LA CARTA DEL PAESAGGIO GEOLOGICO, DEI BENI NATURALI E CULTURALI DELLA MEDIA VALLE DEL TEMO

Vengono presentati i risultati di una ricerca finalizzata allo studio e alla valorizzazione dei beni naturali e culturali della Media Valle del Temo (Sardegna NO). Il lavoro, che ha la sua massima espressione grafica nella Carta del paesaggio geologico e dei beni naturali e culturali, è stato condotto a partire dalla Carta tecnica regionale tramite la realizzazione di una serie di carte tematiche di base (Carta geologica, Carta geomorfologia, Carta dell’uso del suolo e della copertura vegetale) e di integrazione (Carta dei Beni culturali, Modello 3D), attraverso le quali sono stati evidenziati 4 sistemi di paesaggio e 11 distinte unità di paesaggio. L’integrazione dei beni naturali (geositi e geomorfositi, opportunamente rilevati e classificati, siti di interesse comunitario) e dei beni culturali distinti per tipologia e cronologia all’interno delle diverse unità di paesaggio, ha consentito di predisporre uno strumento di alto contenuto informativo e di facile lettura per lo sviluppo del turismo sostenibile in un’area con grandi potenzialità ancora poco conosciute ed apprezzate.The present study aimed to improve the understanding of and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the Middle Temo Valley (NE Sardinia). The findings of the study were used to construct the Map of the Geological Landscape, Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Middle Temo Valley. Starting from the Regional Technical Map, a series of thematic (geological, geomorphological, land use and plant cover) and integrated (cultural heritage, 3D model) maps was compiled. On the basis of these, 4 landscape systems and 11 landscape units have been identified. Integrating with the natural heritage (identified and classified geosites and geomorphosites. sites of community interest) and cultural heritage divided, within each landscape unit, by type and in chronological order, we were able to produce an easy to read map with high information content for the development of sustainable tourism in what is today a little known and under appreciated area with huge potential

Indagini termografiche, trasformazioni architettoniche e degrado dei materiali nelle chiese del centro storico di Siliqua (Sardegna S-W)

La termografia a raggi infrarossi, come noto, consente l’analisi strutturale di manufatti edilizi sulla base dell’individuazione di zone a differente temperatura e di possibili processi di scambio termico in stretta relazione con la risposta dei materiali utilizzati alle sollecitazioni termiche a cui sono interessati. Le immagini termiche, soprattutto se acquisite mediante strumentazione caratterizzata da elevata risoluzione e sensibilità, consentono di mettere in evidenza, oltre alla presenza di anomalie legate a processi di alterazione e degradazione dei materiali utilizzati, eventuali trasformazioni architettoniche avvenute nella storia del manufatto e, in particolare, caratteri costruttivi originari nascosti da interventi posteriori. Sulla base di questi presupposti, vengono esposti i risultati di una indagine applicata per lo studio di alcuni tra gli edifici storico-religiosi presenti nel paese di Siliqua (Sardegna sud-occidentale): la Chiesa di San Giorgio, la Chiesa di Sant’Anna e la Chiesa di Santa Margherita. La ricerca, in particolare, ha consentito di mettere in evidenza la struttura e la tessitura muraria dei prospetti principali, oggi coperta dall’intonaco e, sulla base di documenti storici e delle immagini fotografiche del passato, tarare la risposta termica acquisita in base alle specifiche caratteristiche dei materiali utilizzati. Lo studio è stato condotto mediante l’utilizzo della Termocamera IR Thermo Tracer TH9260 (NEC Avio Infrared Technologies Co., Ltd).Infrared thermography, as known, allows the analysis of structural building elements on the basis of the identification of areas at different temperatures and possible heat transfer processes in close relationship with the response of the materials used to thermal stresses to which they are interested. The thermal images, especially if acquired through instrumentation characterized by high resolution and sensitivity, allow to put in evidence, in addition to the presence of anomalies associated with processes of alteration and degradation of the materials used, any architectural transformations occurred in the history of the article and, in particular, original characters constructive hidden by later interventions. Based on these assumptions, the thermographic method has been applied to the study of some of the historical and religious buildings in the country of Siliqua (south-western Sardinia): the Church of San Giorgio, the Church of Sant’Anna and the Church of Santa Margherita. The research, in particular, has made it possible to highlight the structure and texture of the main elevations of walls, now covered by plaster, and, on the basis of historical documents and photographs of the past, adjust the thermal response acquired with the specific materials used. The study has been carried through non-destructive telemetry investigations through the use of Thermal Imaging Camera IR Thermo Tracer TH9260 (NEC Avio Infrared Technologies Co., Ltd)

The quarries of the El Haouaria coast (north east of Tunisia): identitary heritage and scientific and landscaping value

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Note of the COASTAL AND MARINE GEOMORPHOLOGICAL MAP Island of San Pietro (SW Sardinia) Scale 1:25.000

Nel presente lavoro vengono descritti i caratteri geomorfologici e strutturali dell’area marina ed insulare dell'Isola di San Pietro (Sardegna SW). Nonostante la limitata estensione, di poco più di 50 km2 di superficie, l’Isola è caratterizzata da una elevata geodiversità, legata alla presenza di numerose formazioni e ben riconoscibili tipi di rocce vulcaniche, laviche (rioliti, ignimbriti, ignimbriti riolitiche, comenditi, diaspri, ecc.) e tufacee (tufi, piroclastiti cineriti, cineriti pomicee, ocre rosse e gialle), riferibili al ciclo calcoalcalino oligo-miocenico. I processi geomorfologici legati alle acque, all’alterazione meteorica, al vento ed alla dinamica litorale hanno generato forme interne (tafoni, sculture alveolari, drappeggi, forme a fungo, valli sospese, ecc.) e soprattutto costiere (insenature a rias, scogliere, isolotti, colonne e pinnacoli, grotte costiere), talora dai connotati spettacolari quali duomi (Capo Sandalo, Cala Fico, ecc.), mineralizzazioni manganesifere, strutture di flusso (lave commenditiche di Bricco di Nasca e Montagna di Ravenna), convolute (lave commenditiche di Cala Fico) e fessurazioni colonnari. Dettagliate ricerche sul campo e analisi di laboratorio condotte utilizzando le fotografie aeree, le ortofotocarte e le immagini satellitari, hanno permesso di esaminare e classificare le morfologie riconducibili ai processi geomorfologici associati all'azione degli agenti esogeni e delle forze endogene. L’interpretazione geologico-geomorfologica del settore marino è stata condotta principalmente attraverso lo studio dei dati Side Scan Sonar supportati dalle osservazioni dirette effettuate durante i rilievi in immersione. Per le aree pericostiere (tra 0 e -15 m) sono stati analizzati i fotogrammi e le immagini satellitari di recente acquisizione. Tale procedura, associata alle osservazioni dirette raccolte in immersione, ha consentito di determinare la litologia degli affioramenti rocciosi sommersi, di ricostruire i limiti tra litotipi differenti, di rilevare le evidenze di lineamenti tettonici, di rilevare lo stato evolutivo delle forme del rilievo costiero e sottomarino, di rilevare le principali facies sedimentarie e di riconoscere evidenze di stazionamento del livello marino (paleolinee di riva). I rilievi e le verifiche in immersione sono stati finalizzati alla validazione delle ipotesi interpretative dei dati geofisici Side Scan Sonar. Le attività di interpretazione sono state condotte in ambiente CAD e GIS mentre la restituzione finale è stata ottenuta tramite software di grafica vettoriale.The Island of San Pietro, situated on the SW coast of Sardinia, covers an area of roughly 51 square kilometres. Geologically, the island is composed almost entirely of volcanic rock, with minor outcrops of Tyrrhenian fossil-bearing sandy conglomerates, of eolian sandstones, ancient and recent alluvial deposits, dunal sands and sediments deposited in palustrine and marshy environments. In spite of its small size, the island boasts a wealth of geodiversity, with the occurrence of a variety of effusive magmatic rocks formed during the Oligo-Miocene volcanic cycle that affected the whole of Sardinia. During this cycle numerous units were emplaced as well as various, easily distinguishable types of volcanic rocks, namely lava (rhyolite, rhyolitic ignimbrite, comendite, retinite, diaspore, etc.) and tuff (tuff, pyroclastite, cinerite, pumiceous cinerite, red and yellow ochre), sometimes with spectacular domes (for instance at Capo Sandalo and Cala Fico) manganese bearing mineralizations, emission centres, lava flow surface structures (comendite lava at Bricco di Nasca and Montagna di Ravenna), convolute flow structures (comendite lava at Cala Fico) and spectacular columnar fracturing. Detailed field surveys and laboratory investigations conducted using aerial photographs, orthophotographs and satellite images allowed to examine and classify those landforms attributable to geomorphological processes associated with water, weathering, wind and coastal dynamics. The marine environment was geologically-geomorphologically interpreted chiefly by examining the Side Scan Sonar data, supplemented with direct observations during underwater surveys. For the pericoastal areas (between 0 and -15 m), photograms and recently acquired satellite imagery were analysed. Side scan sonograms together with direct underwater observations were used to determine lithology of submerged rock outcrops, to reconstruct boundaries between different rock types, to detect evidence of tectonic lines, to determine the evolution of coastal and underwater relief forms, to identify the main sedimentary facies and evidence of sea level stand (palaeo shore line). Interpretive hypothesis of the side scan sonar data were validated by means of underwater surveys. Data from land and sea surveys were interpreted in CAD and GIS environments, while final rendering was obtained using vector graphics software

Precision farming: what do Italian farmers really think? An application of the Q methodology

Precision farming (PF) is a term that is now widespread throughout agricultural systems worldwide. It is studied in many ways, from its strictly technical connotation of a farm management strategy that uses information technology to support decision-making processes to the steppingstones and the dissection of the factors involved in the complex scenario of adopting related tools. Starting from the statement "In my opinion, precision farming is…", the present work investigates the perspective of the agricultural entrepreneur in conceptualising PF. Some researchers have highlighted the role of the sphere of the self in adoption, but few efforts have been made to better understand the role played by farmers’ perceptions in the formation of their thinking about innovative tools. This work aims to deepen the sphere of the self and, in particular, the role played by farmers’ perceptions when faced with the innovation adoption choice. The study presents a new conceptual framework identifying key stages for analysing adoption processes, focusing on the relationships between behaviour, structural dimensions and adoption, interpreted from the farmer perspective. The Q methodology (QM) was used with a targeted sample of 23 farmers to identify prevailing discourses. In the first step, the socio-structural dimensions were analysed through descriptive analysis, and in the second step, the discourses were extracted by an intercorrelation matrix through the centroid procedure, translating the solution using varimax rotation. This paper highlights that the QM is an appropriate technique for exploring and studying farmers’ attitudes when challenged with innovation. The results reveal discourses that summarise three macro perspectives: the “proactive approach”, which represents farmers who perceive PF as having a key role for agricultural enterprises; the “conservative approach”, which characterises those who distrust innovations; and the “doubtful approach”, which is the more sceptical vision

Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome and gastrointestinal defects: report on a newborn with 19p13.3 deletion including the MAP 2K2 gene

Background: Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (CFCS) belongs to RASopathies, a group of conditions caused by mutations in genes encoding proteins of the rat sarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinase (RAS/MAPK) pathway. It is a rare syndrome, with about 300 patients reported. Main clinical manifestations include facial dysmorphisms, growth failure, heart defects, developmental delay, and ectodermal abnormalities. Mutations (mainly missense) of four genes (BRAF, MAP 2 K1, MAP 2 K2, and KRAS) have been associated to CFCS. However, whole gene deletions/duplications and chromosomal microdeletions have been also reported. Specifcally, 19p13.3 deletion including MAP 2 K2 gene are responsible for cardio-facio-cutaneous microdeletion syndrome, whose afected subjects show more severe phenotype than CFCS general population. Case presentation: Hereby, we report on a female newborn with prenatal diagnosis of omphalocele, leading to further genetic investigations through amniocentesis. Among these, array comparative genomic hybridization (a-CGH) identifed a 19p13.3 microdeletion, spanning 1.27Mb and including MAP 2 K2 gene. Clinical features at birth (coarse face with dysmorphic features, sparse and friable hair, cutaneous vascular malformations and hyperkeratotic lesions, interventricular septal defect, and omphalocele) were compatible with CFCS diagnosis, and further postnatal genetic investigations were not considered necessary. Soon after discharge, at around 1month of life, she was readmitted to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to repeated episodes of vomiting, subtending a hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) which was promptly identifed and treated. Conclusions: Our report supports the 19p13.3 microdeletion as a contiguous gene syndrome, in which the involvement of the genes contiguous to MAP 2 K2 may modify the patients’ phenotype. It highlights how CFCS afected subjects, including those with 19p13.3 deletions, may have associated gastrointestinal defects (e.g., omphalocele and HPS), providing further data on 19p13.3 microdeletion syndrome, and a better characterization of its genomic and phenotypic features. The complex clinical picture of such patients may be worsened by additional, and even precocious, life-threatening conditions like HPS. Clinicians must consider, anticipate and/or promptly treat possible medical and surgical complications, with the aim of reducing adverse outcomes. Extensive diagnostic work-up, and early, continuous, and multidisciplinary follow-up, as well as integrated care, are necessary for the longitudinal clinical evolution of any single patient

Treatment planning of intracranial lesions with {VHEE}: comparing conventional and {FLASH} irradiation potential with state-of-the-art photon and proton radiotherapy

The treatment of deep-seated tumours with electrons of very high energies (VHEE, 70-150 MeV) has already been explored in the past, suggesting that a dosimetric coverage comparable with state-of-the-art proton (PT) or photon radiotherapy (RT) could be achieved with a large ( > 10) number of fields and high electron energy. The technical and economical challenges posed by the deployment of such beams in treatment centres, together with the expected small therapeutic gain, prevented the development of such technique. This scenario could radically change in the light of recent developments that occurred in the compact, high-gradient, electron acceleration technology and, additionally, of the experimental evidence of the sparing of organs at risk achieved in ultra-high dose rate irradiation, also referred to as FLASH. Electrons with the energy required to treat intracranial lesions could be provided, at dose rates compatible with what is needed to trigger the FLASH effect, by accelerators that are a few metres long, and the organ sparing could be exploited to significantly simplify the irradiation geometry, decreasing the number of fields needed to treat a patient. In this paper, the case of two patients affected by a chordoma and a meningioma, respectively, treated with protons in Trento (IT) is presented. The proton plans have been compared with VHEE plans and X-ray intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans. The VHEE plans were first evaluated in terms of physical dose distribution and then assuming that the FLASH regimen can be achieved. VHEE beams demonstrated their potential in obtaining plans that have comparable tumour coverage and organs at risk sparing when benchmarked against current state-of-the-art IMRT and PT. These results were obtained with a number of explored fields that was in the range between 3 and 7, consistent with what is routinely performed in IMRT and PT conventional irradiations. The FLASH regimen, in all cases, showed its potential in reducing damage to the organs placed nearby the target volume, allowing, particularly in the chordoma case where the irradiation geometry is more challenging, a better tumour coverage with respect to the conventional treatments

ITALIAN CANCER FIGURES - REPORT 2015: The burden of rare cancers in Italy = I TUMORI IN ITALIA - RAPPORTO 2015: I tumori rari in Italia

OBJECTIVES: This collaborative study, based on data collected by the network of Italian Cancer Registries (AIRTUM), describes the burden of rare cancers in Italy. Estimated number of new rare cancer cases yearly diagnosed (incidence), proportion of patients alive after diagnosis (survival), and estimated number of people still alive after a new cancer diagnosis (prevalence) are provided for about 200 different cancer entities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data herein presented were provided by AIRTUM population- based cancer registries (CRs), covering nowadays 52% of the Italian population. This monograph uses the AIRTUM database (January 2015), which includes all malignant cancer cases diagnosed between 1976 and 2010. All cases are coded according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O-3). Data underwent standard quality checks (described in the AIRTUM data management protocol) and were checked against rare-cancer specific quality indicators proposed and published by RARECARE and HAEMACARE (www.rarecarenet.eu; www.haemacare.eu). The definition and list of rare cancers proposed by the RARECAREnet "Information Network on Rare Cancers" project were adopted: rare cancers are entities (defined as a combination of topographical and morphological codes of the ICD-O-3) having an incidence rate of less than 6 per 100,000 per year in the European population. This monograph presents 198 rare cancers grouped in 14 major groups. Crude incidence rates were estimated as the number of all new cancers occurring in 2000-2010 divided by the overall population at risk, for males and females (also for gender-specific tumours).The proportion of rare cancers out of the total cancers (rare and common) by site was also calculated. Incidence rates by sex and age are reported. The expected number of new cases in 2015 in Italy was estimated assuming the incidence in Italy to be the same as in the AIRTUM area. One- and 5-year relative survival estimates of cases aged 0-99 years diagnosed between 2000 and 2008 in the AIRTUM database, and followed up to 31 December 2009, were calculated using complete cohort survival analysis. To estimate the observed prevalence in Italy, incidence and follow-up data from 11 CRs for the period 1992-2006 were used, with a prevalence index date of 1 January 2007. Observed prevalence in the general population was disentangled by time prior to the reference date (≤2 years, 2-5 years, ≤15 years). To calculate the complete prevalence proportion at 1 January 2007 in Italy, the 15-year observed prevalence was corrected by the completeness index, in order to account for those cancer survivors diagnosed before the cancer registry activity started. The completeness index by cancer and age was obtained by means of statistical regression models, using incidence and survival data available in the European RARECAREnet data. RESULTS: In total, 339,403 tumours were included in the incidence analysis. The annual incidence rate (IR) of all 198 rare cancers in the period 2000-2010 was 147 per 100,000 per year, corresponding to about 89,000 new diagnoses in Italy each year, accounting for 25% of all cancer. Five cancers, rare at European level, were not rare in Italy because their IR was higher than 6 per 100,000; these tumours were: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma of larynx (whose IRs in Italy were 7 per 100,000), multiple myeloma (IR: 8 per 100,000), hepatocellular carcinoma (IR: 9 per 100,000) and carcinoma of thyroid gland (IR: 14 per 100,000). Among the remaining 193 rare cancers, more than two thirds (No. 139) had an annual IR <0.5 per 100,000, accounting for about 7,100 new cancers cases; for 25 cancer types, the IR ranged between 0.5 and 1 per 100,000, accounting for about 10,000 new diagnoses; while for 29 cancer types the IR was between 1 and 6 per 100,000, accounting for about 41,000 new cancer cases. Among all rare cancers diagnosed in Italy, 7% were rare haematological diseases (IR: 41 per 100,000), 18% were solid rare cancers. Among the latter, the rare epithelial tumours of the digestive system were the most common (23%, IR: 26 per 100,000), followed by epithelial tumours of head and neck (17%, IR: 19) and rare cancers of the female genital system (17%, IR: 17), endocrine tumours (13% including thyroid carcinomas and less than 1% with an IR of 0.4 excluding thyroid carcinomas), sarcomas (8%, IR: 9 per 100,000), central nervous system tumours and rare epithelial tumours of the thoracic cavity (5%with an IR equal to 6 and 5 per 100,000, respectively). The remaining (rare male genital tumours, IR: 4 per 100,000; tumours of eye, IR: 0.7 per 100,000; neuroendocrine tumours, IR: 4 per 100,000; embryonal tumours, IR: 0.4 per 100,000; rare skin tumours and malignant melanoma of mucosae, IR: 0.8 per 100,000) each constituted <4% of all solid rare cancers. Patients with rare cancers were on average younger than those with common cancers. Essentially, all childhood cancers were rare, while after age 40 years, the common cancers (breast, prostate, colon, rectum, and lung) became increasingly more frequent. For 254,821 rare cancers diagnosed in 2000-2008, 5-year RS was on average 55%, lower than the corresponding figures for patients with common cancers (68%). RS was lower for rare cancers than for common cancers at 1 year and continued to diverge up to 3 years, while the gap remained constant from 3 to 5 years after diagnosis. For rare and common cancers, survival decreased with increasing age. Five-year RS was similar and high for both rare and common cancers up to 54 years; it decreased with age, especially after 54 years, with the elderly (75+ years) having a 37% and 20% lower survival than those aged 55-64 years for rare and common cancers, respectively. We estimated that about 900,000 people were alive in Italy with a previous diagnosis of a rare cancer in 2010 (prevalence). The highest prevalence was observed for rare haematological diseases (278 per 100,000) and rare tumours of the female genital system (265 per 100,000). Very low prevalence (<10 prt 100,000) was observed for rare epithelial skin cancers, for rare epithelial tumours of the digestive system and rare epithelial tumours of the thoracic cavity. COMMENTS: One in four cancers cases diagnosed in Italy is a rare cancer, in agreement with estimates of 24% calculated in Europe overall. In Italy, the group of all rare cancers combined, include 5 cancer types with an IR>6 per 100,000 in Italy, in particular thyroid cancer (IR: 14 per 100,000).The exclusion of thyroid carcinoma from rare cancers reduces the proportion of them in Italy in 2010 to 22%. Differences in incidence across population can be due to the different distribution of risk factors (whether environmental, lifestyle, occupational, or genetic), heterogeneous diagnostic intensity activity, as well as different diagnostic capacity; moreover heterogeneity in accuracy of registration may determine some minor differences in the account of rare cancers. Rare cancers had worse prognosis than common cancers at 1, 3, and 5 years from diagnosis. Differences between rare and common cancers were small 1 year after diagnosis, but survival for rare cancers declined more markedly thereafter, consistent with the idea that treatments for rare cancers are less effective than those for common cancers. However, differences in stage at diagnosis could not be excluded, as 1- and 3-year RS for rare cancers was lower than the corresponding figures for common cancers. Moreover, rare cancers include many cancer entities with a bad prognosis (5-year RS <50%): cancer of head and neck, oesophagus, small intestine, ovary, brain, biliary tract, liver, pleura, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid and lymphatic leukaemia; in contrast, most common cancer cases are breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers, which have a good prognosis. The high prevalence observed for rare haematological diseases and rare tumours of the female genital system is due to their high incidence (the majority of haematological diseases are rare and gynaecological cancers added up to fairly high incidence rates) and relatively good prognosis. The low prevalence of rare epithelial tumours of the digestive system was due to the low survival rates of the majority of tumours included in this group (oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and liver), regardless of the high incidence rate of rare epithelial cancers of these sites. This AIRTUM study confirms that rare cancers are a major public health problem in Italy and provides quantitative estimations, for the first time in Italy, to a problem long known to exist. This monograph provides detailed epidemiologic indicators for almost 200 rare cancers, the majority of which (72%) are very rare (IR<0.5 per 100,000). These data are of major interest for different stakeholders. Health care planners can find useful information herein to properly plan and think of how to reorganise health care services. Researchers now have numbers to design clinical trials considering alternative study designs and statistical approaches. Population-based cancer registries with good quality data are the best source of information to describe the rare cancer burden in a population