Cold streams of ionospheric oxygen in the plasma sheet during the CDAW-6 event of March 22, 1979

During magnetospheric substorm events, the plasma and ion composition experiments in the ISEE-1 and 2 satellites detected cold ionospheric O+ streams, moving tailwards in the near Earth magnetotail. Flow is parallel to the magnetic field lines, with drift velocity in agreement with the electric field topology obtained by mapping the model ionospheric field along the magnetic field lines. Fluctuations of the flow velocity of the streams can be related to magnetotail movements. Oscillations of the flow direction and speed with periods ranging from 5 to 10 min that suggest the presence of waves are observed. The streams are observed at all distances between 15 and 6 Re from the Earth. When averaged over 360 deg, the streams show up as a low energy peak, superimposed on the distribution of isotropic plasma sheet ions. This double-peak structure of the energy spectrum seems typical of the disturbed plasma sheet

Dynamical changes of the polar cap potential structure: an information theory approach

Some features, such as vortex structures often observed through a wide spread of spatial scales, suggest that ionospheric convection is turbulent and complex in nature. Here, applying concepts from information theory and complex system physics, we firstly evaluate a pseudo Shannon entropy, <i>H</i>, associated with the polar cap potential obtained from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) and, then, estimate the degree of disorder and the degree of complexity of ionospheric convection under different Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) conditions. The aforementioned quantities are computed starting from time series of the coefficients of the 4th order spherical harmonics expansion of the polar cap potential for three periods, characterised by: (i) steady IMF <i>B<sub>z</sub></i> > 0, (ii) steady IMF <i>B<sub>z</sub></i> < 0 and (iii) a double rotation from negative to positive and then positive to negative <i>B<sub>z</sub></i>. A neat dynamical topological transition is observed when the IMF <i>B<sub>z</sub></i> turns from negative to positive and vice versa, pointing toward the possible occurrence of an order/disorder phase transition, which is the counterpart of the large scale convection rearrangement and of the increase of the global coherence. This result has been confirmed by applying the same analysis to a larger data base of about twenty days of SuperDARN data, allowing to investigate the role of IMF <i>B<sub>y</sub></i> too

Dynamical changes of the polar cap potential structure: an information theory approach

Abstract. Some features, such as vortex structures often observed through a wide spread of spatial scales, suggest that ionospheric convection is turbulent and complex in nature. Here, applying concepts from information theory and complex system physics, we firstly evaluate a pseudo Shannon entropy, H, associated with the polar cap potential obtained from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) and, then, estimate the degree of disorder and the degree of complexity of ionospheric convection under different Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) conditions. The aforementioned quantities are computed starting from time series of the coefficients of the 4th order spherical harmonics expansion of the polar cap potential for three periods, characterised by: (i) steady IMF Bz > 0, (ii) steady IMF Bz < 0 and (iii) a double rotation from negative to positive and then positive to negative Bz. A neat dynamical topological transition is observed when the IMF Bz turns from negative to positive and vice versa, pointing toward the possible occurrence of an order/disorder phase transition, which is the counterpart of the large scale convection rearrangement and of the increase of the global coherence. This result has been confirmed by applying the same analysis to a larger data base of about twenty days of SuperDARN data, allowing to investigate the role of IMF By too

Different responses of northern and southern high latitude ionospheric convection to IMF rotations: a case study based on SuperDARN observations

Abstract. We use SuperDARN data to study high-latitude ionospheric convection over a three hour period (starting at 22:00 UT on 2 January 2003), during which the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) flipped between two states, one with By&amp;gt;&amp;gt;|Bz| and one with Bz&amp;gt;0, both with negative Bx. We find, as expected from previous works, that day side ionospheric convection is controlled by the IMF in both hemispheres. For strongly northward IMF, we observed signatures of two reverse cells, both in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) and in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), due to lobe reconnection. On one occasion, we also observed in the NH two viscous cells at the sides of the reverse cell pair. For duskward IMF, we observed in the NH a large dusk clockwise cell, accompanied by a smaller dawn cell, and the signature of a corresponding pattern in the SH. On two occasions, a three cell pattern, composed of a large clockwise cell and two viscous cells, was observed in the NH. As regards the timings of the NH and SH convection reconfigurations, we find that the convection reconfiguration from a positive Bz dominated to a positive By dominated pattern occurred almost simultaneously (i.e. within a few minutes) in the two hemispheres. On the contrary, the reconfiguration from a By dominated to a northward IMF pattern started in the NH 8–13 min earlier than in the SH. We suggest that part of such a delay can be due to the following mechanism: as IMF Bx&amp;lt;0, the northward-tailward magnetosheath magnetic field reconnects with the magnetospheric field first tailward of the northern cusp and later on tailward of the southern cusp, due to the IMF draping around the magnetopause.</p

Maximizing rehabilitation outcomes in geriatric hip fracture patients: the impact of surgical variables

Background and aim: Hip fracture is a major traumatic event with high mortality and disability rate. Its management in the acute setting and in the rehabilitation process is highly debated. This study evaluates the possible determinants of hip fracture rehabilitation outcome, among which surgical intervention type, weight-bearing status and hospitalization length Methods: The data of 738 hip fracture patients, who completed rehabilitation process in our centre, were collected and patients' functional abilities at the time of admission and discharge were analysed. Results: It has been observed that functional recovery depends on several factors: the type of surgery, the post-operative course and related complications, the hospitalisation time, the surgeon's techniques and expertise and the Orthopaedics centre where the operation is performed. Conclusions: In conclusion, data integration in perspective of an individualised rehabilitation program appears crucial for the functional recovery of the hip fracture patient

Observations of the relationship between ionospheric central polar cap and dayside throat convection velocities, and solar wind/IMF driving

Convection observations from the Southern Hemisphere Super Dual Auroral Radar Network are presented and examined for their relationship to solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions, restricted to periods of steady IMF. Analysis is concentrated on two specific regions, the central polar cap and the dayside throat region. An example time series is discussed in detail with specific examples of apparent direct control of the convection velocity by the solar wind driver. Closer examination, however, shows that there is variability in the flows that cannot be explained by the driving. Scatterplots and histograms of observations from all periods in the year 2013 that met the selection criteria are given and their dependence on solar wind driving is examined. It is found that on average the flow velocity depends on the square root of the rate of flux entry to the polar cap. It is also found that there is a large level of variability that is not strongly related to the solar wind driving

Medical workforce planning in a changing health context: Comparison between Italy and Europe

An increasing need for healthcare workers as been estimated worldwide. To provide a comprehensive framework of the medical workforce in Italy, we investigated the post-lauream medical workforce training supply and demand. Further, a comparison of the medical workforce between Italy and other European Countries with a similar epidemiological and/or demographic context was performed. The distribution of pre-and post-lauream medical educational providers and post-lauream resources in place in Italy was analyzed among Italian macro-areas in the academic years 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.Italy and the European countries in study were compared in term of post-lauream funding and number of active physicians by specialization per 1,000 inhabitants. Open access data from official Italian and European institutional sources were used. The most of medical schools were distributed in the North, followed by South, islands and Central Italy, while the highest enrolment rate in the pre-lauream medical education was reported in Central Italy, followed by South &amp; islands and North. The total number of active residency programs increased from 1092 to 1286 in the three considered academic years, while number of post-lauream training contracts decreased from 11.0 to 10.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. A misalignment between contracts assigned to residency programs and grants assigned to general practitioners specific courses was observed. Furthermore, when compared to the EU countries in study, Italy documented the lowest number of post-graduated training positions in 2015, with a rate of 12.1/100,000 inhabitants. Also, an excess of medical specialists (3.06 per 1,000 inhabitants) with a simultaneous shortage of general practitioners (0.89 per 1,000 inhabitants) was reported. On the contrary, Italy documented the highest number of paediatric practitioners. More efforts, including the implementation of adequate tools, are required both at national and regional level in order to provide a medical workforce planning in line with a continuously changing health context

Medical workforce planning in a changing health context: Comparison between Italy and Europe

An increasing need for healthcare workers as been estimated worldwide. To provide a comprehensive framework of the medical workforce in Italy, we investigated the post-lauream medical workforce training supply and demand. Further, a comparison of the medical workforce between Italy and other European Countries with a similar epidemiological and/or demographic context was performed. The distribution of pre-and post-lauream medical educational providers and post-lauream resources in place in Italy was analyzed among Italian macro-areas in the academic years 2015-2016, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.Italy and the European countries in study were compared in term of post-lauream funding and number of active physicians by specialization per 1,000 inhabitants. Open access data from official Italian and European institutional sources were used. The most of medical schools were distributed in the North, followed by South, islands and Central Italy, while the highest enrolment rate in the pre-lauream medical education was reported in Central Italy, followed by South &amp; islands and North. The total number of active residency programs increased from 1092 to 1286 in the three considered academic years, while number of post-lauream training contracts decreased from 11.0 to 10.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. A misalignment between contracts assigned to residency programs and grants assigned to general practitioners specific courses was observed. Furthermore, when compared to the EU countries in study, Italy documented the lowest number of post-graduated training positions in 2015, with a rate of 12.1/100,000 inhabitants. Also, an excess of medical specialists (3.06 per 1,000 inhabitants) with a simultaneous shortage of general practitioners (0.89 per 1,000 inhabitants) was reported. On the contrary, Italy documented the highest number of paediatric practitioners. More efforts, including the implementation of adequate tools, are required both at national and regional level in order to provide a medical workforce planning in line with a continuously changing health context

The Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) X. Sub-kpc resolution gas-phase metallicity maps at cosmic noon behind the Hubble Frontier Fields cluster MACS1149.6+2223

(Abridged) We combine deep HST grism spectroscopy with a new Bayesian method to derive maps of gas-phase metallicity, nebular dust extinction, and star-formation rate for 10 star-forming galaxies at high redshift ($1.2<z<2.3$). Exploiting lensing magnification by the foreground cluster MACS1149.6+2223, we reach sub-kpc spatial resolution and push the stellar mass limit associated with such high-z spatially resolved measurements below $10^8M_\odot$ for the first time. Our maps exhibit diverse morphologies, indicative of various effects such as efficient radial mixing from tidal torques, rapid accretion of low-metallicity gas, etc., which can affect the gas and metallicity distributions in individual galaxies. Based upon an exhaustive sample of all existing sub-kpc metallicity gradients at high-z, we find that predictions given by analytical chemical evolution models assuming a relatively extended star-formation profile in the early disk formation phase can explain the majority of observed gradients, without involving galactic feedback or radial outflows. We observe a tentative correlation between stellar mass and metallicity gradient, consistent with the downsizing galaxy formation picture that more massive galaxies are more evolved into a later phase of disk growth, where they experience more coherent mass assembly at all radii and thus show shallower metallicity gradients. In addition, we compile a sample of homogeneously cross-calibrated integrated metallicity measurements spanning three orders of magnitude in stellar mass at $z\sim1.8$. We use this sample to study the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) and test the fundamental metallicity relation (FMR). The slope of the observed MZR can rule out the momentum-driven wind model at 3-$\sigma$ confidence level. We find no significant offset with respect to the FMR, taking into account the intrinsic scatter and measurement uncertainties.Comment: 26 pages, 14 figures, and 6 table