The Italian open data meteorological portal: MISTRAL

AbstractAt the national level, in Italy, observational and forecast data are collected by various public bodies and are often kept in various small, heterogeneous and non‐interoperable repositories, released under different licenses, thus limiting the usability for external users. In this context, MISTRAL (the Meteo Italian SupercompuTing PoRtAL) was launched as the first Italian meteorological open data portal, with the aim of promoting the reuse of meteorological data sets available at national level coverage. The MISTRAL portal provides (and archives) meteorological data from various observation networks, both public and private, and forecast data that are generated and post‐processed within the Consortium for Small‐scale Modeling‐Limited Area Model Italia (COSMO‐LAMI) agreement using high performance computing (HPC) facilities. Also incorporated is the Italy Flash Flood use case, implemented with the collaboration of European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which exploits cutting edge advances in HPC‐based post‐processing of ensemble precipitation forecasts, for different model resolutions, and applies those to deliver novel blended‐resolution forecasts specifically for Italy. Finally, in addition to providing architectures for the acquisition and display of observational data, MISTRAL also delivers an interactive system for visualizing forecast data of different resolutions as superimposed multi‐layer maps

Adherence to Treatment Recommendations in Chronic Disease: What is (im)Possible? Expert conclusions from the 30th ECOG workshop 2021 Abstracts

Obesity is a chronic disease, in which treatment outcomes are highly dependent on patient and family adherence to behavioural recommendations. The role of healthy eating, physical activity, medication adherence as well as adherence to pre- and post-bariatric surgery protocols are of utmost importance for long-term treatment outcomes. Even the best interventions are not likely to reach their maximum benefit without significant levels of adherence on the part of the individual and family. Traditionally, the annual meeting of the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) includes an expert workshop addressing one specific topic within the field of childhood obesity. During the 30th annual meeting, hosted by the University of Pécs, Hungary, as a virtual meeting, "adherence to treatment recommendations in obesity as a chronic disease" was addressed. The discussions that developed during the workshop are summarized in the following article

Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pediatric obesity: consensus position statement of the Italian Society for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology and the Italian Society of Pediatrics

The Italian Consensus Position Statement on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents integrates and updates the previous guidelines to deliver an evidence based approach to the disease. The following areas were reviewed: (1) obesity definition and causes of secondary obesity; (2) physical and psychosocial comorbidities; (3) treatment and care settings; (4) prevention.The main novelties deriving from the Italian experience lie in the definition, screening of the cardiometabolic and hepatic risk factors and the endorsement of a staged approach to treatment. The evidence based efficacy of behavioral intervention versus pharmacological or surgical treatments is reported. Lastly, the prevention by promoting healthful diet, physical activity, sleep pattern, and environment is strongly recommended since the intrauterine phase

Weaning practices and later obesity

Many studies correlate the nutrition of the first one thousand days of life to the development of non-communicable diseases, in particular to the development of obesity. A high intake of protein in the first 2 years of age, leading to an increased production of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), is an example of programming in obesity development. The role of nutrients in promoting obesity development in later ages has to be approached in terms of both quantity and quality. Infants living in developed countries face a notable increase in protein intake when starting a complementary feeding (CF): the first study showing a correlation between protein intake in infancy and obesity in later age was published 20 years ago. High intake of protein from milk and dairy products origin only are likely to be associated with an increased fat mass at different ages, whereas protein of meat and vegetables origin does not seem to play a significant role. The relationship between fat during CF period and obesity development is even more controversial, while no data is available, yet, about the role of fat quality. As for carbohydrates, little is known on their role during the first two years of life in relation to the development of obesity, even though the association between simple sugar and obesity development has been extensively studied. But the influence of CF in favouring obesity development is not restricted to the effects of nutritional and metabolic factors: During the first year of life infants shift from consuming milk only to a wide range of foods with different flavours, textures, and taste. Infants tend to like sweet and salty tastes and to dislike sour and acid ones. During the CF time, a scarce variety of foods and a specific monotonous model of taste development can lead to eating pattern predisposing to unhealthy foods preferences, which in turn will contribute to obesity development

Suboptimal Micronutrient Intake among Children in Europe

Adequate dietary intake of micronutrients is not necessarily achieved even in resource-rich areas of the world wherein overeating is a public health concern. In Europe, population-based data suggests substantial variability in micronutrient intake among children. Two independent surveys of micronutrient consumption among European children were evaluated. Stratified by age, the data regarding micronutrient intake were evaluated in the context of daily requirements, which are typically estimated in the absence of reliable absolute values derived from prospective studies. The proportion of children living in Europe whose intake of at least some vitamins and trace elements are at or below the estimated average requirements is substantial. The most common deficiencies across age groups included vitamin D, vitamin E, and iodine. Specific deficiencies were not uniform across countries or by age or gender.  Micronutrient intake appears to be more strongly influenced by factors other than access to food. Substantial portions of European children may be at risk of reversible health risks from inadequate intake of micronutrients. Despite the growing health threat posed by excess intake of calories, adequate exposure to vitamins, trace elements, and other micronutrients may deserve attention in public health initiatives to optimize growth and development in the European pediatric population