The use of mobile phone while driving: Behavior and determinant analysis in one of the largest metropolitan area of Italy

The use of mobile phones while driving is one of the main causes of road accidents and it is a phenomenon in continuous growth. The key aim of this study is to analyse simultaneously knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward the use of mobile phones while driving in one of the largest and populous metropolitan areas of Italy, Naples. The data acquired from 774 questionnaires - administered to subjects evenly divided by gender and with an average age of 39 years - revealed that 69 % have used their mobile phone while driving at least once in their lifetime. Among those who used the phone, 63.6 % use it to make phone calls while 75.2 % only to answer them; 49.1 % read messages and only 33.3 % write them. It is also notable that 34.1 % do not stop to answer a call and only 10 % do not value the use of headsets while driving as fundamental. The results indicate that cell phone usage while driving is common in the study population, despite many having university-level education and satisfactory risks awareness. The multiple linear regression analysis shows how knowledge is not correlated to the behavior held. On the contrary, attitudes are strongly correlated to knowledge and behavior, meaning that good attitudes bring forth positive behavior. According to the collected data and statistical analysis, it is possible to identify factors that can greatly affect the use of mobile phone while driving and establish targeted prevention programs

Study the pharmacological potential of 1,2,4-thiadiazine 1,1-dioxides: A minireview

Study of the pharmacological activity of new heterocyclic scaffolds becomes a passion of many medicinal chemists around the world.  1,2,4-thiadiazine 1,1-dioxide derivatives are one of the heterocyclic derivatives that haveattracted researchers' attention since the early 1940's. In spite of this, however, the study of the pharmacological activities of this nucleus remains scant and needs to shed lighter on it. Therefore, in this review, the authors in this review collected all the families that included this nucleus whose biological activities were studied for the period between 1993 and 2020 in order to get an idea of the effectiveness of these compounds and highlighted the most effective ones. In addition, knowing the pharmacological aspects that had not been studied previously to focus more on them in the future by interested researchers

Spatial variability in autumnal equatorial upwelling intensity within the Gulf of Guinea as inferred from in situ measurements

In attempt to study the spatial differences in autumnal equatorial upwelling intensity relative to bio-productivity in the eastern equatorial Atlantic, oceanographic in situ data along regions 10°W, 0°E, 2.5°E and 6°E, collected in the Gulf of Guinea during autumn cruise carried out in September 2007 were analyzed. The surface mean values for temperature along 10°W, 0°E, 2.5°E and 6°E are 25.02, 26.15, 26.88 and 25.60°C, respectively. There was eastward weakening of the equatorial undercurrent from 10°W until its complete disappearance at 6°E. The highest concentration of nitrate recorded at the surface at 10°W was attributed to the shoaling pycnocline observed at this region. The surface mean values for nitrate along 10°W, 0°E, 2.5°E and 6°E are 0.37, 0.09, 0.04 and 0.04 μmol.kg-1, respectively. In response to the shoaling pycnocline at 10°W, corresponding to the highest concentration of chlorophyll fluorescence was recorded at this region. The surface mean values for chlorophyll fluorescence along 10°W, 0°E, 2.5°E and 6°E are 0.34, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.08 mg/m3, respectively. Contributions to equatorial upwelling by the equatorial undercurrent were the strongest and mostly expressed along 10°W. Profiles for apparent oxygen utilization and chlorophyll fluorescence gave indications that biological response to surface enrichments within the equatorial bands was highest at region 10°W. Vertical sections for studied parameters were unsuggestive of westward advection from 6°E to 10°W within the equatorial band, and this signifies the important role of vertical processes in equatorial enrichment at 10°W during boreal autumn

On the Nutrient distribution and phytoplankton biomass in the Gulf of Guinea equatorial band as inferred from In-situ measurements

Oceanographic in situ data collected in the Gulf of Guinea during six cruises carried out between 2005 and 2007 were analysed to study the influence of equatorial upwelling on the productivity of the region. At 10°W, observations during boreal summer and autumn cruises captured seasonal upwelling influences. In response to the shoaling pycnocline in June 2005, higher concentrations of nitrate and chlorophyll fluorescence were recorded at the ocean surface in June than in September. Our findings challenge the paradigm that westward advection from the nutrient-rich African coast is responsible for equatorial enrichment in the Gulf of Guinea. Vertical sections of the parameters under study in the summer of 2005 showed no westward advection from 3°E to 10°W within the equatorial band. This emphasizes the important role of vertical processes in equatorial enrichment at 10°W. An additional aspect of our study provides evidence of the impact on nutrient and chlorophyll distribution of off-equatorial westward recirculation of equatorial undercurrent waters (observed between 2°and 3°S)

Toward the widespread application of low-cost technologies in coastal ocean observing (Internet of Things for the Ocean)

The ability to access user-friendly, low-cost instrumentation remains a limiting factor in coastal ocean observing. The majority of currently available marine observation equipment is difficult to deploy, costly to operate, and requires specific technical skills. Moreover, a harmonized observation program for the world’s coastal waters has not yet been established despite the efforts of the global ocean organizations. Global observational systems are mainly focused on open ocean waters and do not include coastal and shelf areas, where models and satellites require large data sets for their calibration and validation. Fortunately, recent technological advances have created opportunities to improve sensors, platforms, and communications that will enable a step-change in coastal ocean observing, which will be driven by a decreasing cost of the components, the availability of cheap housing, low-cost controller/data loggers based on embedded systems, and low/no subscription costs for LPWAN communication systems. Considering the above necessities and opportunities, POGO’s OpenMODs project identified a series of general needs/requirements to be met in an Open science development framework. In order to satisfy monitoring and research necessities, the sensors to be implemented must be easily interfaced with the data acquisition and transmission system, as well as compliant with accuracy and stability requirements. Here we propose an approach to co-design a cost-effective observing modular instrument architecture based on available low-cost measurement and data transmission technologies, able to be mounted/operated on various platforms. This instrument can fit the needs of a large community that includes scientific research (including those in developing countries), non-scientific stakeholders, and educato

Addressing data gaps in marine litter distribution : citizen science observation of plastics in coastal ecosystems by high-school students

The Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) project (2021-2022) is a citizen science initiative, supported by the Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), which aimed to acquire distribution and abundance data of coastal plastic litter in seven countries: in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia). In this paper, we describe the workflow used to establish and run this project, as well as the methodologies to acquire data. The COLLECT project consisted of training local students (15 - 18 years old) from ten second cycle institutions ( "high schools ") on sampling and analyzing macro-, meso- and microplastics in beach sediments, using a quantitative assessment protocol. We further describe in detail the methodologies applied in assessing the impact of participating in the activities from a social sciences perspective. All documents and materials resulting from this project will be open access and available according to the FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). The results and outcomes from COLLECT will contribute to expanding knowledge and establishing baseline information on coastal plastic pollution, with citizen science being an enabler of open science, allowing data to be freely available to the public, academics and policymakers. Expected results from the use of the COLLECT protocol globally will further contribute to the identification of hotspots of coastal plastic litter, and bring awareness to local communities on the potential consequences of plastic pollution. The COLLECT project actively contributes with data suitable to survey plastic litter to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), in particular to SDG 14, on the sustainable use of the ocean