubMed

Ballotari, Paola; Chiatamone Ranieri, Sofia; Vicentini, Massimo; Caroli, Stefania; Gardini, Andrea; Rodolfi, Rossella; Crucco, Roberto; Greci, Marina; Manicardi, Valeria; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo

2014-01-01

To describe the methodology used to set up the Reggio Emilia (northern Italy) Diabetes Register. The prevalence estimates on December 31st, 2009 are also provided. The Diabetes Register covers all residents in the Reggio Emilia province. The register was created by deterministic linkage of six routinely collected data sources through a definite algorithm able to ascertain cases and to distinguish type of diabetes and model of care: Hospital Discharge, Drug Dispensation, Biochemistry Laboratory, Disease-specific Exemption, Diabetes Outpatient Clinics, and Mortality databases. Using these data, we estimated crude prevalence on December 31st, 2009 by sex, age groups, and type of diabetes. There were 25,425 ascertained prevalent cases on December 31st, 2009. Drug Dispensation and Exemption databases made the greatest contribution to prevalence. Analyzing overlapping sources, more than 80% of cases were reported by at least two sources. Crude prevalence was 4.8% and 5.9% for the whole population and for people aged 18 years and over, respectively. Males accounted for 53.6%. Type 1 diabetes accounted for 3.8% of cases, while people with Type 2 diabetes were the overriding majority (91.2%), and Diabetes Outpatient Clinics treated 75.4% of people with Type 2 diabetes. The Register is able to quantify the burden of disease, the first step in planning, implementing, and monitoring appropriate interventions. All data sources contributed to completeness and/or accuracy of the Register. Although all cases are identified by deterministic record linkage, manual revision and General Practitioner involvement are still necessary when information is insufficient or conflicting. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban air pollution and respiratory emergency visits at pediatric unit, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

PubMed

Bedeschi, Emanuela; Campari, Cinzia; Candela, Silvia; Collini, Giorgia; Caranci, Nicola; Frasca, Gabriella; Galassi, Claudia; Francesca, Gabriella; Vigotti, Maria Angela

2007-02-01

Short-term effects of air pollution on daily mortality and hospital admissions for respiratory causes are well documented. Few studies, however, explore the association between exposure to air pollution and daily emergency room visits for respiratory disorders, particularly in Italy and particularly among children as a susceptible population. A time-series analysis was conducted to explore the short-term association between air pollutants (PM10, total suspended particulates [TSP], NO2, SO2, CO, O3) and pediatric emergency room (ER) visits in a small city of northern Italy, Reggio Emilia, during the period 03/01/2001-03/31/2002. There were 1051 ER visits included in the study. Data were analyzed using generalized additive models (GAM), adjusting for various confounding variables, including temperature, humidity, and pollens (Graminaceae). The analyses were also stratified according to the nationality of children (Italians and foreigners). In single-pollutant models, the strongest associations were observed at lag 3 for a 10-microg/m3 increase of TSP (2.7% increase in ER, 95% CI 0.7-4.6) and PM10 (3.0% increase, 95% CI 0.4-5.7), and at lag 4 for a 10-microg/m3 increase of NO2 (11.0% increase in ER, 95% CI 3.6-18.8). At lag 3, the percentage increase in ER visits is similar for the 2 groups of children (Italians and foreigners) for TSP and PM10. The results of the study support the findings that air pollution is a relevant determinant of deterioration of respiratory health among children.

New insights into fault activation and stress transfer between en echelon thrusts: The 2012 Emilia, Northern Italy, earthquake sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheloni, D.; Giuliani, R.; D'Agostino, N.; Mattone, M.; Bonano, M.; Fornaro, G.; Lanari, R.; Reale, D.; Atzori, S.

2016-06-01

Here we present the results of the inversion of a new geodetic data set covering the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence and the following 1 year of postseismic deformation. Modeling of the geodetic data together with the use of a catalog of 3-D relocated aftershocks allows us to constrain the rupture geometries and the coseismic and postseismic slip distributions for the two main events (Mw 6.1 and 6.0) of the sequence and to explore how these thrust events have interacted with each other. Dislocation modeling reveals that the first event ruptured a slip patch located in the center of the Middle Ferrara thrust with up to 1 m of reverse slip. The modeling of the second event, located about 15 km to the southwest, indicates a main patch with up to 60 cm of slip initiated in the deeper and flatter portion of the Mirandola thrust and progressively propagated postseismically toward the top section of the rupture plane, where most of the aftershocks and afterslip occurred. Our results also indicate that between the two main events, a third thrust segment was activated releasing a pulse of aseismic slip equivalent to a Mw 5.8 event. Coulomb stress changes suggest that the aseismic event was likely triggered by the preceding main shock and that the aseismic slip event probably brought the second fault closer to failure. Our findings show significant correlations between static stress changes and seismicity and suggest that stress interaction between earthquakes plays a significant role among continental en echelon thrusts.

Survey Methods for Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Historical Masonry Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballarin, M.; Balletti, C.; Faccio, P.; Guerra, F.; Saetta, A.; Vernier, P.

2017-05-01

On 20th and 29th of May 2012, two powerful earthquakes struck northern Italy. The epicentres were recorded respectively in Finale Emilia (magnitude 5.9 Ml) and Medolla (magnitude 5.8 Ml) in the province of Modena, though the earthquake was formed by a series of seismic shakes located in the district of the Emilian Po Valley, mainly in the provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Mantova, Reggio Emilia, Bologna and Rovigo. Many monuments in the city of Mantova were hit by the earthquake and, among these, Palazzo Ducale with the well-known Castello di San Giorgio which host the noteworthy "Camera degli Sposi". This building, the most famous of the city, was so damaged that it was closed for more than one year after the earthquake. The emblem of the Palace and Mantova itself, the previously cited "Camera degli Sposi" realized by Andrea Mantegna, was damaged and all the economic and social life of the city was deeply affected. Immediately after the earthquake, the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici of Brescia, Cremona and Mantova establish an agreement with the University Iuav of Venice, requiring an analysis and assessment of the damage in order to proceed with the development of an intervention project. This activity turned out to be very important not only from the point of view of the recovery of the architectural and artistic heritage but also because the city's economy is based primarily on tourism. The closure of one of the most important monuments of Mantova has led to a significant and alarming decline in the government income.

Demo-application of shape memory alloy devices: the rehabilitation of the S. Giorgio Church bell tower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indirli, Maurizio; Castellano, Maria G.; Clemente, Paolo; Martelli, Alessandro

2001-07-01

This paper describes the rehabilitation of the S. Giorgio Church Bell-Tower (Trignano, Municipality of S. Martino in Rio, Reggio Emilia, Italy), completed in September 1999. This masonry building, seriously damaged by the earthquake of October 15th 1996 which struck the Reggio Emilia and Modena Districts, Italy), was investigated by the authors immediately after the seismic event, as other ancient Cultural Heritage Structures (CUHESs) in the same area. In the past, seismic events have visited substantial destruction that translates into a significant loss of architectural heritage. The most common solution traditionally used to enhance the CUHESs seismic behaviour is the introduction of localized reinforcements, usually Traditional Steel Ties (TSTs), increasing stability and ductility. Anyway, in many cases said reinforcement techniques, often too invasive, proved to be inadequate to prevent collapse. For these reasons, the Bell-Tower intervention applies Innovative Antiseismic Techniques (IATs) by the use of superelastic Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Devices (SMADs), a technology developed after a large amount of theoretical studies, numerical analyses and test campaigns. The SMADs, which can be considered a powerful tool with respect to the traditional methods, provide acceleration reduction, force limitation and energy dissipation. Furthermore, they are characterized by low invasivity and complete reversibility. When another earthquake occurred on June 18th 2000, with the same epicenter and a comparable Richter Magnitudo, the Bell-Tower, subjected to a new investigation, showed no damage of any type. Thus, the new seismic event has been the best verification of the retrofit intervention.

Metabolic modelling to support long term strategic decisions on water supply systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciriello, Valentina; Felisa, Giada; Lauriola, Ilaria; Pomanti, Flavio; Di Federico, Vittorio

2017-04-01

Water resources are essential for the economic development and sustenance of anthropic activities belonging to the civil, agricultural and industrial sectors. Nevertheless, availability of water resources is not uniformly distributed in space and time. Moreover, the increasing water demand, mainly due to population growth and expansion of agricultural crops, may cause increasing water stress conditions, if combined with the effects of climate change. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to improve the resilience of water supply systems both in terms of infrastructures and environmental compliance. Metabolic modelling approaches represent a flexible tool able to provide support to decision making in the long term, based on sustainability criteria. These approaches mimic the water supply network through a set of material and energy fluxes that interact and influence each other. By analyzing these fluxes, a suite of key performance indicators is evaluated in order to identify which kind of interventions may be applied to increase the sustainability of the system. Here, we adopt these concepts to analyze the water supply network of Reggio-Emilia (Italy) which is supported by water withdrawals from both surface water and groundwater bodies. We analyze different scenarios, including possible reduction of water withdrawals from one of the different sources as a consequence of a decrease in water availability under present and future scenarios. On these basis, we identify preventive strategies for a dynamic management of the water supply system.

Long-term mortality patterns in a residential cohort exposed to inorganic selenium in drinking water.

PubMed

Vinceti, Marco; Ballotari, Paola; Steinmaus, Craig; Malagoli, Carlotta; Luberto, Ferdinando; Malavolti, Marcella; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo

2016-10-01

Selenium (Se) is a metalloid of considerable nutritional and toxicological importance in humans. To date, limited epidemiologic evidence exists about the health effects of exposure to this trace element in drinking water. We investigated the relationship between Se levels in water and mortality in the municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy, where high levels of Se were previously observed in drinking water. From 1974 to 1985, 2065 residents consumed drinking water with Se levels close to the European standard of 10μg/l, in its inorganic hexavalent form (selenate). Follow-up was conducted for the years 1986-2012 in Reggio Emilia and a lesser exposed comparison group of around 100,000 municipal residents, with comparable socio-demographic characteristics. Overall mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer showed little evidence of differences. However, excess rate ratios were seen for some site specific cancers such as neoplasms of buccal cavity and pharynx, urinary tract, lymphohematopoietic tissue, melanoma, and two neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Excess mortality in the exposed cohort for specific outcomes was concentrated in the first period of follow-up (1986-1997), and waned starting 10 years after the high exposure ended. We also found lower mortality from breast cancer in females during the first period of follow-up. When we extended the analysis to include residents who had been consuming the high-selenium drinking water for a shorter period, mortality rate ratios were also increased, but to a lesser extent. Overall, we found that the mortality patterns related to long-term exposure to inorganic hexavalent selenium through drinking water were elevated for several site-specific cancers and neurodegenerative disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incidence of stroke in young adults in the Reggio Emilia area, northern Italy.

PubMed

Guidetti, D; Baratti, M; Zucco, R G; Greco, G; Terenziani, S; Vescovini, E; Sabadini, R; Bondavalli, M; Masini, L; Salvarani, C

1993-01-01

A retrospective epidemiological study on the first episode of stroke in young adults aged 15-44 years was carried out in the territory of the Local Health Unit No. 9 in Reggio Emilia (46,491 km2), Italy, from 1987 to 1989. 29 patients were identified: 17 were affected with cerebral infarction and 12 with hemorrhage. All young patients were discharged with diagnostic codes 430-438 according to the International Classification of Disease, i.e. the criteria of the World Health Organisation for stroke definition. All patients had computed tomography or necropsy. The average annual incidence rate per 100,000 population aged 15-44 for all strokes was 13.6 and the 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) was 9.1-19.6. The general population of the same age on January 1, 1987, was 69,845 and 71,920 on December 31, 1989; the incidence rate of stroke was 14.0 for males (CI 95% 7.9-2.3) and 13.2 (CI 95% 7.1-22.2) for females. The average annual incidence rates were 8.0 (CI 95% 4.7-12.2) for cerebral infarction (8.4, CI 95% 3.9-16 for males, 7.6, CI 95% 3.3-14.9 for females), 5.6 (CI 95% 2.9-9.9) for cerebral hemorrhage and 2.8 (CI 95% 1.0-6.1) for both subarachnoid (SAH) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Based on angiography or necropsy findings, aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations were present in 83% of the patients with SAH and in 66% of the patients with ICH. The 1-month fatality ratio was 0 for cerebral infarction, 50% for SAH and 33% for ICH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Validation of the "early detection Primary Care Checklist" in an Italian community help-seeking sample: The "checklist per la Valutazione dell'Esordio Psicotico".

PubMed

Pelizza, Lorenzo; Raballo, Andrea; Semrov, Enrico; Chiri, Luigi Rocco; Azzali, Silvia; Scazza, Ilaria; Garlassi, Sara; Paterlini, Federica; Fontana, Francesca; Favazzo, Rosanna; Pensieri, Luana; Fabiani, Michela; Cioncolini, Leonardo; Pupo, Simona

2017-07-26

To establish the concordant validity of the "Checklist per la Valutazione dell'Esordio Psicotico" (CVEP) in an Italian help-seeking population. The CVEP is the Italian adaptation of the "early detection Primary Care Checklist," a 20-item tool specifically designed to assist primary care practitioners in identifying young people in the early stages of psychosis. The checklist was completed by the referring practitioners of 168 young people referred to the "Reggio Emilia At Risk Mental States" Project, an early detection infrastructure developed under the aegis of the Regional Project on Early Detection of Psychosis in the Reggio Emilia Department of Mental Health. The concordant validity of the CVEP was established by comparing screen results with the outcome of the "Comprehensive Assessment of At Risk Mental States" (CAARMS), a gold standard assessment for identifying young people who may be at risk of developing psychosis. The simple checklist as originally conceived had excellent sensitivity (98%), but lower specificity (58%). Using only a CVEP total score of 20 or above as cut-off, the tool showed a slightly lower sensitivity (93%) with a substantial improvement in specificity (87%). Simple cross-tabulations of the individual CVEP item scores against CAARMS outcome to identify the more discriminant item in terms of sensitivity and specificity were carried out. In comparison to other, much longer, screening tools, the CVEP performed well to identify young people in the early stages of psychosis. Therefore, the CVEP is well suited to optimize appropriate referrals to specialist services, building on the skills and knowledge already available in primary care settings. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Motivational Interviewing to Treat Overweight Children: 24-Month Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Broccoli, Serena; Davoli, Anna Maria; Bonvicini, Laura; Fabbri, Alessandra; Ferrari, Elena; Montagna, Gino; Panza, Costantino; Pinotti, Mirco; Storani, Simone; Tamelli, Marco; Candela, Silvia; Bellocchio, Eletta; Giorgi Rossi, Paolo

2016-01-01

Pediatrician-led motivational interviewing can be an effective way of controlling BMI in overweight children in the short term. Its long-term efficacy is unknown. The primary aim was to determine whether the short-term (12-month) impact of family pediatrician-led motivational interviews on the BMI of overweight children could be sustained in the long term (24 months), in the absence of any other intervention. Children were recruited in 2011 by family pediatricians working in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy, and randomly allocated to receive either 5 interviews delivered over a 12-month period or usual care. Eligible participants were all 4- to 7-year-old overweight children resident in the province of Reggio Emilia who had been receiving care from the pediatrician for ≥ 12 months. The primary outcome of this study was individual variation in BMI between the baseline visit and the 24-month follow-up, assessed by pediatricians not blinded to treatment group allocation. Of 419 eligible families, 372 (89%) participated; 187 children were randomized to receive intervention and 185 to usual care. Ninety-five percent of the children attended the 12-month follow-up, and 91% attended the 24-month follow-up. After the 12-month intervention period, BMI in the intervention group increased less than in the control group (0.46 and 0.78, respectively; difference -0.32; P = .005). At the 24-month follow-up, the difference had disappeared (1.52 and 1.56, respectively; difference -0.04; P = .986). The intervention lost its effectiveness within 1 year of cessation. Sustainable boosters are required for weight control and obesity prevention. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Italian validation of the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire.

PubMed

Mecugni, Daniela; Albinelli, Patrizia; Pellegrin, Joellemarie; Finotto, Stefano

2015-03-01

To properly direct nursing training and to improve the professional practice to become more effective, it is important to understand students' values. Literature review has shown that there have been changes in students' values in the last 20 years. In contemporary students, a general decrease in altruism has been observed, but also a larger appreciation for honesty toward patients has been declared. The analyzed literature did not find validated tools available in Italian that explore personal and professional values of nursing students. This study was an Italian linguistic and cultural adaptation of a research tool. The authors aimed to validate, for the Italian context, the Salford-Scott Nursing Values Questionnaire, enhanced by Johnson to explore the nursing profession's values. The Beaton Model was used as well as Valmi's. These models require five phases, with the goal of producing a pre-final version of the instrument for it to then be administered to a sample of the target and expert population. The study was approved by the Council of the Nursing Degree University course of the Modena and Reggio Emilia University, Reggio Emilia site, and the identity of the subjects was protected at every moment of the testing. Face validation was achieved since the clarity percentile for each item was 100%. Content validity was also reached, measured from the content validity index and the scale validity index. The study has confirmed the reliability of the instrument's internal consistence with a value of Cronbach's alpha on 0.95 of total of items. The reliability of the test-retest confirms the stability of the instrument in time (r = 0.908; p = 0.01). The study concludes that the instrument is ready to be administered to the target population, a sample group of nursing students. © The Author(s) 2014.

[Multicenter validation of an evaluation tool for clinical training activities (SVAT) of the nursing students].

PubMed

Finotto, Sergio; Gradellini, Cinzia; Bandini, Stefania; Burrai, Francesco; Lucchi Casadei, Sandra; Villani, Carolina; Vincenzi, Simone; Mecugni, Daniela

2017-01-01

To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Scheda di Valutazione delle Attività di Tirocinio (SVAT). The degree courses in Nursing of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, site of Reggio Emilia, the University of Bologna Formative Section BO1, Imola and training center of Cesena, the University of Ferrara training centers of Ferrara and Codigoro were all enrolled in the research. For the content validation the reactive Delphi method was chosen. The panel of experts expressed a qualitative-intuitive judgment on the adequacy of language and on the stimulus material (SVAT). For internal consistency Cronbach's alpha was calculated the. The test-retest method was used for the reliability of stability. all indicators of the SVAT have achieved a degree of consensus not less than 80% demonstrating its content validity. The face validity is demonstrated by an average score equal to or greater than 7 obtained by all indicators. The reliability of internal consistency of the SVAT was appraised by Cronbach's alpha that was 0.987 for the entire instrument. The reliability of the stability has been calculated through the correlation's coefficient expressed by Pearson's r that was 0.983 (p = 1.3E-198). in Italy there is no a "gold standard" tool to evaluate the clinical performance of nursing students during and at the end of their clinical training. The SVAT proves to be a valuable and reliable tool it furthermore could stimulate the discussion and the debate among educators and nurses, so that also in our country, it may be possible develop and refine tools that support the evaluation of clinical skills of nursing students.

Uncertainty estimations for moment tensor inversions: the issue of the 2012 May 20 Emilia earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scognamiglio, Laura; Magnoni, Federica; Tinti, Elisa; Casarotti, Emanuele

2016-08-01

Seismic moment tensor is one of the most important source parameters defining the earthquake dimension and style of the activated fault. Geoscientists ordinarily use moment tensor catalogues, however, few attempts have been done to assess possible impacts of moment magnitude uncertainties upon their analysis. The 2012 May 20 Emilia main shock is a representative event since it is defined in literature with a moment magnitude value (Mw) spanning between 5.63 and 6.12. A variability of ˜0.5 units in magnitude leads to a controversial knowledge of the real size of the event and reveals how the solutions could be poorly constrained. In this work, we investigate the stability of the moment tensor solution for this earthquake, studying the effect of five different 1-D velocity models, the number and the distribution of the stations used in the inversion procedure. We also introduce a 3-D velocity model to account for structural heterogeneity. We finally estimate the uncertainties associated to the computed focal planes and the obtained Mw. We conclude that our reliable source solutions provide a moment magnitude that ranges from 5.87, 1-D model, to 5.96, 3-D model, reducing the variability of the literature to ˜0.1. We endorse that the estimate of seismic moment from moment tensor solutions, as well as the estimate of the other kinematic source parameters, requires coming out with disclosed assumptions and explicit processing workflows. Finally and, probably more important, when moment tensor solution is used for secondary analyses it has to be combined with the same main boundary conditions (e.g. wave-velocity propagation model) to avoid conflicting results.

Enhancing international earth science competence in natural hazards through 'geoNatHaz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giardino, Marco; Clague, John J.

2010-05-01

"geoNatHaz" is a Transatlantic Exchange Partnership project (TEP 2009-2012) within the framework of the EU-Canada programme for co-operation in higher education, training, and youth. The project is structured to improve knowledge and skills required to assess and manage natural hazards in mountain regions. It provides student exchanges between European and Canadian universities in order to enhance international competence in natural hazard research. The university consortium is led by Simon Fraser University (Canada) and Università degli studi di Torino (Italy). Partner universities include the University of British Columbia, Queen's University, Università di Bologna, Université de Savoie, and the University of Athens. Université de Lausanne (Switzerland) supports the geoNatHaz advisory board through its bilateral agreements with Canadian partner universities. The geoNatHaz project promotes cross-cultural understanding and internationalization of university natural hazard curricula through common lectures, laboratory exercises, and field activities. Forty graduate students from the seven Canadian and European partner universities will benefit from the project between 2009 and 2012. Some students enrolled in graduate-level earth science and geologic engineering programs spend up to five months at the partner universities, taking courses and participating in research teams under the direction of project scientists. Other students engage in short-term (four-week) exchanges involving training in classic natural hazard case-studies in mountain regions of Canada and Europe. Joint courses are delivered in English, but complementary cultural activities are offered in the languages of the host countries. Supporting organizations offer internships and technical and scientific support. Students benefit from work-study programs with industry partners. Supporting organizations include government departments and agencies (Geological Survey of Canada; CNR-IRPI National Research Institute on Hydrogeological Hazards; Simon Fraser University Centre for Natural Hazard Research; Civil Protection of Regione Piemonte; Dipartimento Difesa del Suolo of Regione Valle d'Aosta; Environmental Protection, Civil Protection and Geological Survey of Regione Emilia-Romagna; Alberta Geological Survey), non-governmental and non-profit organizations (Fondazione Vaiont; Fondation Montaine Sure; Comitato Glaciologico Italiano; Tele-Rilevamento Europa; IMAGEO), and companies (MacDonald, Detwiller and Associates; TRE-Canada; BC Hydro; CVA). Support programs to ensure that students fully benefit from their exchanges are in place in each of the participating universities. Exchanges of faculty and technicians will ensure that students' educational experiences are challenging, rich, and intellectually rewarding. The exchanges also will facilitate development of up-to-date natural hazard courses shared by the seven partner universities and will catalyze collaborations among scientists participating in the project. The centrepiece of the project is field-based courses in natural hazards and risk in high mountain environments. Six field courses will be offered over the three-year period of the project - three in Europe and three in Canada. Course topics include (1) impacts of climate change on natural hazards in high mountains, (2) deep-seated rock-slope deformation, (3) mitigation of landslide hazards in mountain valleys, (4) applications of new technologies in natural hazard research, (5) frequency-magnitude relations and risk assessment, and (6) earthquake hazards and risk in mountain regions. The courses are taught by faculty from each of the partner universities, with the assistance of graduate students and technicians. The field courses support and extend existing programs in geology, geomorphology, and engineering geology offered by the partner universities.

Changes in the outcomes of severe trauma patients from 15-year experience in a Western European trauma ICU of Emilia Romagna region (1996-2010). A population cross-sectional survey study.

PubMed

Di Saverio, Salomone; Gambale, Giorgio; Coccolini, Federico; Catena, Fausto; Giorgini, Eleonora; Ansaloni, Luca; Amadori, Niki; Coniglio, Carlo; Giugni, Aimone; Biscardi, Andrea; Magnone, Stefano; Filicori, Filippo; Cavallo, Piergiorgio; Villani, Silvia; Cinquantini, Francesco; Annicchiarico, Massimo; Gordini, Giovanni; Tugnoli, Gregorio

2014-01-01

Our experience in trauma center management increased over time and improved with development of better logistics, optimization of structural and technical resources. In addition recent Government policy in safety regulations for road traffic accident (RTA) prevention, such compulsory helmet use (2000) and seatbelt restraint (2003) were issued with aim of decreasing mortality rate for trauma. The evaluation of their influence on mortality during the last 15 years can lead to further improvements. In our level I trauma center, 60,247 trauma admissions have been recorded between 1996 and 2010, with 2183 deaths (overall mortality 3.6 %). A total of 2,935 trauma patients with ISS >16 have been admitted to Trauma ICU and recorded in a prospectively collected database (1996-2010). Blunt trauma occurred in 97.1 % of the cases, whilst only 2.5 % were penetrating. A retrospective review of the outcomes was carried out, including mortality, cause of death, morbidity and length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU), with stratification of the outcome changes through the years. Age, sex, mechanism, glasgow coma scale (GCS), systolic blood pressure (SBP), respiratory rate (RR), revised trauma score (RTS), injury severity score (ISS), pH, base excess (BE), as well as therapeutic interventions (i.e., angioembolization and number of blood units transfused in the first 24 h), were included in univariate and multivariate analyses by logistic regression of mortality predictive value. Overall mortality through the whole period was 17.2 %, and major respiratory morbidity in the ICU was 23.3 %. A significant increase of trauma admissions has been observed (before and after 2001, p < 0.01). Mean GCS (10.2) increased during the period (test trend p < 0.05). Mean age, ISS (24.83) and mechanism did not change significantly, whereas mortality rate decreased showing two marked drops, from 25.8 % in 1996, to 18.3 % in 2000 and again down to 10.3 % in 2004 (test trend p < 0.01). Traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounted for 58.4 % of the causes of death; hemorrhagic shock was the death cause in 28.4 % and multiple organ failure (MOF)/sepsis in 13.2 % of the patients. However, the distribution of causes of death changed during the period showing a reduction of TBI-related and increase of MOF/sepsis (CTR test trend p < 0.05). Significant predictors of mortality in the whole group were year of admission (p < 0.05), age, hemorrhagic shock and SBP at admission, ISS and GCS, pH and BE (all p < 0.01). In the subgroup of patients that underwent emergency surgery, the same factors confirmed their prognostic value and remained significant as well as the adjunctive parameter of total amount of blood units transfused (p < 0.05). Surgical time (mean 71 min) showed a significant trend towards reduction but did not show significant association with mortality (p = 0.06). Mortality of severe trauma decreased significantly during the last 15 years as well as mean GCS improved whereas mean ISS remained stable. The new safety regulations positively influenced incidence and severity of TBI and seemed to improve the outcomes. ISS seems to be a better predictor of outcome than RTS.

3D Quaternary deformation pattern in the central Po Plain (Northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sileo, G.; Mueller, K.; Michetti, A. M.; Livio, F.; Berlusconi, A.; Carcano, C.; Rogledi, S.; Vittori, E.

2009-04-01

The Po Plain is a foredeep basin flanked by the two major and active orogens of the Italian Peninsula, the Alps to the North and the Apennines to the South. The basin has a quasi - triangular shape and grades longitudinally to the East in the Adriatic Sea. We used petroleum industry seismic reflection data acquired by ENI E&P in the Central Po Plain, over an area spanning about 6800 km2 from Lake Como to the W to Lake Garda to the E, and from the Lombardian Southern Alps to the N and the Emilia Apennines to the S, in order to analyze and interpret selected seismic reflectors and to define the evolution in space and time of the local active tectonic structures. Folds associated with underlying thrusts were recognized based on deformation recorded by two regional sequence boundary horizons, i.e. the ‘A' Surface (1.6 Myr) and the ‘R' Surface (0. 9 Myr; e.g., Carcano & Piccin, 2002; Muttoni et al., 2003), characterized by good stratigraphic and age bracketing, and marking significant changes in the sedimentary architecture of the Po Basin. Age controls are based on stratigraphic, paleontological and magnetostratigraphic analysis by ENI E&P and Regione Lombardia (Carcano & Piccin, 2002; Scardia et al., 2006). The analysis of strain recorded by these horizons allowed us to: A) recognize a belt of active fold and thrust structures, each 10 to 20 km long, arranged with an en-echelon pattern across the whole Po Basin, and B) analyze their evolution over the Quaternary. 'A' surface (1.6 Myr) The ‘A' surface has been mapped over about 7800 Km2. From North to South four major morphobathymetric domains can be defined in the Pleistocene marine Po Basin: an Alpine platform domain, a slope that links it with the wider central basin domain, a smaller and steeper slope and an Apennine platform domain. The basin shape has an asymmetric transversal profile and is ca. 40 km wide. Several tectonic structures affect this surface. On the Alpine platform domain two small structures have been identified. We interpreted them as N-verging fault propagation folds with low angle ramps that detach the Gonfolite Lombarda clastics (Oligo - Miocene; Bernoulli et al., 1989; Gelati et al., 1991) from the underlying Upper Cretaceous carbonates. The present-day geomorphic evidence of these two structures are represented by the Pievedizio, Capriano, Castenedolo and Ciliverghe Hills South of Brescia (Livio et al, 2008; Michetti et al., 2008). On the basin floor domain nine structures have been identified. Six of them belong to the Southern Alps and we interpreted them as S-verging fault propagation folds. All these structures have a double plunging termination (Burbank & Anderson, 2001) that mark the endpoints of actively slipping blind thrusts. These structures range from 11 to 16 km long with an average strike of N 110° E. The remaining three structures record shortening at the leading edge of the Apennines; their axial lengths range from 8 to 28 km and the average axial strike is 110°. These structures thus define the 3D architecture of blind thrusts hidden beneath the basin floor; these collectively define the two active, facing fronts of the Apennines and Southern Alps thrust belts (Fantoni et al. 2004). ‘R' Surface The second analyzed surface is the ‘R' surface (0.9 Myr.); strain measured across this sequence stratigraphic boundary confirmed and further defines the magnitude and timing of shortening accommodated by fault propagation folds described on the ‘A' surface. Differences between the basin between "A" and "R" surface time include the arrangement of the structures on the basin floor and by the number of the identified structures. The Alpine platform domain in "R" time is in fact more extended than on the ‘A' surface, and a less steep slope links it with a wider but less deep basin domain; the Apennines platform is smaller, because it has been involved in the deformation of the more internal Apennines structures. The basin floor is ca. 30 km wide with a progressive westward narrowing, and still displays an asymmetric transversal profile. Sedimentation rates are considerably higher than uplift rates of the structures, resulting in a paleobathymetry gentler than the ‘A' surface The measurement of the folds axial length becomes consequently more difficult. In order to filter the tectonic signal we conducted a profile curvature analysis perpendicular to the mean axial direction of the structures. We recognized six structures with an average length of 18 - 20 km and an average axial strike of N 110° E. The comparison of these structures with those recognized on the ‘A' surface clearly shows a decreasing number of folds, suggesting some thrusts shut off between "A" and "R" surface time. The similar geometry of folded "R" and "A" surfaces suggest consistent fault geometry and stress orientation during this time. This kinematic pattern is consistent with a spatially - varying shortening rate model (e.g., Salvini & Storti, 2002). The folds appear to grow with constant fault geometry and the displacement varies along strike since the tip of the faults migrates laterally in a direction perpendicular to the regional horizontal stress (Mueller & Talling, 1997, Keller et al., 1999; Champel et al, 2002; Burbank & Anderson, 2001). In summary, the analysis of the two described Quaternary seismic surfaces allowed us to understand the evolution of active folds within the Po Plain and their growth mechanism and evolution both in space and time. These folds are the modern loci of compressive strain that links the Southern Alps with the Northern Apennines. Comparing the two surfaces we can observe a significant shift in the localization of the tectonic deformation, consisting A) in the reactivation of N-verging backthrusts and associated folds in the Southern Alps instead of the main forethrusts, and B) in a similar backward skip of the activity from the outermost Apennines fronts, with the reactivation of the Pedeappenninic Thrust Fault (e.g. Boccaletti & Martelli, 2004). This might be related to a differential sedimentary load between proximal and distal portions of the basin related to increased erosion, especially in the Alps in hinterland areas and corresponding sedimentation in the foreland, both triggered by climate change in the Mid-Pleistocene (e.g. Muttoni et al., 2002). REFERENCES Boccaletti, M. & Martelli, L., (Editors) (2004) - Carta Sismotettonica della Regione Emilia-Romagna: Note Illustrative. Regione Emilia-Romagna, Servizio Geologico, Sismico e dei Suoli CNR - Firenze, SELCA S.r.l., Firenze, 60 p. Burbank, D., Anderson, R. (2001) - Tectonic Geomorphology. Wiley Blackwell. ISBN: 978-0-632-04386-6 Carcano, C. & Piccin, A. (Editors) (2002) - Geologia Degli Acquiferi Padani Della Regione Lombardia. Firenze: S.El.Ca. Champel, B., Van Der Beek, P., Mugnier J.& Leturmy, P. (2002) - Growth And Lateral Propagation Of Fault-Related Folds In The Siwaliks Of Western Nepal: Rates, Mechanisms, And Geomorphic Signature. Journal Of Geophysical Research, 107, B6, doi 10.1029/2001jb000578. Desio, A. (1965) - I Rilievi Isolati Della Pianura Lombarda Ed I Movimenti Tettonici Del Quaternario. Rend. Ist. Lom. Acc. Sc. Lett., Sez. A 99 pp.881-894. Fantoni, R., Bersezio, R., & Forcella, F., (2004) - Alpine structure and deformation chronology at the Southern Alps-Po Plain border in Lombardy. Boll. Soc. Geol. It., 123, 3, p. 463- 476. Keller, E. A., Gurrola, L. & Tierney, T. E. (1999) - Geomorphic Criteria To Determine Direction Of Lateral Propagation Of Reverse Faulting And Folding. Geology (Boulder), 27, 6, p. 515-518. Livio F., Berlusconi A., Michetti A.M., Sileo G., Zerboni A., Cremaschi M., Trombino L., Carcano C., Rogledi S., Vittori E., Mueller K. (2008) - Fagliazione Superficiale Olocenica E Paleoliquefazione Nel Sito Di Monte Netto, Brescia: Implicazioni Sismotettoniche. Rend. Online Sgi, 1, Note Brevi, www.Socgeol.It, p. 101-103. Michetti A.M., Berlusconi A., Livio F., Sileo G., Zerboni A., Cremaschi M., Trombino L, Mueller K., Vittori E., Carcano C., Rogledi S. (2008) - Holocene Surface Faulting At Monte Netto, Brescia, And The Christmas 1222 (Io = Ix Mcs) Earthquake In The Po Plain, Italy: What Does It Mean "Blind Fault"? Geophysical Research Abstracts, 10, Egu2008-A-00000, 2008 Egu General Assembly 2008. Mueller, K. & Talling, P. (1997) - Geomorphic Evidence For Tear Faults Accommodating Lateral Propagation Of An Active Fault-Bend Fold, Wheeler Ridge, California. Journal Of Structural Geology, 19, 3-4, p. 397-411. Muttoni G., Carcano, C., Garzanti, E., Ghielmi, M., Piccin, A., Pini, R., Rogledi, S., Sciunnach, D. (2002) - Onset Of Major Pleistocene Galciations In The Alps. Geology. - 2003. - 11 : 31. - p. 989-992. Salvini, F. & Storti, F. (2002) - Three-Dimensional Architecture Of Growth Strata Associated To Fault-Bend, Fault-Propagation, And Decollement Anticlines In Non-Erosional Environments. Sedimentary Geology, 146, p 57 - 73 Scardia, G., Muttoni, G. & Sciunnach, D. (2006) - Subsurface Magnetostratigraphy Of Pleistocene Sediments From The Po Plain (Italy): Constraints On Rates Of Sedimentation And Rock Uplift. GSA Bulletin 118, 11/12, p.1299-1312.

Epidemiological study of myasthenia gravis in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy.

PubMed

Guidetti, D; Sabadini, R; Bondavalli, M; Cavalletti, S; Lodesani, M; Mantegazza, R; Cosi, V; Solime, F

1998-06-01

We carried out a retrospective incidence, prevalence and mortality survey of myasthenia gravis in the province of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy. Based on 49 patients, the mean incidence per year for the period 1980 through 1994 was 7.8 per 1,000,000. On 31 December 1994 the prevalence rate was 117.5 per 1,000,000 for all patients, either active or recovered (50 cases in a population of 427,493) and 103.4 per 1,000,000 for the active disease. In the 15-year period 1980-1994 the average mortality rate was 1.0 per 1,000,000 per year. The average age at onset was 44.6 +/- 21.0, and the average age at the time of prevalence determination was 51.1 +/- 19.6 for the active disease. At the time of diagnosis, 21 patients (36.8%) were classed in group I according to Osserman's criteria, 31 in group II (54.4%), (19 in group II-A and 12 in group II-B), and the other 5 (8.8%) in group III. Of all the prevalence cases, 6 (12%) were in remission without therapy and 6 with therapy, while most of the others 16 (32%) were classed in group I, 15 (30%) in group II, and 1 (2%) in group III. Thymectomy was performed in 20 patients (35.1%), 12 (21%) had thymoma (malignant in 4 cases), 6 had thymic hyperplasia while in two patients thymic histology was normal. The relation the grade of Osserman's scale at the time of incidence and the presence of thymoma were significant. Higher grades of Osserman's scale were associated were malignant thymoma. Furthermore the relationship between thymectomy and the grade of Osserman's scale at the date of prevalence was significant for the presence of lower grades of Osserman's scale in the patients submitted to thymectomy.

Relationship between Tumor Biomarkers and Efficacy in EMILIA, a Phase III Study of Trastuzumab Emtansine in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer.

PubMed

Baselga, José; Lewis Phillips, Gail D; Verma, Sunil; Ro, Jungsil; Huober, Jens; Guardino, Alice E; Samant, Meghna K; Olsen, Steve; de Haas, Sanne L; Pegram, Mark D

2016-08-01

HER2-positive breast cancer is heterogeneous. Some tumors express mutations, like activating PIK3CA mutations or reduced PTEN expression, that negatively correlate with response to HER2-targeted therapies. In this exploratory analysis, we investigated whether the efficacy of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), an antibody-drug conjugate comprised of the cytotoxic agent DM1 linked to the HER2-targeted antibody trastuzumab, was correlated with the expression of specific biomarkers in the phase III EMILIA study. Tumors were evaluated for HER2 (n = 866), EGFR (n = 832), and HER3 (n = 860) mRNA expression by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR; for PTEN protein expression (n = 271) by IHC; and for PIK3CA mutations (n = 259) using a mutation detection kit. Survival outcomes were analyzed by biomarker subgroups. T-DM1 was also tested on cell lines and in breast cancer xenograft models containing PIK3CA mutations. Longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were observed with T-DM1 compared with capecitabine plus lapatinib in all biomarker subgroups. PIK3CA mutations were associated with shorter median PFS (mutant vs. wild type: 4.3 vs. 6.4 months) and OS (17.3 vs. 27.8 months) in capecitabine plus lapatinib-treated patients, but not in T-DM1-treated patients (PFS, 10.9 vs. 9.8 months; OS, not reached in mutant or wild type). T-DM1 showed potent activity in cell lines and xenograft models with PIK3CA mutations. Although other standard HER2-directed therapies are less effective in tumors with PI3KCA mutations, T-DM1 appears to be effective in both PI3KCA-mutated and wild-type tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 22(15); 3755-63. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2): positive advanced breast cancer.

PubMed

Le, Quang A; Bae, Yuna H; Kang, Jenny H

2016-10-01

The EMILIA trial demonstrated that trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) significantly increased the median profession-free and overall survival relative to combination therapy with lapatinib plus capecitabine (LC) in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. We performed an economic analysis of T-DM1 as a second-line therapy compared to LC and monotherapy with capecitabine (C) from both perspectives of the US payer and society. We developed four possible Markov models for ABC to compare the projected life-time costs and outcomes of T-DM1, LC, and C. Model transition probabilities were estimated from the EMILIA and EGF100151 clinical trials. Direct costs of the therapies, major adverse events, laboratory tests, and disease progression, indirect costs (productivity losses due to morbidity and mortality), and health utilities were obtained from published sources. The models used 3 % discount rate and reported in 2015 US dollars. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis and model averaging were used to account for model parametric and structural uncertainty. When incorporating both model parametric and structural uncertainty, the resulting incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) comparing T-DM1 to LC and T-DM1 to C were $183,828 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and $126,001/QALY from the societal perspective, respectively. From the payer's perspective, the ICERs were $220,385/QALY (T-DM1 vs. LC) and $168,355/QALY (T-DM1 vs. C). From both perspectives of the US payer and society, T-DM1 is not cost-effective when comparing to the LC combination therapy at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000/QALY. T-DM1 might have a better chance to be cost-effective compared to capecitabine monotherapy from the US societal perspective.

Geochemical variations during the 2012 Emilia seismic sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciarra, Alessandra; Cantucci, Barbara; Galli, Gianfranco; Cinti, Daniele; Pizzino, Luca

2015-04-01

Several geochemical surveys (soil gas and shallow water) were performed in the Modena province (Massa Finalese, Finale Emilia, Medolla and S. Felice sul Panaro), during 2006-2014 period. In May-June 2012, a seismic sequence (main shocks of ML 5.9 and 5.8) was occurred closely to the investigated area. In this area 300 CO2 and CH4 fluxes measurements, 150 soil gas concentrations (He, H2, CO2, CH4 and C2H6), 30 shallow waters and their isotopic analyses (δ13C- CH4, δD- CH4 and δ13C- CO2) were performed in April-May 2006, October and December 2008, repeated in May and September 2012, June 2013 and July 2014 afterwards the 2012 Emilia seismic sequences. Chemical composition of soil gas are dominated by CH4 in the southern part by CO2 in the northern part. Very anomalous fluxes and concentrations are recorded in spot areas; elsewhere CO2 and CH4 values are very low, within the typical range of vegetative and of organic exhalation of the cultivated soil. After the seismic sequence the CH4 and CO2 fluxes are increased of one order of magnitude in the spotty areas, whereas in the surrounding area the values are within the background. On the contrary, CH4 concentration decrease (40%v/v in the 2012 surveys) and CO2 concentration increase until to 12.7%v/v (2013 survey). Isotopic gas analysis were carried out only on samples with anomalous values. Pre-seismic data hint a thermogenic origin of CH4 probably linked to leakage from a deep source in the Medolla area. Conversely, 2012/2013 isotopic data indicate a typical biogenic origin (i.e. microbial hydrocarbon production) of the CH4, as recognized elsewhere in the Po Plain and surroundings. The δ13C-CO2 value suggests a prevalent shallow origin of CO2 (i.e. organic and/or soil-derived) probably related to anaerobic oxidation of heavy hydrocarbons. Water samples, collected from domestic, industrial and hydrocarbons exploration wells, allowed us to recognize different families of waters. Waters are meteoric in origin and, apart one sample, are not thermally anomalous. Stable isotopes of H and O point out the absence of mixing with connate waters, prolonged interaction with the host-rock at high temperature and/or heavy gas-water exchange at depth. Isotopic carbon composition emphasizes its organic (i.e. shallow) origin; only "La Canonica" site, the deepest well sampled in this study, shows a probable deep(er) provenance of dissolved carbon. Waters trend away from the atmospheric end-member composition, dissolving CO2 or CH4 depending on their redox state. Dissolved radon activity is very low, likely due to the particular hydrogeological setting of the study area (i.e. the presence of waters with long residence times in the considered aquifers). Obtained results highlight a different behavior before and after the seismic events, proved also by the different carbon isotopic signature of CH4. These variations could be produced by increasing of bacterial (e.g. peat strata) and methanogenic fermentation processes in the first meters of the soil.

Persistency of rupture directivity in moderate-magnitude earthquakes in Italy: Implications for seismic hazard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rovelli, A.; Calderoni, G.

2012-12-01

A simple method based on the EGF deconvolution in the frequency domain is applied to detect the occurrence of unilateral ruptures in recent damaging earthquakes in Italy. The spectral ratio between event pairs with different magnitudes at individual stations shows large azimuthal variations above corner frequency when the target event is affected by source directivity and the EGF is not or vice versa. The analysis is applied to seismograms and accelerograms recorded during the seismic sequence following the 20 May 2012, Mw 5.6 main shock in Emilia, northern Italy, the 6 April 2009, Mw 6.1 earthquake of L'Aquila, central Italy, and the 26 September 1997, Mw 5.7 and 6.0 shocks in Umbria-Marche, central Italy. Events of each seismic sequence are selected as having consistent focal mechanisms, and the station selection obeys to the constraint of a similar source-to-receiver path for the event pairs. The analyzed data set of L'Aquila consists of 962 broad-band seismograms relative to 69 normal-faulting earthquakes (3.3 ≤ MW ≤ 6.1, according to Herrmann et al., 2011), stations are selected in the distance range 100 to 250 km to minimize differences in propagation paths. The seismogram analysis reveals that a strong along-strike (toward SE) source directivity characterized all of the three Mw > 5.0 shocks. Source directivity was also persistent up to the smallest magnitudes: 65% of earthquakes under study showed evidence of directivity toward SE whereas only one (Mw 3.7) event showed directivity in the opposite direction. Also the Mw 5.6 main shock of the 20 May 2012 in Emilia result in large azimuthal spectral variations indicating unilateral rupture propagation toward SE. According to the reconstructed geometry of the trust-fault plane, the inferred directivity direction suggests top-down rupture propagation. The analysis over the Emilia aftershock sequence is in progress. The third seismic sequence, dated 1997-1998, occurred in the northern Apennines and, similarly to L'Aquila faults, was characterized by normal-faulting earthquakes with strike substantially parallel to the Apennine trend. Although the amount of data is not as abundant as for the most recent earthquakes, the available data were already object of previous studies indicating unilateral rupture propagation in several of the strongest (5.5 < Mw < 6.0) shocks. We show that the effect of directivity is particularly significant in intermontane basins where long-period (T > 1 sec) ground motions are amplified by soft sediments and the combination of local amplification with source directivity causes exceedance of spectral ordinates at those periods up to more than 2 standard deviations from the expected values of commonly used GMPEs for soft sites. These results arise a concern in terms of seismic hazard because source directivity is found to be recurrent feature in the Apennines. Moreover, the predominant fault strike and intermontane basins are both aligned along the Apennine chain offering a condition potentially favorable to extra-amplifications at periods relevant to seismic risk.

Recent and active tectonics of the external zone of the Northern Apennines (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boccaletti, Mario; Corti, Giacomo; Martelli, Luca

2011-08-01

We present a comprehensive study of the recent and active tectonics of the external part of the Northern Apennines (Italy) by using morphotectonic, geological-structural, and stratigraphic analysis, compared with the current seismicity of the region. This analysis suggests that the external part of the Northern Apennines is characterised by presence of three major systems of Quaternary compressive structures corresponding to (1) the Apenninic watershed, (2) the Apennines-Po Plain margin (pede-Apenninic thrust front), and (3) the Emilia, Ferrara, and Adriatic Fold systems buried below the Po Plain. Geological data and interpreted seismic sections indicate a roughly N-S Quaternary deformation direction, with rates <2.5 mm/year. The shortening decreased since the Pliocene, when our data indicate compression in a NNW-SSE direction and rates up to 7 mm/year. The trend and kinematics of the structures affecting the Apennines-Po Plain margin and the Po Plain subsoil fit well the pattern of the current seismicity of the area, as well as recent GPS and geodetic levelling data, pointing to a current activity of these thrust systems controlled by an overall compressive stress field. Close to the Apenninic watershed, earthquake focal mechanisms indicate that shallow extension is associated to deep compression. The extensional events may be related to a secondary extensional stress field developing on the hangingwall of the thrust system affecting the Apenninic watershed; alternatively, this thrust system may have been recently deactivated and overprinted by active normal faulting. Deeper compressive events are related to the activity of both a major basement thrust that connects at surface with the pede-Apenninic thrust front and a major Moho structure.

Hypogeal geological survey in the "Grotta del Re Tiberio" natural cave (Apennines, Italy): a valid tool for reconstructing the structural setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghiselli, Alice; Merazzi, Marzio; Strini, Andrea; Margutti, Roberto; Mercuriali, Michele

2011-06-01

As karst systems are natural windows to the underground, speleology, combined with geological surveys, can be useful tools for helping understand the geological evolution of karst areas. In order to enhance the reconstruction of the structural setting in a gypsum karst area (Vena del Gesso, Romagna Apennines), a detailed analysis has been carried out on hypogeal data. Structural features (faults, fractures, tectonic foliations, bedding) have been mapped in the "Grotta del Re Tiberio" cave, in the nearby gypsum quarry tunnels and open pit benches. Five fracture systems and six fault systems have been identified. The fault systems have been further analyzed through stereographic projections and geometric-kinematic evaluations in order to reconstruct the relative chronology of these structures. This analysis led to the detection of two deformation phases. The results permitted linking of the hypogeal data with the surface data both at a local and regional scale. At the local scale, fracture data collected in the underground have been compared with previous authors' surface data coming from the quarry area. The two data sets show a very good correspondence, as every underground fracture system matches with one of the surface fracture system. Moreover, in the cave, a larger number of fractures belonging to each system could be mapped. At the regional scale, the two deformation phases detected can be integrated in the structural setting of the study area, thereby enhancing the tectonic interpretation of the area ( e.g., structures belonging to a new deformation phase, not reported before, have been identified underground). The structural detailed hypogeal survey has, thus, provided very useful data, both by integrating the existing information and revealing new data not detected at the surface. In particular, some small structures ( e.g., displacement markers and short fractures) are better preserved in the hypogeal environment than on the surface where the outcropping gypsum is more exposed to dissolution and recrystallization. The hypogeal geological survey, therefore, can be considered a powerful tool for integrating the surface and log data in order to enhance the reconstruction of the deformational history and to get a three-dimensional model of the bedrock in karst areas.

Rare missense variants in POT1 predispose to familial cutaneous malignant melanoma

PubMed Central

Shi, Jianxin; Yang, Xiaohong R.; Ballew, Bari; Rotunno, Melissa; Calista, Donato; Fargnoli, Maria Concetta; Ghiorzo, Paola; Paillerets, Brigitte Bressac-de; Nagore, Eduardo; Avril, Marie Francoise; Caporaso, Neil E.; McMaster, Mary L.; Cullen, Michael; Wang, Zhaoming; Zhang, Xijun; Bruno, William; Pastorino, Lorenza; Queirolo, Paola; Banuls-Roca, Jose; Garcia-Casado, Zaida; Vaysse, Amaury; Mohamdi, Hamida; Riazalhosseini, Yasser; Foglio, Mario; Jouenne, Fanélie; Hua, Xing; Hyland, Paula L.; Yin, Jinhu; Vallabhaneni, Haritha; Chai, Weihang; Minghetti, Paola; Pellegrini, Cristina; Ravichandran, Sarangan; Eggermont, Alexander; Lathrop, Mark; Peris, Ketty; Scarra, Giovanna Bianchi; Landi, Giorgio; Savage, Sharon A.; Sampson, Joshua N.; He, Ji; Yeager, Meredith; Goldin, Lynn R.; Demenais, Florence; Chanock, Stephen J.; Tucker, Margaret A.; Goldstein, Alisa M.; Liu, Yie; Landi, Maria Teresa

2014-01-01

Although CDKN2A is the most frequent high-risk melanoma susceptibility gene, the underlying genetic factors for most melanoma-prone families remain unknown. Using whole exome sequencing, we identified a rare variant that arose as a founder mutation in the telomere shelterin POT1 gene (g.7:124493086 C>T, Ser270Asn) in five unrelated melanoma-prone families from Romagna, Italy. Carriers of this variant had increased telomere length and elevated fragile telomeres suggesting that this variant perturbs telomere maintenance. Two additional rare POT1 variants were identified in all cases sequenced in two other Italian families, yielding a frequency of POT1 variants comparable to that of CDKN2A mutations in this population. These variants were not found in public databases or in 2,038 genotyped Italian controls. We also identified two rare recurrent POT1 variants in American and French familial melanoma cases. Our findings suggest that POT1 is a major susceptibility gene for familial melanoma in several populations. PMID:24686846

A filmless radiology department in a full digital regional hospital: quantitative evaluation of the increased quality and efficiency.

PubMed

Nitrosi, Andrea; Borasi, Giovanni; Nicoli, Franco; Modigliani, Gino; Botti, Andrea; Bertolini, Marco; Notari, Pietro

2007-06-01

Reggio Emilia hospital installed Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) as the final step towards a completely digital clinical environment completing the HIS/EMR and 1,400 web/terminals for patient information access. Financial benefits throughout the hospital were assessed upfront and measured periodically. Key indicators (radiology exam turnaround time, number of radiology procedures performed, inpatients length of stay before and after the PACS implementation, etc.) were analyzed and values were statistically tested to assess workflow and productivity improvements. The hospital went "filmless" in 28 weeks. Between the half of 2004 and the respective period in 2003, overall Radiology Department productivity increased by 12%, TAT improved by more than 60%. Timelier patient care resulted in decreased lengths of stay. Neurology alone experienced a 12% improvement in average patient stay. To quantify the impact of PACS on the average hospital stays and the expected productivity benefits to inpatient productivity were used a "high level" and a "detailed" business model. Annual financial upsides have exceeded $1.9 millions/year. A well-planned PACS deployment simplifies imaging workflow and improves patient care throughout the hospital while delivering substantial financial benefits. Staff buy-in was the key in this process and on-going training and process monitoring are a must.

Selection of nectar plants for use in ecological engineering to promote biological control of rice pests by the predatory bug, Cyrtorhinus lividipennis, (Heteroptera: Miridae).

PubMed

Zhu, Pingyang; Lu, Zhongxian; Heong, Kongluen; Chen, Guihua; Zheng, Xusong; Xu, Hongxing; Yang, Yajun; Nicol, Helen I; Gurr, Geoff M

2014-01-01

Ecological engineering for pest management involves the identification of optimal forms of botanical diversity to incorporate into a farming system to suppress pests, by promoting their natural enemies. Whilst this approach has been extensively researched in many temperate crop systems, much less has been done for rice. This paper reports the influence of various plant species on the performance of a key natural enemy of rice planthopper pests, the predatory mirid bug, Cyrtorhinus lividipennis. Survival of adult males and females was increased by the presence of flowering Tagetes erecta, Trida procumbens, Emilia sonchifolia (Compositae), and Sesamum indicum (Pedaliaceae) compared with water or nil controls. All flower treatments resulted in increased consumption of brown plant hopper, Nilaparvata lugens, and for female C. lividipennis, S. indicum was the most favorable. A separate study with a wider range of plant species and varying densities of prey eggs showed that S. indicum most strongly promoted predation by C. lividipennis. Reflecting this, S. indicum gave a relatively high rate of prey search and low prey handling time. On this basis, S. indicum was selected for more detailed studies to check if its potential incorporation into the farming system would not inadvertently benefit Cnaphalocrocis medinalis and Marasmia patnalis, serious Lepidoptera pests of rice. Adult longevity and fecundity of both pests was comparable for S. indicum and water treatments and significantly lower than the honey solution treatment. Findings indicate that S. indicumis well suited for use as an ecological engineering plant in the margins of rice crops. Sesame indicum can be a valuable crop as well as providing benefits to C. lividipennis whilst denying benefit to key pests.

Regional deformation of late Quaternary fluvial sediments in the Apennines foreland basin (Emilia, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefani, Marco; Minarelli, Luca; Fontana, Alessandro; Hajdas, Irka

2018-04-01

Our research is aimed at estimating the vertical deformation affecting late Quaternary units accumulated into the foreland basin of the Northern Apennines chain. Beneath the study alluvial plain, compressive fault-fold structures are seismically active. We reconstructed the stratigraphic architecture and the depositional evolution of the alluvial deposits, which accumulated in the first 40 m of subsurface, through the last 45,000 years, from before the Last Glacial Maximum to the present. A 58 km-long stratigraphic profile was correlated from the foothill belt near Bologna to the vicinity of the Po River. The analysis of the profile documents subsidence movements through the last 12,000 years, exceeding - 18 m in syncline areas, with subsidence rates of at least 1.5 m/ka. Anticlines areas experienced a much lower subsidence than the syncline ones.

Geological evidence of pre-2012 Emilia, Italy, seismic events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caputo, Riccardo; Minarelli, Luca; Papathanassiou, Giorgos; Poli, Eliana M.; Rapti-Caputo, Dimitra; Sboras, Sotiris; Stefani, Marco; Zanferrari, Adriano

2013-04-01

In May 2012, two moderate (ML = 5.9 and 5.8) earthquakes, associated with a noticeable aftershock sequence, affected the eastern sector of the Po Plain, Italy. The causative faults are two segments of the Ferrara Arc thrust system representing the most frontal portion of the buried Northern Apennines fold-and-thrust belt. Few weeks after the earthquake, a palaeoseismological trench was excavated south of the San Carlo village (western Ferrara Province), where a system of aligned ground ruptures were observed. In the trench walls we observed several features documenting the occurrence of past liquefaction events affecting the same site. For example, i) 10 cm-thick dikes filled with injected sand and associated with vertical displacements have no correspondence with the fractures mapped at the surface before the excavation; ii) some thick dikes are arrested below the ploughed level or even by older sedimentary layers; iii) along the internal slope of the palaeo-channel exposed by the trench, load structures and slided blocks are observed; iv) in correspondence with the ground fractures characterised by vertical displacement and opening occurred during the 2012 earthquake and thick dikes, observed at the surface and in the trench's walls, respectively, sand and water ejection did not occur. In conclusion, the results of the palaeoseismological investigation document for the first time that shacking (i.e. seismic) events occurred in the past producing a sufficient ground motion capable of triggering liquefaction phenomena prior to, but likely stronger than, the May 2012 earthquake. A likely candidate is the November 17, 1570 Ferrara earthquake.

The "Mud-volcanoes route" (Emilia Apennines, northern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coratza, Paola; Castaldini, Doriano

2016-04-01

In the present paper the "Mud-volcanoes route" (MVR), an itinerary unfolds across the districts of Viano, Sassuolo, Fiorano Modenese and Maranello, in which part of the Emilia mud volcanoes fields are located, is presented. The Mud-volanoes route represents an emotional journey that connects places and excellences through the geological phenomenon of mud volcanoes, known with the local name "Salse". The Mud Volcanoes are created by the surfacing of salt water and mud mixed with gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons along faults and fractures of the ground. The name "Salsa"- from Latin salsus - results from the"salt" content of these muddy waters, ancient heritage of the sea that about a million years ago was occupying the current Po Plain. The "Salse" may take the shape of a cone or a level-pool according to the density of the mud. The Salse of Nirano, in the district of Fiorano Modenese, is one of the most important in Italy and among the most complex in Europe. Less extensive but equally charming and spectacular, are the "Salse" located in the districts of Maranello (locality Puianello), Sassuolo (locality Montegibbio) and Viano (locality Casola Querciola and Regnano). These fascinating lunar landscapes have always attracted the interest of researchers and tourist.The presence on the MVR territory of ancient settlements, Roman furnaces and mansions, fortification systems and castles, besides historic and rural buildings, proves the lasting bond between this land and its men. In these places, where the culture of good food has become a resource, we can find wine cellars, dairy farms and Balsamic vinegar factories that enable us to appreciate unique worldwide products. This land gave also birth to some personalities who created unique worldwide famous values, such as the myth of the Ferrrari, the ceramic industry and the mechatronics. The MVR is represented in a leaflet containing, short explanation, photos and a map in which are located areas with mud volcanoes, castles, archaeological sites, historic and holy buildings and represent an initiative for the promotion of the environment, art, wellness, tastes, technology and talent of the territory of districts of Viano, Sassuolo, Fiorano Modenese and Maranello. The MVR presented in this article is an example of how geology can be a starting point and provide continuity for a journey offering close encounters with our region's science, art, history, culture. This research aimed to transform geomorphological sites into a culturally accessible and shared heritage and therefore into a resource for social and economic development in their own territory. Indeed geological sites are considered as new elements that can catalyse the potentialities of a territory which are often neglected or pass unnoticed. In this way the proposal become an instrument for territorial upgrading, by means of qualified measures on abandoned or secondary areas, thus promoting them to the rank of development models.

[Musculoskeletal pathology in occupational risks and common degenerative disease: reflections on the intensity and duration of the risk].

PubMed

Bergamini, Roberta; Astengo, Rossana

2014-01-01

Nowadays, in Italy the reports of mnusculoskeletal diseases increase as confirmed in the last INAIL (national insurance for occupational diseases and injuries) annual report. The Emilia-Ronmagna is one of the region with the highest number of reports: 15.9% of the total in 2012. The decree no. 81/08 has partially simplified the medico-legal activities related to musculoskeletal diseases; however, the medico-legal physicians have still to deal with some issues such as risk assessment quality, economic crisis, and specific work environments (e.g. agriculture and many handicraft activities). Tire risk factors of musculoskeletal diseases and their assessments are quite well studied. The latency period of these diseases needs to be investigated, since it could be a relevant aspect for legal medical judgment, insurance protection and prevention. Based on literature data and INAIL experience, authors propose some considerations useful for a scientific debate.

Crustal structure of northern Italy from the ellipticity of Rayleigh waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berbellini, Andrea; Morelli, Andrea; G. Ferreira, Ana M.

2017-04-01

Northern Italy is a diverse geological region, including the wide and thick Po Plain sedimentary basin, which is bounded by the Alps and the Apennines. The seismically slow shallow structure of the Po Plain is difficult to retrieve with classical seismic measurements such as surface wave dispersion, yet the detailed structure of the region greatly affects seismic wave propagation and hence seismic ground shaking. Here we invert Rayleigh wave ellipticity measurements in the period range 10-60 s for 95 stations in northern Italy using a fully non linear approach to constrain vertical vS,vP and density profiles of the crust beneath each station. The ellipticity of Rayleigh wave ground motion is primarily sensitive to shear-wave velocity beneath the recording station, which reduces along-path contamination effects. We use the 3D layering structure in MAMBo, a previous model based on a compilation of geological and geophysical information for the Po Plain and surrounding regions of northern Italy, and employ ellipticity data to constrain vS,vP and density within its layers. We show that ellipticity data from ballistic teleseismic wave trains alone constrain the crustal structure well. This leads to MAMBo-E, an updated seismic model of the region's crust that inherits information available from previous seismic prospection and geological studies, while fitting new seismic data well. MAMBo-E brings new insights into lateral heterogeneity in the region's subsurface. Compared to MAMBo, it shows overall faster seismic anomalies in the region's Quaternary, Pliocene and Oligo-Miocene layers and better delineates the seismic structures of the Po Plain at depth. Two low velocity regions are mapped in the Mesozoic layer in the western and eastern parts of the Plain, which seem to correspond to the Monferrato sedimentary basin and to the Ferrara-Romagna thrust system, respectively.

Intracranial bleeding: epidemiology and relationships with antithrombotic treatment in 241 cerebral hemorrhages in Reggio Emilia.

PubMed

Nicolini, Alberto; Ghirarduzzi, Angelo; Iorio, Alfonso; Silingardi, Mauro; Malferrari, Giovanni; Baldi, Giovanni

2002-09-01

Anticoagulant (AC) and antiplatelet (AP) drugs are effectively used in the prevention of thromboembolic events, with the trade-off of bleeding side effects, particularly intracranial. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of intracranial bleeding in the population of Reggio Emilia and to investigate the potential effect of AC and AP drugs. We reviewed all the patients admitted for cerebral hemorrhages to our hospital between April 1998 and September 2000. Data were collected with a standardized form. All the patients were followed-up to estimate long-term mortality. Chi(2) and t-tests were used as appropriate. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test predictors of mortality. Pharmaceutical department data were employed to estimate the total number of patients receiving AC and AP drugs. We found 241 cases (107/134 female/male, mean age 61 years, 133/107 spontaneous/traumatic events, 0.32/1,000/year overall). Twenty-nine and 47 of these patients were being given AC or AP drugs, respectively (4.9/1,000/year and 3.7/1,000/year). The relative risk of intracranial bleeding was 11.5 in AP and 15.3 in AC treated patients. Two patients (one underwent neurosurgery and one thrombolytic treatment) were excluded from mortality and risk factors analysis. Six patients were lost from follow-up and excluded from mortality analysis. Overall mortality was 100/233 (42.9%); mortality in traumatic events was 25/103 (24.2%) versus 75/130 (57.7%) in spontaneous events. Mortality was 19/29 (65.5%), 26/47 (55.3%) and 55/157 (35%) in AC recipients, AP recipients, and untreated patients, respectively. This increased risk was mainly confined to traumatic events (p = 0.06), without difference between AC and AP recipients. At the time of the event, the mean duration of oral AC treatment was 26.3 months (range 1-120). Mean INR was = 3.1 (range 1.6-8.8). Mortality was significantly predicted by the Glasgow Coma Scale Score (GCS) at admission (p < 0.0001), by the type of bleeding (spontaneous versus traumatic) (p = 0.0026), and by age (p < 0.0001). Careful selection of patients and prevention of traumatic events are the main candidate mechanisms to reduce intracranial bleeding in patients being treated with AC and AP drugs.

Impact of the 24-h ultramarathon race on homocysteine, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and paraoxonase 1 levels in professional runners

PubMed Central

Benedetti, Serena; Catalani, Simona; Peda, Federica; Luchetti, Francesca; Citarella, Roberto; Battistelli, Serafina

2018-01-01

The impact of the 24-h ultramarathon race on homocysteine (Hcy) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels, two well-recognized cardiovascular risk factors, has not been deeply investigated. Similarly, no information exists on paraoxonase 1 (PON1), an antioxidant enzyme associated with high-density lipoproteins, which may detoxify oxLDL and Hcy-thiolactone, hence preventing their proatherogenic action. Taking this into account, a competitive 24-h ultramarathon race was organized in Reggio-Emilia (Italy) recruiting professional runners (n = 14) from the Italian Ultramarathon and Trail Association. Blood samples were collected from each participant before, during (14 h), and immediately after (24 h) the competition, thus to monitor the serum changes in Hcy, oxLDL, and PON1 levels, as well as other oxidative stress-related parameters, namely reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and total antioxidant capacity (PAT). As a result, a significant PON1 increase was recorded after 14 h of racing that persisted until the end of the performance. The same trend was observed for PAT values, which positively correlated to PON1 levels (R = 0.643, P<0.001). Hcy, oxLDL, and ROM remained almost unchanged throughout the competition. In conclusion, the present study suggested a protective role of PON1 in sustaining the antioxidant defense system and contrasting lipoprotein oxidative modifications over the 24-h race, and did not specifically evidence either Hcy or oxLDL accumulation in such challenging sporting events. PMID:29394290

Impact of the 24-h ultramarathon race on homocysteine, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, and paraoxonase 1 levels in professional runners.

PubMed

Benedetti, Serena; Catalani, Simona; Peda, Federica; Luchetti, Francesca; Citarella, Roberto; Battistelli, Serafina

2018-01-01

The impact of the 24-h ultramarathon race on homocysteine (Hcy) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels, two well-recognized cardiovascular risk factors, has not been deeply investigated. Similarly, no information exists on paraoxonase 1 (PON1), an antioxidant enzyme associated with high-density lipoproteins, which may detoxify oxLDL and Hcy-thiolactone, hence preventing their proatherogenic action. Taking this into account, a competitive 24-h ultramarathon race was organized in Reggio-Emilia (Italy) recruiting professional runners (n = 14) from the Italian Ultramarathon and Trail Association. Blood samples were collected from each participant before, during (14 h), and immediately after (24 h) the competition, thus to monitor the serum changes in Hcy, oxLDL, and PON1 levels, as well as other oxidative stress-related parameters, namely reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and total antioxidant capacity (PAT). As a result, a significant PON1 increase was recorded after 14 h of racing that persisted until the end of the performance. The same trend was observed for PAT values, which positively correlated to PON1 levels (R = 0.643, P<0.001). Hcy, oxLDL, and ROM remained almost unchanged throughout the competition. In conclusion, the present study suggested a protective role of PON1 in sustaining the antioxidant defense system and contrasting lipoprotein oxidative modifications over the 24-h race, and did not specifically evidence either Hcy or oxLDL accumulation in such challenging sporting events.

On the Testing of Renovations Inside Historical Opera Houses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fausti, P.; Prodi, N.

2002-11-01

Due to the large number of historical opera houses in Italy, many theatres have been renovated in the past, but still more will undergo major restoration in the near future. Unfortunately in this context, the quality and protection of acoustics is rarely considered as an issue of its own. As a consequence, the renovations are hardly ever accompanied by proper scientific and technical support. In this paper, the acoustical impact of works inside the Teatro Municipale "R.Valli" in Reggio Emilia, including the restoration of the main hall and the construction of a new acoustic shell, will be dealt with. Surveys were held in the theatre before renovation and were repeated with identical procedure and instruments after its completion. By means of a comparative analysis of the architectural project and of acoustical data, the impact of major changes in the theatre can be predicted. It is shown that this approach can help in drafting an operational scheme for safeguarding the acoustics of historical opera houses.

Desmoplastic fibroma of the distal tibia: A case report of a minimally invasive histological diagnosis

PubMed Central

Levrini, Gabriele; Pattacini, Pierpaolo

2016-01-01

Desmoplastic fibroma (DF) is a benign, rare fibroblastic intraosseous neoplasm histologically resembling a desmoid soft tissue tumor. Although classified as benign, DF frequently exhibits an aggressive behavior, has a moderate-to-high recurrence rate, and often causes pathological fractures and extensive bone destruction. This case report presents an incidentally detected DF of the tibia, which was diagnosed using a minimally invasive approach. A 36-year-old African female patient was referred to the Department of Diagnostic Imaging of Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova-IRCCS (Reggio Emilia, Italy), to be examined by a computed tomography scan on an outpatient basis, after an x-ray examination of the tibia, which was performed after an injury to exclude the presence of a fracture, revealed a hyperlucency of unknown origin. The aim of this study was to discuss the clinical, histological, immunohistochemical and radiographic characteristics of this rare neoplasm, with a focus on image-guided bone biopsy. PMID:27882239

Corticosteroid treatment in Sydenham's chorea.

PubMed

Fusco, C; Spagnoli, C

2018-03-01

Sydenham's chorea (SC) is an immune-mediated hyperkinetic movement disorder, developing after group A Beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection. Aside from conventional symptomatic treatment (carbamazepine, valproate, neuroleptics), the use of steroids has also been advocated, mainly in severe, drug-resistant cases or if clinically disabling side effects develop with first line therapies. Based on the description of 5 cases followed in the Child Neurology Unit of Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Reggio Emilia and on the available medical literature on this topic, we propose considering the use of corticosteroids therapy in children with SC, with the administration of IV methyl-prednisolone followed by oral deflazacort in severe cases and of oral deflazacort alone in mild and moderate degrees of involvement. In our experience this therapy is effective both in the short and long-term period, in different clinical presentations (chorea paralytica, distal chorea, hemichorea, "classic" chorea, association with mood disorder or dyspraxia) and very well tolerated (no significant side effects were recorded). Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The use of HVSR measurements for investigating buried tectonic structures: the Mirandola anticline, Northern Italy, as a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarabusi, G.; Caputo, R.

2017-01-01

The Mirandola anticline represents a buried fault-propagation fold which has been growing during Quaternary due to the seismogenic activity of a blind segment belonging to the broader Ferrara Arc. The last reactivation occurred during the May 2012 Emilia sequence. In correspondence with this structure, the thickness of the marine and continental deposits of the Po Plain foredeep is particularly reduced. In order to better define the shallow geometry of this tectonic structure, and hence its recent activity, we investigated in a depth range which is intermediate between the surficial morphological observations and seismic profiles information. In particular, we carried out numerous passive seismic measurements (single-station microtremor) for obtaining the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio. The results of a combined analysis of the peak frequency and its amplitude nicely fit the available geological information, suggesting that this low-cost geophysical technique could be successfully applied in other sectors of wide morphologically flat alluvial plains to investigate blind and completely buried potential seismogenic structures.