346 research outputs found
Pollen-based temperature and precipitation changes in the Ohrid Basin (western Balkans) between 160 and 70 ka
Our study aims to reconstruct climate changes that occurred at Lake Ohrid
(south-western Balkan Peninsula), the oldest extant lake in Europe, between
160 and 70 ka (covering part of marine isotope stage 6, MIS 6; all of MISÂ 5;
and the beginning of MISÂ 4). A multi-method approach, including the âModern
Analog Techniqueâ and the âWeighted Averaging Partial Least-Squares Regressionâ, is
applied to the high-resolution pollen sequence of the DEEP site, collected
from the central part of Lake Ohrid, to provide quantitative estimates of
climate and bioclimate parameters. This allows us to document climatic change
during the key periods of MISÂ 6 and MISÂ 5 in southern Europe, a region where
accurate climate reconstructions are still lacking for this time interval.
Our results for the penultimate glacial show cold and dry conditions, while the onset of
the âlast interglacialâ is characterized by wet and warm conditions, with temperatures
higher than today (by ca. 2 âC). The Eemian also shows the well-known climatic
tri-partition in the Balkans, with an initial pre-temperate phase of abrupt warming
(128â121 ka), a central temperate phase with decreasing temperatures associated with
wet conditions (121â118 ka), followed by a post-temperate phase of progressive change
towards cold and dry conditions (118â112 ka).
After the Eemian, an alternation of four warm/wet periods with cold/dry
ones, likely related to the succession of Greenland stadials and cold events
known from the North Atlantic, occurred. The observed pattern is also
consistent with hydrological and isotopic data from the central
Mediterranean.
The Lake Ohrid climate reconstruction shows greater similarity with climate
patterns inferred from northern European pollen records than with southern
European ones, which is probably due to its intermediate position and the
mountainous setting. However, this hypothesis needs further testing as very
few climate reconstructions are available for southern Europe for this key
time period.</p
Killing two birds with one stone. Is the COVID-19 vaccination campaign an opportunity to improve adherence to cancer screening programmes? The challenge of a pilot project in a large local health authority in Rome
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health services worldwide. The suspension of cancer screening programs during the lockdown period, coupled with the other measures taken to limit the SARS-CoV-2 spread, contributed to the idea that cancer preventive interventions are deferrable. In this opinion paper, we present some data on cancer screening coverage in one of the largest Local Health Authorities in Italy in recent years. Within this context, we introduce the benefits of a pilot project in which we took advantage of the great attention on the COVID-19 vaccination campaign to improve screening uptake. In this project, we offered men and women eligible for cancer screening the opportunity to book appointments while waiting to be vaccinated. In addition, trained healthcare personnel were available on-site to discuss any barriers to participation with the attendees. Despite the project having only just started, preliminary results are encouraging, with positive feedback from the attendees. In conclusion, we advocate for the need to adopt a comprehensive approach when it comes to population health, and we use this project as an example to discuss how it is possible to contribute to minimizing the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with resources already in place
LQ non-Gaussian Control with I/O packet losses
The paper concerns the Linear Quadratic non-Gaussian (LQnG) sub-optimal control problem when the input and output signals travel through an unreliable network, namely Gilbert-Elliot channels. In particular, the input/output packet losses are modeled by Bernoulli sequences, and we assume that the moments of the non-Gaussian noises up to the fourth order are known. By mean of a suitable rewriting of the system through an intermittent output injection term, and by considering an augmented system with the second-order Kronecker power of the measurements, a simple solution is provided by substituting the Kalman predictor with intermittent observations of the LQG control law with a quadratic optimal predictor. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the proposed method
The Dome of the Temple of Diana in Baiae: Geometry, Mechanics and Architecture
The purpose of this paper, which is part of a multi-disciplinary research project started in 2018 [1], is to investigate both the geometry and stability of the dome of the temple of Diana, which partially survived for many centuries. Important observations made by De Angelis dâOssat [2] and results of the architectonic survey performed by Rakob [3] will be presented and discussed; they introduce the delicate issue concerning the identification of the geometric profile of the dome, on which its structural stability depends. It is the Authorsâopinion that ascertaining the geometric profile of a dome is not only a matter of measuring, but also of historical context, geometric knowledge and traditions in construction. Thus, by taking all the above issues into account and making use of data from a recent architectonic survey [1], this paper searches for possible connections with consolidated traditions of the Sassanid architecture imported by the Emperor Alexander Severus, verifies the geometric knowledge presumed to have been acquired by the time of the domeâs construction and identifies the most probable theoretical design: the domeâs meridian profile is a unique curve â to be precise, a parabola, the best approximation of a catenary. Thus, once the profile of the dome has been identified, structural analysis confirms not only the stability of the dome, but also that the Romans were aware of the domeâs behaviour in relation to the construction solutions adopted
Corrigendum to âPollen-based paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic change at Lake Ohrid (south-eastern Europe) during the past 500 kaâ published in Biogeosciences, 13, 1423â1437, 2016
In this corrigendum we report an updated pollen record from the Lake Ohrid DEEP site spanning the past 500 ka whereby we have reprocessed and re-analyzed 104 samples affected by chemical procedure problems that occurred in one palynological laboratory. Firstly, these samples were affected by the use of wrong containers, causing in- adequate settling of particles at the set centrifuging speed. Secondly, HCl and HF treatments were combined without the prescribed intermediate centrifuging and decanting steps. The inaccuracy in the protocol resulted in the loss of smaller pollen grains and in the overrepresentation of bisaccate ones in most of the re-analyzed samples. We therefore provide an updated set of figures with the new data and have revised the description of the results, discussion and conclusions re- ported in Sadori et al. (2016) where necessary. We stress that the majority of the original results and conclusions remain valid, while the recordsâ reliability and resolution have improved as 12 samples that had been omitted in the original study because of low count sums are now included in the revised dataset (Sadori et al., 2018)
Association between work related stress and health related quality of life: the impact of socio-demographic variables. A cross sectional study in a region of central Italy
The aim of this work is investigate relationship between health-related quality of life and work-related stress and the impact of gender, education level, and age on this relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted among workers of various setting in Rome and Frosinone. Work-related stress was measured with a demand-control questionnaire and health-related functioning by SF (short form)-12 health survey. There were 611 participants. Men reported high mental composite summary (MCS) and physical composite summary (PCS). In multivariate analysis age, gender (p < 0.001) and job demand (0.045) predicted low PCS. Low MCS predicted poor PCS. Job demand and educational level resulted negatively associated with MCS. In an analysis stratified for age, gender, and educational level, gender and age resulted effect modifier for MCS, gender and education level for PCS. In women increase of decision latitude predict (p = 0.001) an increase in MCS; a low job demand predict high MCS in male (p †0.001). In younger workers, a lower level of job demand predicted high MCS (<0.001). For PCS, gender and education level resulted effect modifier. In women, high decision latitude predicted higher PCS (p = 0.001) and lower level of job demand results in higher PCS (p †0.001). Higher educational level resulted predictor of low PCS. Management of risk about work-related stress should consider socio-demographic factors
Are there effective interventions to increase physical activity in children and young people? An umbrella review
Background: Obesity and physical inactivity among children and young people are public health concerns. While numerous interventions to promote physical activity are available, little is known about the most effective ones. This study aimed to summarize the existing evidence on interventions that aim to increase physical activity. Methods: A systematic review of reviews was conducted. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses published from January 2010 until November 2017 were identified through PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library. Two reviewers independently assessed titles and abstracts, performed data extraction and quality assessment. Outcomes as level of physical activity and body mass index were collected in order to assess the efficacy of interventions. Results: A total 30 studies examining physical activity interventions met the inclusion criteria, 15 systematic reviews and 15 meta-analyses. Most studies (N = 20) were implemented in the school setting, three were developed in preschool and childcare settings, two in the family context, five in the community setting and one miscellaneous context. Results showed that eight meta-analyses obtained a small increase in physical activity level, out of which five were conducted in the school, two in the family and one in the community setting. Most promising programs had the following characteristics: included physical activity in the school curriculum, were long-term interventions, involved teachers and had the support of families. Conclusion: The majority of interventions to promote physical activity in children and young people were implemented in the school setting and were multicomponent. Further research is needed to investigate nonschool programs
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