Envisioning innovative groundwater regulation policies through scenario workshops in France and Portugal

Groundwater management policies will need to be revised in many Mediterranean countries, in light of the impact of climate change and the increasing demand for water. In this paper, we analyse stakeholder perceptions of three groundwater policy scenarios which respectively assume a strengthening of state intervention, the introduction of market regulation mechanisms, and the transfer of regulation responsibility to farmers. The method consists of organizing scenario workshops with experts, institutional representatives and farmers. It is applied in two case studies in France and Portugal. From a methodological viewpoint, the research demonstrates farmers’ ability to contribute to an exploratory assessment of possible future water management scenarios. From a policy viewpoint, it clarifies expectations concerning state intervention and self-regulation by farmers. It also provides some insights regarding the acceptability of tradable groundwater permits in two European contexts

Esperienze laboratoriali a distanza con le schede programmabili

Le misure restrittive a seguito dell’emergenza sanitaria hanno messo in evidenza la necessità di sperimentare nuovi strumenti e ambienti di apprendimento, in particolare per quelle discipline che prevedono attività laboratoriali. Per rispondere a questa esigenza è nata una collaborazione tra il Dipartimento di Fisica dell’Università di Torino e l’Équipe Formativa Territoriale del Piemonte che ha focalizzato la sua azione sulla formazione dei docenti. È stato svolto un tirocinio formativo per la progettazione, la realizzazione e la documentazione di attività di Didattica Digitale Integrata con le schede programmabili. Sono stati organizzati incontri di formazione, a cui è seguita un’attività di accompagnamento per seguirne la ricaduta all’interno delle scuole. La proposta è replicabile in altri contesti e con altre tecnologie

Fat Body Mass and Vertebral Fracture Progression in Women With Breast Cancer

Importance Women with early breast cancer (EBC) exposed to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) may experience fragility fractures despite treatment with bone-active drugs. Risk factors for fractures in patients receiving AIs and denosumab have not been explored to date.Objectives To evaluate whether an association exists between dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-measured fat body mass (FBM) and vertebral fracture (VF) progression in postmenopausal women with EBC undergoing adjuvant therapy with AIs in combination with denosumab and to examine whether VF was associated with common risk factors for bone fracture and parameters of body composition other than FBM.Design, Setting, and Participants For this prospective, single-center, cohort study, 237 patients with EBC who were undergoing adjuvant treatment with AIs and denosumab (60 mg every 6 months) were enrolled at the Breast Unit of the ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia from September 2014 to June 2018. Data analysis was conducted in June 2022.Exposure Body composition parameters, bone mineral density, and morphometric VFs were assessed by DXA at study entry and after 18 months of therapy.Main Outcomes and MeasuresVF progression, defined as either new or worsening of preexisting VFs, between the 2 time points.Results Of the 237 patients enrolled (median [range] age, 61 [28-84] years), 17 (4.4%) reported VF progression. Univariable analysis found an association between VF progression and a history of clinical fractures (odds ratio [OR], 3.22; 95% CI, 1.19-8.74; P = .02), Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) score for major fractures (OR, 4.42; 95% CI, 1.23-13.79; P = .04), percentage of FBM (OR, 6.04; 95% CI, 1.69-21.63; P = .006), and android fat (OR, 9.58; 95% CI, 1.17-78.21; P = .04) and an inverse association with appendicular lean mass index-FBM ratio (OR, 0.25, 95% CI, 0.08-0.82; P = .02). Multivariable analysis revealed percentage of FBM (OR, 5.41; 95% CI, 1.49-19.59; P = .01) and FRAX score (OR, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.09-14.39; P = .04) as independent variables associated with VF progression.Conclusions and Relevance The findings of this study suggest that baseline FBM is an independent factor for VF progression in patients with EBC treated with adjuvant AIs and denosumab. This observation is new and indicates that diet and exercise may synergize with denosumab in the management of bone health in this patient setting