A WebGIS tool for the dissemination of earthquake data

In 2004 a new seismic hazard map of Italy (MPS Working Group, 2004) has been released by a task force that produced an amount of new or updated data, such as a new version of the earthquake catalogue (CPTI04; CPTI Working Group, 2004) and an updated seismogenic zonation. A set of WebGIS tools has been designed for the data dissemination to the scientific community and the general public. The design of the WebGIS tools focused first on the consultation of the DBM04 macroseismic database (DBM Working Group, 2005), which contains the macroseismic intensity data-points (IDP) of the earthquakes listed in the CPTI04 catalogue. The WebGIS tool design and development process had to fulfill: 1) simplicity, 2) responsiveness and 3) readiness for future extensions. The specific requirements for the macroseismic database consultation interface were: - data access by place and by earthquake; - IDP maps with queryable points; - data download in both tabular and map format; - easily upgradable content; - quick and user friendly interface

Setting up an earthquake forecast experiment in Italy

We describe the setting up of the first earthquake forecasting experiment for Italy within the Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP). CSEP conducts rigorous and truly prospective forecast experiments for different tectonic environments in several forecast testing centers around the globe; forecasts are issued for a future period and also tested only against future observations to avoid any possible bias. As such, experiments need to be completely defined. This includes exact definitions of the testing area, of learning data for the forecast models, and of observation data against which forecasts will be tested to evaluate their performance. Here we present the rules, as taken from the Regional Earthquake Likelihood Models experiment and extended or changed for the Italian experiment. We also present characterizations of learning and observational catalogs that describe the completeness of these catalogs and illuminate inhomogeneities of magnitudes between these catalogs. A particular focus lies on the stability of earthquake recordings of the observational network. These catalog investigations provide guidance for CSEP modelers for developing earthquakes forecasts for submission to the forecast experiment in Italy

Clinically-based determination of safe DNAemia cutoff levels for preemptive therapy or human cytomegalovirus infections in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Transplantation Centers using human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) antigenemia-based preemptive therapy will need to replace in the near future the antigenemia assay with a more standardized and automatable assay, such as a molecular assay quantifying HCMV DNA in blood (DNAemia). Thus, in view of replacing antigenemia with clinically safe cutoff values, DNAemia levels corresponding to antigenemia cutoffs guiding HCMV preemptive therapy were determined retrospectively in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients (HSCTR) using an "in-house" quantitative PCR (QPCR) method. Since preemptive therapy had prevented appearance of HCMV disease in all patients tested, DNA cutoffs determined retrospectively had to be considered as safe clinically as antigenemia cutoffs used prospectively. However, in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTR), initiating preemptive therapy upon an antigenemia cutoff of 100 pp65-positive leukocytes, a DNAemia cutoff of 300,000 copies/ml blood had positive and negative predictive values of >90%, indicating that a DNAemia cutoff could achieve, in terms of prevention of HCMV disease, the same clinical results as the antigenemia cutoff. In HSCTR, initiating preemptive therapy upon first antigenemia positivity, a DNAemia cutoff of 10,000 copies/ml blood had a positive predictive value of >90%, indicating that the great majority of patients treated under the antigenemia guidance would have been treated also using this DNA cutoff. On the other hand, the negative predictive value of 28.6% indicated that two out of three HSCTR had been treated under the antigenemia guidance having the same levels of viral DNA as the untreated patients. The data suggest that a quantitative cutoff could be adopted as a guiding criterion for preemptive therapy also in HSCTR. Regression analysis allowed to determine the DNAemia (corresponding to QPCR) cutoff values for two commercial assays tested both in solid organ and HSCTR. Retrospective DNAemia cutoff values will be verified for safety in prospective trial

A WebGIS tool for the dissemination of earthquake data

In 2004 a new seismic hazard map of Italy (MPS Working Group, 2004) has been released by a task force that produced an amount of new or updated data, such as a new version of the earthquake catalogue (CPTI04; CPTI Working Group, 2004) and an updated seismogenic zonation. A set of WebGIS tools has been designed for the data dissemination to the scientific community and the general public. The design of the WebGIS tools focused first on the consultation of the DBM04 macroseismic database (DBM Working Group, 2005), which contains the macroseismic intensity data-points (IDP) of the earthquakes listed in the CPTI04 catalogue. The WebGIS tool design and development process had to fulfill: 1) simplicity, 2) responsiveness and 3) readiness for future extensions. The specific requirements for the macroseismic database consultation interface were: - data access by place and by earthquake; - IDP maps with queryable points; - data download in both tabular and map format; - easily upgradable content; - quick and user friendly interface

Evidenze di fagliazione inversa quaternaria nel settore ionico nord-orientale della Calabria (Rossano Calabro)

Il settore dell’arco Calabro è interessato da sistemi di faglie normali attive, responsabili di forti terremoti storici di Magnitudo superiore a 6. Gli eventi sismici maggiori sono avvenuti principalmente tra lo stretto di Messina e la valle del Crati. Tra questi il terremoto del 1783 (M=6.9), del 1905 (M=7.3), del 1638 (M=6.7), del 1832 (M=6.5) e del 1836 (M=6.2) (Working Group CPTI 04). Alcuni di questi eventi sono stati associati all’attivazione di alcune strutture tettoniche (Galli & Scionti 2006; Galli & Bosi 2002; Valensise & Pantosti 2001). L’evento del 1836, che ha colpito il settore nord-orientale della Calabria, poco a sud della piana di Sibari, è stato associate tentativamente da Moretti (2000) all’attivazione di una serie di segmenti di faglia orientati E-W e NW-SE individuati tra Corigliano e Rossano. Questo lavoro ha come scopo quello di individuare strutture sismogenetiche attive nell’area colpita dall’evento sismico del 1836 ed, in particolare, quelle causative dell’evento sismico del 1836. A tal fine sono stati effettuati rilevamenti geologici e geomorfologici, con particolare riguardo alla zona dell’abitato di Mirto, poco a sud della città di Rossano Calabro, dove uno scavo ha messo in evidenza depositi di origine marina in facies deltizia, datati per via paleontologica ad un’età non più antica dell’Emiliano (Pleistocene inferiore), dislocati da una struttura tettonica ad orientazione circa NNW-SSE, a cinematica prevalentemente inverse, con senso di trasporto verso SSW. La dislocazione sembra interessare anche depositi continentali fluvio-colluviali incassati all’interno dei depositi deltizi e separati da questi da una superficie di erosione. Da questi sedimenti continentali è stato prelevato un campione per effettuare una datazione radiometrica, ancora in corso. La localizzazione di questa struttura tettonica è compatibile con l’ubicazione della zona epicentrale del terremoto del 1836, derivata dai dati macrosismici (CPTI 04). Inoltre, lungo il lineamento, pochi km a nord dello scavo studiato, in località Cento Fontane, viene segnalata risorgenza di acque calde in occasione dell’evento sismico menzionato

Learning from the italian experience during covid-19 pandemic waves: Be prepared and mind some crucial aspects

COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread worldwide causing a serious challenge to the global medical community. Italy was struck hard during the first wave earlier this year and several weaknesses as well as general unpreparedness of the national healthcare system were acknowledged. Learning essential lessons from the past, we realized how implementing contingency response measures, human resources and social dynamics could have changed the outcome if promptly adopted. This review translates the previous experience into strategic actions that has to be considered when developing appropriate national and regional operational plans to respond to a pandemic

Miscarriage following dengue virus 3 infection in the first six weeks of pregnancy of a dengue virus-naive traveller returning from Bali to Italy, April 2016

We report miscarriage following dengue virus (DENV)-3 infection in a pregnant woman returning from Bali to Italy in April 2016. On her arrival, the woman had fever, rash, asthenia and headache. DENV RNA was detected in plasma and urine samples collected the following day. Six days after symptom onset, she had a miscarriage. DENV RNA was detected in fetal material, but in utero fetal infection cannot be demonstrated due to possible contamination by maternal blood

Covid-19 pandemic in an italian obstetric department: Sharing our experience

Background and aim of the work: The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (or SARS-CoV 2) has struck the healthcare system worldwide. Within few weeks hospitals had to reorganize their internal logistics and structure covering any level of care, from the Emergency Room to medical Departments. Methods: Due to the state of medical emergency, the Gynecology and Obstetrics Unit of the University Hospital in Udine developed new protocols for the usual standard of care, ensuring a safe environment for both healthcare providers and patients. Results: By a continuous update of scientific evidence, the Department was able to increase capacity as well as maintain flexibility when an unexpected high number of admissions was required. 40 COVID-19 positive patients were admitted to our Department between March and December 2020, none of them had complications and no case of cross infection between patients and medical staff were registered. Conclusion: We aimed to share our experience, which provided a notable lesson about what to expect and how to prepare a high-risk pregnancy referral center in response to a pandemic. (www.actabiomedica.it)

influence of bitter lupin on consumption and digestibility in organic dairy cattle soya bean free diets

One of the main principles of organic husbandry is that animal feed must be GMO free, and soya bean is well-known as a high risk GMO alimentary source. About 25 dry dairy cattle of the Italian Holstein breed, from the Cooperativa Emilio Sereni of Borgo S. Lorenzo (FI), were fed in two successive diets: the first with extruded soya bean (A), and the second in which bitter lupin, faba bean and proteinic pea substituted the soya bean (B). We evaluated both the consumption and the apparent digestibility (using acid insoluble ash as internal marker) of the two diets, repeating the trial twice. The presence of bitter lupin did not influence either the consumption of other feed, or the faecal water content. The apparent digestibility of the organic matter resulted satisfactory in both the diets, but was significantly higher in diet (A) than in diet (B) (71,6% vs 67,3%). In conclusion, even though we wish the cultivation of sweet lupin would be increase in Italy, we retain that also bitter lupin (mixed with other feed to increase the palatability) could be used as alternative protein source in dairy cattle diets

MAPK15 protects from oxidative stress-dependent cellular senescence by inducing the mitophagic process

Mitochondria are the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), whose aberrant production by dysfunctional mitochondria leads to oxidative stress, thus contributing to aging as well as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Cells efficiently eliminate damaged mitochondria through a selective type of autophagy, named mitophagy. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of the atypical MAP kinase family member MAPK15 in cellular senescence, by preserving mitochondrial quality, thanks to its ability to control mitophagy and, therefore, prevent oxidative stress. We indeed demonstrate that reduced MAPK15 expression strongly decreases mitochondrial respiration and ATP production, while increasing mitochondrial ROS levels. We show that MAPK15 controls the mitophagic process by stimulating ULK1-dependent PRKN Ser108 phosphorylation and inducing the recruitment of damaged mitochondria to autophagosomal and lysosomal compartments, thus leading to a reduction of their mass, but also by participating in the reorganization of the mitochondrial network that usually anticipates their disposal. Consequently, MAPK15-dependent mitophagy protects cells from accumulating nuclear DNA damage due to mitochondrial ROS and, consequently, from senescence deriving from this chronic DNA insult. Indeed, we ultimately demonstrate that MAPK15 protects primary human airway epithelial cells from senescence, establishing a new specific role for MAPK15 in controlling mitochondrial fitness by efficient disposal of old and damaged organelles and suggesting this kinase as a new potential therapeutic target in diverse age-associated human diseases