Tsunami-Related Data: A Review of Available Repositories Used in Scientific Literature

Various organizations and institutions store large volumes of tsunami-related data, whose availability and quality should benefit society, as it improves decision making before the tsunami occurrence, during the tsunami impact, and when coping with the aftermath. However, the existing digital ecosystem surrounding tsunami research prevents us from extracting the maximum benefit from our research investments. The main objective of this study is to explore the field of data repositories providing secondary data associated with tsunami research and analyze the current situation. We analyze the mutual interconnections of references in scientific studies published in the Web of Science database, governmental bodies, commercial organizations, and research agencies. A set of criteria was used to evaluate content and searchability. We identified 60 data repositories with records used in tsunami research. The heterogeneity of data formats, deactivated or nonfunctional web pages, the generality of data repositories, or poor dataset arrangement represent the most significant weak points. We outline the potential contribution of ontology engineering as an example of computer science methods that enable improvements in tsunami-related data management

Oceanographic Variability in Cumberland Bay, South Georgia, and Its Implications for Glacier Retreat

South Georgia is a heavily glaciated sub-Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean. Cumberland Bay is the largest fjord on the island, split into two arms, each with a large marine-terminating glacier at the head. Although these glaciers have shown markedly different retreat rates over the past century, the underlying drivers of such differential retreat are not yet understood. This study uses observations and a new high-resolution oceanographic model to characterize oceanographic variability in Cumberland Bay and to explore its influence on glacier retreat. While observations indicate a strong seasonal cycle in temperature and salinity, they reveal no clear hydrographic differences that could explain the differential glacier retreat. Model simulations suggest the subglacial outflow plume dynamics and fjord circulation are sensitive to the bathymetry adjacent to the glacier, though this does not provide persuasive reasoning for the asymmetric glacier retreat. The addition of a postulated shallow inner sill in one fjord arm, however, significantly changes the water properties in the resultant inner basin by blocking the intrusion of colder, higher salinity waters at depth. This increase in temperature could significantly increase submarine melting, which is proposed as a possible contribution to the different rates of glacier retreat observed in the two fjord arms. This study represents the first detailed description of the oceanographic variability of a sub-Antarctic island fjord, highlighting the sensitivity of fjord oceanography to bathymetry. Notably, in fjords systems where temperature decreases with depth, the presence of a shallow sill has the potential to accelerate glacier retreat

Smart Tourism Destinations: Can the Destination Management Organizations Exploit Benefits of the ICTs? Evidences from a Multiple Case Study

Recent developments of ICTs enable new ways to experience tourism and conducted to the concept of smart tourism. The adoption of cutting-edge technologies and its combination with innovative organizational models fosters cooperation, knowledge sharing, and open innovation among service providers in tourism destination. Moreover, it offers innovative services to visitors. In few words, they become smart tourism destinations. In this paper, we report first results of the SMARTCAL project aimed at conceiving a digital platform assisting Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in providing smart tourism services. A DMO is the organization charged with managing the tourism offer of a collaborative network, made up of service providers acting in a destination. In this paper, we adopted a multiple case studies approach to analyze five Italian DMOs. Our aims were to investigate (1) if, and how, successful DMOs were able to offer smart tourism services to visitors; (2) if the ICTs adoption level was related to the collaboration level among DMO partners. First results highlighted that use of smart technologies was still in an embryonic stage of development, and it did not depend from collaboration levels

Enhanced antiviral function of magnesium chloride-modified Heparin on a broad spectrum of viruses

Previous studies reported on the broad-spectrum antiviral function of heparin. Here we investigated the antiviral function of magnesium-modified heparin and found that modified heparin displayed a significantly enhanced antiviral function against human adenovirus (HAdV) in immortalized and primary cells. Nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed a conformational change of heparin when complexed with magnesium. To broadly explore this discovery, we tested the antiviral function of modified heparin against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and found that the replication of HSV-1 was even further decreased compared to aciclovir. Moreover, we investigated the antiviral effect against the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and measured a 55-fold decreased viral load in the supernatant of infected cells associated with a 38-fold decrease in virus growth. The advantage of our modified heparin is an increased antiviral effect compared to regular heparin

Airsheds, watersheds and more – The flows that drive intra-extra-urban connections, and their implications for nature-based solutions (NBS)

This is the final version. Available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordCities are highly complex, inter-connected social-ecological systems, encompassing social, built and natural/semi-natural components. They interact with their surrounding extra-urban areas at varying scales, from peri-urban and rural to global. Space is a valuable commodity in cities. However, in most instances, city planners tend to think about interventions only within cities and rarely about the wider connected domains outside. Yet, considering the wider spatial context, including space outside of the city boundaries, may open up opportunities to achieve substantially greater benefit for city residents without sacrificing valuable space, leading to more sustainable city design for people and the environment. In this paper we discuss the intra-extra-urban flows which connect cities to their wider airsheds, watersheds, biosheds and resourcesheds, which in turn interact with their peoplesheds. For each domain, we illustrate the processes and the scales they operate at, and discuss the implications for optimum location of nature-based solutions (NBS) to address urban challenges. We suggest that integrating knowledge about these multiple sheds can inform holistic design of NBS to deliver greater benefit for city residents. This takes into account the synergies and multi-functional co-benefits which arise from a careful consideration of place and people, while minimising potential disbenefits and trade-offs

The Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force: Findings from the consumer Delphi process

OnlinePublObjectives: To develop guidelines, informed by health-care consumer values and preferences, for sarcopenia prevention, assessment and management for use by clinicians and researchers in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: A three-phase Consumer Expert Delphi process was undertaken between July 2020 and August 2021. Consumer experts included adults with lived experience of sarcopenia or health-care utilisation. Phase 1 involved a structured meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force and consumer representatives from which the Phase 2 survey was developed. In Phase 2, consumers from Australia and New Zealand were surveyed online with opinions sought on sarcopenia outcome priorities, consultation preferences and interventions. Findings were confirmed and disseminated in Phase 3. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Results: Twenty-four consumers (mean±standard deviation age 67.5 ±12.8 years, 18 women) participated in Phase 2. Ten (42%) identified as being interested in sarcopenia, 7 (29%) were health-care consumers and 6 (25%) self-reported having/believing they have sarcopenia. Consumers identified physical performance, living circumstances, morale, quality of life and social connectedness as the most important outcomes related to sarcopenia. Consumers either had no preference (46%) or preferred their doctor (40%) to diagnose sarcopenia and preferred to undergo assessments at least yearly (54%). For prevention and treatment, 46% of consumers preferred resistance exercise, 2–3 times per week (54%). Conclusions: Consumer preferences reported in this study can inform the implementation of sarcopenia guidelines into clinical practice at local, state and national levels across Australia and New Zealand.Jesse Zanke ... Elsa Dent ... Renuka Visvanathan ... Solomon Yu ... et al