(Re)thinking the city of proximity for Salutogenic purposes.

As centres of population and human activities, nowadays urban environments are simultaneously the main cause of and solution to a growing number of health-related challenges. In this setting, COVID-19 pandemic has helped reiterate this and serves as a wake-up call and an opportunity to rethink the way we approach cities. Aim of this paper is to research what today seems the most promising urban model for long-term individual and global resilience: the ‘‘city of proximity’’, namely about inclusive walkable and cycling environments where people can access all basic destinations within reason- able times and distances from home. Therefore, urban proximity dimension, methodological approach and urban features and functions become the main subject of a quanti- qualitative matrix of comparison of five international case studies centred on the topic, by which it is possible to set out general criteria for such model, along with a methodology to measure all cities in its respect. As a result, residential density, functional mix, pedestrian surface, cycle routes, public transport stops, green areas, schools, cultural facilities, sport facilities, retail services and urban gardens make up the fix components of a comprehensive set of 11+n urban features, whose occurrence is investigated through GIS-based analysis within designated distance ranges, creating a comprehensive assessment framework that is adjustable to all urban contexts worldwide. In the end, the application of such framework to the city of Milan finally helps to validate its effectiveness in providing a picture of city-wide accessibility to proximity services, and in highlighting the value of integrated analysis in view of shaping public policies and informed planning choices which put health and sustainability at the centre

Can Homes Affect Well-Being? A Scoping Review among Housing Conditions, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Mental Health Outcomes

The purpose of the scoping review is to explore the relationship between housing conditions, indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and mental health implications on human well-being. In fact, time spent at home increased due to the recent COVID-19 lockdown period, and social-sanitary emergencies are expected to grow due to the urbanization phenomenon. Thus, the role of the physical environment in which we live, study, and work, has become of crucial importance, as the literature has recently highlighted. This scoping review, conducted on the electronic database Scopus, led to the identification of 366 articles. This, after the screening processes based on the inclusion criteria, led to the final inclusion of 31 papers related specifically to the OECD area. The review allowed the identification of five housing conditions [house type, age, and floor level; housing qualities; household composition; neighborhood; green spaces] that, by influencing the IEQ parameters, had impacts on the mental health outcomes addressed. By synthesizing the contributions of the review, a list of design recommendations has been provided. These will serve as a basis for future researchers, from which to develop measures to reduce inequalities in housing by making them healthier, more resilient, and salutogenic

Search for charginos, neutralinos, and gravitinos at LEP

The hep-ex data base was decided not to be an appropriate place to make DELPHI notes public. Sorry for the inconvenience.Comment: the paper should not have been made publi

Measuring the expected increase in cycling in the city of Milan and evaluating the positive effects on the population’s health status: a Community-Based Urban Planning experience

BACKGROUND: It's scientifically known that inactivity is one of the major risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases. One of the elements affecting the choice of transport mode, regarding circulation in the city, is the cities' urban morphology, i.e. the infrastructural facilities for the slow mobility service. Cyclability, in fact, can help to increase daily physical activity level, therefore becoming a protective factor for individual health. METHODS: After a literature review about the state of the art regarding the correlation between built environment, active transport and quantification of the physical activity level, we have developed a specific questionnaire to collect information about current and forecast use of bicycle, in case of improvement and implementation of the cycling network. The questionnaire also investigated social and health aspects concerning the anamnesis of the interviewees (age, gender, health status, sport activity performed, etc) and users' opinions about existing infrastructure and planned interventions, designed to promote cycling mobility. Aim of the research was to quantify the increase of physical activity people would have realized in front of an improvement of the specific infrastructures, and the expected positive effects in terms of health. RESULTS: The collected data (343 interviewed in a district of Milan, named "Zona 7") demonstrate that through the implementation of the cycle network, there would be more cyclists to practice the 150 minutes weekly of physical activity recommended by WHO: time spent in cycling, indeed, would increases by 34.4% compared to the current level of cyclability, as detected by our survey. CONCLUSIONS: The investigation confirmed that urban interventions, especially those in small-scale, could play a key role in the promotion of healthy lifestyles, inducing therefore important positive effects on the population health. It was also carried out an application of the WHO "Health Economic Assessment Tool" to evaluate the benefits in terms of Non-Communicable Diseases' reduction, specifically a provisional quantification of deaths saved

Ecology explains anhydrobiotic performance across tardigrades, but the shared evolutionary history matters more

Desiccation stress is lethal to most animals. However, some microinvertebrate groups have evolved coping strategies, such as the ability to undergo anhydrobiosis (i.e. survival despite the loss of almost all body water). Tardigrades are one such group, where the molecular mechanisms of anhydrobiosis have been more thoroughly studied. Despite the ecological, evolutionary and biotechnological importance of anhydrobiosis, little is known about its inter- and intra-specific variability nor its relationship with natural habitat conditions or phylogenetic history.We developed a new index-anhydrobiotic recovery index (ARI)-to evaluate the anhydrobiotic performance of tardigrade populations from the family Macrobiotidae. Moreover, we compared the explanatory role of habitat humidity and phylogenetic history on this trait using a variance partitioning approach.We found that ARI is correlated with both microhabitat humidity and yearly rainfall, but it is mostly driven by phylogenetic niche conservatism (i.e. a high portion of ARI variation is explained by phylogeny alone). Finally, we showed that anhydrobiotic performance is highly variable, even between closely related species, and that their response to local ecological conditions is tightly linked to their phylogenetic history.This study not only presents key insights into an emerging model system, but also provides a new methodological approach for wider scale studies of the ecological and evolutionary implications of anhydrobiosis

Bridging Epidemiological Data with Features of the Urban Context: An experience of Urban Public Health within the City of Milan, Italy.

Referring to the Research Project ‘‘Enhancing Healthcare and Well-Being Through the Potential of Big Data: An Integration of Survey, Administrative, and Open Data to Assess Health Risk in the City of Milan with Data Science’’ the Authors present preliminary results regarding a survey distributed to a sample of citizens across all neighborhoods of Milano city. This survey sought to collect data regarding health risk factors of this population, including both individual (e.g. socio- demographic characteristics, behaviors, etc.) and community (e.g. environmental/morphological features, available social services, etc.) data. A digital survey was designed to collect information on the health conditions, risk factors, and lifestyle characteristics of a representative sample of the Milanese population at the neighborhood level, with reference to the census tracts and Local Identity Units (NIL). Collected survey data are entered into a system containing corresponding individual health information acquired from the Local Health Authority databases, creating a synthesized information profile with each respondent’s state of health, including existing conditions, health services used, and drug therapies. The disseminated survey was developed from comparisons with similar experiences at the national/international level and divided into 60 multiple choice questions (6 for Sociodemographic profile; 8 for Context of residence; 12 for Functional limitations; 25 for Behaviors and lifestyles; 9 for Access to health services). The data from urban analysis conducted on the NIL of the City of Milan are assessed with particular reference to the theme of bicycle-pedestrian accessibility (Walkability) in the urban context and repercus- sions on the adoption of Healthy Lifestyles. The models developed through this research are expected to provide critical insight for designing health promotion, health protec- tion, and disease prevention interventions aimed both at individual and community level

COVID-19 and cities. From urban health strategies to the pandemic challenge. a decalogue of public health opportunities

Contesto e scopo del lavoro. La pandemia in corso di COVID-19, che al giorno d'oggi ha superato 2,5 milioni di infezioni notificate nel mondo e circa 200.000 morti, è un forte promemoria che l'urbanizzazione ha cambiato il modo in cui persone e comunità vivono, lavorano e interagiscono, ed è necessario rendere i sistemi e le capacità locali resilienti per prevenire la diffusione di malattie infettive. Come possiamo riprogettare il concetto di sanità pubblica in relazione all'ambiente costruito e alle città contemporanee? Metodi. Secondo le dichiarazioni e lo scenario precedenti, l'obiettivo di questo documento è integrare gli obiettivi strategici di Urban Health, concentrando le possibili risposte, sia immediate che a medio-lungo termine, agli attuali aspetti ambientali, sociali ed economici del "periodo" di distanziamento fisico. Risultati. Le azioni immediate sono 01. programmare la flessibilità degli orari delle città; 02. pianificare una rete di mobilità intelligente e sostenibile; 03. definire un piano di servizi di vicinato; 04. sviluppare una digitalizzazione del contesto urbano, promuovendo le comunità intelligenti; 05. ripensare l'accessibilità ai luoghi della cultura e del turismo. Le azioni a medio lungo termine sono 06. progettare la flessibilità interna degli spazi abitativi domestici; 07. ripensare le tipologie di edifici, favorendo la presenza di spazi semi-privati ​​o collettivi; 08. rinnovare la rete dei servizi di assistenza di base; 09. integrare i piani di emergenza ambientale esistenti, con quelli relativi alle emergenze sanitarie; 10. migliorare la consapevolezza delle parti interessate sui fattori che influenzano la salute pubblica nelle città. Conclusioni. Il decalogo delle opportunità di sanità pubblica può fornire una base utile per progettisti (architetti e urbanisti), responsabili politici, esperti di sanità pubblica e agenzie sanitarie locali, nel promuovere azioni e politiche volte a trasformare le nostre città in ambienti di vita più salutari e salutogenici.Background and aim of the work. The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, which nowadays has exceeded 2.5 million notified infections in the world and about 200,000 deaths, is a strong reminder that urbanization has changed the way that people and communities live, work, and interact, and it’s necessary to make the systems and local capacities resilient to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. How we can re-design the concept of Public Health in relation to the built environment and the contemporary cities? Methods. According to the previous statements and scenario, aim of this paper is to integrate the Urban Health strategic objectives, focusing the possible responses, both immediate and medium-long term, to the current environmental, social, and economic aspects of the ‘period’ of physical distancing. Results.Immediate Actions are 01. program the flexibility of city schedules; 02. plan a smart and sustainable mobility network; 03. define a neighborhood services’ plan; 04. develop a digitization of the urban context, promoting the smart communities; 05. re-think the accessibility to the places of culture and tourism. Medium-long term Actions are 06. design the indoor flexibility of domestic living spaces; 07. re-think building typologies, fostering the presence of semi-private or collective spaces; 08. renovate the basic care services’ network; 09. integrate the existing environmental emergency plans, with those related to the health emergencies; 10. improve stakeholders’ awareness of the factors affecting Public Health in the cities. Conclusions. The Decalogue of Public Health opportunities may provide a useful basis for Designers (Architects and Urban Planners), Policy Makers, Public Health experts and Local Health Agencies, in promoting actions and policies aimed to transform our cities in healthier and Salutogenic living environments

Cost of care and antibiotic prescribing attitudes for community-acquired complicated intra-abdominal infections in Italy: a retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) are a common cause of morbidity worldwide, and in spite of improvements in patient care, therapeutic failure still occurs, impacting in-hospital resource consumption. This study aimed to assess the costs associated with the treatment of community-acquired cIAIs, from the Italian National Health Service perspective. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the charts of patients who were discharged from four Italian university hospitals between January 1 and December 31, 2009 with a primary diagnosis of community-acquired cIAIs. Patient characteristics, diagnosis, surgical procedure, antibiotic therapy, and length of hospital stay were all recorded and the cost of total hospital care was estimated. Costs were calculated in Euros at 2009 values. RESULTS: The records of 260 patients (mean age 48.9 years; 57% males) were analyzed. The average cost of care for a patient hospitalized due to cIAI was €4385 (95% CI 3650–5120), with an average daily cost of €419 (95% CI 378–440). Antibiotic therapy represented just under half (44.3%) of hospitalization costs. The strongest predictor of the increase in hospital costs was clinical failure: patients who clinically failed received an average of 8.2 additional days of antibiotic therapy and spent 11 more days in hospital compared with patients who responded to first-line therapy (both p < 0.05 vs. patients who were successfully treated). Furthermore, they incurred €5592 in additional hospitalization costs (2.88 times the cost associated with clinical success) with 53% (€2973) of the additional costs attributable to antibiotic therapy. Overall, antibiotic appropriateness rate was 78.8% (n = 205), and was significantly higher in patients receiving combination therapy compared with those treated with monotherapy (97.3% vs. 64.6%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that hospitals need to be aware of the clinical and economic consequences of antibiotic therapy of cIAIs and to reduce overall resource use and costs by improving the rate of success with appropriate initial empiric therapy

From building regulations and local health rules to the new local building codes. A national survey in Italy on the prescriptive and performance requirements for a new performance approach

BACKGROUND: World Health Organization has highlighted the need to strengthen the relationship between health and built environment factors, such as inappropriate housing conditions. Building Regulations and Local Health Rules provide safety and building hygiene in construction practices. Currently the Italian Government is giving rise to a Building Regulation Type and the paper aims to verify the present contents of recent innovative Local Health Rules and Building Regulations of several Italian municipalities for supporting the performance approach of the future Building Regulations including hygienic issues. METHODS: The analysis examines both Building Regulations and Local Health Rules of a sample of about 550 cities, analysing some specific fields of interest: urban field, outdoor issues, housing features, housing restrictions, and qualitative aspects. RESULTS: The analysis focuses on some specific aspects defining the general data reported in Building Regulations and Local Health Rules, in particular around surfaces, heights, lighting and aeration ratio, basements and semi-basements, gas radon, building greenery, etc. CONCLUSION: The investigation permitted to have a wide vision on the present State of the Art in order to highlight some innovative aspects and design approaches of Building Regulations and Local Health Rules. New perspectives in the new regulations should have a performance approach, starting also from the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic