Wind-wave characteristics and extremes along the Emilia-Romagna coast

This study examines the wind-wave characteristics along the Emilia-Romagna coasts (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) with a 10-year wave simulation for the period 2010-2019 performed with the high-resolution unstructured-grid WAVEWATCH III (WW3) coastal wave model. The wave parameters (significant wave height, mean and peak wave period, and wave direction) were validated with the in situ measurements at a coastal station, Cesenatico. In the coastal belt, the annual mean wave heights varied from 0.2-0.4 m, and the seasonal mean was highest for the winter period (> 0.4 m). The Emilia-Romagna coastal belt was characterized by wave and spectra seasonal signals with two dominant frequencies of the order of 10 and 5-6 s for autumn and winter and 7-9 and 4 s for spring and summer. The wavelet power spectra of significant wave height for 10 years show considerable variability, having monthly and seasonal periods. This validated and calibrated data set enabled us to study the probability distributions of the significant wave height along the coasts and define a hazard index based on a fitted Weibull probability distribution function

Observational Evidence of the Basin-Wide Gyre Reversal in the Gulf of Taranto

The paper shows for the first time the observational evidence of basin-wide gyre reversal in the Gulf of Taranto (north-western Ionian Sea in the eastern Mediterranean Sea) by means of two specifically designed in situ oceanographic campaigns (based on CTD and ADCP measurements). The analysis of the in situ data shows a change in circulation from anticyclonic in October 2014 to cyclonic in June\u2013July 2016. Furthermore, long-term (1993\u20132018) analysis using gridded satellite altimetry data in the Gulf of Taranto shows that the cyclonic gyres are more frequent than anticyclonic gyres. The latter occur only for 2 to 3 years at a time in some decades

Increasing HPV vaccination uptake among adolescents: A systematic review

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a well-known fundamental strategy in the prevention of cervical cancer, as it is always caused by HPV infection. In fact, primary prevention of the infection corresponds to primary prevention of HPV-related cancers and other diseases. Since an effective prevention at the population level is the final goal, it is mandatory for healthcare systems to achieve a high HPV vaccination coverage among the adolescents to reduce the circulation of the virus and the burden of HPV-related diseases. This research identified, through a systematic literature review, 38 papers on strategies adopted to increase HPV vaccination coverage among adolescents. The evaluated strategies targeted adolescents/parents and/or healthcare providers and could be grouped in three main types: (1) reminder-based, (2) education, information, and communication activities, and (3) multicomponent strategies. Several types of strategy, such as those relied only on reminders and integrating different interventions, showed a positive impact on vaccination coverage. Nonetheless, the heterogeneity of the interventions suggests the importance to adapt such strategies to the specific national/local contexts to maximize vaccination coverage

Expanding the phenotype associated to KMT2A variants: overlapping clinical signs between Wiedemann–Steiner and Rubinstein–Taybi syndromes

Lysine-specific methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A) is responsible for methylation of histone H3 (K4H3me) and contributes to chromatin remodeling, acting as \u201cwriter\u201d of the epigenetic machinery. Mutations in KMT2A were first reported in Wiedemann\u2013Steiner syndrome (WDSTS). More recently, KMT2A variants have been described in probands with a specific clinical diagnosis comprised in the so-called chromatinopathies. Such conditions, including WDSTS, are a group of overlapping disorders caused by mutations in genes coding for the epigenetic machinery. Among them, Rubinstein\u2013Taybi syndrome (RSTS) is mainly caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in CREBBP or EP300. In this work, we used next generation sequencing (either by custom-made panel or by whole exome) to identify alternative causative genes in individuals with a RSTS-like phenotype negative to CREBBP and EP300 mutational screening. In six patients we identified different novel unreported variants in KMT2A gene. The identified variants are de novo in at least four out of six tested individuals and all of them display some typical RSTS phenotypic features but also WDSTS specific signs. This study reinforces the concept that germline variants affecting the epigenetic machinery lead to a shared molecular effect (alteration of the chromatin state) determining superimposable clinical conditions