Time Course of the Occurrences of Acute Cardiovascular Events in the Italian City of Brindisi

In a recent study on mortality on municipalities at high risk of environment crisis, significant excesses concerning all causes of death have been localized in the municipality of Brindisi. Focusing on cardiac pathology, we investigated the time course of the daily occurrences of acute cardiovascular events (OCE) leading to unscheduled hospitalization of subjects residents in Brindisi, during years 2001-2008. OCE series was analyzed by Detrended Fluctuation Analysis. The results indicate presence of long-term positive correlation, suggesting a role of atmospheric agents and air quality effects: increase/decrease of OCE following persistent high/low levels of air pollution

CB1 Signaling in Forebrain and Sympathetic Neurons Is a Key Determinant of Endocannabinoid Actions on Energy Balance

SummaryThe endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a critical role in obesity development. The pharmacological blockade of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) has been shown to reduce body weight and to alleviate obesity-related metabolic disorders. An unsolved question is at which anatomical level CB1 modulates energy balance and the mechanisms involved in its action. Here, we demonstrate that CB1 receptors expressed in forebrain and sympathetic neurons play a key role in the pathophysiological development of diet-induced obesity. Conditional mutant mice lacking CB1 expression in neurons known to control energy balance, but not in nonneuronal peripheral organs, displayed a lean phenotype and resistance to diet-induced obesity. This phenotype results from an increase in lipid oxidation and thermogenesis as a consequence of an enhanced sympathetic tone and a decrease in energy absorption. In conclusion, CB1 signaling in the forebrain and sympathetic neurons is a key determinant of the ECS control of energy balance

Secondary Particulate Matter Originating from an Industrial Source and Its Impact on Population Health

Epidemiological studies have reported adverse associations between long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) and several health outcomes. One issue in this field is exposure assessment and, in particular, the role of secondary PM2.5, often neglected in environmental and health risk assessment. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the long-term environmental and health impact of primary and secondary PM2.5 concentrations originating from a single industrial source. As a case study, we considered a coal power plant which is a large emitter of both primary PM2.5 and secondary PM2.5 precursors. PM2.5 concentrations were estimated using the Calpuff dispersion model. The health impact was expressed in terms of number of non-accidental deaths potentially attributable to the power plant. Results showed that the estimated secondary PM2.5 extended over a larger area than that related to primary PM2.5 with maximum concentration values of the two components well separated in space. Exposure to secondary PM2.5 increased significantly the estimated number of annual attributable non-accidental deaths. Our study indicates that the impact of secondary PM2.5 may be relevant also at local scale and ought to be considered when estimating the impact of industrial emissions on population health

Environmental assessment of interventions to restrain the impact of industrial pollution using a quasi-experimental design: limitations of the interventions and recommendations for public health policy

Background!#!In an industrial area, the asymmetry between the weights of the economic interests compared to the public-health needs can determine which interests are represented in decision-making processes. This might lead to partial interventions, whose impacts are not always evaluated. This study focuses on two interventions implemented in Taranto, Italy, a city hosting one of the largest steel plants in Europe. The first intervention deals with measures industrial plants must implement by law to reduce emissions during so called 'wind days' in order to reduce PM!##!Methods!#!To analyse the impact of the first intervention, we analysed monthly PM!##!Results!#!PM!##!Conclusion!#!Results of our study suggest revising the warning to the population. Furthermore, they evidence that in complex highly industrialised areas, air quality interventions cannot focus on only a single pollutant, but rather should consider the complex relationships between the different contaminants. Environmental interventions should be reviewed periodically, particularly when they have implications for social constraints. While the results of our study can be related only to the specific situation reported in the article, the methodology applied might be useful for the environmental management in industrial areas with similar features

Local emissions, local impacts: how LCA may evolve to include local detailed damage estimates

LCA studies have the strength to investigate the life cycle to detect any relevant process and related emission that may impact on ecosystems and human health; but, almost all LCA has taken the shortcut of first summing the emissions over all stages and then multiplying the result by site independent impact indices (reaching at best the national or continental resolution); spatial and temporal details at the local scale impacted by site specific emissions (e.g. stack emissions) are not accounted for. Some procedures have been proposed to couple the LCA approach with methods that could provide more spatially detailed damage estimations. One is the IPA (impact pathway analysis) developed under the Externe project and following works; it aimed to track the fate of a pollutant from where it is emitted to the affected receptors (population, crops, forests, buildings, etc.). This work involves a multidisciplinary system analysis, with inputs from engineers, dispersion modellers, epidemiologists, ecologists and economists. Whether an IPA of a single source or an LCA of an entire cycle is required, in general depends on the policy decision in question. One of the most relevant part of such a coupled IPA and LCA approach is the modeling of pollutant spatio-temporal fate in actual environment and human populated areas. In recent decades there was a huge development in modeling technical knowledge, that allows to reconsider the results achieved by the Externe project and that is promising in providing new ways to be coupled with the LCA approach. Some of these features will be shown in a specific study regarding a relevant local emitter activity, one of the biggest European coal power plant located in Apulia, Italy: the LCA approach can help in identifying relevant emitted species at the site, while a well assessed dispersion modeling system with adequate information input categories (orography, meteorology, land use and georeferenced population) provides a detailed space-time exposure fields to estimate actual damage response. How to integrate and make a robust new procedure with the “good” of both the approach is the perspective of this work

A participatory project in environmental epidemiology: lessons from the Manfredonia case study (Italy 2015-2016)

Introduction: This paper reports the experience of a participatory project in environmental epidemiology, formally initiated in 2015 and still underway, in Manfredonia, southern Italy. We provide some background information and justification for our choice of a participatory model of investigation, and summarize the antecedents to our involvement, from the siting of a petrochemical plant in the area in 1971 to a series of events which triggered public discontent, concern and unrest. Methods: We proceed by providing a description and discussion of the various steps of our study, focusing mainly on the dynamics of public engagement. Results: The initial disappointment and mistrust of concerned citizens have been reduced. The consequent dialogue led to a shared research protocol. Each step of the research has been made public and accessible. Conclusion: We conclude with some remarks on our experience and the lessons we are drawing from it, including the challenges for its possible replication. The participatory project contributed to promoting public engagement and restoring some trust in scientific researc

Diagnostic and prognostic impact of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in preoperative and postoperative setting of breast cancer patients

Osnovni cilj ovoga rada je bio prikazati performanse društveno odgovornog ponašanja u sektoru osiguranja na području Splitsko-dalmatinske županije točnije među djelatnicima osiguravajućih kuća. Kako bi se društveno odgovorno poslovanje što vjerodostojnije ispitalo kao općeniti pojam u određenom sektoru (u ovom slučaju osiguranju), ono je razmotreno od samih početaka svog razvoja. Pojašnjeno je kako se postepeno širio u sve pore poslovnog i društvenog života, zatim kako se isprepletao, njegove negativne efekte, te što društveno odgovorno ponašanje znači danas. Posebno se razradila tema društveno odgovornog poslovanja u Hrvatskoj, te se može reći da se su se društveno odgovorno poslovanje i hrvatska poslovna klima zajedno razvijale ako se uzme u obzir da se Hrvatska država stvarala i razvijala u isto vrijeme kada je društveno odgovorno poslovanje počelo doživaljati svoju ekspanziju u ostalom dijelu svijeta. Kako bi se donijeli relevantni zaključci na temu rada bilo je potrebno napraviti istraživanje na temelju kojeg bi se razradio problem, a ujedno bi bio potkrepljen realnim primjerima. U radu je analizirana anketa napravljena na uzorku djelatnika različitih osiguravajućih kuća s područja Splitsko-dalmatinske županije, njihova viđenja pojma društveno odgovornog poslovanja, primjera iz prakse i iskustava. Dobiveni rezultati stavljeni su u korelaciju s teoretskim dijelom rada, te je zaključeno da se u značajnom postotku podudaraju. U sektoru osiguranja u Hrvatskoj kao i u ostalim hrvatskim tvrtkama iz drugih branši (sukladno raznim istraživanjima) još uvijek postoji određeni stupanj neuključenosti i nezainteresiranosti tj. nepoznavanje važnosti društveno odgovorne aktivnosti kao jedne od glavnih strategija svakog razvijenog društva. Ono postoji na papiru u obliku raznih kodeksa i odluka kako bi se zadovoljila određena forma u nastojanjima za uskladom sa zapadnim svijetom, međutim u praksi se još uvijek radi o relativno malim brojevima. Kao razlog se uzima dugogodišnja recesija, negativni poslovni utjecaji, malo tržište te bilo koji drugi negativni društveni i poslovni efekt jer ipak se radi o dobrovoljnom „dijeljenju“ financijskih sredstava što je u vrlo malo slučajeva stvarno dobrovoljno. Međutim, mora se priznati da postoje koraci, u posljenje vrijeme, i svjesnost o važnosti sudjelovanja u razvoju društva i očuvanje prirode što se sve više ističe kao primarni cilj cjelokupne egzistencije