Burden of COVID-19: Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) across 16 European countries

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to measure and compare the burden of disease of COVID-19 pandemic in 16 EU/EEA countries through the estimation of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) over a long period of time

Interprofessional Collaboration and Diabetes Management in Primary Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Patient-Reported Outcomes

The global spread of diabetes poses serious threats to public health requiring a patient-centered approach based both on interprofessional collaboration (IPC) given by the cooperation of several different health professionals, and patients’ perspective through the assessment of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of interprofessional collaboration interventions, for the management of type 2 diabetes in primary care settings, through PROs. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted querying the PubMed, Scopus and Embase databases. Out of the 1961 papers initially retrieved, 19 met the inclusion criteria. Interprofessional collaboration is significantly associated with an increase in both patient’s satisfaction (SMD 0.32 95% CI 0.05–0.59) and in the mental well-being component of the HRQoL (SMD 0.18; 95% CI 0.06–0.30), and there was also promising evidence supporting the association between an interprofessional approach and an increase in self-care and in generic and specific quality-of-life. No statistical differences were found, supporting the positive impact on IPC interventions on the physical component of the HRQoL, depression, emotional distress, and self-efficacy. In conclusion, the effect of IPC impacts positively on the few areas assessed by PROMs. Policymakers should promote the widespread adoption of a collaborative approach as well as to endorse an active engagement of patients across the whole process of care

Uncertainties in water chemistry in disks: An application to TW Hya

Context. This paper discusses the sensitivity of water lines to chemical processes and radiative transfer for the protoplanetary disk around TW Hya. The study focuses on the Herschel spectral range in the context of new line detections with the PACS instrument from the Gas in Protoplanetary Systems project (GASPS). Aims. The paper presents an overview of the chemistry in the main water reservoirs in the disk around TW Hya. It discusses the limitations in the interpretation of observed water line fluxes. Methods. ... (abbreviated) Results. We report new line detections of p-H2O (3_22-2_11) at 89.99 micron and CO J=18-17 at 144.78 micron for the disk around TW Hya. Disk modeling shows that the far-IR fine structure lines ([OI], [CII]) and molecular submm lines are very robust to uncertainties in the chemistry, while the water line fluxes can change by factors of a few. The water lines are optically thick, sub-thermally excited and can couple to the background continuum radiation field. The low-excitation water lines are also sensitive to uncertainties in the collision rates, e.g. with neutral hydrogen. The gas temperature plays an important role for the [OI] fine structure line fluxes, the water line fluxes originating from the inner disk as well as the high excitation CO, CH+ and OH lines. Conclusions. Due to their sensitivity on chemical input data and radiative transfer, water lines have to be used cautiously for understanding details of the disk structure. Water lines covering a wide range of excitation energies provide access to the various gas phase water reservoirs (inside and outside the snow line) in protoplanetary disks and thus provide important information on where gas-phase water is potentially located. Experimental and/or theoretical collision rates for H2O with atomic hydrogen are needed to diminish uncertainties from water line radiative transfer.Comment: accepted for publication in A&

High resolution spectroscopy of Ne II emission from young stellar objects

Constraining the spatial and thermal structure of the gaseous component of circumstellar disks is crucial to understand star and planet formation. Models predict that the [Ne II] line at 12.81 {\mu}m detected in young stellar objects with Spitzer traces disk gas and its response to high energy radiation, but such [Ne II] emission may also originate in shocks within powerful outflows. To distinguish between these potential origins for mid-infrared [Ne II] emission and to constrain disk models, we observed 32 young stellar objects using the high resolution (R~30000) mid-infrared spectrograph VISIR at the VLT. We detected the 12.81 {\mu}m [Ne II] line in 12 objects, tripling the number of detections of this line in young stellar objects with high spatial and spectral resolution spectrographs. We obtain the following main results: a) In Class I objects the [Ne II] emission observed from Spitzer is mainly due to gas at a distance of more than 20-40 AU from the star, where neon is, most likely, ionized by shocks due to protostellar outflows. b) In transition and pre-transition disks, most of the emission is confined to the inner disk, within 20-40 AU from the central star. c) Detailed analysis of line profiles indicates that, in transition and pre-transition disks, the line is slightly blue-shifted (2-12 km s{^-1}) with respect to the stellar velocity, and the line width is directly correlated with the disk inclination, as expected if the emission is due to a disk wind. d) Models of EUV/X-ray irradiated disks reproduce well the observed relation between the line width and the disk inclination, but underestimate the blue-shift of the line.Comment: 35 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication on Ap

Relations between morphological settings and vegetation covers in a medium relief landscape of Central Italy

Mount area, a medium relief structure within the Italian Latium region. The study aims at defining the relationships between vegetation and landform types and highlighting the main morphological characteristics within examined land cover classes. These were the result of the application of a supervised classification method to the first 28 (VISNIR) bands of the airborne MIVIS data collected within an extensive survey campaign over Rome Province. The analysis was supported by photo-interpretation of peculiar MIVIS band combinations and by data acquired during field surveys and from a pre-existing vegetation map. The morphometric data were obtained by processing a raster DEM created from topographic maps. These data were processed by means of a new morphometric classification method based on the statistical multivariate investigation of local topographic gradients, calculated along the 8 azimuth directions of each pixel neighbourhood. Such approach quickly estimates the spatial distribution of different types of homogeneous terrain units, emphasizing the impact of erosional and tectonic processes on the overall relief. Mutual relations between morphometric units and vegetation types were assessed by performing a correspondence analysis between the results of the two classifications

Disassembly sequence planning validated thru augmented reality for a speed reducer

The lifecycle of a product is getting shorter in today’s market realities. Latest developments in the industry are heading towards achieving products that are easy to recycle, by developing further technological advances in raw materials ought to include input from End of Life (EOL) products so a reduction of natural harm could be achieved, hence reducing the overall production environmental footprint. Therefore, the approach taken as a design for environment, a key request nowadays in order to develop products that would ease the reverse manufacturing process leading to a more efficient element recycling for later use as spare parts or remanufacturing. The methodology proposed compares three probable disassembly sequences following a comparison of literature-found procedures between genetic algorithms and as a “state space search” problem, followed by a hybrid approach developed by the authors. Time and evaluation of these procedures reached to the best performing sequence. A subsequent augmented reality disassembly simulation was performed with the top-scored operation sequence with which the user is better able to familiarize himself with the assembly than a traditional paper manual, therefore enlightening the feasibility of the top performing sequence in the real world