Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Research Articles

Cytauxzoon sp. and Hepatozoon spp. in Domestic Cats: A Preliminary Study in North-Eastern Italy.

Knowledge on the presence of Cytauxzoon sp. and Hepatozoon spp. in Italy is scant and mostly limited to a few areas of Northern and Southern regions, respectively. The present study updated the current epidemiological scenario by investigating the occurrence of these protozoa in domestic cats from three broad regions of North-Eastern Italy. Blood samples from cats at risk of vector-borne diseases were processed by PCR to detect Cytauxzoon and Hepatozoon DNA. Blood smears were observed for haemoparasite inclusions. The influence of cat individual data (e.g., provenance, management, indoor/outdoor lifestyle) on the prevalence of haemoprotozoan infections was statistically evaluated. Among 158 cats, Cytauxzoon and Hepatozoon DNA were detected in 6 (3.8%) and 26 (16.5%) animals, respectively. No Hepatozoon gamonts were detected in blood smears, whereas all Cytauxzoon PCR-positive samples were microscopically positive, though with low levels of parasitaemia. Two species of Hepatozoon were identified, Hepatozoon felis (n = 10) and Hepatozoon silvestris (n = 16). Hepatozoon silvestris prevalence values were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the region Friuli Venezia Giulia and in stray cats. Cytauxzoon sp. was detected in 6/39 (15.4%) stray cats from Friuli Venezia Giulia (Trieste province). These data add new information on the occurrence of these neglected protozoa in domestic cats’ populations.

Anatomy of seismicity clustering from parametric space-time analysis

A multi-parametric study of the space-time evolution of the seismicity from 2015 to the beginning of 2020 is performed within a well-focused area, located between the Alps and the Prealps, in the central part of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region (Northeastern Italy). The study area is characterized by a complex tectonic pattern resulting from the interference of differently oriented fault systems and involving mechanically heterogeneous rocks. From 2018 to 2019, the area experienced a significant increase and clustering of radiated seismic energy. The estimated damage pattern emphasizes the tectonic complexity. Notably, the most energetic events are located in correspondence with the sharp transitions from zones of low damage to zones of intermediate damage.The evolution of seismicity is analyzed through the temporal variation of the Shannon entropy, b-value, fractal dimension, nearest neighbour distance, and changing orientation of the planes inferred from Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The PCA analysis is applied along a geological cross-section to infer the geometry and the time-evolution of the fracturing. It reveals best-fit planes mainly subvertical. Two distinct temporal phases are recognized, characterized by different orientation of planes and propagation of fracturing. The two phases correspond to the changes in the seismic activity, highlighted by the variations of the entropy, b-value, fractal dimension and nearest neighbour distance. The observed spatio-temporal evolution of seismicity is interpreted within the frame of damage evolution in a heterogeneous medium subjected to an applied remote stress.

Spatial Patterns of Endometriosis Incidence. A Study in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) in the Period 2004-2017.

Background: Diagnosis of endometriosis and evaluation of incidence data are complex tasks because the disease is identified laparoscopically and confirmed histologically. Incidence estimates reported in literature are widely inconsistent, presumably reflecting geographical variability of risk and the difficulty of obtaining reliable data. Methods: We retrieved incident cases of endometriosis in women aged 15–50 years using hospital discharge records and pathology databases of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in the calendar period 2004–2017. We studied the spatial pattern of endometriosis incidence applying Bayesian approaches to Disease Mapping, and profiled municipalities at higher risk controlling for multiple comparisons using both q-values and a fully Bayesian approach. Results: 4125 new cases of endometriosis were identified in the age range 15 to 50 years in the period 2004–2017. The incidence rate (x100 000) is 111 (95% CI 110–112), with a maximum of 160 in the age group 31–35 years. The geographical distribution of endometriosis incidence showed a very strong north-south spatial gradient. We consistently identified a group of five neighboring municipalities at higher risk (RR 1.31 95% CI 1.13; 1.52), even accounting for ascertainment bias. Conclusions: The cluster of 5 municipalities in the industrialized and polluted south-east part of the region is suggestive. However, due to the ecologic nature of the present study, information on the patients’ characteristics and exposure histories are limited. Individual studies, including biomonitoring, and life-course studies are necessary to better evaluate our findings.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: AN ITALIAN CASE

The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe effects on social health services worldwide. Many people with neurodevelopmental disorders have lost their professional support. The interruption of supportive assistance has been devastating since it has negatively affected their continuity of care as well as their social inclusion and socialization. This paper aims to illustrate the impact of the COVID-19 on an Italian Public Social Health System Services for people with disability. It highlights and discusses the strategy that was adopted in order to ensure the continuity of care assistance provided to the service clients as the organization of emergency remote support and individual support services for independent living. An exploratory study was conducted involving the entire population of people with neurodevelopmental disorders (n=333) included in the Disability System Services of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, North-East Italy) to analyze the main repercussions occurred on the organization of services during the pandemic period. A comparative analysis of the number of persons enrolled in the different types of support services and of individuals’ support needs, evaluated throught the Support intensity scale (SIS), pre- and post-pandemic crisis (January 2020 – January 2021) was conducted. The data shows that, despite the enormous difficulties, the adopted strategy has succeeded in limiting the risks of isolation and the negative impact on individual interventions, and opened the way to new alternative and innovative strategies for planning and implementing support.

Cluster Thinning and Vineyard Site Modulate the Metabolomic Profile of Ribolla Gialla Base and Sparkling Wines.

Depending on the vineyard location, cluster thinning (CT) may represent an effective tool to obtain the desired grape composition and wine quality. The effect of 20% cluster thinning on Ribolla Gialla (Vitis vinifera L.) sparkling wine aroma, lipid compounds, and aromatic amino acid (AAA) metabolites composition was studied for three consecutive seasons in two vineyards located in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy. In the examined sparkling wines, the vintage meteorological conditions exhibited significant influences on the metabolic profile of the samples. Data were normalized by season, and the impact of the CT treatment was evaluated for each vineyard site separately. Crop removal showed a limited positive impact on aroma compounds in sparkling wines from vineyards located in the valley. Concerning the AAA compounds, their concentration was higher in the vineyard at the foot of the hills. Cluster thinning resulted in a drop in concentration, reducing the risk of atypical aging. Despite minor differences according to targeted metabolome profiling, the sensory analysis confirmed the effects of the CT treatment in the valley floor vineyard. Reducing crop in this site, where the yield was higher, promoted a moderate improvement of Ribolla Gialla sparkling wine. In contrast, for wine produced in the vineyard at the foot of the hills, the sensory analysis indicated a preference for wines from the unthinned control samples. Overall, the study indicates that cluster thinning is a viticultural technique that could potentially improve the quality of Ribolla Gialla sparkling wines, but only in situations of excessive grape production.

The diagnostic, therapeutic and assistance pathway for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a north-eastern Italian region: satisfaction of patients and their caregivers.

In order to evaluate the users' satisfaction degree for the diagnostic, therapeutic and assistance services for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FVG), a self-compiled anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire was administered to ALS patients and their caregivers. The questionnaire explored 41 different issues covering the following areas: (a) access to diagnostic pathway and communication among patients, families and health professionals; (b) quality of disease monitoring and effectiveness of interventions aimed at mitigating ALS symptoms; (c) easiness of access to assistive devices (e.g. wheelchair, ankle-foot-orthosis) and home assistance; (d) patient' choices sharing and health professionals empathy. The same issues were proposed both to patients and carers, appropriately adapting the questions, during the period between June and December 2019. The answers were categorised according to criticality level. Median with interquartile range of the numeric variables and percentages of the categorical variables and of the answers to questions were calculated. The mean percentage of satisfied users was 72.8%, considering all the areas. Pain treatment and easiness of access to ambulance transport were the most positive aspects (95.7% and 92.5% of satisfied respondents, respectively), while information about possible enrolment in clinical trials and about possible registration to the regional ALS association were the most critical issues (30.9% and 43.4% of satisfied users). Although the satisfaction level of ALS patients and their caregivers for the services provided resulted generally good, there were some areas that have to be improved. For this purpose, enhancement of multidisciplinary collaboration, sharing of points of view from users and different practitioners and rising awareness among healthcare professionals through clinical audits could be useful. Further research is needed to identify a wider range of users' unexplored unmet needs.

Decoding a complex record of anthropogenic and natural impacts in the Lake of Cavazzo sediments, NE Italy

The Lake of Cavazzo is a natural, lacustrine basin in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy), which occupies a fluvio-glacial suspended valley of the Tagliamento river, at the southern front of the Alpine chain. The lake formed after the melting of major glacial tongues at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, and has been affected in recent years by natural and anthropogenic events, with economic, cultural and environmental consequences. According to local witnesses, the lake environment has changed dramatically after the 1950s, when the basin was connected to a hydroelectric power plant collecting waters from a wider catchment area, as it served as its final discharge basin.In this work, based on a densely-spaced grid of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles complemented by sediment cores, we analysed the uppermost lake stratigraphy, highlighting major changes occurring at a decadal scale. Our main purpose is to verify whether and how the lake sediments record the transition from pristine/natural to artificial conditions, as well as the effects of multiple natural impacts including the 1976–77 Friuli earthquake sequence. The results of our analysis suggest varying environmental conditions of the lake after the 1950s indicated by changing sediment mineralogy, increased deposition of allochthonous clastic sediments, and recurrent episodes of anoxic conditions at the lake's floor, likely triggered by hyperpycnal flows derived from the hydroelectric power plant discharges. We also observe that the effects of the 1976–77 seismic sequence are recorded in the lake as resedimented levels, likely due to shaking, in situ deformation, landslides, and turbidity currents. Our results stress the importance of lacustrine environments as efficient recorders of anthropogenic and natural events.

Use of Sentinel-2 Satellite Data for Windthrows Monitoring and Delimiting: The Case of “Vaia” Storm in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (North-Eastern Italy)

On the 29th of October 2018, a storm named “Vaia” hit North-Eastern Italy, causing the loss of 8 million m3 of standing trees and creating serious damage to the forested areas, with many economic and ecological implications. This event brought up the necessity of a standard procedure for windthrow detection and monitoring based on satellite data as an alternative to foresters’ fieldwork. The proposed methodology was applied in Carnic Alps (Friuli Venezia Giulia, NE Italy) in natural stands dominated by Picea abies and Abies alba. We used images from the Sentinel-2 mission: 1) to test vegetation indices performance in monitoring the vegetation dynamics in the short period after the storm, and 2) to create a windthrow map for the whole Friuli Venezia Giulia region. Results showed that windthrows in forests have a significant influence on visible and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral bands of Sentinel-2, both in the short and the long-term timeframes. NDWI8A and NDWI were the best indices for windthrow detection (R2 = 0.80 and 0.77, respectively) and NDVI, PSRI, SAVI and GNDVI had an overall good performance in spotting wind-damaged areas (R2 = 0.60–0.76). Moreover, these indices allowed to monitor post-Vaia forest die-off and showed a dynamic recovery process in cleaned sites. The NDWI8A index, employed in the vegetation index differencing (VID) change detection technique, delimited damaged areas comparable to the estimations provided by Regional Forest System (2545 ha and 3183 ha, respectively). Damaged forests detected by NDWI8A VID ranged from 500 m to 1500 m a.s.l., mainly covering steep slopes in the south and east aspects (42% and 25%, respectively). Our results suggested that the NDWI8A VID method may be a cost-effective and accurate way to produce windthrow maps, which could limit the risks associated with fieldwork and may provide a valuable tool to plan tree removal interventions in a more efficient way.

Assessing the positional accuracy of perceptual landscape data: A study from Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

AbstractOnline GIS‐based applications that combine mapping and public participation to collect citizens' voices on their surrounding environment are a way to collect original spatial data that do not already figure in authoritative data sets. However, these applications, relying on non‐expert users, might produce spatial data of insufficient quality for the purpose for which they are collected. This article presents an approach for assessing the positional accuracy of vague landscape features, using the results from a map‐based survey completed by a group of volunteers in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy. The spatial section of the survey, gathering both georeferenced data and textual information on the mapping activity, allows the assessment of whether there is a correspondence between the mapped features and the intended map locations. The findings reveal a greater accuracy among participants in completing the mapping activity relating to degraded sites than to those of beauty.

Economic Impacts of Forest Storms—Taking Stock of After-Vaia Situation of Local Roundwood Markets in Northeastern Italy

Large timber availability after storms can lead to a drop in timber prices that can impact local markets. The Vaia storm, which occurred in Northeastern Italy at the end of October 2018, felled large volumes of timber, particularly spruce. To estimate the loss in volume and value connected to Vaia, data of roundwood sales from four local markets (Province of Trento, Province of Bolzano, Veneto Region and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region) were collected before and after Vaia, as well as reports on the status of salvage operations. The results confirm that Vaia had a strong impact on Northeastern Italy. A large area of the forest was hit and massive volumes of wood were affected. The analysis of prices showed a negative trend in the post-Vaia period due to an increase in volume per sale, especially for stumpage sales. It also highlighted the difficulties of storing the salvaged wood and the consequent fast saturation of the market. Although it was not possible to assess long-term effects on the four local markets, the presence and use of local e-commerce platforms proved useful in making roundwood sales more organized and efficient.

The OGS–Northeastern Italy Seismic and Deformation Network: Current Status and Outlook

Abstract In this article, we describe the infrastructure developed and managed by the Italian National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS for the seismological and geodetic monitoring of northeastern Italy. The infrastructure was constituted in response to the ML 6.4 Friuli destructive earthquake of 1976, with the main mandate of supporting civil protection emergency activities. The OGS monitoring infrastructure is presently composed of a seismometric and a strong-motion network, complemented by a number of Global Navigation Satellite Systems stations, each delivering observational data in real time, which are collected and processed by the headquarters of the Center for Seismological Research of OGS in Udine. The OGS networks operate in close cooperation with Italian and international networks from neighboring countries, within the framework of the agreements for real-time data exchange, to obtain improved rapid earthquake location and magnitude estimations. Information regarding seismic events is released to the public through a dedicated web portal and, since 2013, through social media. Aside from the standard monitoring activities (&amp;gt;30,000 events have been recorded since 1976), the OGS has progressively increased the number of services to the public and to the Civil Protection of the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions. The high availability of good quality data has resulted in the enhancement of scientific products, including advanced seismological studies of the area, spanning broadly from seismic source characterization to engineering seismology. In the future, the OGS networks are expected to further contribute to the development of seismological research and monitoring infrastructures of the Central European region.

Rapid Damage Scenario Assessment for Earthquake Emergency Management

AbstractThe rapid availability of reliable damage statistics, after the occurrence of a major earthquake, is an essential mitigation strategy to drive and support emergency intervention operations. Unfortunately, the latency in collecting and organizing actual damage information has a substantial impact on the efficiency of the initial phases of the intervention framework. To speedup preliminary management operations, a quick, although, coarse prediction of the expected damage is highly desirable.For this purpose, we have developed a system for rapid damage estimation. The system, presently implemented for the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, relies on the existing seismological monitoring infrastructure of the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), which is responsible for delivering earthquake alerts in northeastern Italy.In case of a major earthquake event, the predicted damage is automatically computed using the OpenQuake software engine by means of ad hoc structural exposure and fragility models developed for the region. Damage calculations rely on a combination of actual observed ground motion from the stations of the OGS seismological network and empirical prediction using the ShakeMaps software developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The resulting damage scenario, aggregated at municipality level, is finally delivered to the control room of the regional civil protection in support of early intervention activities.Although, the system is presently still under active development, a number of experimental trials have confirmed the reliability and the usefulness of the proposed approach. We are confident that the current research will contribute in mitigating the impact of possible future damaging earthquakes by (1) guiding targeted postevent emergency interventions, (2) increasing the preparedness and response capacity of emergency teams and population through preparatory training activities, and (3) supporting the decision-making process during the recovery phase, hence enhancing resilience.

Macrobenthic invertebrate energy densities and ecological status in freshwater watercourses (Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Northeast Italy)

The present study provides energy density (ED) data and models for four macrobenthic invertebrate genera inhabiting freshwater lotic environments (Baetis, Hydropsyche, Rhyacophila, and Onychogomphus). Samples were collected in the hydrological freshwater network of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia within different watercourse types (creeks, streams, rivers channels, and ditches), and energy density was directly measured using an adiabatic bomb calorimeter. Measured ED expressed in Joule g−1 wet weight was strongly and positively correlated with percentage of dry weight (DW%) for all genera investigated (r2 > 0.9504), allowing to obtain genus-specific predictive models based on the relationship between ED and DW%. Models were validated and showed good predictive power, as 90th percentile of observed percentage errors ranged between 4.23% and 5.18% while medians ranged between 1.32% and 2.83%. ANCOVA disclosed significant differences between the models, as those for Rhyacophila and Onychogomphus differed significantly from the others. The empirical models were used to build a dataset of estimated energy density, to assess the relationship between energy density and ecological status of the monitored riverine systems, assessed in compliance with European and Italian law by the application of four different ecological indices (ICMi, RQE_IBMR, STAR_ICMi, and LIMeco). Information regarding ED levels for freshwater macrobenthic invertebrates is still neglected in biomonitoring programs, but it could be useful to interpret some ecological situations in the context of ecological status assessment, especially in relation to the trophic condition of the investigated riverine systems.

Integrated social and health care supported by home telemonitoring in patients with heart failure: the European SmartCare project in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region

Home care for patients with chronic diseases and specifically with heart failure (HF) is one of the main challenges of health care for the future. Telemedicine, applied to HF, allows intensive home monitoring of the most advanced patients, improving their prognosis and quality of life. The European SmartCare project was carried out in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) region with the aim of improving integrated health and social care in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCD) through home telemonitoring (TM) and promoting self-management and patient empowerment. The SmartCare project in FVG was a prospective, randomized and controlled cohort study that enrolled, from November 2014 to February 2016, 201 patients in integrated home care ("usual care" [UC] in our study) to TM (n=100) or UC (n=101). Inclusion criteria were age >50 years, at least 1 CNCD (HF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or diabetes) and 1 missing BADL. There were 19 drop-outs (9%) (12 in the TM arm; 7 in the UC arm; p=NS). All patients were followed by a multiprofessional team and stratified in the short-term pathway (3-6 months; average 4 ± 1 months; n=101), enrolled at discharge from hospitalization, or in the long-term pathway (6-12 months; mean 10 ± 3 months; n=100) for frail/chronic patients already followed in home care. The most frequent main diagnosis was HF (n=108, 54%), followed by diabetes (30%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (16%). A Charlson score ≥3 was present in 75% of cases and over 60% were taking at least 7 drugs. Among the social characteristics of the enrolled population, 55% were living alone or with non-familial caregivers, 62% had primary education and 48% were non-self-sufficient. The days of hospitalization were significantly reduced only in the TM arm of the post-acute pathway (20 days of hospitalization avoided for 10 patient-months of follow-up, p=0.03) and the effect was mainly evident in patients with HF (p=0.02). A significant increase in the number of home accesses and telephone contacts were also documented in the TM group (12.7 and 13.7 more home interventions for 10 patient-months of follow-up; p=0.01 and p=0.002 in the post-acute and chronic pathway, respectively). The SmartCare-FVG project showed in patients with chronic diseases (mainly HF), in the post-acute phase of the disease, to significantly reduce the days of hospitalization with a limited and sustainable increase in the use of nursing home care resources.

Fifty years of the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional technical map: a best practice in the Italian cartographic context

Fifty years have already passed away from the production start-up of the regional technical map of the Italian Friuli Venezia Giulia region. On this occasion, the part of the new regional topographic database (DBT), relating to the Trieste province, is now available. This is a new digital product that represents a significant technological evolution of the well-known “Carta Tecnica Regionale Numerica.” In conjunction with this important event, before the time would definitely delete the memory of the origins, this paper gives a synthetic excursus of the various phases of design, realization and use of the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional technical map (CTR) and of its subsequent digital version (CTRN). The beginning of that development period was marked by a catastrophic event: the 1976 earthquake, and also by the following reconstruction phase that transformed the region. In correspondence, the new digital cartography had been an essential tool for developing and managing the territory. Furthermore, the main characteristics of the now partially available Topographic Database (DBT) will be described. At last, this paper is aimed to remind the various professional figures that have contributed to realize these important cartographic tools.

Fattori che influenzano lo screening nutrizionale nei pazienti ricoverati in ospedali per acuti: un'indagine di prevalenza regionale (2017).

the prevalence of malnutrition among hospitalized patients varies between 19.8% and 50%, with approximately 31% of all hospital patients considered malnourished or at nutritional risk, both in European and in Italian hospitals. Nutritional screening is necessary to identify nutrition-related problems, but it is not largely performed at the admission or during hospitalization. to identify factors associated with the probability of performing nutritional screening during hospitalization and to describe BMI among inpatients in acute facilities of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region (Northern Italy). point prevalence survey. the study was conducted in all the 18 hospitals of the FVG regional healthcare system; 58 trained surveyors collected data from 2nd to 30th October 2017. weight and height, presence of parenteral and enteral nutrition data of 2,553 patients were collected. BMI was determinable for 77.2% of people under study. Negative predictors for BMI screening were: spoke hospital (p<0.001), age over 65 years (p=0.005), both 'ultimately fatal' (p<0.001) and 'rapidly fatal' (p<0.001) McCabe score, presence of minimally invasive surgery (p=0.02); major surgery was a positive predictor (p<0.001). Prevalence of parenteral and enteral nutrition prescription was 4.0% and 3.6%, respectively; statistical differences were found according to care units and McCabe score (p<0.001). globally, BMI for inpatients in the surveyed hospitals is often assessed, but more investigations are needed to understand the reasons why the reported differences exist.

Emerging ethical issues in clinical practice: a regional survey

In 2016, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region established the Clinical Ethics Committees in every health agency of the Region. To initiate a proactive way of "doing ethics" giving voice to those who face clinical-ethical problems, a survey was carried out in six health agencies. To identify the most relevant ethical issues. Survey through self-administered questionnaires, which explore: a) the ethical dimension of work in health care; b) situations of potential moral conflict; c) death and dying; (d) how ethical issues are handled and the role of ethic committees. 2.774 questionnaires were collected. Almost all respondents (97%) consider ethics an integral dimension of the health profession; 35% report a lack of education on bioethic issues. Behaviors that generated moral suffering (lack of respect of patients as persons 43%; aggressive medical treatment 29%). End-of-life ethical issues were the most controversial wellas the discharge of not self-sufficient patients without a social network. Restraints use was a source of conflict; receive education on; 60% of health professionals did receive education on death and dying death and dying; 51% felt inadequate in dealing with these issues. Only 8% referred to use ethical advice. Ethical Committees could play a role in fostering debate, proposing methods for detecting, describing and analysing ethical dilemmas, to supporting professionals in difficult clinical choices.

Physical fitness reference standards in Italian children.

Physical fitness in childhood is considered a marker of current and future health. For this reason, there is a need for a simple but reliable test to assess the different components of physical fitness even at school during physical education lessons. However, standard values are required to correctly interpret the results of such tests. Hence, this study aimed to generate sex- and age-specific normative percentile values for health-related physical fitness in Italian children. To this aim, 30,472 children aged 6-11 years from the Friuli Venezia-Giulia region (Italy) were examined. The fitness test battery included the Léger test (cardiorespiratory), the shuttle test (agility), standing long jumps, frontal throws of a basketball (lower and upper limb strength), the sit-and-reach test (flexibility), and the standing balance test. Sex- and age-percentile curves were determined using the General Additive Model for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS).Conclusion: The reference standards are provided as 1st, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, 97th, and 99th percentiles in the form of both tables and charts and are roughly comparable with those of other European children. What is Known: • Physical fitness in childhood is considered a marker of current and future health; • Several tests have been developed to assess physical fitness in children; • There are general European reference standards for a series of tests of the main fitness components for children. What is New: • The present study provides specific reference standards for a series of tests that are indicative of the main fitness components and easily applied in children, particularly those in the Italian population; • Standing balance test and basketball frontal throw test references in a wide sample of children; • The performance of children in the present study was roughly comparable to that of other European children.

Unified Scaling Law for Earthquakes: Space-Time Dependent Assessment in Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region

The concept of the Unified Scaling Law for Earthquakes (USLE), which generalizes the Gutenberg-Richter relationship making use of the fractal distribution of earthquake sources in a seismic region, is applied to seismicity in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, FVG (Northeastern Italy) and its surroundings. In particular, the temporal variations of USLE coefficients are investigated, with the aim to get new insights in the evolving dynamics of seismicity within different tectonic domains of FVG. To this purpose, we consider all magnitude 2.0 or larger earthquakes that occurred in 1995–2019, as reported in the catalog compiled at the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS catalog), within the territory of its homogeneous completeness. The observed variability of seismic dynamics for three sub-regions of the territory under investigation, delimited based on main geological and tectonic features, is characterized in terms of several moving averages, including: the inter-event time,τ; the cumulative Benioff strain release, Ʃ; the USLE coefficients estimated for moving six-years time intervals, and the USLE control parameter,η. We found that: 1) the USLE coefficients in FVG region are time-dependent and show up correlated; 2) the dynamical changes ofτ, Ʃ, andηin the three sub-regions highlight a number of different seismic regimes; 3) seismic dynamics, prior and after the occurrence of the 1998 and 2004 Kobarid (Slovenia) strong main shocks, is characterized by different parameters in the related sub-region. The results obtained for the FVG region confirm similar analysis performed on a global scale, in advance and after the largest earthquakes worldwide. Moreover, our analysis highlights the spatially heterogeneous and non-stationary features of seismicity in the investigated territory, thus suggesting the opportunity of resorting to time-dependent estimates for improving local seismic hazard assessment. The applied methods and obtained parameters provide quantitative basis for developing suitable models and forecasting tools, toward a better characterization of future seismic hazard in the region.

Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in North-Eastern Italy from March 1, 2020 to May 10, 2020.

Background:During major epidemic outbreaks, the preparedness of public health systems is challenged and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the frontline. Italy was among the first- and worst-hit countries by COVID-19.Aim:To analyze the prevalence and incidence of infection among HCWs in Friuli Venezia Giulia region (north-eastern Italy) from March 1 to the end of the Italian lock-down, May 10, 2020. Methods. HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients were actively surveyed and all HCWs were routinely tested with nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab for RNA virus detection (n. 54,670).Results:Infected HCWs (n. 595) represented the 32.3% of all COVID-19 cases in the region under 65 years of age, and incidence of infection was 11.4 cases/1000 workers. HCWs accounted for a significant proportion of coronavirus infection and experienced high infection incidence after unprotected contact. Conclusions. HCWs’ knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology and proper infection control practices are critical to the control of the disease.