An Integrated Coastal Sediment Management Plan: The Example of the Tuscany Region (Italy)

This paper presents the results of a study carried out to support the Region of Tuscany Coastal Sediment Management Plan, with the main aim of establishing the sediment budget considering the time span from 1981-1985 to 2005 for the 56 coastal sectors into which the 215 km-long continental sandy coast of Tuscany (Italy) was divided. The sand stability (according to a stability index) and colour compatibility (according to the CIEL*a*b* colour space with an acceptability range conforming to national guidelines) were determined in order to assess the possibility of using the available sediment in accreting sectors to nourish the beach in eroding areas. Only in two cases-i.e., the updrift of a harbour (at Viareggio) and in a convergence zone (at Marina di Pietrasanta)-are the volumes of sufficient magnitude to support a large nourishment project; however, the mean sand size is too small to guarantee efficient nourishment, even with medium-term stability. In contrast, the colour difference, in most of the cases, was shown to be acceptable. Other small sediment stocks, suitable for colour but not for grain size, can be used for periodic ephemeral nourishment works to support seasonal tourist activities. The limited resources available make it necessary to adopt a plan for their optimal use from a regional perspective. This kind of study is of great interest for the proposal of sound management actions to counteract the increasing erosion processes linked to climate change phenomena and human effects on rivers and coastal systems

Ergodic property of Markovian semigroups on standard forms of von Neumann algebras

We give sufficient conditions for ergodicity of the Markovian semigroups associated to Dirichlet forms on standard forms of von Neumann algebras constructed by the method proposed in Refs. [Par1,Par2]. We apply our result to show that the diffusion type Markovian semigroups for quantum spin systems are ergodic in the region of high temperatures where the uniqueness of the KMS-state holds.Comment: 25 page

Phase space structures and ionization dynamics of hydrogen atom in elliptically polarized microwaves

The multiphoton ionization of hydrogen atoms in a strong elliptically polarized microwave field exhibits complex features that are not observed for ionization in circular and linear polarized fields. Experimental data reveal high sensitivity of ionization dynamics to the small changes of the field polarization. The multidimensional nature of the problem makes widely used diagnostics of dynamics, such as Poincar\'{e} surfaces of section, impractical. We analyze the phase space dynamics using finite time stability analysis rendered by the fast Lyapunov Indicators technique. The concept of zero--velocity surface is used to initialize the calculations and visualize the dynamics. Our analysis provides stability maps calculated for the initial energy at the maximum and below the saddle of the zero-velocity surface. We estimate qualitatively the dependence of ionization thresholds on the parameters of the applied field, such as polarization and scaled amplitude

Are sleep problems related to psychological distress in healthy aging during the covid-19 pandemic? A review

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, characterized by home confinement and other restrictive measures to reduce the spread of the infection, led to significant changes in people’s habits and lifestyle. One of the most common problems is the worsening of sleep quality or quantity, which could have negative effects on psychological wellbeing, particularly in older adults. The purposes of the present literature review considering healthy aging subjects are (a) to examine the existing research on sleep alterations during the current pandemic and (b) to highlight possible relationships between sleep problems and psychological distress. A systematic search strategy was implemented according to PRISMA guidelines in the international literature online databases, up to 1 July 2021. After identification and screening phases, 11 articles were included in this review. The studies found possible associations between sleep problems and mood changes—particularly in terms of depression and anxiety. In addition, altered sleep patterns seemed to be related to changes in individual aspects, lifestyle, and attitudes adopted by older adults during the COVID-19 lockdown. Thus, the pandemic could affect the sleep and psychological wellbeing of the older population, even in healthy aging

Molecular characterization of the autochthonous grape cultivars of the region Friuli Venezia Giulia – North-Eastern Italy

A sample of 48 accessions belonging to important autochthonous grapevine varieties from Friuli Venezia Giulia (North-Eastern Italy) was analyzed using two sets of microsatellite markers. One marker set, based on di-nucleotide core repeats, was compared with a recently developed set of markers based on tri-, tetra-, and penta-nucleotide repeats in order to determine genetic identities, estimate genetic diversity, and establish the power of discrimination of the two sets. A total of 20 di-nucleotide SSR markers and 19 tri-, tetra-, and penta-nucleotide SSR markers were used to screen the accessions.All 39 primers produced PCR amplicons that were polymorphic and easily scorable in all of the accessions studied. Both datasets allowed the discrimination of all cultivars but two ('Refosco di Runcis' and 'Refoscone'). The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.21 to 1.0 for the di-nucleotide markers, and from 0.21 to 0.88 for the tri-, tetra-, and penta-nucleotide repeat motif microsatellites, respectively.The population structure of the 48 autochthonous accessions was evaluated, together with 8 international cultivars included as references, providing evidence for significant population structure within the sample. Microsatellites composed of tri-, tetra-, and penta-nucleotide repeats, characterized by low ‘stuttering’ and larger relative size differences between incremental alleles, are now available for grape fingerprinting.

Development and validation of the Music Cognitive Test: a music-based cognitive screening test

Specific tools to measure the cognitive benefits of music therapy and music-rehabilitation training available to music therapists are few and empirically weak: they are mostly psychometrically unrefined or based on unclear tasks and scoring protocols; they do not take into consideration distinct cognitive functions or are based on exclusively observational protocols. To overcome these limitations, we developed a 15-min cognitive screening tool suitable for music therapists, MCT (Music Cognitive Test), which assesses cognitive abilities stimulated by music-making activities (e.g., attentional, verbal and executive functions, short- and long-term memory) by including music-based items. MCT was validated with 335 participants (aged 18-100y.o.) presenting a range of cognitive levels, from healthy cognition to severe impairment. MCT correlated strongly and positively with well-known tests: MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination), MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and SMMSE (Severe Mini-Mental State Examination). MCT also displayed excellent sensitivity in identifying impaired individuals according to both MMSE and MoCA diagnostic criteria (99.4% and 93.0%, respectively), and excellent specificity in identifying healthy participants based on MMSE (93.5%) and MoCA (97.8%) criteria. Overall, results highlight the reliability of this novel brief music-focused cognitive screening test, to enable music therapists to independently and consistently monitor the effectiveness of their intervention on cognitive functions

Potencial de Mimosa acutistipula (MART.) BENTH. e Senegalia paraensis (DUCKE) Seigler & Ebinger para revegetação de áreas contaminadas por arsênio.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o crescimento de Mimosa acutistipula (Mart.) Benth. e Senegalia paraensis (Ducke) Seigler & Ebinger cultivadas em solo com diferentes concentrações de arsênio. Os ensaios foram conduzidos em casa de vegetação em blocos casualizados com quatro repetições