Flooding of Piazza San Marco (Venice): Physical model tests to evaluate the overtopping discharge

This paper aims at evaluating the wave overtopping discharge over the pavement of "Piazza S. Marco" (Venice) in order to select the best option to mitigate the risk of flooding of the Piazza and to protect the monuments and historic buildings, e.g., the "Basilica S. Marco". In fact, the MO.S.E. (MOdulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico) system is designed to keep the water level below a certain value, for the safety of the lagoon, but it does not guarantee the defence of the Piazza, where flooding is still possible, being its pavement locally much lower than the maximum expected water level. To completely defend the Piazza, specific additional works are planned to prevent the back-flow through the natural drainage system (now the primary pathway) or by filtration or by overtopping. This paper investigates on the overtopping mechanism, under conditions compatible with a fully operational MO.S.E. system, through 2-D experiments. The pavement of the Piazza is gently sloping towards the masonry quay which, in some parts is formed by 5 descending steps, and in some other parts, is just a vertical wall. Close to the "Marciana" Library, a critical part is present, with a slightly lower crest freeboard. In total, three cross-sections were examined in the 36 m long wave flume of the Padova University. The test programme includes 10 irregular wave attacks and three different water levels. The test results differ considerably from the results of the available formulas, since the investigated cross-sections by far exceed their range of applicability. The presence of the steps affects only the reflection coefficient rather than the overtopping discharges. In general, if the waves incident to the Piazza are higher than 40 cm, which is a possible scenario, some other adaptation works must be considered, such as the pavement rise, temporary barriers or the reduction of the waves impacting the quay through, for instance, floating breakwaters

General Practitioners' Perceptions of the Use of Wearable Electronic Health Monitoring Devices: Qualitative Analysis of Risks and Benefits.

The rapid diffusion of wearable electronic health monitoring devices (wearable devices or wearables) among lay populations shows that self-tracking and self-monitoring are pervasively expanding, while influencing health-related practices. General practitioners are confronted with this phenomenon, since they often are the expert-voice that patients will seek. This article aims to explore general practitioners' perceptions of the role of wearable devices in family medicine and of their benefits, risks, and challenges associated with their use. It also explores their perceptions of the future development of these devices. Data were collected during a medical conference among 19 Swiss general practitioners through mind maps. Maps were first sketched at the conference and their content was later compared with notes and reports written during the conference, which allowed for further integration of information. This tool represents an innovative methodology in qualitative research that allows for time-efficient data collection and data analysis. Data analysis highlighted that wearable devices were described as user-friendly, adaptable devices that could enable performance monitoring and support medical research. Benefits included support for patients' empowerment and education, behavior change facilitation, better awareness of personal medical history and body functioning, efficient information transmission, and connection with the patient's medical network; however, general practitioners were concerned by a lack of scientific validation, lack of clarity over data protection, and the risk of stakeholder-associated financial interests. Other perceived risks included the promotion of an overly medicalized health culture and the risk of supporting patients' self-diagnosis and self-medication. General practitioners also feared increased pressure on their workload and a compromised doctor-patient relationship. Finally, they raised important questions that can guide wearables' future design and development, highlighting a need for general practitioners and medical professionals to be involved in the process. Wearables play an increasingly central role in daily health-related practices, and general practitioners expressed a desire to become more involved in the development of such technologies. Described as useful information providers, wearables were generally positively perceived and did not seem to pose a threat to the doctor-patient relationship. However, general practitioners expressed their concern that wearables may fuel a self-monitoring logic, to the detriment of patients' autonomy and overall well-being. While wearables can contribute to health promotion, it is crucial to clarify the logic underpinning the design of such devices. Through the analysis of group discussions, this study contributes to the existing literature by presenting general practitioners' perceptions of wearable devices. This paper provides insight on general practitioners' perception to be considered in the context of product development and marketing

Geotecnologias para avaliação e análise da dinâmica espaço temporal do parque cafeeiro da região de Três Pontas - MG.

A região de Três Pontas é uma das regiões cafeeiras mais importantes do Brasil e do mundo. O município é considerado o maior produtor mundial de café. Por esse motivo, conhecer a extensão e a localização desse parque cafeeiro torna-se de extrema importância. O objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar a evolução deste parque cafeeiro no tempo e no espaço, por meio de geotecnologias. No trabalho foram utilizadas imagens TM/Landsat do ano de 2000 e do ano de 2010. Foram confeccionados os mapas de uso da terra para o ano de 2000 e para o ano de 2010. Por meio de ferramentas de análise espacial do sistema de informação geográfica SPRING, conclui-se que, durante esse período, o parque cresceu 7%. As áreas de café em produção aumentaram 11%, o que provavelmente elevou a produtividade da região. Não foram encontrados padrões de mudança no crescimento do parque

Análise espaço-temporal da cafeicultura mineira: 1990-2009.

O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar e detectar padrões espaciais de área plantada e produção cafeeira no estado de Minas Gerais, entre os anos de 1990 e 2009. Para tanto, foram utilizados dados do IBGE e o sistema de informação geográfica TerraView, que permitiu a agregação das informações cadastrais do IBGE com a divisão municipal cartográfica do Estado. Nos anos estudados, a área plantada cresceu 16,51%. As regiões Sul/Sudoeste de Minas, Zona da Mata e Norte do Estado foram as que mais cresceram. Por outro lado, as regiões Campos das Vertentes e Central Mineira tiveram suas áreas diminuídas nesse tempo. Com relação a produção, verificou-se um aumento na produção da Zona da Mata e do Sul/ Sudoeste de Minas. Houve também uma redução de 20,46% do número de municípios que produzem até 50.000 sacas de café por ano. Os dados de produção do IBGE foram confrontados com o do Anuário Estatístico do Café e o que se viu foi uma enorme diferença de grandezas entre os dados, só acordada a partir de 2002. Foi encontrada uma não compatibilidade de informações para a safra 2001/2002

Aplicação de redes neurais artificiais (RNA) na análise e classificação de áreas cafeeiras da Região de Machado-MG.

A cafeicultura é atividade de fundamental importância na região sul de Minas Gerais e técnicas de estimativa da área plantada, visando previsões de safra confiáveis, estão sendo intensamente pesquisadas. Neste sentido, o presente estudo apresenta uma aplicação de Redes Neurais Artificiais (RNA) para a classificação automática de dados de sensoriamento remoto, com o objetivo de identificar áreas cafeeiras da região de Machado, MG. A região apresenta relevo ondulado a forte ondulado, o que acarreta maior dificuldade do mapeamento automático do uso da terra a partir de imagens de satélite. Outro complicador é a alta similaridade do padrão espectral do café e áreas de mata nativa. A área foi dividida entre os relevos plano e acidentado, e foram criadas máscaras na drenagem e na área urbana. O resultado da classificação feita pela RNA foi superior aos resultados encontrados na literatura, que utilizam classificadores automáticos clássicos, como o Battacharya e o Maxver. O Kappa do mapa classificado pela RNA foi de 55.84% para o relevo mais movimentado e 60.29% para o relevo menos movimentado

Condições agrometeorológicas de cafeeiros na região de Soledade de Minas, anos 1999-2011.

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os dados climáticos de temperatura do ar e precipitação da região cafeeira de Soledade de Minas, Minas Gerais e relacioná-las as fases fenológicas dos cafeeiros e qualidade da bebida. A área de estudo compreende o município de Soledade de Minas, situado na região da Serra da Mantiqueira, sul do estado de Minas Gerais e pertencente à bacia hidrográfica do Rio Verd

Ocupação da cafeicultura em relação às classes de solos da região de Machado-MG.

O objetivo desse trabalho foi realizar uma análise espacial do parque cafeeiro da região de Machado no ano de 2009 e sua relação com o mapa de solos da região, utilizando geotecnologias

Prevalence and clinical correlates of sarcopenia in institutionalized older people: Cross-sectional study of a nursing home population

Background & aims. Sarcopenia is a common condition among institutionalized older people which leads to increased risk of adverse outcomes such as disability and death. We investigated the prevalence and clinical correlates of sarcopenia in older institutionalized adults in Italy, while also evaluating the interchangeability and adequacy of two definitions of sarcopenia (EWGSOP and FNIH) for this geriatric setting. Methods. Cross-sectional analysis of 97 participants enrolled in a nursing home facility in Italy. Since 97% of the study subjects resulted either unable to walk or “slow walkers”, we assessed sarcopenia presence ignoring the walking speed criterion: sarcopenia was assessed as low appendicular skeletal mass index plus low grip strength (EWGSOP criteria) and as weakness plus low lean mass (FNIH criteria). Skeletal muscle mass was estimated using bioimpendance analysis. Results. In this population of 97 institutionalized older people (age 83.2 ± 9.4 years, women 73.2%), according to both EWGSOP and FNIH criteria 13 participants (13.4%) were identified as affected by sarcopenia; however, only 5 subjects were identified as sarcopenic according to both definitions simultaneously. The prevalence of sarcopenia was directly correlated with male sex and comorbidity level, while being inversely correlated with Body Mass Index. Conclusions. According to EWGSOP and FNIH criteria, prevalence of sarcopenia is significant among institutionalized older people, and it’s strongly related to male sex, BMI and comorbidity level. EWGSOP and FNIH criteria identified as sarcopenic different individuals and therefore cannot be used interchangeably. Assessment of walking speed might be unfeasible in institutionalized older subjects