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In this paper, we gather and take stock of the results produced by the Operational Earthquake Forecasting (OEF) system in Italy, during its first 10 yr of operativity. The system is run in real-time: every midnight and after each M L 3.5+ event, it produces the weekly forecast of earthquakes expected by an ensemble model in each cell of a spatial grid covering the entire Italian territory. To evaluate the performance skill of the OEF-Italy forecasts, we consider here standard tests of the Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability, which have been opportunely adapted to the case of the overlapped weekly OEF forecasts; then we also adopt new performance measures borrowed from other research fields, like meteorology, specific to validate alarm-based systems by a binary criterion (forecast: yes/no; occurrence: yes/no). Our final aim is to: (i) investigate possible weaknesses and room for improvements in the OEF-Italy stochastic modelling, (ii) provide performance measures that could be helpful for stakeholders who act through a boolean logic (making an action or not) and (iii) highlight possible features in the Italian tectonic seismic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of local seismic response plays a key role in assessing local seismic hazard and particularly in the design of shaking scenarios. Modelling local seismic response involves knowing of the shear wave velocity (VS) and quality factor (QS) profiles for the site in question. The many techniques that have been developed to assess VS in surface deposits produce reliable measurements of VS , but these rarely correspond to direct measurements of QS. The latter is often considered through damping measures from laboratory tests on small-scale soil samples, which can provide information primarily on intrinsic attenuation, neglecting the contribution of scattering effects. In this paper, using seismic recordings obtained at the surface and in boreholes at 100 m depth, we estimate an average value of QS of some characteristic alluvial deposits of the Po Plain (northern Italy). Data come from a microseismic network which sampled an almost uniform lithology in the central Po Plain and consisted of three surface and four borehole stations with an interstation distance of about 2 km. The average value of QS of the shallowest 100 m of the sedimentary strata, Q S ,100, is estimated by considering: (1) the high-frequency attenuation of seismic waves due to propagation through the corresponding stratigraphy and (2) the interference between incident and surface-reflected waves observed at borehole stations. We parametrize the first through |$\Delta k_{0_{ {100}}}$|⁠ , the difference between the values of the spectral decay parameter kappa (k) estimated at the surface and at the boreholes depth, respectively. We use the second in order to compute V S ,100, the time-averaged VS referred to the uppermost 100 m stratigraphy. We obtain: |$\Delta k_{0_{ {100}}} = (11 \pm 3)\,$|  ms, |${V_{S,100}} \, =\, (309\, \pm \, 11)\,$| m s−1 and |${Q_{S,100}} \, =\, 31 \pm 10$|⁠. At the surface, the estimated values of the site-specific kappa, k 0, are found to range from 75 to 79 ms. As expected, these results are in good agreement with studies performed in other sites characterized by sandy or clayey lithologies, and can be usefully used in site response analysis at sites where the rigidity is mainly controlled by lithostatic pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we deal with statistical features of earthquakes, seeking possible correlations between the Gutenberg–Richter magnitude distribution and the short-term clustering in an area of the Central Apennines, Italy, where significant seismicity with earthquakes exceeding magnitude 6.0 has been repeatedly observed from 1990 to the present. For this purpose, a recently developed version of the ETAS model, incorporating a 3-D spatial triggering kernel, has been adopted. Our analysis has been carried out representing the b -value and the probability of independence of events on six vertical cross-sections suitably related to the seismic structures that are considered responsible of the seismicity observed in the study area. The results of the statistical analysis of the seismicity in the study area have shown a clear distinction between the western normal low-angle fault system, characterized by eastward dip and the eastern normal fault systems, with westward dip. In the former (Etrurian Fault System ; EFS) we found seismicity with a high b -value and high probability of independence, that is a scarce capacity of producing clusters and strong aftershock sequences. The eastern fault systems of our study area are distinguishable in two main distinct systems, which generated two strong seismic sequences in 1997 and 2016–2017. In the former (Colfiorito) sequence the seismicity showed a very low b -value and a modest probability of independence, while in the latter (Central Italy) sequence the b -value was significantly higher and the probability of independence had extremely low values (manifesting a high level of clustering). The much higher b -value of the EFS than the other extensional sources could be caused by its peculiar seismotectonic role of discontinuity at the base of the normal active faulting, and its reduced capacity of accumulating stress. This circumstance may be interpreted by a difference in the rheological properties of these fault systems, possibly also in relation to their present status in the earthquake cycle and the presence of strong aftershock sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Etizolam is a benzodiazepine (BZD). Etizolam is structurally different from BZDs as a thiophene replaces the benzene ring and a triazole ring is fused to the diazepine ring, but etizolam's pharmacological profile is similar. Etizolam has been used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, to reduce depressive and somatization symptoms and to induce muscle relaxation. Etizolam is used recreationally due to its reinforcing and sedative effects. Etizolam is available in tablet or powder form or administered on blotter paper that can be placed on the tongue for oral absorption. Etizolam metabolizes into two major metabolites: α-hydroxyetizolam and 8-hydroxyetizolam, and all three compounds can be detected in different biological specimens using various common analytical techniques such as immunoassay, chromatography and mass spectrometry. Etizolam is a controlled drug in many countries around the globe but is approved for medical use in some countries, such as Japan, South Korea and Italy. This work is a collation and review of available literature on etizolam to help improve the fundamental understanding of its toxicology, outline best analytical practice, and aid interpretation of toxicology results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the M w 3.9 earthquake that occurred in the Ischia island (Naples, southern Italy) on 21 August 2017, the local monitoring seismic network was significantly improved in terms of both number of stations and instrumentation performance. Due to the huge amount of collected seismic ambient noise data, in this paper we present a first 3-D shear wave velocity model of the island retrieved from the inversion of horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio curves by fixing the shear wave velocities (Vs) and modifying the thicknesses to get the corresponding 1-D Vs models. We are confident about the robustness of the attained models since the inversion process provided a good convergence towards the best-fitting solutions. Then, a first 3-D velocity model was obtained by contouring all the 1-D models obtained for the selected seismic stations to highlight possible lateral variations of the layer thicknesses and to reconstruct the morphology of the deeper interface characterized by a high-impedance contrast. A good correspondence between the 3-D Vs model and the geological features of the island was observed, especially in the northern sector where most of the stations are installed. In particular, the top of the high-impedance contrast interface appears deeper in the northern coastal areas and shallower in the central sector. This result agrees with the structural settings of the island likely due to the resurgence of Mount Epomeo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The dissemination of scientific data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continually builds but, in April 2020, could not keep up with the spread of the disease. Through technology, surgeons in Italy and the UK, representing both peak and pre-peak infective time zones, were able to communicate so that the urgent lessons on the huge expected demands of care learned in Italy could be brought to the UK in advance. This paper specifically discusses the issues related to paediatric surgery, currently under-reported in the literature. Methods The aim of this paper is to conjoin experience from the field to provide a framework for a safe assessment and treatment of paediatric patients by adopting a systemic approach aimed at reducing the risk of contamination. We reviewed the processes and good practices that were undertaken in contexts of emergency such as in Italy and the UK and then adapted them within the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework to provide an assessment of how to reorganize the services in order to cope with an unexpected situation. The SEIPS model is the adopted theoretical framework, which allows to analyse the system in its main components with a human factors and ergonomics (HFE) perspective. Results The results introduce some of the good practices and recommendations developed during the emergency in the surgical scenario with a focus on the paediatric patients. They represent the lessons learned from the combination of the little existing evidence of literature and the experience from surgical teams who responded in an impromptu and unrehearsed way. Conclusions Lessons learned from the frontline 'on the fly' during COVID-19 emergency should be consolidated and taken into the future. In order to prepare proactively for the next phases and get ahead of the curve of these hospital accesses, there is a need for a risk assessment of the new clinical pathways with a multidisciplinary approach centred on HFE with the adoption of the SEIPS model and an involvement of all the surgical teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on a research paper on the prevalence, incidence and mortality of delirium in the COVID-19 disease, which references a study by S. C. Shao et al., published in a 2021 issue of "Age Ageing". Topics discussed include the characteristics of delirium, the challenges facing health professionals in managing delirium in patients with COVID-19, findings on its prevalence on admission and during hospitalization, and the study's implications for care for patients with delirium.

In traditional tight integration of high-rate GNSS and strong motion sensors, an appropriate process variance is crucial for obtaining accurate broad-band coseismic deformations. In this paper, instead of using a subjectively empirical value, we present an approach for determining the process variance adaptively based on the adaptive Kalman filter for real-time use. The performance of the approach was validated by the colocated stations collected during the 2010 M w 7.2 earthquake in El-Mayor, 2016 M w 7.8 earthquake in New Zealand and 2016 M w 6.5 earthquake in central Italy. The results show that this method complements the advantages of GNSS and strong motion accelerometers and can provide more accurate coseismic waveforms especially during the strong shaking period, due to the ability of the method to adjust the process variance in real time according to the actual status of the station. In addition, this method is also free from the influence of the baseline shift. Testing of the new method for the integration of strong motion and multi-GNSS indicates that multi-GNSS has an obvious improvement in the precision while single GPS has a poor observation condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The joint inversion of multiple data sets encompasses the advantages of different geophysical methods but may yield to conflicting solutions. Global search methods have been recently developed to address the issue of local minima found by derivative-based methods, to analyse the data compatibility and to find the set of trade-off solutions, since they are not unique. In this paper, we examine two evolutionary algorithms to solve the joint inversion of electrical and electromagnetic data. These nature-inspired metaheuristics also adopt the principle of Pareto optimality in order to identify the result among the feasible solutions and then infer the data compatibility. Since the joint inversion is characterized by more than one objective, we implemented the algorithm multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) to jointly interpret time-domain electromagnetic data and vertical electrical sounding. We first tested MOPSO on a synthetic model. The performance of MOPSO was directly compared with that of a multi-objective genetic algorithm, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-III), which has often been adopted in geophysics. The adoption of MOPSO and NSGA-III enabled avoiding both simplification into a single-objective problem and the use of a weighting factor between the objectives. We tested the two methods on real data sets collected in the northwest of Italy. The results obtained from MOPSO and NSGA-III were highly comparable to each other and largely consistent with literature findings. The MOPSO performed a rigorous selection of the best trade-off solutions and its convergence was faster than NSGA-III. The analysis of the Pareto Front reported data incompatibility, which is very common for real data due to different resolutions, sensitivities and depth of investigations. Notwithstanding this, the multi-objective optimizers provided a complementary interpretation of the data, ensuring significant advantages with respect to the separate optimizations we carried out using the single-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lower levels of sun exposure in childhood have been suggested to be associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). In this paper we extend previous work, using two novel analytical strategies.Methods: Data collected in the Environmental risk factors In MS (EnvIMS) study, a case-control study with MS cases and population-based controls from Canada, Italy and Norway, were used. Participants reported on sun exposure behaviours for 5-year age intervals from birth; we focused on the first three age intervals (≤15 years). We compared two life course epidemiology conceptual models, the critical period and the accumulation model. We also used latent class analysis to estimate MS risk for different latent sun exposure behaviour groups.Results: The analyses included 2251 cases and 4028 controls. The accumulation model was found to be the best model, which demonstrated a nearly 50% increased risk of MS comparing lowest reported summer sun exposure with highest [risk ratio (RR) = 1.47 (1.24, 1.74)]. The latent sun exposure behaviour group, characterized by low sun exposure during summer and winter and high sun protection use, had the highest risk of MS; a 76% increased risk as compared with the group with high sun exposure and low sun protection use [RR = 1.76 (1.27, 2.46)].Conclusions: Our analyses provide novel insights into the link between sun exposure and MS. We demonstrate that more time indoors during childhood and early adolescence is linked with MS risk, and that sun protection behaviours in those who spend most time indoors may play a key role in increasing risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare associated foodborne outbreaks (HA-FBO) can result from exposure to contaminated food in premises where highly vulnerable patients are cared, including hospitals and nursery homes. The probability of developing severe foodborne diseases such as invasive listeriosis is much higher for susceptible populations. There is limited knowledge on the data on food exposures that could be used to investigate HAFBOs. There is also lack of data relating to specific policies in the health facilities aimed to prevent the administration of potentially risky foods, possibly bringing them from home. Methods: This study was in the framework of One Health EJP Project NOVA. A semistructured questionnaire was administered to 4 general hospitals, 1 specialist clinic and 3 nursing homes located in the Abruzzo and Molise regions, Italy. The questionnaire included 25 questions in 3 sections (I. General organization of the catering service; II. Food menu data; III. Food from home). Results: In most facilities (75%) external catering companies used inhouse kitchens. Trace-back of food to individual patients was possible in 5 premises out of 8 (62.5%), but only in 1 nursery home out of 3 (33.3%). Data were collected in electronic format (hospitals) or paper (nursery homes) and stored 1-12 months. Food at risk of Listeria monocytogenes were not excluded from the menus, such as pre-sliced cooked meat products (served in 4 out of 8 premises, 50%), smoked fish (20%), soft cheese (20%). The consumption of food brought from home was possible in ‘‘special occasions’’, mostly in the nursery homes (66.6%). Conclusions: In case of HA-FBO it could be difficult to trace back the food particularly in the nursery homes where food data are not individually collected and usually on paper. More studies are needed in order to understand the effective exposure to foodborne pathogens, given that some types of foods considered by EFSA as at high risk of microbial contamination are commonly served. Key messages: · Served food could not be traced back to the patient mostly in nursery homes. · Foods at risk of Listeria monocytogenes contamination are commonly served to patients and residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are common in primary care and are one of the most challenging clinical encounters for general practitioners (GPs).Objective: To assess GPs' clinical experience with MUS and its relationship with their gender, age and length of practice.Methods: Four hundred and thirty-three Italian GPs were invited to complete a questionnaire encompassing the following MUS-related features: workload, cognitive and emotional responses, management strategies, attitudes towards psychological interventions, sources of education and educational needs.Results: A total of 347 GPs (80.1%) participated in the study. About seven out of ten physicians spent 'much' or 'very much' time and energy for MUS during their daily practice. Fear of neglecting a medical disease was the most frequent (59.1%) response to MUS. Providing reassurance and support (73.8%) and listening to the patient (69.2%) were the most frequent management strategies. More than half of GPs rated psychological interventions as 'much' or 'very much' useful for MUS. However, only a third of GPs were well informed about the role of psychologists in MUS management. The main sources of education about MUS were scientific papers and continuing medical education courses. Most of GPs (77.5%) needed further education about MUS. GPs' younger age and lower length of practice were significantly associated with negative emotional responses to MUS.Conclusion: The introduction of guidelines for MUS in Italian primary care settings would promote a collaborative clinical approach to MUS and more formal training on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimulated by the recent advances in computational tools for the simulation of seismic wave propagation problems in realistic geological configurations, this paper presents a 3D physicsbased numerical analysis of near-source ground motion during the MW 6.0 2012 May 29 earthquake in the Po Plain, Northern Italy. To reproduce with sufficient accuracy some of the most peculiar features of the near-source strong-motion records and of the spatial variability of damage distribution, this study required a sequence of investigations, starting from the analysis of a wide set of near-source records, to the calibration of an improved kinematic seismic source model, up to the development of a 3D numerical model of the portion of the Po Plain interested by the earthquake. The latter includes the basin geometry, characterized by sediment thickness sharply varying from few tens of metres to some kilometres. The spatial resolution of the numerical model is suitable to propagate frequencies up to about 1.5 Hz. Numerical simulations were performed using the open-source high-performance code SPEED, based on the Discontinuous Galerkin Spectral Elements method. The 3D numerical model, coupled with the updated slip distribution along the rupturing fault, proved successful to reproduce with good agreement, measured through quantitative goodness-of-fit criteria, the most relevant features of the observed ground motion. These include: (i) the large fault normal velocity peaks at the near-source stations driven by updip directivity effects; (ii) the small-scale variability at short distance from the source, resulting in the out-of-phase motion at stations separated by only 3 km distance; (iii) the propagation of prominent trains of surface waves, especially in the Northern direction; (iv) the map of earthquake-induced ground uplift with maximum values of about 10 cm, in substantial agreement with geodetic measurements and (v) the two-lobed pattern of the peak ground velocity map, well correlated with the distribution of macroseismic intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After rising for years, vaccination rates in Italy fell until 2015 because of unfounded safety concerns, abetted by some government and court actions. Public education and a 2017 law on mandatory vaccination have boosted rates since then. So far only a few papers have examined the correlation between beliefs and attitudes towards vaccines and the level of trust in the scientific community regarding vaccinations in the general population. Methods: Data were extracted from the Italian section of the last two editions of the European Social Survey (ESS), the first carried out between September and November 2017, the latter between December 2018 and March 2019. A descriptive analysis was conducted using survey data. In the two editions respectively 2,626 and 2,745 persons were interviewed. The main outcomes assessed was comparing the two surveys, so as to highlight the key changes in public opinion on vaccines. Results: In the 2017 edition, 19% of the respondents believed in the harmfulness of vaccines, out of them 29% did not even have trust in the scientific community while those confident in the safety of vaccines were 50%. In the 2019 survey, the proportion of those who believed vaccines to be harmful fell to 15%, the undecided rose to 15%, those opposed to the idea that vaccines are harmful became 63%, not responding people were 8%. Correspondingly, trust in the scientific community about vaccines has increased from 57% in the first survey to 70% in the last one. Conclusions: The scientific community and research bodies in the last years, in support of the Ministry of Health, have made a huge effort in the public debate on vaccines. This might play a role in increasing the public confidence in the safety of vaccines and the adherence to vaccination campaigns, changing the climate with regard to vaccination in general. Key messages: Italians changed their opinions on vaccines between two ESS surveys. The scientific community had a relevant role in the public debate on vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The role of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) in alcohol dependence (AD) is still unclear. In this paper, we have evaluated the association of the SLC6A4 gene polymorphisms 5-HTTLPR and rs25531 in AD and assessed the polymorphic patterns both in alcoholics and in healthy people of an Italian population. Methods: Genotyping of the 5-HTTLPR (L/S) and rs25531 (A/G) polymorphisms of the SLC6A4 gene was performed on 403 alcoholics outpatients and 427 blood donors. Results: Comparing AD and control populations and taking into account statistical correction for multiple testing,we found no statistically significant differences for 5-HTTLPR (L/S) and rs25531 polymorphisms in terms of either genotypes or alleles frequencies. By univariate ANOVA, a statistically significant difference was found in the onset of AD: the mean age of onset resulted to be of 25.4 years in males in respect to 28.1 in females. In particular in males, the early AD onset was different, in a statistically significant manner, depending on the presence of at least one S or Lg allele (24.6 years) in respect to La homozygotes (27.5 years) (P = 0.03). Conclusions: These findings suggest that genetic factors contribute, together with gender and age, to the onset differences in alcohol-dependent phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION: Is it possible to replicate the genetic association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs 13394619, rs4141819, rs7739264, rs 17694933 and rs 10859871 in five genetic loci previously identified as associated with endometriosis in an Italian Caucasian population? SUMMARY ANSWER: SNP rs 10859871 near the vezatin (VEZT) gene was found to be significantly associated with endometriosis in general while SNPs rs 17694933 and rs4141819 were associated with Stage III/IV and ovarian disease, respectively. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Endometriosis represents a complex disease in which the phenotypic manifestations are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have allowed to identify some SNPs associated with the predisposition to the disease. A meta-analysis published in 2014 combined results from GWAS and replication studies showing that of the nine loci found to be associated with the disease in at least one of the studies, six (rs7521902, rs 1270667, rs 13394619, rs7739264, rs 1537377 and rs 10859871) remained genome-wide significant while two others (rs 1250248 and rs4141819) showed borderline genome-wide significant association with more severe disease. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Allele frequencies of selected SNPs (rs13394619, rs4141819, rs7739264, rs17694933 and rs 10859871) were investigated in 305 women with laparoscopically proven endometriosis, 285 laparoscopic controls and 2425 healthy, blood donor controls from the general population. A meta-analysis with previous data was also conducted. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: A total of 590 women who underwent endoscopic surgery were enrolled in the study and a blood sample was collected. After DNA extraction, genotype was obtained using Taq-Man pre-designed assay. Genotype data from healthy blood donor women were obtained from an existing genotype bank. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: A statistically significant association with endometriosis was found for SNP rs 10859871, close to the VEZT gene, compared with both general population [odds ratio (OR) = 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20- 1.71, P = 6.9 x 10-5] and laparoscopic controls (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.24-2.02, P = 2.1 x 10-4). Meta-analysis with previous data confirmed the rs 10859871 SNP as that with the strongest evidence for association with endometriosis (OR= 1.19, 95% CI: 1.15-1.24, P= 7.9 x 10-20). A further meta-analysis conducted using data from Stage III-IV endometriosis resulted in stronger genome-wide significant effect sizes for four out of the five SNPs tested. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The inability to confirm all previous demonstrated associations considering all stages of endometriosis maybe due to a lack of statistical power and differences in the definition of cases included. WIDER implications of the findings: The associations with the SNPs identified so far have been obtained with a relatively small sample size supporting a limited heterogeneity across the various datasets. This represents an important advance in the identification of genetic markers of this disease. STUDY FINDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): No funding to declare. The authors have no competing financial interests in relation to the content of this research paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The M ∼ 7 1915 Fucino (Central Italy) earthquake represents one of the most destructive seismic events ever occurred in the Italian Peninsula. Several seismogenic faults have been proposed in the past decades as the source of the earthquake by means of different approaches and techniques that lead to a variety of speculations about the source mechanism and the fault location, often contrasting with one another. The 1915 earthquake produced a remarkable data set of 73 coseismic hydrological changes in the near and intermediate field that consist in variation of the flow of streams and springs, liquefaction, rise of water temperature and turbidity. In this paper, we study the coseismic water level changes induced by the 1915 earthquake in the near field to provide convincing clues on the geometry of the earthquake causative fault. We model the coseismic strain field induced by seventeen individual faults proposed through different approaches, and compare its pattern with the distribution of streamflow changes. We find: (i) clues on the most probable geometry of the earthquake causative fault. Best fits between modelled deformation and observed data are displayed by sources (derived by geological or seismological data) that share several distinctive features, as they are ∼135°-striking, SW-dipping, 25–30-km-long normal faults located along the eastern side of the Fucino basin. These data point to the Serrone Fault and the Parasano Fault as the most likely causative structures and support the hypothesis that the coseismic ruptures observed in the field represented primary surface faulting. On the contrary, our calculations show that the Pescina Fault and the Ventrino Fault are secondary faults from the perspective of the hydrological response. Finally, one of the best scoring potential sources (from geological data) is a multifaulting system that considers the presence, in the central-western part of the basin, of fault splays synthetic and antithetic to the main seismogenic structures; therefore, we infer for these splays a possible active involvement in a 1915-like seismogenic process; (ii) evidence against a number of seismogenic structures that were previously associated with the earthquake. In particular, the plots of coseismic strain induced by sources uniquely derived by macroseismic or geodetic data prove to be inconsistent with the polarities of the hydrological signatures. Also, sources mainly characterized by reverse faulting and/or by right-lateral strike-slip component are discarded and (iii) as a final remark, we maintain that the study of the hydrological signatures of earthquake strain can offer an alternative tool in the investigation of the historical seismicity, to estimate the focal mechanism of major earthquakes capable of giving rise to a consistent data set of hydrological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health, particularly among young adults, has been severely affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, partially because of both forced social isolation measures and loneliness. Numerous papers on the short-term consequences of lockdown measures reported high psychological distress, as well as an increase of depressive and anxiety symptoms and psychotropic drug use. This study evaluated potential risk and protective factors, such as resilience, loneliness, social and family context, in order to detect vulnerable individuals. Methods: This prospective longitudinal study was carried out in a two phase survey: the first one, during lockdown in Spring 2020 (T1), and, the second one, in Summer 2020 (T2), when restrictive measures were slackened. The main outcomes included the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. The secondary outcomes included mental health care needs (MHCN), use of psychotropic drugs and family and social contacts. Results: This study evaluated risks and protective factors in mental health in 825 emerging adults aged from 18 to 25 years old in Belgium and in Italy. Participants were divided into three groups according to their MHCN before and after lockdown measures. 5% of the participants experienced an increase in MHCN at T1, including the start of a psychotropic treatment. At T1, statistically significant differences were found in mean RSA total scores and RSA Perception of Self scores between groups. At T2, the group who experienced an increase in MHCN displayed a significant decrease of mean loneliness scores compared with the other groups. This decrease is linearly correlated with resilience competencies. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictive measures cause a negative impact on youth’s mental health, particularly among vulnerable individuals. Resilience and social contacts are protective factors that need to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]