An overview of the vulnerability of Venice to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise

The scientific community agrees on the fact that climate change and consequent impacts will not be uniform on the planet but will assume specific regional and local characteristics. Some regions of the world will therefore be more vulnerable than others. In this perspective the assessment of a system's vulnerability must be performed at a regional or local scale. Only regionally or locally oriented studies can, in fact, provide useful information for the planning of defensive and mitigating measures. The lagoon of Venice can be considered a very vulnerable system, because of its characteristics, its artistic, cultural and natural value, and the existence of relevant impacts (erosion, loss of wetlands, temporary flooding, variation of ecological parameters, saltwater penetration, pollution and its gradual transformation into a marine bay) which already affect the system and which could be intensified by change in climatic conditions and, in particular, increase in the sea level. On the basis of the few existing studies, the present paper attempts to present an overview of the Venice lagoon's vulnerability to climate change and sea level rise, with the conclusion that in spite of an elevated fragility of the system, a detailed vulnerability assessment has not yet been performed. The paper also attempts to identify some relevant methodological points which might constitute the basis for such a study

Reconstruction of the adult hemifacial microsomia patient with temporomandibular joint total joint prosthesis and orthognathic surgery

HFM patients' reconstruction has always been a challenge for maxillofacial surgeons, and numerous reconstructive techniques have been described. Surgical treatment depends on the patient's age and contemplates Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) reconstruction in conjunction with orthognathic surgery, usually necessary following completion of growth to maximize the functional and esthetic results. Distraction osteogenesis had gained popularity as valid alternative in growing patients, but the two primary methods to reconstruct the TMJs involve the use of autogenous, using free or microvascular bone grafts, or alloplastic graft, but there is no widely accepted method

Lumbar ganglion cyst: Nosology, surgical management and proposal of a new classification based on 34 personal cases and literature review

AIM To analyze different terms used in literature to identify lumbar extradural cysts and propose a common scientific terminology; to elaborate a new morphological classification of this pathology, useful for clinical and surgical purposes; and to describe the best surgical approach to remove these cysts, in order to avoid iatrogenic instability or treat the pre-existing one. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 34 patients with symptomatic lumbar ganglion cysts treated with spinal canal decompression with or without spinal fixation. Microsurgical approach was the main procedure and spinal instrumentation was required only in case of evident preoperative segmental instability. RESULTS The complete cystectomy with histological examination was performed in all cases. All patients presented an improvement of clinical conditions, evaluated by Visual Analogic Scale and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scoring. CONCLUSION Spinal ganglion cysts are generally found in the lumbar spine. The treatment of choice is the microsurgical cystectomy, which generally does not require stabilization. The need for fusion must be carefully evaluated: Preoperative spondylolisthesis or a wide joint resection, during the operation, are the main indications for spinal instrumentation. We propose the terms "ganglion cyst" to finally identify this spinal pathology and for the first time its morphological classification, clinically useful for all specialists

Indicators of sustainable development for the city and the lagoon of Venice

In the past few years sustainability and sustainable development have become important concepts widespread over the world. There is no agreement on a common definition of sustainability, but there is a general need to measure and assess sustainability in different geographical and spatial contexts. Indicators of sustainable development have been defined in order to satisfy those requirements. Such indicators are very useful to improve the process towards sustainability in local systems, such as cities and towns, where they can be related to local Agenda 21 experiences. The present paper discusses the result of an investigation concerning the definition, selection and calculation of a set of indicators of sustainable development for the city and lagoon of Venice. The analysed area also includes the city of Mestre and the industrial zone of Porto Marghera. Indicators were selected by considering similar national and international experiences and the main problems linked to the sustainability of the analysed area. The present study was carried out during the same time period as the Agenda 21 implementation process in Venice. The local Agenda 21 contributed to the selection of appropriate indicators used in this study. In the selection of indicators particular attention was given to some technical criteria: measurability, simplicity, availability of data and relevance of these indicators to Venice. Chosen indicators concern the three main aspects of sustainability: quality of life, quality of the environment and quality of economic development. This paper reports the conclusion of the research and highlights the state of the sustainability of the investigated area for each indicator in relation to defined objectives or numeric targets

Climate change impacts on the Mediterranean Coastal Zones

Climate change is widely recognised as a serious threat to the world's environment. The Mediterranean basin is considered as a unique scaled down model to assess the severity of potential climate change impacts on coastal zones. The paper examines the regional differences in the vulnerability of Mediterranean coastal zones from existing studies and projections for the future. The objective is to work within the uncertainty constraints associated with local projections and quantitative impact assessments in order to provide a complete picture of potential impacts and also to identify possible response measures. Major impacts such as increased erosion, intensification of floods, saltwater intrusion and loss of habitat will be of particular concern on deltas, islands, wetlands and historic coastal cities. However, although Mediterranean coasts will experience greater stress produced by non climatic factors - population increase, urbanisation, tourism - the paper highlights the necessity to combine efforts to minimise damage and to integrate adaptation strategies in a broad "Integrated Coastal Zone Management" programme

Multi-use of the sea:A wide array of opportunities from site-specific cases across Europe

<p><b>Comparison of MU Combinations:</b> (Top) ranked by Drivers—Highest to lowest, and (Bottom) ranked by Added Values—Highest to lowest.</p