Characterization of extreme weather events on Italian roads

According to climate modellers, probability, frequency, duration, intensity (seriousness) of extreme weather events (extreme temperatures and rainfall) are increasing and will be more frequent in future. The former will lead to higher surface runoff and flood events while the latter will cause landslides phenomena and a break of roads network. The impact of such events depends greatly on the physical hydraulic and mechanical properties of soils. Increasing numbers of extreme events in winter time in recent years have demonstrated the paramount importance of effective and integrated management of land resources in the protection of the environment and of the road network. In Italy more than 10% of the territory has been classified as having a high or very high hydro-geological risk, affecting 80% of the Italian municipalities. The impacts on population and the economic damages are relevant. In Italy over the last 20 years, floods and landslides had an impact on more than 70 000 people and caused economic damage of at least 11 billion euro. Since 2000, the Italian Ministry for the Environment entrusted ISPRA the task of monitoring the programmes of emergency measures toreduce hydrogeological risk. (ReNDiS project, database of mitigation measures against floods and landslides)

Large scale debris-flow hazard assessment: a geotechnical approach and GIS modelling

International audienceA deterministic distributed model has been developed for large-scale debris-flow hazard analysis in the basin of River Vezza (Tuscany Region ? Italy). This area (51.6 km 2 ) was affected by over 250 landslides. These were classified as debris/earth flow mainly involving the metamorphic geological formations outcropping in the area, triggered by the pluviometric event of 19 June 1996. In the last decades landslide hazard and risk analysis have been favoured by the development of GIS techniques permitting the generalisation, synthesis and modelling of stability conditions on a large scale investigation (>1:10 000). In this work, the main results derived by the application of a geotechnical model coupled with a hydrological model for the assessment of debris flows hazard analysis, are reported. This analysis has been developed starting by the following steps: landslide inventory map derived by aerial photo interpretation, direct field survey, generation of a database and digital maps, elaboration of a DTM and derived themes (i.e. slope angle map), definition of a superficial soil thickness map, geotechnical soil characterisation through implementation of a backanalysis on test slopes, laboratory test analysis, inference of the influence of precipitation, for distinct return times, on ponding time and pore pressure generation, implementation of a slope stability model (infinite slope model) and generalisation of the safety factor for estimated rainfall events with different return times. Such an approach has allowed the identification of potential source areas of debris flow triggering. This is used to detected precipitation events with estimated return time of 10, 50, 75 and 100 years. The model shows a dramatic decrease of safety conditions for the simulation when is related to a 75 years return time rainfall event. It corresponds to an estimated cumulated daily intensity of 280?330 mm. This value can be considered the hydrological triggering threshold for the whole Vezza basin

Sopravvivenza e mortalità per causa

Analisi della mortalità generale e per causa nelle regioni italian

Il rischio idrogeologico e la rete viaria nazionale minore

Il rischio definisce la possibilità che un fenomeno naturale o antropico possa causare effetti dannosi sulla popolazione, sugli insediamenti, sulle infrastrutture o in generale su quelli che vengono definiti elementi esposti. Il concetto di rischio è legato non solo alla capacità di calcolare la probabilità che un evento pericoloso accada, ma anche alla capacità di definire e quantificarne il danno provocato. Il territorio nazionale italiano, data la sua conformazione orografica, geologica e geomorfologica caratterizzata da un???orografia giovane e da rilievi in sollevamento, è sempre stato interessato da fenomeni idraulici e geologici (fenomeno impropriamente chiamato, anche se ormai di uso corrente, (dissesto idrogeologico) di notevole intensità. Il caso di studio adottato fa riferimento alla Provincia di Lucca, data la particolare rilevanza di fenomeni di dissesto idrogeologico in questa area

Smoking habits among Italian adolescents: what has changed in the last decade?

Tobacco use, alcohol abuse, overweight and obesity are risk factors for numerous diseases in Italy as elsewhere. However, children and adolescents are not usually included in official national surveys although it is at this stage of life when unhealthy habits are often established. Italian participation in HBSC and GYTS surveys allows our country to implement standardized surveillance systems providing reliable information on tobacco-related behaviors of this population. Data from three HBSC surveys (2002–2010) show that following the drop in the first half of the decade, prevalence of tobacco use stabilized in the second half. The decline was significant for younger age groups, while prevalence of regular tobacco use remained stable among 15-year-olds. Many adolescents reported being exposed to secondhand smoke, to have at least one parent who smokes, and having seen teachers and students smoking at school. Although the sale of tobacco products to minors is prohibited, the vast majority had no trouble in buying cigarettes. Data from GYTS and HBSC surveys provide a wealth of information about attitudes and behaviors of Italian adolescents with respect to smoking. Despite some progress, sizeable gaps remain in meeting standard recommendations for discouraging smoking initiation and motivating adolescent smokers to quit the habit

Design, Synthesis and Discovery of N,N'-Carbazoyl-aryl-urea Inhibitors of Zika NS5 Methyltransferase and Virus Replication

The recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection worldwide make the discovery of novel antivirals against flaviviruses a research priority. This work describes the identification of novel inhibitors of ZIKV through a structure‐based virtual screening approach using the ZIKV NS5‐MTase. A novel series of molecules with a carbazoyl‐aryl‐urea structure has been discovered and a library of analogues has been synthesized. The new compounds inhibit ZIKV MTase with IC50 between 23–48 μM. In addition, carbazoyl‐aryl‐ureas also proved to inhibit ZIKV replication activity at micromolar concentration

Dual wavelength excitation for the time-resolved photoluminescence imaging of painted ancient Egyptian objects

Background: The scientific imaging of works of art is crucial for the assessment of the presence and distribution of pigments and other materials on surfaces. It is known that some ancient pigments are luminescent: these include pink red-lakes and the blue and purple pigments Egyptian Blue (CaCuSi4O10), Han blue (BaCuSi4O10) and Han purple (BaCuSi2O6). Indeed, the unique near-infrared luminescence emission of Egyptian blue allows the imaging of its distribution on surfaces. Results: We focus on the imaging of the time-resolved photoluminescence of ancient Egyptian objects in the Burri Collection from the Civic Museum of Crema and of the Cremasco (Italy). Time-resolved photoluminescence images have been acquired using excitation at 355 nm for detecting the ns-emission of red lakes and binding media; by employing 532 nm excitation Egyptian blue is probed, and the spatial distribution of its long-lived microsecond emission is imaged. For the first time we provide data on the photoluminescence lifetime of Egyptian blue directly from objects. Moreover, we demonstrate that the use of a pulsed laser emitting at two different wavelengths increases the effectiveness of the lifetime imaging technique for mapping the presence of emissions from pigments on painted surfaces. Laser-induced luminescence spectra from different areas of the objects and traditional digital imaging, using led-based lamps, long pass filters and a commercial photographic camera, complement the results from photoluminescence lifetime imaging. We demonstrate the versatility of a new instrumental setup, capable of recording decay emission kinetics with lifetimes from nanosecond to microseconds. Conclusions: While the combined wavelength approach for the imaging of emissions from different materials has been demonstrated for the study of ancient Egyptian pigments (both organic and inorganic), the method could be extended to the analysis of modern pigments and paintings

Risk factors of one year increment of coronary calcifications and survival in hemodialysis patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Heart and coronary calcifications in hemodialysis patients are of very common occurrence and linked to cardiovascular events and mortality. Several studies have been published with similar results. Most of them were mainly cross-sectional and some of the prospective protocols were aimed to evaluate the results of the control of altered biochemical parameters of mineral disturbances with special regard to serum calcium, phosphate and CaxP with the use of calcium containing and calcium free phosphate chelating agents. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in hemodialysis patients classic and some non classic risk factors as predictors of calcification changes after one year and to evaluate the impact of progression on survival.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>81 patients on hemodialysis were studied, with a wide age range and HD vintage. Several classic parameters and some less classic risk factors were studied like fetuin-A, CRP, 25-OHD and leptin. Calcifications, as Agatston scores, were evaluated with Multislice CT basally and after 12-18 months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Coronary artery calcifications were observed in 71 of 81 patients. Non parametric correlations between Agatston scores and Age, HD Age, PTH and CRP were significant. Delta increments of Agatston scores correlated also with serum calcium, CaxP, Fetuin-A, triglycerides and serum albumin. Logistic regression analysis showed Age, PTH and serum calcium as important predictors of Delta Agatston scores. LN transformation of the not normally distributed variables restricted the significant correlations to Age, BMI and CRP. Considering the Delta Agatston scores as dependent, significant predictors were Age, PTH and HDL. A strong association was found between basal calcification scores and Delta increment at one year. By logistic analysis, the one year increments in Agatston scores were found to be predictors of mortality. Diabetic and hypertensive patients have significantly higher Delta scores.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Progression of calcification is of common occurrence, with special regard to elevated basal scores, and is predictive of survival. Higher predictive value of survival is linked to the one year increment of calcification scores. Some classic and non classic risk factors play an important role in progression. Some of them could be controlled with appropriate management with possible improvement of mortality.</p