Northeast Italy Research Articles

Impact of morpho-sedimentary heterogeneities on the evolution of coastal meandering rivers (Brenta River, Italy)

Over time, alluvial coastal plains are formed as rivers evolve and alter the landscape by eroding and depositing various morpho-sedimentary bodies. These bodies contribute to creating morphological, lithological, and topographic heterogeneities in the floodplain, which can in turn influence river dynamics by providing preferential areas for erosion and river avulsion. While the influence of differential changes in floodplain elevation on river dynamics has been explored in relation to the interaction between rivers and tectonics, there is still a significant gap in understanding the effects of subtle elevation changes produced by the distribution and composition of buried sedimentary bodies.This study examines the response of an ancient river channel to morphological and sedimentological heterogeneities in the floodplain substrate. It focuses on a 14 km long paleo-channel belt located in the southern Venetian Plain (northeast Italy), using field analyses such as sediment coring and geophysical investigations, as well as remote sensing for morphometric analyses. The results indicate that the paleo-channel belt underwent changes as it crossed an ancient sandy beach ridge, which is still visible as a relative high point in the present-day floodplain. Variations in floodplain gradient and substrate erodibility brought about morphometric changes in the paleo-channel, with downstream impacts on the grain-size distribution. This study emphasizes how heterogeneous substrates in alluvial and coastal plains have the potential to induce significant alterations of river morpho-sedimentary processes.

Early outcomes of the Conformable endograft in severe neck angulation from the Triveneto Conformable Registry

ObjectiveThe study reports retrospective evaluation of early outcomes from a multicentric experience with the Excluder conformable endograft with active control system (CEXC Device) in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Its design allows more flexibility, given by proximal unconnected stent rows and a bending wire within the delivery catheter enables control of proximal angulation. This study specifically focuses on the severe neck angulation (SNA) subgroup (≥60°). MethodsAll patients treated with CEXC Device in nine vascular surgery centers of Triveneto area (Northeast Italy) between January 2019 and July 2022 were enrolled prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. Demographic and aortic anatomical characteristics were evaluated. Endovascular aneurysm repair in SNA were selected for analysis. Major investigated outcomes were technical success, endoleaks, morbidity, mortality, and reinterventions at 30 days and during follow-up. Endograft migration and postoperative aortic neck angulation changes were also analyzed. ResultsA total of 129 patients were enrolled. An infrarenal angle of ≥60° was observed in 56 patients (43%) (SNA group) and their data analyzed. The mean patient age was 78.9 ± 5.9 years and median abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter 59 mm (range, 45-94 mm). Median aortic infrarenal neck length, angulation and diameter were 22 mm (range, 13-58 mm), 77° (range, 60°-150°), and 22.0 ± 3.5 mm respectively. Analysis revealed a technical success rate of 100% and perioperative major complication rate of 1.7%. Intraoperative and perioperative morbidity and mortality rates were 3.5% (one buttock claudication and one inguinal surgical cutdown) and 0%, respectively. No perioperative type I endoleaks were observed. The median follow-up was 13 months (range, 1-40 months). Five patients died during follow-up from aneurysm-unrelated causes. Two reinterventions occurred (3.5%): one conversion for a type IA endoleak and one sac embolization for a type II endoleak. Aneurysm sac shrinkage was observed in 15 patients (26%) and aneurysm stability in 35 patients (62%), respectively. Estimated freedom from reinterventions at 24 months was 92%. Aortic neck median postoperative angulation was 75° (range, 45°-139°). ConclusionsThe Triveneto Conformable Registry shows good early results of the CEXC device in severely angulated aortic infrarenal necks. These data need confirmation on longer follow-up and a wider cohort of patients to further increase endovascular aneurysm repair eligibility in SNA.

#4753 TELEDIALYSIS: THE FIRST NORTHEAST ITALY EXPERIENCE OF TELEHEALTH IN PERITONEAL DIALYIS PATIENTS

Abstract Background and Aims During Covid19 epidemic, International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis recommend “ People on PD should stay at home. Hospital visits should be minimized for only urgent indications. Consultations should otherwise be conducted by telehealth”. In 2021 in Italy Government enforce plan to develop Telehealth and to create a new Nephrology home model to provide better oversight of care with remote monitoring.Telehealth has been used to manage patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and demonstrated equal outcomes in CKD care by either in-person or virtual visits. Telehealth also help facilitate patient education about home dialysis modalities and self-care, especially in peritoneal dialysis setting (PD). We report the first experience in the Northeast of Italy with Teledialysis, a combination of PD technique and new technology devices that we used together to overcome clinical, social and psychological barriers to PD. Method In our pilot study, we enrolled 12 consecutive Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) patients from our Nephrology program in “San Bassiano Hospital”, Bassano del Grappa, Vi, Italy. Teledialysis was perform with the combination of two systems: 1- A Web platform Sharesource (Baxter Renal care ®) that with a mod-M added to APD device supports remote patient management through secure communication with can allows details of the home dialysis treatment and provide to the clinician the ability to act on that assessment by updating the patient device setting to the cycler. 2-Totem eVISUS System (TesiSquare®) that is a plug and play system consisting of two units: a) a transportable remote station at the patient's home (Totem) equipped with high performance camera, touchscreen monitor, speaker microphone hand free and computers, internet routers for fixed and mobile phone, wireless access point and remote control to answer calls remotely and b) a Control Station (in our Hospital) that by a simple use of a mouse form our healthcare personnel can connect to one or more patients at the same time and check the Totem Camera. (Figure 1) Figure 1:The Teledialysis System: 1) Sharesource for remote control; 2) Totem at home access point with remote control. 3) Central station in the hospital for virtual evaluation. We control day by day PD sessions by sharesource and we provide virtual support to our patients for medications of catheter exit-site and catheter exit-site monitoring and instructions for PD training; we also perform clinical evaluation status, we check PD effluent color and we aid patients and care givers for PD session management. Results During an observation period of 11 months we enrolled 12 consecutive patients (4m/8F) with an average age of 73 yrs; cognitive impairment, diabetes, hypertension, chronic heart failure and peripheral vascular disease (PVD) were common comorbidities (see Figure 2). Figure 2:Characteristcs of the patients. We perform 60 teledialysis sessions with an average duration of 26’ minutes. We don’t detect any exit Site Infection (ESI), Tunnel infection or Peritonits in our population; none of our patients require urgently hospital or emergency room admission. Only once we suggest access to our department for fever and dyspnea and the patient require a one week hospitalization for acute bacterial pneumonia. (Table 1) Conclusion Our preliminary results shown that Teledialysis is a safe, reliable, flexible and effective system and is easy to use for our patients; we assert that technology really can help nephrologist to improve PD program and aid patients to overcome barriers to select PD and avoid fear of the failure. Teledialysis promote a real integration between Hospital and our territory by a new care pathway.

Self-Help Groups within Nursing Homes: The Experiences of Family Caregivers in Northeastern Italy

Older adults and their family caregivers experience nursing home placement as a particularly critical time of life. The present study explored the experiences of family caregivers of nursing home residents taking part in a self-help group for caregivers. The sample was composed of six caregivers of older adults residing in a nursing home in the northeast of Italy. The respondents, aged 57 to 71, were part of a self-help group set up by the facility between 2017 and 2019. In this qualitative methodological design, we applied the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two main themes emerged from the interviews: (a) challenges in constructing experience as caregivers; and (b) shared experiences as stabilizing tools. The findings highlight the importance of self-help groups in fostering the well-being of caregivers of older adults living in nursing homes. The self-help group enabled caregivers to deal with nursing home placement and the sense of guilt deriving from it; understand and accept the disabilities affecting their loved one; comprehend the experience of ambiguous loss; and learn to listen to their own needs, thus avoiding physical and emotional exhaustion.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Two Different Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Farming Strategies in the Sacca di Goro, Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is one of the world’s most cultivated and prized molluscs. Although it is usually considered a luxury product, it meets all the requirements to be included in a sustainable diet, and its production and consumption have great potential for growth in the coming years. Oyster farming is a worldwide activity, with China and France as the main producers, but recently, the possibility of implementing the Italian production, mainly focused on clams and mussels, has been considered an interesting issue, especially due to the growing local and global demand. The present study has been carried out by collecting data from the Sacca di Goro, north-east Italy, the most important national mollusc farming area. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology was applied to two different farming scenarios in order to improve the overall sustainability of the process. Using OpenLCA™ software (GreenDelta, Berlin, Germany) and the ReCiPe® midpoint (H) v.1.12 method, the environmental impacts of the traditional Italian farming technique, carried out entirely offshore in longlines, and the alternative option, in which the oyster seed pre-fattening phase was carried out in the lagoon, were calculated and compared. The results show that replacing the current pre-fattening phase with pre-fattening in a lagoon reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 12% and all other impact categories by approximately 9%. In addition, non-recyclable plastic materials and fuel consumption emerged as the main environmental hotspots.

Improving the Oenological Potential of Grapes for Prosecco PDO Sparkling Wine Thanks to Nitrogen Fertigation

Several researchers stated that climate change effects are arising quickly in the Mediterranean region. Temperature increasing and droughty summers are two of the most common patterns threatening sparkling wines’ grape quality. The present study investigated nitrogen nutrition to enhance acidity and preserve the aromatic compound on Vitis vinifera var. Glera for producing white sparkling wine. Half of the one-hectare vineyard placed in northeast Italy was fertigated with nitrogen during summer, while the control half received only mineral fertilization in spring as usual in the area. The trial lasted three years. The grapes’ quality was monitored and compared at harvest. The statistical analysis proved an affordable trend among treatments in which the fertigated grapes showed, on average, more free amino acids (+32%), more yeast assimilable nitrogen (+71%), more acidity (+21%), and lower total soluble solids concentration (−3%) than the control grapes. Energy storage, fruit yield, and wood mass were measured too. The study proved the nitrogen supply did not affect either fruit yield or plant vigor. Therefore, nitrogen fertigation has been confirmed to be a reasonable growing practice to preserve wine’s aroma and acidity against climate change.

Hospital readmissions and mortality following discharge against medical advice: a five-year retrospective, population-based cohort study in Veneto region, Northeast Italy

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the odds of readmission and mortality after discharge against medical advice (DAMA) in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, drawing on data...

Spinosad Application Prevents Damage by Agriotes spp. Larvae (Wireworms) and Protects Maize (Zea mays) Yield in Northeast Italy

Agriotes spp. larvae, commonly known as wireworms, are major pests that cause great economic damage to many European crops. To combat them, most farmers prophylactically apply soil insecticides, including high-impact ones such as neonicotinoids. However, due to their hidden life cycle below ground, wireworms are difficult to control, especially in organic farming where persistent, non-specific soil insecticides cannot be used. As legislation tightens regulation on chemical insecticides that have harmful effects on humans and the environment (such as the withdrawal of many chemicals and the general limitation of all of them), biological control agents are gaining attention as an alternative strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate the agronomic effectiveness of Spinosad, a bioinsecticide, in row application during planting to manage wireworms in maize (Zea mays) in Northern Italy. Based on the performance of Spinosad, even in harsh conditions as observed throughout this study, and its ability to mitigate yield losses compared to the non-treated control, we conclude that this product can be used as part of an Integrated Pest Management to mitigate the damages caused by this pest in organic agriculture. However, further studies are required to better understand how this bioinsecticide can be integrated into Agriotes spp management to reduce economic losses and have a positive impact on the environment and public health

Differences in incidence trends (1987-2018) of cancers by sex in the Veneto Region, North-East Italy

Differences in incidence trends (1987-2018) of cancers by sex in the Veneto Region, North-East Italy

Autopsy and sudden death.

Our story dates back in the late 70s, when a series of juvenile sudden death (SD) occurred in the Veneto region, north east of Italy. A successful application for a prospective study on young people dying suddenly (<35-year-old, sudden infant death syndrome excluded) was submitted to the regional health authorities, thus implementing a network of collaboration with local anatomic and forensic pathologists, to collect all such events and to gather demographic data. The project is still in progress, and since then, we studied hundreds of consecutive juvenile SD cases, allowing to identify the culprit diseases in the various organs and cardiac structures (aorta, coronary arteries, myocardium, valves, and conduction system). The long-standing Veneto region experience clearly shows that autopsy still plays a pivotal role in the study and prevention of SD and should be carried out regularly. With time, the investigation of SD moved from the classic post-mortem study to molecular autopsy, especially in cases of SD with structurally normal heart. Sudden death prevention in the young has to be faced by an interdisciplinary team, including pathologists, cardiologists, sport physicians, and geneticists, the clinicopathologic correlation method still being the polar star. The game in the fight against SD is still played in the anatomical theatre, the place where 'death enjoys to save lives'.

What is the carbon footprint of food waste? results from an analysis in a hospital canteen in northeast Italy

What is the carbon footprint of food waste? results from an analysis in a hospital canteen in northeast Italy

A taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic genus Roeseliana (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae: Platycleidini): a case of ongoing Mediterranean speciation.

The genus Roeseliana presently includes 10 specific or subspecific taxa, but following different authors some of them are considered synonyms. However, the authors who have treated these taxa often did not agree with the synonymies, in particular, concerning some taxa, such as R. fedtschenkoi (Saussure, 1874) and R. roeselii (Hagenbach, 1822). The present authors examined hundreds of specimens of different taxa, for the first time were able to obtain the translation from the Russian of the description of R. fedtschenkoi, compared the main morphological characters used to discriminate different taxa, biometrics, bioacoustics and genetics of some taxa. This allowed them to conclude that it is possible to recognize the following taxa: 1) Roeseliana roeselii (Hagenbach, 1822) widespread in the Palaearctic Region and imported in North America; 2) Roeseliana fedtschenkoi (Saussure, 1874) in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan; 3) Roeseliana pylnovi (Uvarov, 1924) in the Caucasian region; 4) Roeseliana bispina (Bolívar, 1899) in Turkey; 5) Roeseliana azami (Finot, 1892) from the Mediterranean France through Italian peninsula (formerly R. azami minor Nadig, 1961); 6) R. ambitiosa (Uvarov, 1924) on the Balkan peninsula; 7) Roeseliana n. sp. Lemonnier-Darcemont & Darcemont, (in press) on Epirus (Greece and Albania); 8) Roeseliana brunneri Ramme 1951 in north east Italy (Veneto, Friuli and Po Valley); 9) Roeseliana oporina (Bolívar, 1887) in Spain.

SAR Based Sea Surface Complex Wind Fields Estimation: An Analysis over the Northern Adriatic Sea

Nowadays, sea surface analysis and monitoring increasingly use remote sensing, with particular interest in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). Several SAR techniques exist in literature to understand the marine phenomena affecting the sea surface. In this work, we focus on the Doppler Centroid Anomaly (DCA), which accounts for the Doppler shift induced by sea surface movements. Starting from SAR raw data, we develop a processing chain to elaborate them and output the surface velocity map using DCA. The DCA technique has often been presented in the marine literature for estimating sea surface velocity, but more recently it has also been used to detect near-surface wind fields. This paper deals with estimating the sea surface wind field using Doppler information and SAR backscatter, combined with wind information provided by ECMWF and geophysical wind and Doppler model functions. We investigate the application of the approach in the coastal area of the northern Adriatic Sea (Northeast Italy). The test site is interesting, both for its particular orography, as it is a semi-enclosed basin largely surrounded by mountains, and for its complex meteorological phenomena, such as the Bora wind. Results obtained combining SAR backscatter and DCA information show an improvement in wind field estimation.

A two-year retrospective study of the neonatal emergency transport service in Northeast Italy

Background Some newborns require acute transport to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to unpredicted or unpredictable reasons. Objective To describe the activity of the Neonatal Emergency Transport Service (NETS) in Northeast Italy. Methods An observational retrospective study was performed between 1 January 2018, and 31 December , 2019. Results A total of 133 transports were collected, with a neonatal transport index of 1.4%. Infants ≤2500 grams were more frequently transferred by NETS than those in the normal group (n = 34/563, 6.0% vs. n = 99/8,437, 1.2%; p < .001). The incidence of preterm birth among transferred newborns was 42/133 (31.6%). For the newborns with >2500 grams, there was a low incidence of a cesarean birth compared to vaginal delivery (23.2% versus 63.5%; p = .001), while the percentages were reversed in the group of infants ≤2500 grams (67.7% versus 20.6%) (p = .001). Infant stabilization time was higher in the underweight group compared to those weighed >2500 grams (31.5 versus 23.0 min; p < .001), as well as the median length of stay in NICU (18.0 versus 8.0 days, respectively, p < .001). The group of infants ≤2500 grams received more intravenous therapy (47.1% vs. 26.2%) and invasive ventilation (26.5% vs. 8.1%), compared to the group of infants who weighed >2500 grams. Conclusions This study described a local reality by showing the characteristics of the neonatal transports that took place in a metropolitan area in Northeast Italy. Wider database is necessary to achieve a better knowledge in the field of perinatal outcomes.

Climate change-induced aridity is affecting agriculture in Northeast Italy

CONTEXTThe Mediterranean basin and specifically Northeast Italy are recognised as climate change hotspots. The latter is a key socio-economic area in Europe among the most agriculturally productive. However, increasingly frequent drought periods (typical of drier climates) are threatening agriculture. An extreme event occurred in the summer of 2022. It dramatically affected northern Italy, through high temperatures, water shortages and indirect processes (such as saltwater intrusion in the Po River Delta). OBJECTIVEThe objective is to map and quantify the agricultural areas in Northeast Italy at risk of climate zone shift due to human-induced climate change, providing a comprehensive overview of the main threatened agricultural systems and supporting the use of projections through historical data analysis. METHODSWe compared the distribution of current (1980 > 2016) and future (2071 > 2100; RCP8.5 scenario) climate zones for 8 main agricultural systems in 14 key provinces in Northeast Italy. Further analyses were performed on historical data to support future climate projections and to analyse agricultural drought during extreme events: (1) a multi-temporal Aridity Index (AI) to investigate aridification dynamics; (2) a focus on the 2022 event (drought and temperature extremes, a situation that is likely to occur more often in the future), combining a Vegetation Health Index (VHI) with a zonal investigation of high Land Surface Temperature (LST); (3) a climate focus for the Po River Delta cultural landscape. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe results show that the climate in Northeast Italy is evolving towards drier conditions, posing a challenge to agriculture. The Adriatic coast could become an Arid zone, a finding in line with historical observations. Rice fields will be most at risk (76% of their surface could become Arid in the future), as well as the irrigated lands that are essential for food security (around 20% expected in the Arid zone). Worthy is what is foreseen for crops on slopes (often not irrigated), which may experience drier summers (60% of the surface). SIGNIFICANCEWe identified the areas at risk of climate change at the farm scale in Northeast Italy, mapping where the threatened fields are located, what their extent is, and which agricultural systems are currently implemented. Such information would facilitate early action, guiding large-scale planning towards more resilient agriculture. Findings could promote sustainable water management plans, open the debate on which crops are worth growing based on future climate, and inspire more localised studies in the design of mitigation measures.

Towards understanding of the taxonomy within the genus Emmericia Brusina, 1870 (Caenogastropoda: Truncatelloidea)

ABSTRACT Emmericia Brusina, 1870 is the only genus of the family Emmericiidae Brusina, 1870, and it inhabits springs and rivers from north-east Italy to southern Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. Their variable shells have resulted in taxonomic chaos with from one to sixty seven species recognised in Emmericia. Recently four species have been distinguished: E. patula (Brumati, 1838), E. expansilabris Bourguignat, 1881, E. narentana Bourguignat, 1881, and E. ventricosa Brusina, 1870. In the present study, Emmericia from 13 localities were collected. Principal component analysis on seven biometric characters measured on shells from three localities inhabited by two nominal species demonstrated the distinctiveness of these three studied populations. In contrast, the differences between the two populations representing E. patula were not smaller than between either of them and E. expansilabris. Similar remarks apply to the shells of the other two species. The sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I did not confirm that E. expansilabris is a distinct species, so it is regarded as a synonym of E. patula, but did confirm the distinctness of E. ventricosa, which inhabits the localities higher above sea level. No sequences of E. narentana were obtained.

Convalescent Plasma Infusion does not Appear to Change the Prognosis in Italian Patients Hospitalized with Sars-Cov-2 Pneumonia

Aims: This case-control prospective study aimed to describe the effects of COVID convalescent plasma (CCP) on late mortality in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. &#x0D; Study Design: In this study were enrolled 214 consecutive patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia hospitalized during the fourth trimester of 2020 in Venice Prefecture (North-East Italy). admitted to COVID-19 Hospitals of our district were enrolled.&#x0D; Methodology: Confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 infection was made through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test in nasopharyngeal swabs. The severity of each patient’s clinical condition was determined considering the Berlin score radiological findings and ventilatory data. Clinical data, risk factors and comorbidity, laboratory test reports and imaging diagnosis of all patients were recorded at hospitalization. In Italy, during the fourth trimester 2020 standard therapy for COVID-19 Pneumonia was: NSAIDs, ventilator support, LMWH, steroids, antibiotics and antiviral drugs; 108 patients received standard therapy alone and 106 received standard therapy in combination with CCP. The endpoint was mortality at 30 days.&#x0D; Results: Patients series were comparable for gender, age, comorbidity and risk factors, Berlin score, PaO2/FiO2. Data concerning radiological findings and data concerning ventilatory support suggested a higher severity of patients treated with standard therapy plus CCP. Mortality rate at 30 days was 30.6% among subjects treated with standard therapy versus 30.2% among subjects treated with standard therapy plus CCP. The mortality observed in the two groups did not differ significantly. In the present study, however, we observed a higher mortality than reported in the literature. This result may be attributable to the greater severity of the patients considered.&#x0D; Conclusions: This case-control prospective study showed that in a cohort of hospitalized patients suffering from severe 19 pneumonia, the addition of CCP to the standard therapy did not impact the mortality rate at 30 days. However, we believe that further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy.

Present-Day Surface Deformation in North-East Italy Using InSAR and GNSS Data

Geodetic data can detect and estimate deformation signals and rates due to natural and anthropogenic phenomena. In the present study, we focus on northeastern Italy, an area characterized by ~1.5–3 mm/yr of convergence rates due to the collision of Adria-Eurasia plates and active subsidence along the coasts. To define the rates and trends of tectonic and subsidence signals, we use a Multi-Temporal InSAR (MT-InSAR) approach called the Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers (StaMPS), which is based on the detection of coherent and temporally stable pixels in a stack of single-master differential interferograms. We use Sentinel-1 SAR images along ascending and descending orbits spanning the 2015–2019 temporal interval as inputs for Persistent Scatterers InSAR (PSI) processing. We apply spatial-temporal filters and post-processing steps to reduce unrealistic results. Finally, we calibrate InSAR measurements using GNSS velocities derived from permanent stations available in the study area. Our results consist of mean ground velocity maps showing the displacement rates along the radar Line-Of-Sight for each satellite track, from which we estimate the east–west and vertical velocity components. Our results provide a detailed and original view of active vertical and horizontal displacement rates over the whole region, allowing the detection of spatial velocity gradients, which are particularly relevant to a better understanding of the seismogenic potential of the area. As regards the subsidence along the coasts, our measurements confirm the correlation between subsidence and the geological setting of the study area, with rates of ~2–4 mm/yr between the Venezia and Marano lagoons, and lower than 1 mm/yr near Grado.

Characterization and Mapping of Public and Private Green Areas in the Municipality of Forlì (NE Italy) Using High-Resolution Images

Urban Green Spaces (UGS) contribute to the sustainable development of the urban ecosystem, positively impacting quality of life and providing ecosystem services and social benefits to inhabitants. For urban planning, mapping and quantification of UGS become crucial. So far, the contribution of private green spaces to ecosystem services in urban areas has yet to be studied. At the same time, in many Italian cities, they represent a considerable part of the urban green cover. This study utilises a methodological approach and provides insights into the contribution of urban public and private green spaces by the consideration of a case study area in Northeast Italy. To achieve this goal, the main steps were: (i) NDVI extraction from very high-resolution (20 cm) orthophotos, (ii) classification of property status and (iii) analysis of the degree of the greenness of land cover units. From our results, the total amount of the green spaces is 5.70 km2, of which 72.1% (4.11 km2) is private, and 28.9% (1.59 km2) is public. As for the land cover, three NDVI classes were identified, highlighting different degrees of homogeneity in NDVI reflectance response within each urban land cover unit. These results will support the planning of new green areas in the post-epidemic National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

How Much Impact Has the Cover Crop Mulch in Mitigating Soil Compaction?—A Field Study in North Italy

Soil compaction was largely studied in different scenarios with laboratory and field scale experiments, with various soil conditions and traffic intensities. However, a detailed analysis to better understand the protective role of plant residues or cover crop mulch is still required. A field test was conducted in Northeast Italy aiming to fill this gap. Rye was chosen as a winter cover crop, and growth on a controlled traffic random block experimental field. Four different cover crop mulch treatments were compared to study the effects of root systems: roller crimper, flail mower, bare soil control and harvested biomass control. Four different traffic intensities were used to evaluate the multiple passages with 0, 1, 3, 5 traffic events. During traffic events, the mean normal stress was measured. Penetration resistance was then evaluated after trafficking and soil samples were collected. The obtained results showed a 19.3% cone index increase in bare soil compared to flail mower treatment after the first traffic event, while low differences were found in harvested biomass bulk density during the first and third traffic events. Moreover, mean normal stress increased 16.5% on harvested biomass treatment compared to the flail mower. These findings highlight that the cover crop maintains a lower soil penetration resistance during compaction events, helping the subsequent field operations. Furthermore, roller crimper and flail mower cover crop termination impact soil bearing capacity differently due to different soil moisture content. However, the results showed a low contribution of cover crop mulch on mitigating soil compaction effects during the experiment.