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Background: While extensive research exists on muscle injuries among adult football players, a notable gap persists in studies concerning younger footballers. The aim of the current study is to provide epidemiological data on the characteristics of time-loss muscle injuries in young football players participating in the Italian Under-19 male elite Championship ("Primavera 1"). Results: Conducted as a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study, this research gathered injury data from the 2022-23 season across 14 of the 18 Clubs in the first Italian Under-19 championship. The cohort comprised 391 players with a mean age (± standard deviation) of 18.0 ± 0.4 years. A total of 479 injuries were reported, resulting in 14,231 days of activity lost. Of these, muscle injuries were 209 (44%), accounting for 4,519 (32%) days lost. Overall muscle injuries incidence was 1.82/1000 hours, with a mean injury burden of 39.4 days lost/1000 hours. Almost all muscle injuries (206 out of 209: 98.5%) occurred in hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, calf and iliopsoas. Hamstrings injuries were the most burdensome (18.8 days lost/1000 hours) accounting for nearly half of all days lost due to muscle injuries. Incidence and burden of adductors injuries (0.25 injuries and 4.1 days lost/1000 hours, respectively) were found to be comparable to calf injuries (0.24 injuries and 4.7 days lost/1000 hours, respectively). Iliopsoas injuries accounted for a noteworthy portion of the total, with an injury incidence of 0.16/1000 hours and a burden of 3.3 days lost/1000 hours. Injuries with myo-tendinous or myo-aponeurotic involvement demonstrated delayed return-to-football compared to those without such involvement (35.6 vs. 18.5 days, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: The study highlighted a peculiar distribution of non-contact muscle injuries among elite young football players. While hamstring injuries were confirmed as the most burdensome, incidence and burden of adductors and calf injuries were found to be similar. A significant incidence and burden of iliopsoas injuries were observed. These findings suggest potential implementations for targeted injury prevention strategies in the Italian male elite Under-19 football Championship. Key points: • In the Italian male elite Under-19 football Championship, each Club can expect around 15 non-contact muscle injuries during the season (for a team of 25 players) distributed as follows: 6 hamstrings, 3 quadriceps, 2 adductors, 2 calf and 1 iliopsoas muscle injuries. • Hamstrings injury incidence and burden (both in training sessions and during matches), as well as the proportion of reinjuries, were found to be the highest among muscle sites. • Injuries to adductors and calf muscles exhibited comparable values of incidence and burden. • Iliopsoas emerged as a noteworthy site of injury in the current cohort, particularly during training sessions. • Aponeurosis or tendon damage was associated with longer return to football timing, particularly in hamstrings and adductors injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Satisfaction with Simulation Experience scale is a 5-point Likert scale that measures students' satisfaction in medium and high-fidelity simulation scenarios. This study aims at investigating the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Simulation Experience - Italian Version scale. Methods: A multi-centre cross-sectional study was conducted. The scale was administered to a sample of 266 undergraduate nursing students from two Italian universities after attending a medium- and high-fidelity simulation session in November 2022 and March 2023. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total correlation were sorted out to assess internal consistency and reliability. The test-retest method was used as a measure of scale stability over time as well as the confirmatory factor analysis to verify construct validity. Results: The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.94 for the overall scale, indicating excellent reliability, and it was 0.84 or higher for each subscales, indicating good reliability. A large correlation coefficient of 0.60 or higher was found between each item and its subscale and between each item and the overall scale score. A medium test-retest correlation coefficient was found for most items (r > 0.30). The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the factorial structure found in the original study. Conclusions: Satisfaction is an important teaching and learning quality indicator along with the achievement of learning outcomes in simulation. The Satisfaction with Simulation Experience - Italian Version scale showed good reliability and validity; therefore, it could be a useful tool to assess simulation impact in Italian nursing students. The extensive utilization of the Satisfaction with Simulation Experience scale, along with its various validated versions, could facilitate assessing satisfaction in simulation across diverse contexts and enable comparisons of findings across studies in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Actinomycosis represents a challenging and under-reported complication of vascular surgery. Optimal management of Actinomyces spp. prosthetic vascular graft infection (PVGI) is highly uncertain because of the paucity of reports on this disease. Methods: We conducted a retrospective case-series of Actinomyces-PVGI that occurred in the last five years in two major university hospitals in northern Italy. We searched for previously published cases in the scientific literature. Results: We report five original cases of Actinomyces spp. prosthetic vascular graft infection following aortic aneurysm repair. Our literature review retrieved eight similar cases. Most patients were immunocompetent males. Most infections were polymicrobial (11/13 cases), with a prevalence of A. odontolyticus involvement (3/13 cases were associated with. Salmonella spp. infection). All cases had a late presentation (≥4 months from graft placement), with 61% associated with an aorto-enteric fistula. All patients received antibiotic therapy, but the duration was highly heterogeneous (from two weeks to life-long antibiotics). The patients without surgical revision experienced septic recurrences (2/13), permanent dysfunction (1/13), or a fatal outcome (2/13), while of the remainder who underwent vascular graft explant, six recovered completely and one developed a periprosthetic abscess. In two cases follow-up was not available. Conclusions: This case-series aims to raise the diagnostic suspicion and to describe the current management of Actinomyces-PVGIs. We highlight a high heterogeneity in antibiotic duration, choice of the antibiotic regimen, and surgical management. Higher reporting rate is advisable to produce better evidence and optimize management of this rare complication of vascular surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Team processes, such as reflexivity and participation, are critical for organizational sustainability, especially in high-reliability professions such as healthcare. However, little is known about health-related predictors of team processes. Basing our hypotheses on the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model, this study investigates the influence of perceived organizational commitment to mental health (OCMH) on healthcare workers' team reflexivity and participation via mental health-specific leadership (MHsL) and team autonomy.Patients and Methods: The study involved 82 participants (ie, physicians, nurses, healthcare assistants, healthcare technicians, and physiotherapists) working in the Medicine, Emergency, and Neurological Departments at a large public healthcare organization in Italy. Data was gathered at 2-time points, 14 months apart.Results: The results suggest that healthcare workers' perception of their organization's support for mental health at T1 significantly impacts team participation at T2 through MHsL and team autonomy. Likewise, the indirect effect of OCMH through MHsL and team autonomy was also significant in the model predicting team reflexivity. However, in both models, no direct relationship of OCMH on the dependent variables was found.Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of a mental health-supportive environment and leadership to foster team autonomy and, subsequentially, team processes, which are fundamental for performance and patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stepwise increase in the utilization of ketogenic dietary therapies for drug-resistant epilepsy has been observed in Italy in the last decade, although it is still considered often underused in many centers when compared to other countries. The Dietary Therapy Study Group of the Italian League against Epilepsy proposes practical recommendations to improve shared knowledge and facilitate the application of ketogenic dietary therapies, optimizing its efficacy and tolerability. The experts involved (11 child neuropsychiatrists, two adult neurologists, one psychologist, one pharmacologist, one pediatric endocrinologist, one representative of patients' associations, and three dietitians and clinical nutritionists) responded to a survey on current clinical practice issues and were asked to discuss controversial topics related to supplementation, long-term maintenance, transition, and a multidisciplinary approach to ketogenic dietary therapies. Practical indications for patient selection, diet initiation, management, side effects prevention, and follow-up are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study was to characterize Freisa red wines from Piedmont (northern Italy) according to their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and elemental composition. Moreover, the authors investigated whether it was possible to distinguish among the five different DOCs produced in Piedmont on the basis of these chemical parameters. The VOCs profile of Freisa wines was very similar, and the most abundant species detected were isoamyl alcohol, phenylethyl alcohol, ethyl octanoate, and diethyl succinate. Conversely, elemental composition allowed us to partially distinguish one Freisa DOC with respect to the others. Multivariate statistical analysis applied to elemental composition revealed differences among Freisa wines and other red wines from different regions of Italy. In particular, Freisa wines featured higher concentrations of Cr and Ni metals, which are strongly correlated with the composition of the soil of Piedmont. These two elements are hence good candidates as chemical markers for Freisa wines from Piedmont. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are many different types of Leukodystrophies. Specifically, children with hypomyelination and congenital cataract syndrome (HCC) in addition to motor retardation development, hypotonia and progressive spastic paraplegia, associated with cerebellar ataxia and peripheral neuropathy, have early bilateral cataracts and intellectual disability as pathognomonic symptoms. HCC rehabilitation treatment is not well defined, but a significant amount of evidence in the literature has demonstrated the effectiveness of occupational therapy (OT) treatment in children with similar symptomatology. For this reason, the aim of this study was to describe the improvement in the autonomies and social participation of a child with HCC following OT treatment. Methods: A.E. was a 9-year-old child with HCC with severe intellectual disability. OT intervention lasted 3 months biweekly and each session lasted 45 min. Each session was divided into two parts: The first part aimed to increase the child's active involvement through activities; the second part involved training in Activities of Daily living (ADL). The outcome measures were: ABILHAND-Kids; Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory; Comprehensive OT Evaluation Scale; ADL and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Results: A.E.'s outcome measure reported an improvement from an autonomy standpoint and in the child's general activity participation; there was also an increase in A.E.'s interpersonal skills. Conclusion: OT treatment improved A.E.'s autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal pathogens involved in grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) may infect grapevines throughout their lifetime, from nursery to vineyard, via open wounds in stems, canes or roots. In vineyards, pruning wound protection products (PWPPs) offer the best means to reduce the chance of infection by GTD fungi. However, PWPPs may affect non-target microorganisms that comprise the natural endophytic mycobiome residing in treated canes, disrupting microbial homeostasis and indirectly influencing grapevine health. Using DNA metabarcoding, we characterized the endophytic mycobiome of one-year-old canes of cultivars Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah in two vineyards in Portugal and Italy and assessed the impact of established and novel PWPPs on the fungal communities of treated canes. Our results reveal a large fungal diversity (176 taxa), and we report multiple genera never detected before in grapevine wood (e.g., Symmetrospora and Akenomyces). We found differences in mycobiome beta diversity when comparing vineyards (p = 0.01) but not cultivars (p > 0.05). When examining PWPP-treated canes, we detected cultivar- and vineyard-dependent alterations in both alpha and beta diversity. In addition, numerous fungal taxa were over- or under-represented when compared to control canes. Among them, Epicoccum sp., a beneficial genus with biological control potential, was negatively affected by selected PWPPs. This study demonstrates that PWPPs induce alterations in the fungal communities of grapevines, requiring an urgent evaluation of their direct and indirect effects on plants health with consideration of factors such as climatic conditions and yearly variations, in order to better advise viticulturists and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Data on COVID‐19 outcomes in persons with epilepsy (PWE) are scarce and inconclusive. We aimed to study the risk of hospitalization and death for COVID‐19 in a large cohort of PWE from March 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021. Methods: The historical cohort design (EpiLink Bologna) compared adult PWE grouped into people with focal epilepsy (PFE), idiopathic generalized epilepsy (PIGE), and developmental and/or epileptic encephalopathy (PDEE), and a population cohort matched (ratio 1:10) for age, sex, residence, and comorbidity (assessed with the multisource comorbidity score), living in the local health trust of Bologna (approximately 800 000 residents). Clinical data were linked to health administrative data. Results: In both cohorts (EpiLink: n = 1575 subjects, 1128 PFE, 267 PIGE, 148 PDEE, 32 other; controls: n = 15 326 subjects), 52% were females, and the mean age was 50 years (SD = 18). Hospital admissions for COVID‐19 in the whole period were 49 (3.1%) in PWE and 225 (1.5%) in controls. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) in PWE was 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4–2.7). The subgroups at higher risk were PFE (aHR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3–2.8) and PDEE (aHR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.7–8.7), whereas PIGE had a risk comparable to the controls (aHR = 1.1, 95% CI =.3–3.5). Stratified analyses of the two main epidemic waves (March–May 2020, October 2020–May 2021) disclosed a higher risk of COVID‐19‐related hospitalization during the first epidemic wave (March–May 2020; aHR = 3.8, 95% CI = 2.2–6.7). Polytherapy with antiseizure medications contributed to a higher risk of hospital admission. Thirty‐day risk of death after hospitalization was 14% in both PWE and controls. Significance: During the first 20 months since the outbreak of COVID‐19 in Bologna, PWE had a doubled risk of COVID‐19 hospital admission compared to a matched control population. Conversely, epilepsy did not represent a risk factor for COVID‐19‐related death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the use of telemedicine with phone-call visits as a practical tool to follow-up with patients affected by urological benign diseases, whose clinic visits had been cancelled during the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Patients were contacted via phone-call and a specific questionnaire was administered to evaluate the health status of these patients and to identify those who needed an "in-person" ambulatory visit due to the worsening of their condition. Secondarily, the patients' perception of a potential shift towards a "telemedicine" approach to the management of their condition and to indirectly evaluate their desire to return to "in-person" clinic visits. Results: 607 were contacted by phone-call. 87.5% (531/607) of the cases showed stability of the symptoms so no clinic in-person or emergency visits were needed. 81.5% (495/607) of patients were more concerned about the risk of contagion than their urological condition. The median score for phone visit comprehensibility and ease of communication of exams was 5/5; whilst patients' perception of phone visits' usefulness was scored 4/5. 53% (322/607) of the interviewees didn't own the basic supports required to be able to perform a real telemedicine consult according to the required standards. Conclusion: Telemedicine approach limits the number of unnecessary accesses to medical facilities and represents an important tool for the limitation of the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. However, infrastructures, health workers and patients should reach out to a computerization process to allow a wider diffusion of more advanced forms of telemedicine, such as televisit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a discussion of the martyrdom of Cistercian monks of Casamari in Italy, adapted from the article "Les Martyrs de Casamari 13-16 mai 1799" by Pierdomenico M. Volpi which appeared in a 2020 issue of "Collectanea Cisterciensia." Prior Fr. Simeone Maria Cardon died due to the injuries he sustained from the French revolutionary soldiers in 1799. The other martyr monks include Fr. Domenico Maria Zavrel, Brother Albertino Maria Maisonade, and Brother Modesto Maria Burgon.

To ensure environmental and public safety, critical facilities require rigorous seismic hazard analysis to define seismic input for their design. We consider the case of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is a pipeline that transports natural gas from the Caspian Sea to southern Italy, crossing active faults and areas characterized by high seismicity levels. For this pipeline, we develop a Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) for the broader area, and, for the selected critical sites, we perform deterministic seismic hazard assessment (DSHA), by calculating shaking scenarios that account for the physics of the source, propagation, and site effects. This paper presents a DSHA for a compressor station located at Fier, along the Albanian coastal region. Considering the location of the most hazardous faults in the study site, revealed by the PSHA disaggregation, we model the ground motion for two different scenarios to simulate the worst-case scenario for this compressor station. We compute broadband waveforms for receivers on soft soils by applying specific transfer functions estimated from the available geotechnical data for the Fier area. The simulations reproduce the variability observed in the ground motion recorded in the near-earthquake source. The vertical ground motion is strong for receivers placed above the rupture areas and should not be ignored in seismic designs; furthermore, our vertical simulations reproduce the displacement and the static offset of the ground motion highlighted in recent studies. This observation confirms the importance of the DSHA analysis in defining the expected pipeline damage functions and permanent soil deformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy sheep systems are relevant for the economy of many rural areas of the Mediterranean Basin and the optimisation of their productive factors is necessary to improve their competitiveness and to reduce their environmental impact. The objective of this study was to assess, through a farm-scale life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, the potential of reducing environmental impacts on ewe milk of an innovative farming system (IF), based on the adoption of a precision feeding approach to improve milk production and quality, compared with a conventional farming system (CF) in dairy sheep farms in Tuscany region, Italy. The LCA analysis was carried out through a cradle-to-farm-gate LCA, comparing three conventional farms with three innovative farms, using 1 kg of fat protein corrected milk (FPCM) as a functional unit. The Small Ruminants Module of Nutritional Dynamic System (NDS) software was used to estimate methane emissions due to enteric fermentation. The introduction of precision feeding strategy reduced the environmental impacts of ewe milk as a consequence of the increased milk production efficiency (+50%). Indeed, the environmental impact of ewe milk was reduced in IF by 42% as the average of the impact categories being significantly different between the two farming systems. Precision feeding is recognised as a strategy to mitigate the environmental impacts of ruminant production. Dairy sheep innovative farms (IF), using a precision feeding approach, were compared with conventional farms (CF). Environmental impacts of ewe mik were assessed through an LCA approach and a mechanistic model for ruminant diet formulation and evaluation. Precision feeding improved milk production efficiency (+50) and lowered environmental impacts. Environmental impact of ewe milk was significantly reduced in IF by 42% in eight impact categories out of 15. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐positive gastric cancers (GCs) have been recently identified as a molecular subgroup showing excellent outcomes after surgery for early‐stage disease and responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for metastatic stage. No data are available on the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of this subgroup of GCs in the metastatic setting. Materials and Methods: In this cohort study, we assessed the impact of EBV status in patients with metastatic GC treated with chemotherapy at two Italian institutions. Results: Among the 175 cases analyzed, only 7 (4%) were EBV positive and all showed long‐lasting and even complete responses to first‐line chemotherapy with fluorouracil and platinum and a significantly better survival compared with EBV‐negative patients (3‐year overall survival: 80% vs. 20.1%; hazard ratio: 0.12). Conclusion: If confirmed in larger data sets, our results may give a strong rationale for investigating the addition of ICIs to chemotherapy, in order to maximize the chance of achieving durable and complete responses in this uncommon subtype of GC. Implications for Practice: To date, no data are available on the prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐positive metastatic gastric cancer (GC), a specific subtype of GC showing excellent outcomes after radical surgery in early‐stage disease and responsiveness to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This cohort study showed that patients with EBV‐positive GC who did not receive ICIs had exceptional, long‐lasting, and even complete responses to first‐line chemotherapy with fluorouracil and platinum and a significantly better survival compared with EBV‐negative patients. If confirmed in larger series, these results may give a strong rationale for investigating the combination of chemotherapy and ICIs to achieve durable and potentially complete response in this uncommon subtype of GC. This article assesses the effect of Epstein‐Barr virus status in patients with metastatic gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Comprehensive information has been published on laboratory tests which may predict worse outcome in Asian populations with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study is to describe laboratory findings in a group of Italian COVID-19 patients in the area of Valcamonica, and correlate abnormalities with disease severity. Methods: The final study population consisted of 144 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 (70 who died during hospital stay and 74 who survived and could be discharged) between March 1 and 30, 2020, in Valcamonica Hospital. Demographical, clinical and laboratory data were collected upon hospital admission and were then correlated with outcome (i.e. in-hospital death vs. discharge). Results: Compared to patients who could be finally discharged, those who died during hospital stay displayed significantly higher values of serum glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, creatinine, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hscTnI), prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), D-dimer, C reactive protein (CRP), ferritin and leukocytes (especially neutrophils), whilst values of albumin, hemoglobin and lymphocytes were significantly decreased. In multiple regression analysis, LDH, CRP, neutrophils, lymphocytes, albumin, APTT and age remained significant predictors of in-hospital death. A regression model incorporating these variables explained 80% of overall variance of in-hospital death. Conclusions: The most important laboratory abnormalities described here in a subset of European COVID-19 patients residing in Valcamonica are highly predictive of in-hospital death and may be useful for guiding risk assessment and clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Italy was the first European country suffering from COVID‐19. Health care resources were redirected to manage the pandemic. We present our initial experience with the management of urgent and nondeferrable surgeries for sinus and skull base diseases during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: A retrospective review of patients treated in a single referral center during the first 2 months of the pandemic was performed. A comparison between the last 2‐month period and the same period of the previous year was carried out. Results: Twenty‐four patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A reduction of surgical activity was observed (−60.7%). A statistically significant difference in pathologies treated was found (P =.016), with malignancies being the most frequent indication for surgery (45.8%). Conclusions: Although we feel optimistic for the future, we do not feel it is already time to restart elective surgeries. Our experience may serve for other centers who are facing the same challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood risk management strongly relies on inundation models for river basin zoning in flood-prone and risk-free areas. Floodplain zoning is significantly affected by the diverse and concurrent uncertainties that characterize the modelling chain used for producing inundation maps. In order to quantify the relative impact of the uncertainties linked to a lumped hydrological (rainfall–runoff) model and a FLO-2D hydraulic model, a Monte Carlo procedure is proposed in this work. The hydrological uncertainty is associated with the design rainfall estimation method, while the hydraulic model uncertainty is associated with roughness parameterization. This uncertainty analysis is tested on the case study of the Marta coastal catchment in Italy, by comparing the different frequency, extent and depth of inundation simulations associated with varying rainfall forcing and/or hydraulic model roughness realizations. The results suggest a significant predominance of the hydrological uncertainty with respect to the hydraulic one on the overall uncertainty associated with the simulated inundation maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases represent a major cause of death and severe medical condition worldwide. Different therapeutic options are available to control low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level in order to prevent CV events. In recent years, two new drugs were approved for patients who are unable to reduce circulating LDL-C with the current therapies: evolocumab and alirocumab (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type nine [PCSK9] inhibitors). This study was aimed to characterise patients who started treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors in the Tuscany region of Italy during the first year of public healthcare service reimbursement and to describe the pattern of PCSK9 inhibitor use in the first 6 months of treatment. Methods: Patients on PCSK9 inhibitor treatment in Tuscany (3.7 million inhabitants) from 07/2017 to 06/2018 were selected from regional healthcare administrative databases. Concomitant use of lipid-lowering therapies (LLTs), adherence and persistence during the 6 months preceding the first PCSK9 inhibitor dispensing, as well as comorbidities since 1996, were described. In the first 6 months of PCSK9 inhibitor treatment, adherence, persistence and concomitant LLTs were assessed. Results: There were 269 (176 evolocumab, 93 alirocumab) new users of PCSK9 inhibitors. Patients (mean age of 59.1 years) were mainly male (71.0%) in secondary prevention (70.2%) and affected by familial hypercholesterolaemia (53.5%). Sixty-six patients (24.5%) had diabetes mellitus and 12 (4.5%) chronic renal failure. In the 6 months prior to the first PCSK9 inhibitor administration, 61.3% of patients received at least one prescription of ezetimibe or high-intensity statins and 45.7% were persistent to these drugs. During follow-up, 79.9% of patients were adherent to PCSK9 inhibitor and 73.3% were persistent. Conclusions: During the first year of availability, the rate of prescription of PCSK9 inhibitors appears below expectations. Patients were mainly in secondary prevention and had been slightly persistent to previous LLTs. During follow-up, the PCSK9 inhibitor monotherapy showed high levels of adherence and persistence. This real-world study sets the stage for future longer-term investigations useful to improve our knowledge on the appropriateness, drug access and public healthcare sustainability of PCSK9 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetic profile of a new 800‐mg tablet of nonanimal chondroitin sulfate (CS) (Mythocondro®, 800‐mg tablets, Gnosis S.p.A., Italy) was investigated vs an animal CS in healthy volunteers for a total period of 48 hours. After a single 2400‐mg dose of the test and the reference formulation, total CS, the compositional disaccharides (ΔDi6S, ΔDi4S and ΔDi0S), and the overall charge density were quantified in plasma. The safety and tolerability profile after a single dose of this new nonanimal CS tablets was excellent. After baseline‐corrected concentrations, an overall greater plasma concentration was observed after 24 hours of ∼44% and after 48 hours of ∼45% from administration of nonanimal when compared to animal‐derived CS. Moreover, nonanimal CS increases the specific sulfation in the 6‐position of N‐acetyl‐galactosamine in human plasma CS and, as a consequence, the overall charge density, reaching double values (0.91), after 48 hours compared to bovine CS and to endogenous CS. In conclusion, nonanimal CS, possessing a lower molecular weight than an animal‐derived sample, produces a greater CS concentration for a more prolonged period of time in plasma and an increase in charge density and specific 6‐sulfation of endogenous plasma CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reorganization of a large academic hospital to face COVID-19 outbreak: The model of Parma, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy Keywords: care algorithm; hospital organization; pneumonia; SARS-CoV-2 EN care algorithm hospital organization pneumonia SARS-CoV-2 1 3 3 06/04/20 20200601 NES 200601 Since 21 February 2020, Italy has developed an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with 159 516 confirmed cases until 13 April, mostly concentrated in the Northern part of the country.[1] This situation represents a massive stress for the Italian healthcare system, forcing health authorities to take urgent measures to limit disease spread and potentiate territorial Emergency systems to intercept novel cases.[[2]] Public hospitals are subjected to overflow of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients rapidly saturating the bed capacity of Infectious Disease units and ICUs.[[2], [4]] To face this challenge, Parma University Hospital, a 1200-bed facility with a catchment area of >400 000 inhabitants around the city of Parma, Emilia-Romagna region, has implemented an algorithm, based on the current disease knowledge,[3] to manage the flow of suspected COVID-19 cases that are triaged at the Emergency Department (ED) (Figure 1). COVID-19-dedicated wards have been obtained by reconversion of internal medicine, geriatric and rehabilitation wards, whose patients have been transferred to community hospitals or territorial facilities. [Extracted from the article]

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Historic buildings constitute a large amount of the European building stock and their preservation is of paramount importance for cultural, economic and also environmental reasons, as their conservation is regarded as more sustainable with respect to demolition and reconstruction. However, historic buildings require frequent repair and conservation works, whose environmental impact is still to be evaluated. In the present paper the sustainability of conservation intervention is evaluated by the LCA analysis method, focusing in particular on cleaning materials and technologies, with reference to conservation sites located in Bologna, Italy. After identifying the most used cleaning materials and technologies, the time necessary for achieving an equal cleaning effectiveness was selected as functional unit and the LCA analysis was carried out, along with a quantitative evaluation of some other key aspects of the different methods (workers’ health, acoustic impact and waste produced in the building site). The results highlight that the different technologies involve remarkably different environmental impacts, but that in some cases their impact could be easily reduced by substituting some secondary materials in the cleaning process, without affecting the effectiveness of cleaning. The results also show that the methods involving the lowest environmental impact are not necessarily the best ones in terms of safety and waste production in the building site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Castel Giorgio-Torre Alfina (CG-TA, central Italy) is a geothermal reservoir whose fluids are hosted in a carbonate formation at temperatures ranging between 120°C and 210°C. Data from deep wells suggest the existence of convective flow. We present the 3D numerical model of the CG-TA to simulate the undisturbed natural geothermal field and investigate the impacts of the exploitation process. The open source finite-element code OpenGeoSys is applied to solve the coupled systems of partial differential equations. The commercial software FEFLOW® is also used as additional numerical constraint. Calculated pressure and temperature have been calibrated against data from geothermal wells. The flow field displays multicellular convective patterns that cover the entire geothermal reservoir. The resulting thermal plumes protrude vertically over 3 km at Darcy velocity of about 7⁎10-8 m/s. The analysis of the exploitation process demonstrated the sustainability of a geothermal doublet for the development of a 5 MW pilot plant. The buoyant circulation within the geothermal system allows the reservoir to sustain a 50-year production at a flow rate of 1050 t/h. The distance of 2 km, between the production and reinjection wells, is sufficient to prevent any thermal breakthrough within the estimated operational lifetime. OGS and FELFOW results are qualitatively very similar with differences in peak velocities and temperatures. The case study provides valuable guidelines for future exploitation of the CG-TA deep geothermal reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic conditions have been investigated as risk factors for developing zoster, but in patients suffering from zoster, the impact of underlying conditions in zoster-related pain and quality of life (QOL) remains unclear.Methods: We performed a post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study in immunocompetent zoster patients aged 50 years or older, conducted by general practitioners in Italy between 2009 and 2010. Zoster symptoms, pain intensity and characteristics, and physical and mental health scores were assessed at baseline (zoster diagnosis) and at 1, 3, and 6 months of follow-up.Results: Among 413 patients enrolled in the study, 73% (303/413) suffered from underlying conditions of which 69% (209/303) were aged 65 or older. Cardiovascular diseases (75%), diabetes (24%), and respiratory diseases (17%) were most frequent. One to three months after onset, zoster patients with underlying conditions experienced more intense zoster-related pain than those without. QOL scores were significantly lower in patients with underlying conditions, and age-adjusted difference in QOL scores between the groups increased over time, demonstrating a slower recovery for patients with underlying conditions.Conclusions: In addition to age, the main risk factor of zoster occurrence and severity, the presence of underlying conditions results in more painful and impactful zoster episodes, creating a significant burden for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of a Weight of Evidence (WoE) approach, a set of four toxicity bioassays involving the amphipod Corophium volutator (10 d lethality test on whole sediment), the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (fertilization and embryo toxicity tests on elutriate) and the pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (embryo toxicity test on elutriate) was applied to sediments from 10 sampling sites of the Venice Lagoon (Italy). Sediments were collected during three campaigns carried out in May 2004 (spring campaign), October 2004 (autumn campaign) and February 2005 (winter campaign). Toxicity tests were performed on all sediment samples. Sediment grain-size and chemistry were measured during spring and autumn campaigns. This research investigated (i) the ability of toxicity tests in discriminating among sites with different contamination level, (ii) the occurrence of a gradient of effect among sampling sites, (iii) the possible correlation among toxicity tests, sediment chemistry, grain size and organic carbon, and (iv) the possible occurrence of toxicity seasonal variability. Sediment contamination levels were from low to moderate. No acute toxicity toward amphipods was observed, while sea urchin fertilization was affected only in few sites in just a single campaign. Short-term effects on larval development of sea urchin and oyster evidenced a clear spatial trend among sites, with increasing effects along the axis connecting the sea-inlets with the industrial area. The set of bioassays allowed the identification of a spatial gradient of effect, with decreasing toxicity from the industrial area toward the sea-inlets. Multivariate data analysis showed that the malformations of oyster embryos were significantly correlated to the industrial contamination (metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, hexachlorobenzene and polychlorinated biphenyls), while sea urchin development to sediment concentrations of As, Cr and organic carbon. Both embryo toxicity tests were significantly affected by high ammonia concentrations found in the elutriates extracted from some mudflat and industrial sediments. No significant temporal variation of the toxicity was observed within the experimental period. Amendments to the set of bioassays, with inclusion of chronic tests, can certainly provide more reliability and consistency to the characterization of the (possible) toxic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Human infertility is a common condition secondary to many primary or secondary causes. As for these latter, different seasonal and climatic patterns have been hypothesized to play a role. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of a possible seasonal pattern in the functional parameters of semen samples maintained in a large tertiary center database. Materials and methods: The reports of spermograms of 5188 consecutive subjects, collected at the Center for Reproductive Incapacity of the University Hospital of Parma during a 11-year period (2003-2014), were retrospectively analyzed. The reports included sperm motility, volume, and number, as well as pH, swelling and eosin tests. Data of different parameters were analyzed by season of sample collection. The ANOVA test was used for the evaluation of continuous variables, after Log transformation in case of a non-normal distribution, while χ2 test was used for categorical variables. Moreover, logistic regression analysis was performed, to identify factors independently associated with normal sperm motility. Results: Compared with the other seasons of the year, a higher sperm motility was found during the summer. Moreover, the prevalence of samples with a normal sperm pH (7.2-8) was higher during the spring, whilst the volume of sperm was higher in winter. Logistic regression analysis showed that normal sperm motility (>40%) was independently associated with spring (1.227; 95% CI 1.077-1.507, p = 0.005), summer (2.031; 95% CI 1.689-2.442, p < 0.001), swelling test (1.953; 95% CI 1.670-2.284, p < 0.001), eosin test (2.804; 95% CI 2.477-3.174, p < 0.001), pH (0.507; 95% CI 0.346-0.743, p < 0.001), LOG-number (2.949; 95% CI 2.470-3.522, p < 0.001) and LOG-volume (2.216; 95% CI 1.696-2.894, p < 0.001) of semen. Conclusion: This study suggests the existence of a positive relationship between some semen parameters and seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population aging is the demographic phenomenon characterizing all countries in the world, and it is challenging the national infrastructures, in particular health systems. However, aging itself is not associated with increased medical spending, but disability and comorbidity that affect older individuals are the actual drivers for health expenditures. Therefore, if people age in better health, medical spending may be significantly reduced. Preventative interventions proved to be effective in reducing/preventing disease and disability and often found to be cost effective, include diet and exercise interventions, medications, routine disease screenings, and immunizations. Vaccination can protect older citizens against life-threatening diseases, such as influenza, pneumococcal infections, tetanus, and against diseases which adversely impact their quality of life, such as herpes zoster (HZ). Including HZ vaccination in its citizens' lifetime immunization calendar can reinforce Europe's commitment toward active, healthy aging. This paper outlines the consensus statement of a group of Italian experts on HZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study surveyed wood chipping operations in order to determine the exposure of chipper operators to wood dust and suggest suitable countermeasures. The survey included both industrial and small-scale chipping operations, all located in Central Italy, on the Apennine mountain range. During the survey, 60 samples were collected using standardized methods. For the purpose of the tests, each operator carried a wearable active sampler connected to a suction pump. When operators sat inside an enclosed cab, samples were also collected outside the cab in order to gauge the dust abatement effect of a protected work station. Exposure to dust varied widely with wood conditions and machine productivity, and only occasionally exceeded the 5mg m–3 legal limit. Operators working inside a cab were three times less exposed than operators working outside, and they were never exposed to concentrations exceeding the legal limit. It is adviceable that people working full-time as chipper operators are positioned inside an enclosed cab, for limiting their exposure to wood dust. Small-scale operators are generally part-timers, which further reduces their long-term exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper shows how to leverage RFID technology in fresh fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, and, in particular, to optimally manage stock levels on shelves, shelves replenishment, and shrinkage prevention for fresh perishable products. We deployed a pilot project on a FMCG retail supply chain, encompassing a distribution centre and two stores of a major Italian retailer. About 60 products have been RFID tagged at case level. We real time tracked cases of products for 4 months, through the distribution chain all the way to the stores, where the RFID deployment made it possible to punctually monitor shelves stock levels, backroom stock levels and product shrinkage. We demonstrate that the out of stock (OOS) problem is just one piece of a broader picture, that is shelves stock optimization. The higher the stock level on the shelves, the lower the need for shelf replenishment, and thus the likelihood of an OOS. However, the capital holding costs and the risk for product shrinkage increase. The latter issue is particularly relevant for fresh perishable products. This pilot demonstrates that a retailer could reduce OOS, shrinkage and capital holding costs all together, by means of efficient RFID data management. Potential savings for fresh products account approx 1.7% of sale turnover. This study is the first pilot project which assesses the impact of RFID technology on the supply chain of fresh perishable products; a full roll-out of the project is being planned for the next future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an overview of the epidemiology of the frequency and occurrence of injuries in Italian soccer players and reports on preventable risk factors that are associated with injuries. A discussion of the importance of communicating with players about preventable risk factors, and of preventing injuries in players, is presented.

The article discusses the republican political movement in Carrara, Italy in during the period of the First World War, and the writing of 19th to 20th century Italian politician Eugenio Chiesa. Reference is made to articles published by Chiesa in the journals "Svegliarino" and "Sveglia Repubblicana." Topics discussed include background information on the political and financial history of the journals, political philosophy concerning the World War in Italy during this time, and the development of republicanism in Italy.

Abstract: Surface sediment from 15 Italian marine protected areas (MPA) were analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The organic carbon percentage was also determined. Total PAH concentrations (ngg−1 d.w.) ranged from 0.71 (Penisola del Sinis) to 1550 (Miramare). Individual PAH analysis showed that three and four rings PAHs were the most frequently detected isomers and accounted for 60–70% of the PAH total concentrations. PAH ratio analysis showed a prevalence of pyrolytic PAH origin at most of the MPAs with exception of Porto Cesareo and Ustica where a petrogenic origin was detected. Results for organic carbon percentages ranged from 0.3% (Capo Rizzuto) to 2% (Punta Campanella). These results are comparable to other Mediterranean marine environments. However, our results shows that some MPAs, such as Miramare, Porto Cesareo, Isola Capo Rizzuto and Punta Campanella, are subject to strong pressure from urban and industrial activities where high PAH levels were detected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: CO2 Capture and Storage techniques (CCS), along with improvements in energy efficiency and a wider use of renewable resources, can represent a key instrument for the reduction of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Deep saline aquifers offer the largest storage potential of all the geological CO2 storage options and are widely distributed throughout the Earth. This study proposes that CO2 geological storage is a viable option in Italy and provides the first systematic evaluation of the potential reservoirs in the country. An estimation of the potential CO2 storage capacity of the selected Italian deep saline aquifers is presented. Most of the 14 identified areas lie in the major Italian sedimentary basins, i.e. the Apennine foredeep and the Adriatic foreland, which are characterized by thick accumulations of sediments. The potential reservoirs mainly comprise permeable terrigenous deep saline formations, whose capacity ranges from 30 to more than 1300Mt. Based on very conservative estimates these areas would be able to contain the entire volume of CO2 emitted in Italy for at least the next fifty years. Although these evaluations have not been considered as definitive, this study highlights the great potential of such formations in terms of application of the CCS techniques, even in very complex tectonic settings such as those found in Italy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Marine and coastal quality assessment, based on test batteries involving a wide array of endpoints, organisms and test matrices, needs for setting up toxicity indices that integrate multiple toxicological measures for decision-making processes and that classify the continuous toxicity response into discrete categories according to the European Water Framework Directive. Two toxicity indices were developed for the lagoon environment such as the Venice Lagoon. Stepwise procedure included: the construction of a database that identified test-matrix pairs (indicators); the selection of a minimum number of ecotoxicological indicators, called toxicological core metrics (CMs-tox) on the basis of specific criteria; the development of toxicity scores for each CM-tox; the integration of the CMs-tox into two indices, the Toxicity Effect Index (TEI), based on the transformation of Toxic Unit (TU) data that were integrated as logarithmic sum, and the Weighted Average Toxicity Index (WATI), starting from toxicity classes integrated as weighted mean. Results from the indices are compared; advantages and drawbacks of both approaches are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As a consequence of the Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive, there is now more focus on discharges from wastewater treatment plants both to transitional and marine-coastal waters. The constraint to encourage sustainable water policy to prevent water deterioration and reduce or stop discharges has entailed new requirements for existing wastewater treatment plants in the form of advanced wastewater treatment technologies as further suggested by the Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control Bureau. A whole toolbox of physico-chemical and ecotoxicological parameters to investigate commercial and mixed domestic and industrial discharges was considered to check the efficiency of an Activated-Sludge Sequencing Batch Reactor (AS-SBR) and two Ultra-Filtration Membrane Biological Reactors (UF-MBRs) on a small scale decentralised basis. All discharges were conveyed into Venice lagoon (Italy), one of the widest impacted Mediterranean transitional environment. The UF-MBRs were able to provide good quality effluents potentially suitable for non-potable reuse, as well as reducing specific inorganic micro-pollutants concentration (e.g. metals). Conversely, the AS-SBR showed unpredictable and discontinuous removal abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic investigation in the Gulf of Trieste allows the identification of the extension and activity of the External Dinarides tectonic structures. The Gulf of Trieste belongs to the Adriatic Apulian foreland, consisting of the tilted Paleocene - Mesozoic carbonate platform overlaid by the Eocene foredeep Flysch deposits and by recent Quaternary sediments. The data set consists of 250 km of multichannel seismic profiles, 16 km of high resolution data, collected offshore, and 5 km of multichannel seismic profiles collected onshore since 2003. The main tectonic features identified in the study area are: a) the Trieste fault zone, occurring on the Karst coastal front, up to 2-3 km offshore; it is a Dinaric thrust system with about 1400 m of total vertical displacement in the carbonates, possibly affected by neotectonic activity; b) Dinaric frontal thrusts, present in the Gulf of Trieste and in the southern Friuli Plain, deforming the Flysch sequence and producing low angle faults in the carbonates; c) occurrence of possible NE-SW faults dissecting the Dinaric thrusts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work reports on the state of the art of the bioindicators used to assess environmental quality (regarding chemical pollutant impacts) in the Venice lagoon. After a brief description of the roles, advantages and limitations of bioindicators in marine and transitional environments and a summary of the Venice lagoon characteristics, the ecotoxicological methods used during scientific studies and research projects in the Lagoon are reported. Since not all data are available and no database can be formulated, the main evidence from toxicity bioassays, biomarkers and bioaccumulation analyses since the end of the 1970s is spatially synthesized using maps and discussed according to the four Venice lagoon basins. The majority of indicators showed that the Lido basin (north-central lagoon), affected by the presence of the industrial area and the city of Venice, is the one most highly impacted (particularly in the sites located within or in front of the industrial area, which showed very high sediment toxicity and high levels of DNA damage). The Malamocco basin (south-central lagoon) seems to be the least problematic. The southern basin (Chioggia basin) was shown to be impacted by urban contaminants from the town of Chioggia. The northern basin (Treporti basin) presented both impacted sites (high toxicity and high bioaccumulation factor) and relatively unpolluted sites (absence of toxicity, absence of imposex and low levels of bioaccumulation). This review can serve as a basis on which to select pragmatic, cost-effective biomonitoring techniques for environmental effects in lagoon ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Data on the epidemiology and cost of herpes zoster (HZ) and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) in Italy are limited. This retrospective, population-based study was designed to determine the incidence of HZ and the proportion developing PHN in Italy and the associated medical resource utilisation and costs. It focused primarily on immunocompetent patients aged ⩾50 years who would be eligible for preventive vaccination. Method: Data were extracted from a primary-care database and national hospital-discharge records covering four major regions in Italy for 2003-2005. Cases of HZ and PHN (1 and 3 months' duration; PHN1 and PHN3) were identified by ICD9-CM codes and, additionally for PHN, prescription of neuropathic pain medication. Results: Over 3 years, 5675 incident cases of HZ were documented in adults, of which 3620 occurred in immunocompetent patients aged ⩾50 years (incidence of 6.31 per 1000 person-years [95% CI: 6.01-6.62]). Of the immunocompetent patients aged ⩾50 years with HZ, 9.4% (95% CI: 8.2-10.7) and 7.2% (95% CI: 6.2-8.2) developed PHN1 and PHN3, respectively. Increasing age, female sex, and being immunologically compromised conferred increased risk for both HZ and PHN. Overall, about 1.3% of HZ and almost 2% of PHN cases required inpatient care, with 16.9% of all HZ-related hospitalisations due specifically to PHN. In patients aged ⩾50 years, mean stay was 7.8 ± 5.4 days for HZ and 10.2 ± 8.6 days for PHN, and direct costs associated with inpatient care were more than 20 times outpatient costs per HZ case (mean ± SD: €2592 ± €1313 vs. €122.68 ± €97.51) and over 5 times more per episode of PHN (mean ± SD: €2806 ± €2641 vs. €446.10 ± €442.97). Total annual costs were €41.2 million, of which €28.2 million were direct costs and €13.0 million indirect costs. Conclusions: This study, the largest to date on the epidemiology and economic impact of HZ and PHN in Italy, confirms the considerable disease and economic burden posed by HZ. As HZ and PHN disproportionately affect the elderly, without intervention this problem is likely to grow as the proportion of elderly in the Italian population continues to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Herpes zoster (HZ) is a common disease, characterized by rash-associated localized pain. Its main complication, post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), is difficult to treat and may last for months to years in the wake of rash resolution. Uncertainties remain as to the knowledge of predictors of HZ-related pain, including the role of antiviral therapy in preventing PHN in ordinary clinical practice. This prospective cohort study was aimed at investigating pain intensity at HZ presentation and its correlates, as well as the incidence of PHN and its predictors. Methods: Patients diagnosed with HZ were consecutively enrolled by a network of Italian General Practitioners and Hospital Units in the health district of Pescara, Italy, over two years. Uncertain cases were referred for microbiological investigation. Data were collected through electronic case report form (e-CRFs) at enrolment and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after enrolment. Pain intensity was coded on a five-degree semi-quantitative scale at each time point. PHN was defined as pain of any intensity during follow-up and quantified using an area-under-the-curve (AUC) method. Results: Four hundred and forty-one patients composed the final sample. Mean age was 58.1 years (SD = 20.4 years); 43.5% of patients were males; 7.9% did not receive prescription of antivirals. Intense/very intense pain at presentation was reported by 25.2% of patients and was significantly associated with female gender, older age, cigarette smoking, trauma and/or surgery at HZ site (logistic regression). PHN was diagnosed in 51.2% of patients at one month and in 30.0% of patients at three months. PHN was significantly associated with pain intensity at presentation, age, smoking, trauma and missed antiviral prescription (generalized estimating equations model). The same factors were also independent predictors of the overall pain burden as described by the AUC method (linear regression). Conclusions: Smoking, traumas and surgery at the HZ site emerged as new predictors of both HZ-related pain intensity and persistence, opening new perspectives in the prevention of HZ-related pain. An independent line of evidence was provided for the efficacy of antiviral therapy in preventing PHN and reducing total pain burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the relationship between the elite classes of Tuscany, Italy and 18th to 19th century Italian economist, politician, and jurist, Pellegrino Rossi. Topics discussed include background information on Rossi, the history and politics of Tuscany in the 19th century, and the relationship between Rossi and the periodical "Antologia," established by Giovan Pietro Vieusseux.

Abstract: This work assesses the ecotoxicological effects of polluted sediment after a decontamination treatment process using a new sediment washing technique. Sediment samples were collected from four sites in Marghera Port industrial channels (Venice, Italy). Ecotoxicological evaluations were performed with Vibrio fischeri and Crassostrea gigas bioassays. Whole sediment and elutriate were deemed as the most suitable environmental matrices for this study. Toxicity scores developed in the Lagoon of Venice for V. fischeri on whole sediment and for C. gigas on elutriate were considered for the final ranking of samples. Ecotoxicological results showed that the treated sediment samples presented both acute and sub-chronic toxicities, which were mainly attributed to the presence of some remaining chemicals such as metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The acute toxicity ranged from low to medium, while the sub-chronic one from absent to very high, suggesting that treated sediments could not be reused in direct contact with seawater. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

1. The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires that Member States differentiate the transitional water bodies into types. 2. WFD assigns coastal lagoons to two different water categories, 'transitional waters' and 'coastal waters' on the basis of freshwater influence. 3. The main physical factors that contribute to the genesis and characterization of coastal lagoons are coastal typology, tidal range and climate. 4. Italian lagoons are presented as an example of how these physical factors can be used in coastal lagoon characterization and typology. On this basis, a clear distinction of Italian lagoons into two main groups is possible: Northern Adriatic and Mediterranean. 5. Large lagoons can be profitably subdivided into a hierarchical system of sub-basins facilitating both the comparison of parts of the same lagoon and the comparison between different lagoons. 6. The basins are consistent water bodies that can be used as managerial units for environmental conservation, species protection and wise use of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scale-invariance analysis of space and time rainfall events monitored by meteorological radar over the area of Rome (Italy) is proposed. The study of the scale-invariance properties of intense precipitation storms, particularly important in flood forecast and risk mitigation, allows to transfer rainfall information from the large scale predictive meteorological models to the small scale hydrological rainfall-runoff models. Precipitation events are monitored using data collected by the polarimetric Doppler radar Polar 55C (ISAC-CNR), located 15 km Southeast from downtown. The meteorological radar provides the estimates of rainfall intensity over an area of about 10 000 km² at a resolution of 2x2 km² in space and 5 min in time. Many precipitation events have been observed from autumn 2001 up to now. A scale-invariance analysis is performed on some of these events with the aim at exploring the multifractal properties and at understanding their dependence on the meteorological large-scale conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Sperm cell and embryo toxicity tests with the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus were performed to assess the toxicity of sulfide, which is considered a confounding factor in toxicity tests. For improved information on the sensitivity of these methods to sulfide, experiments were performed in the same aerobic conditions used for testing environmental samples, with sulfide concentrations being monitored at the same time by cathodic stripping voltammetry. New toxicity data for sulfide expressed as median effective concentration (EC50) and no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) are reported. The EC50 value for the embryo toxicity test (total sulfide at 0.43 mg/L) was three times lower than for the sperm cell test (total sulfide at 1.20 mg/L), and the NOEC values were similar (on the order of total sulfide at 10-1 mg/L) for both tests. The decrease in sulfide concentration during the bioassay as a consequence of possible oxidation of sulfide by dissolved oxygen was determined by voltammetric analysis, indicating a half-life of about 50 min in the presence of gametes. To check the influence of sulfide concentrations on toxicity effects in real samples, toxicity (with the sperm cell toxicity test) and chemical analyses also were performed in pore-water samples collected with an in situ sampler in sediments of the Lagoon of Venice (Italy). A highly positive correlation between increased acute toxicity and increased sulfide concentration was found. Examination of data revealed that sulfide is a real confounding factor in toxicity testing in anoxic environmental samples containing concentrations above the sensitivity limit of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of quality of pain and its perception, and the psychological attitude of patients is helpful in the management of people with herpes zoster. The aim of the present study is to verify in Italy whether a concise questionnaire designed to assess in few items the severity and quality of pain, personality and attitude of patients with herpes zoster can give enough information compared to extended questionnaires. For this purpose, we designed a short questionnaire, with few items selected on the basis of the descriptions given by patients with acute herpes zoster or post-herpetic neuralgia. We compared the results with those obtained by administering the following tests and questionnaires: VAS, STAY (State Trait Anxiety Inventory-form Y), BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) and SF12 (12-Item Short-Form Health Survey). One hundred and nineteen immunocompetent adults > 18 years of age with acute herpes zoster and 65 with post-herpetic neuralgia for at least 6 months filled both extended and our short questionnaires. The comparisons were statistically significant for all the variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sperm cell and embryo toxicity tests using the Mediterranean sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus Lmk were performed to assess the toxicity of As3+, Cd2+, Cr3+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Hg2+. The aim of this study was to improve information about the comparative sensitivity of sea urchin bioassays to the heavy metals, which are an important cause of contamination in the ecosystem of the Lagoon of Venice. Considering the data in mM/L, the order of toxicity is Hg2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+ > As3+ ≥ Cr3+ ≥ Cd2+ ≥ Pb2+ ≥ Ni2+ for the sperm cell test and Hg2+ ≥ Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+ > Cd2+ > Ni2+ > As3+ ≥ Cr3+ for the embryo test. New toxicity data for metals expressed as median effective concentration (EC50) and no-observed-effect concentration (NOEC) are reported for the Mediterranean species. Accurate observations of embryotoxic effects at increasing metal concentrations were done, detecting some different behaviors in metal toxicity. Toxicity data compared with water column and pore-water concentrations recorded in the Lagoon of Venice (Italy) demonstrate the potential ability of bioassays using sea urchin to detect important contaminants in this ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the evaluation of two sea urchin bioassays (sperm cell and embryo toxicity) using the Paracentrotus lividus , as possible methods for quality assessment and monitoring of estuarine and lagoonal environments. Some queries allow us to describe the reasons which led us to carry out this research. A step-wise method adopted to own reliable and robust techniques based on a QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control) procedure is briefly illustrated. The suitability of bioassays to assess lagoonal sediments quality was then tested by their application at sites in the Lagoon of Venice characterized by differing kinds and levels of pollution. Elutriates were chosen to assess the potential effects of pollutants which are made available in the water column as a consequence of sediment resuspension (dredging, fishing gear, etc). Both tests were effective in discriminating several different pollution/bioavailability situations, although their combined use showed higher efficacy in discriminating among stations and periods. Embryotoxicity was higher than spermiotoxicity in almost all stations, as expected. Toxicological responses generally fitted contamination levels to a satisfactory extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent excavations have revealed the existence of an integrated complex of vaulted rooms, stairs, and passages under the so-called ombrellone of the western portico of Sant'Andrea in Mantua. The authors suggest that this complex and its adjacent rooms may have been intended to serve for the exposition of the relics of the Most Precious Blood of Christ, preserved in Sant'Andrea, possibly in times of danger and plague, and for the guardian brotherhood of the relics, the Venerable Company of the Most Precious Blood, established in Sant'Andrea by Pius II in 1462. The adjacent rooms over the first side chapels of the nave may have served for "ritual habitation" by members of the ruling Gonzaga family, particularly for the patron, the marchese Ludovico Gonzaga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early reports from Asia suggested that increased serum levels of the muscular enzyme creatine-(phospho)-kinase (CK/CPK) could be associated with a more severe prognosis in COVID-19. The aim of this single-center retrospective cohort study of 331 consecutive COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized during Italy's "first wave" was to verify this relationship, and to evaluate the role of possible confounding factors (age, body mass index, gender, and comorbidities). We subdivided our cohort in two groups, based on "severe" (n = 99) or "mild" (n = 232) outcomes. "Severe" disease is defined here as death and/or mechanical invasive ventilation, in contrast to "mild" patients, who were discharged alive with no need for invasive ventilation; this latter group could also include those patients who were treated with non-invasive ventilation. The CK levels at admission were higher in those subjects who later experienced more severe outcomes (median, 126; range, 10–1672 U/L, versus median, 82; range, 12–1499 U/L, p = 0.01), and hyperCKemia >200 U/L was associated with a worse prognosis. Regression analysis confirmed that increased CK acted as an independent predictor for a "severe" outcome. HyperCKemia was generally transient, returning to normal during hospitalization in the majority of both "severe" and "mild" patients. Although the direct infection of voluntary muscle is unproven, transient muscular dysfunction is common during the course of COVID-19. The influence of this novel coronavirus on voluntary muscle really needs to be clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]