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Simple Summary: The blackmouth catshark has a habitat range that spans from the Norwegian seas to Senegal and throughout the Mediterranean Sea, and it is one of the most common sharks in Italian waters. The aim of this work is to investigate, through the analyses of the stomach contents of five populations from the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, the diet of blackmouth catsharks. The analyses showed that the most frequent items were Osteichthyes of the family Myctophidae, except for one population, in which the most common items were Cephalopods and Crustacean of the Decapods order. Plastic debris was also found in all populations analysed and classified by colour and shape. This study ought to increase the knowledge of the feeding ecology of the blackmouth catshark, thus improving the meagre literature about Tyrrhenian and Ionian waters. Galeus melastomus is the most common Pentanchidae in the Mediterranean Sea. A scavenger and opportunistic feeder, and despite the wide distribution, little is known about its feeding habits in Italian waters. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the diet of the blackmouth catshark by analysing the stomach contents. The specimens analysed were obtained from five populations of the Tyrrhenian and of the Ionian Seas, collected from a depth between 40 and 700 m. A total of 259 stomachs were analysed. The stomach contents were grouped into macro-categories and identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible. Crustaceans such as Parapenaeus longirostris, the Cephalopods Heteroteuthis dispar and Onychoteuthis banksii, and Osteichthyes, mostly Myctophidae, were identified. Plastic debris was also found among the stomach contents and classified according to its colour and shape. Osteichthyes represent the most abundant item (44%), above all the Myctophidae family, except for the catshark population from Tuscany, in which the most frequent species were Cephalopods, such as Abralia veranyi and Heteroteuthis dispar. Differences in the plastic debris contents were also observed between the Tuscany population and other populations. These could be explained as a probable consequence of the different depths at which the blackmouth catshark populations were sampled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants have always been used by people for multiple purposes, but over the centuries knowledge of useful plants has largely been lost. Through ethnobotanical studies it is possible to retrieve information on the uses of plants and renew the ancient attention to plants which could be useful to apply in modern applications. In this context, the ethnobotanical use of halophytes has not been explored in depth. The present study focused on the flora of two brackish areas of the north-western Mediterranean sited in Tuscany, Italy. This research aimed to identify the halophyte species of ethnobotanical interest and create a relative map database of the study areas. The floristic list of the two areas, including 78 halophyte and non-halophyte species, was created following periodic field sampling, localization of the species by GPS, and taxonomic identification. The ethnobotanical information was acquired through a bibliographic survey. Botanical, geographic, and ethnobotanical information was filed and included in floristic maps produced using the free Open Source QGIS software. Of the total wild species surveyed, 50% were halophytes with ethnobotanical properties, with a predominance for medicinal ones. Some of them are the subject of numerous studies today such as those on antioxidants. Both investigated areas showed a high floristic and ethnobotanical value. This makes them interesting as potential germplasm banks to be used in various application contexts of ethnobotany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern Tuscany (Italy) is an important metallogenic district that hosts relevant S-polymetallic deposits that have intensely been exploited for centuries. Consequently, potential toxic elements, such as Hg and As, are widely distributed in the surrounding environment. In this paper, an extensive sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical study of two Late Quaternary sediment profiles, partially outcropping along the coast of southern Tuscany (Ansedonia area), was carried out to evaluate the contents and mobility of Hg and As with the aims to contribute to the definition of the geochemical baseline of southern Tuscany before the human intervention and evaluate the potential dispersion of these harmful elements. The sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical (major elements) features revealed that the studied profiles are mostly related to the local geological characteristics and the Quaternary geological history of the area. The concentrations and the normalized patterns of trace and rare earth elements highlighted the absence of any anthropogenic activity. This implies that the studied samples are to be regarded as good proxies for evaluating the geochemical baseline of southern Tuscany before the intense mining activity. The enrichment factors (EF) of most trace elements were indeed lower or close to 2, indicating a variability close to the average concentration of the Upper Continental Crust (UCC), while other elements slightly enriched, such as Pb, were in agreement with the natural baseline reported for southern Tuscany. Mercury and As displayed EF values >40 when compared to the average contents of UCC, although they decrease down to 4 when compared to the suggested baseline for southern Tuscany. The higher Hg and As contents detected in this study, inferred to natural sources, evidenced (i) the great natural variability occurring in largely mineralized areas and (ii) the importance of estimating reference environmental parameters in order to avoid misleading interpretations of the detected anomalies. Moreover, the results of leaching test on sediment samples denoted a relatively low mobility of Hg and As, suggesting that these elements are preferentially mobilized by transport of clastic sediments and such anomalies may be preserved for relatively long times in Quaternary sediments. However, leachable Hg (0.6–9.7 μg/L) and As (2.1–42.2 μg/L) concentrations are significantly high when compared to those of the Italian limit for groundwater (1 µg/L for Hg and 10 µg/L for As). Quaternary sediments from southern Tuscany could then be a potential, though natural, source of Hg and As to groundwater systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the heightened awareness of the critical trend in resource depletion impels to improve the eco − sustainability of any productive process. The research presented in this paper aims to quantify the environmental impact of the emerging productive process of edible flowers, focusing on two model species, i.e., Begonia x semperflorens − cultorum hort and Viola cornuta L., and two types of product, i.e., flowering potted plants sold in plastic vases and packaged flowers ready to be consumed. The study was carried out in an Italian nursery located in Tuscany, interviewing the owners in order to complete the Life Cycle Inventory, assessing the value of the impact categories, and using the "cradle to gate" approach. The information about the production of flowering potted plants and packaged flowers were inserted in a database and elaborated by the appropriate software. The results of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis referred to 1 g of fresh edible flowers and were expressed in four impact categories. Global Warming Potential (GWP) values ranged from 24.94 to 31.25 g CO2 eq/g flowers, Acidification Potential (AP) ranged from 8.169E − 02 to 1.249E − 01 g SO2 eq/g flowers, Eutrophication Potential (EP) ranged from 3.961E − 02 to 5.284E − 02 g PO43 − eq/g flowers, and Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP) ranged from 8.998E − 03 to 1.134E − 02 g C2H4 eq/g flowers. Begonias showed lower emissions than violas in the GWP and POCP indexes, whereas violas showed lower values in the AP and EP impact categories. The most impactful phase was the propagation, accounting on average for 42% of the total emissions. Overall, the findings highlighted a higher environmental load for the production of both begonias and violas packaged flowers, especially if in small containers, rather than as potted plants, with an emission percentage increase from 8% to 17% among the impact categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study carried out to support the Region of Tuscany Coastal Sediment Management Plan, with the main aim of establishing the sediment budget considering the time span from 1981–1985 to 2005 for the 56 coastal sectors into which the 215 km-long continental sandy coast of Tuscany (Italy) was divided. The sand stability (according to a stability index) and colour compatibility (according to the CIEL*a*b* colour space with an acceptability range conforming to national guidelines) were determined in order to assess the possibility of using the available sediment in accreting sectors to nourish the beach in eroding areas. Only in two cases—i.e., the updrift of a harbour (at Viareggio) and in a convergence zone (at Marina di Pietrasanta)—are the volumes of sufficient magnitude to support a large nourishment project; however, the mean sand size is too small to guarantee efficient nourishment, even with medium-term stability. In contrast, the colour difference, in most of the cases, was shown to be acceptable. Other small sediment stocks, suitable for colour but not for grain size, can be used for periodic ephemeral nourishment works to support seasonal tourist activities. The limited resources available make it necessary to adopt a plan for their optimal use from a regional perspective. This kind of study is of great interest for the proposal of sound management actions to counteract the increasing erosion processes linked to climate change phenomena and human effects on rivers and coastal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing desire among tourists to improve their lifestyle and pass their vacations in areas with a strong local gastronomic heritage. Indeed, one of the most important factors that drives visitors to choose an agritourism facility for their vacation is the pull of good food and wine. This manuscript examines visitors' evaluations of their time spent in Tuscan agritourism facilities with particular focus on the cuisine, the health benefits, and the social experience. The analysis is based on a representative sample of 1886 reviews posted by visitors from all over of the world on the websites of 60 agritourism facilities that operate in Tuscan municipalities. By exploring visitor evaluations, which consist of an overall rating of their agritourism experience and separate ratings for the cuisine, the physical environment, and the service, this paper expands the scope of previous studies into food and drink management development as a way of attracting new visitors, by providing additional information on the distinctive characteristics of the local cuisine on offer. Results indicate that visitors—above all families—prefer an agritourism facility that offers authentic local cuisine and beverages and also offers them the possibility of spending time outdoors in destinations with a rich culinary heritage. Visibility of the main attractive attributes of agritourism facilities and the local cuisine through websites is needed in order to drive consumers in their vacation choices and to allow these structures to consolidate their place in the food and drink market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern sawing techniques employed in ornamental stones' exploitation produce large amounts of slurry that can be potentially diffused into the environment by runoff water. Slurry produced by limestone and marble quarrying can impact local karst aquifers, negatively affecting the groundwater quality and generating a remarkable environmental and economic damage. A very representative case-study is that of the Apuan Alps (north-western Tuscany, Italy) because of the intensive marble quarrying activity. The Apuan Alps region extends over about 650 km2; it hosts several quarries, known all over the world for the quality of the marble extracted, and a karst aquifer producing about 70,000 m3/day of high-quality water used directly for domestic purposes almost without treatments. In addition, Apuan Alps are an extraordinary area of natural and cultural heritage hosting many caves (about 1200), karst springs and geosites of international and national interest. During intense rain events, carbonate slurry systematically reaches the karst springs, making them temporarily unsuitable for domestic uses. In addition, the deterioration of the water quality threatens all the hypogean fauna living in the caves. This paper provides preliminary insights of the hydrological and biological indicators that can offer information about the impact of the marble quarrying activities on groundwater resources, karst habitats and their biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to a recent definition of integrated health service that collocates people into a continuum of services throughout their entire life-course (1),the prevention of chronic diseases is especially important at an early life-stage. However, the prevalence of obesity among adolescents reveals that often, by appointing adults as advice delivers, public campaigns stumble in promoting health among young people. In contrast, the identification of populations' and individuals' needs and the work in partnership with them are crucial (2, 3). In this paper, we present the results of assigning a group of students, involved in a large-scale participatory survey('beFood'), with the responsibility of informing their peers about healthy lifestyles. Methods: A peer educational model, teenagers-driven, was used. Fifty 16/17-year-old Tuscan students were involved in this two-phases project. In the initial phase, during the mandatory training course, students were: informed about healthy lifestyle with a collaborative approach; trained about possible ways to communicate healthy conducts; and directly involved in research co-production, which included the validation of a questionnaire thought to investigate youth lifestyles, and in the development of a webAPP by means of which they personally conducted the survey. In the second phase, they had the responsibility of informing their peers on healthy behaviours, delivering the questionnaire. Results: The initiative proved to be fruitful in two respects: a large number of responses (n=5029) was gathered in a peer-to-peer approach and, more importantly, the process of education, activation and engagement of the adolescents produced fertile terrain for their empowerment and evolution into trained 'testimonials and instructors'. The students improved their behaviours (54% eating; 48% physical activity). In playing the role of 'influencers' (40% high or very high influence), a large part of them took the initiative to advice people about healthier lifestyles (26% about nutrition; 22% about physical activity). Conclusions: The fifty students acted as powerful testimonials and 'change agents'. This experience demonstrated that, if adequately supported and engaged, message recipients can modify their lifestyle-related behaviours and become effective producers and providers of health-related information to their peers. Lessons learned: An effective strategy of health promotion and prevention should be based on a direct involvement, activation and empowerment of individuals, as active partners in the design, planning and delivery of health-related initiatives. Healthcare professionals and providers should support (younger) people in actively undertaking learning processes that may lead to the responsibility for their health, to the adoption of healthy behaviours and to the sponsorship of these latter. The delivery of health promotion services should be integrated and centred on people, by introducing inter-sectoral actions and partnerships with individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Nowadays, most of the research studies in the field of adolescent gambling are focused on individual factors related to problem gambling. The aim of this study was to test an integrated model to explain adolescent problem gambling involving both individual (i.e., correct gambling knowledge, superstitious thinking, and gambling-related cognitive distortions) and environmental factors (i.e., parental gambling frequency). In detail, the aim was to better understand the role of parental gambling behavior on adolescents' gambling frequency and problem gambling severity, to draw indications for prevention. Methods: Participants were 680 parents (36% men; Mage = 48.32, SD = 6.14 years) of 680 high school students (51% boys; Mage = 15.51, SD =.55 years) attending the second year of different high schools in Tuscany (Italy). Data collection occurred within the school prevention program PRIZE (Prevention of gambling risk among adolescents). Results: A path model showed was conducted to detect direct and indirect effects from individual and environmental factors to gambling problem severity. Analyses showed that correct gambling knowledge and superstitious thinking were directly related–respectively in a negative and a positive direction–both to gambling-related cognitive distortions and adolescents' gambling frequency. Parental gambling frequency was directly associated with adolescents' gambling frequency. Correct gambling knowledge and superstitious thinking were indirectly related to adolescents' gambling problem severity through the mediational role of gambling-related cognitive distortions and gambling frequency. Parental gambling frequency was indirectly linked to gambling problem severity by passing through adolescents' gambling frequency. Conclusions: The current cross-sectional results confirm that parental gambling behavior has an important role for adolescents' gambling behavior and severity. Thus, results highlight the need for innovative prevention programs which involve adolescents' adult reference figures and integrate the individual risk and protective factors with the environmental ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) in Italy is one of the highest in Europe, and the reason for this is unclear. The intra-country heterogeneity of TC incidence suggests the possibility of an overdiagnosis phenomenon, although environmental factors cannot be excluded. The aim of our study is to evaluate the TC incidence trend in southern Tuscany, Italy, an area with particular geological characteristics, where the pollution and subsequent deterioration of various environmental matrices with potentially toxic elements (heavy metals) introduced from either geological or anthropogenic (human activities) sources are documented. The Tuscany cancer registry (ISPRO) provided us with the number of cases and EU standardized incidence rates (IR) of TC patients for all three provinces of southeast Tuscany (Siena, Grosseto, Arezzo) during the period of 2013–2016. In addition, we examined the histological records of 226 TC patients. We observed that the TC incidence rates for both sexes observed in Grosseto Province were significantly higher than those observed in the other two provinces. The increase was mostly due to the papillary (PTC) histotype (92% of cases), which presented aggressive variants in 37% of PTCs and tumor diameters more than 1 cm in 71.3% of cases. We demonstrated a high incidence of TC in Grosseto province, especially among male patients, that could be influenced by the presence of environmental heavy metal pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early COVID-19 treatments can prevent progression to severe disease. However, real-life data are still limited, and studies are warranted to monitor the efficacy and tolerability of these drugs. We retrospectively enrolled outpatients receiving early treatment for COVID-19 in 11 infectious diseases units in the Tuscany region of Italy between 1 January and 31 March 2022, when Omicron sublineages BA.1 and BA.2 were circulating. Eligible COVID-19 patients were treated with sotrovimab (SOT), remdesivir (RMD), nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NRM/r), or molnupiravir (MOL). We gathered demographic and clinical features, 28-day outcomes (hospitalization or death), and drugs tolerability. A total of 781 patients (median age 69.9, 66% boosted for SARS-CoV-2) met the inclusion criteria, of whom 314 were treated with SOT (40.2%), 205 with MOL (26.3%), 142 with RMD (18.2%), and 120 with NRM/r (15.4%). Overall, 28-day hospitalization and death occurred in 18/781 (2.3%) and 3/781 (0.3%), respectively. Multivariable Cox regression showed that patients receiving SOT had a reduced risk of meeting the composite outcome (28-day hospitalization and/or death) in comparison to the RMD cohort, while no significant differences were evidenced for the MOL and NRM/r groups in comparison to the RMD group. Other predictors of negative outcomes included cancer, chronic kidney disease, and a time between symptoms onset and treatment administration > 3 days. All treatments showed good safety and tolerability, with only eight patients (1%) whose treatment was interrupted due to intolerance. In the first Italian multicenter study presenting real-life data on COVID-19 early treatments, all regimens demonstrated good safety and efficacy. SOT showed a reduced risk of progression versus RMD. No significant differences of outcome were observed in preventing 28-day hospitalization and death among patients treated with RMD, MOL, and NRM/r. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new tourmaline supergroup mineral dutrowite, Na(Fe 2.52+ Ti 0.5)Al 6 (Si 6 O 18)(BO 3) 3 (OH) 3 O, has been discovered in an outcrop of a Permian metarhyolite near the hamlet of Fornovolasco, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy. It occurs as chemically homogeneous domains, up to 0.5 mm, brown in colour, with a light-brown streak and a vitreous lustre, within anhedral to subhedral prismatic crystals, up to 1 mm in size, closely associated with Fe-rich oxy-dravite. Dutrowite is trigonal, space group R 3 m , with a=15.9864(8) , c=7.2187(4) Å, V=1597.68(18) Å 3 , and Z=3. The crystal structure was refined to R1=0.0257 for 1095 unique reflections with Fo>4σ (Fo) and 94 refined parameters. Electron microprobe analysis, coupled with Mössbauer spectroscopy, resulted in the empirical structural formula X (Na 0.81 Ca 0.20 K 0.01) Σ1.02 Y (Fe 1.252+ Mg 0.76 Ti 0.56 Al 0.42) Σ3.00 Z (Al 4.71 Fe 0.273+ V 0.023+ Mg 0.82 Fe 0.182+) Σ6.00 T [(Si 5.82 Al 0.18) Σ6.00 O 18 ] (BO 3)3O(3) (OH) 3O(1) [O 0.59 (OH) 0.41 ] Σ1.00 , which was recast in the empirical ordered formula, required for classification purposes: X (Na 0.81 Ca 0.20 K 0.01) Σ1.02 Y (Fe 1.432+ Mg 1.00 Ti 0.56) Σ3.00 Z (Al 5.13 Fe 0.273+ V 0.023+ Mg 0.58) Σ6.00 T [(Si 5.82 Al 0.18) Σ6.00 O 18 ] (BO 3) 3V (OH) 3 W [O 0.59 (OH) 0.41 ] Σ1.00. Dutrowite is an oxy-species belonging to the alkali group of the tourmaline supergroup. Titanium is hosted in octahedral coordination, and its incorporation is probably due to the substitution 2Al 3+ = Ti 4+ + (Fe,Mg) 2+. Its occurrence seems to be related to late-stage high-T/low-P replacement of "biotite" during the late-magmatic/hydrothermal evolution of the Permian metarhyolite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Upper Palaeolithic, Southern Tuscany was strongly affected by geomorphological changes that significantly altered its coastal seaboard. In particular, during the Last Glacial Maximum, the sea reached a level below 100 meters. As a result of this, the prehistoric coastland included also the present Tuscan Archipelago, in particular the Islands of Elba and Pianosa, assuming a different layout during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and 2. In this context, the process of prehistoric occupation took place, according to different needs and criteria. The present work explores the possibility of investigating the dynamic relationship between the prehistoric landscape and waterscape by a predictive-postdictive approach. Alongside the simulation of coastal changes, the study makes use of legacy data, taking into account those derived from artefact surface scatters collected over the past decades by various research groups. The latter provide further evidence of the prehistoric occupation process. In this scenario it is crucial to highlight areas that potentially still retain some relict features of the Palaeolithic landscape. These are examined in order to better understand settlement strategies taking place during the Upper Palaeolithic and, at the same time, to investigate the relationship between inland and coastal sites in a diachronic perspective. Although still ongoing, preliminary results provide new elements for the planning of future field surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research illustrates the application of a methodological approach to studying the stress–strain distribution in a marble quarry of the Apuan Alps mining area (Italy). This study has been carried out in the framework of a project involving the University of Siena and the UOC Ingegneria Mineraria—USL Toscana Nord-Ovest, Tuscany Region. This stress–strain analysis aims foremost to monitor the slope stability conditions to guarantee a safe workplace for the personnel involved in mining activities, and to enable more sustainable long-term planning for excavation and production. The involved survey activities are as follows: (i) terrestrial laser scanning; (ii) engineering–geological data mapping; and (iii) in situ marble stress measuring through four CSIRO-type cell tests executed in different locations and at various depths within the underground excavation walls. The gathered data converged into numerical models of the quarry, both in 2D (DEM) and 3D (FEM), calibrated by in situ stress results through a rigorous back analysis assessment using least squares procedures. The created models represent a valuable tool for the identification and securing of risk areas and for future excavation planning in respect of the site efficiency and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial ecology is presented in the literature as both a policy tool and an academic theory. This paper discusses a voluntary certification scheme adopted by the regional government of Tuscany (Italy) as a policy tool to disseminate the concepts of industrial ecology. The approval of a regional regulation represents the first adoption in European environmental and industrial policies of a voluntary tool aimed at stimulating the creation and dissemination of eco-industrial parks. This new certification method is analysed by focusing on the prevention of pollution. The criteria required to obtain the qualification, and the roles and responsibilities of all the actors involved are outlined. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of the certification scheme are highlighted and the Italian standard compared with the national standard issued in China by the State Environmental Protection Administration. The findings contribute to the discussion of policy measures aimed at disseminating the concepts of Industrial Ecology including a tool based on voluntary co-operation and third-party certifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • DPSIR applied to beach contamination through data search and fieldwork. • Fieldwork allowed to gain insight into local pressures, state, and health impact of beach-stranded. • Main local responses: waste removal from drainage system and recycling of stranded material. • Local and regional efforts are required to build a systemic view of beach contamination. Beaches are affected by the accumulation of natural and anthropogenic material; however, this environmental issue has not yet been explored from a One Health perspective. In this paper, the conceptual framework of DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response) was used to understand the beach-stranded material issue in a systemic way and a data-based classification for some environmental indicators was developed to support the DPSIR analysis. The model was applied to an Italian coastal municipality as a case study, through the collection of data from a variety of data sources: publicly accessible database, data from a stakeholders' network (i.e., coastal authority, solid waste company, sewerage company, drainage consortium), and fieldwork consisting in microbiological analysis of stranded material and underlying sand, visual census of macrolitter along beach and waterways. In the study area, solid wastes production was a high pressure (768 kg/capita/year), but in situ visual observations of floating wastes at the outlet of the canals revealed that the contribution of local waterways to marine litter was negligible, thus suggesting the effectiveness of the measures adopted along local waterways by the drainage consortium (i.e., grids at the drainage pumping stations). Nevertheless, very high quantity of anthropogenic wastes was counted during the beach litter surveys (603 items/100 m), probably as a result of coastal current pathway that transported material from major watercourses (>100 km2 drainage basin size; 23 items/h). On the contrary, local sewage production represented a very high pressure (>33,000 m3/km) that impacted on the microbiological quality of the stranded material with moderate to high level of fecal bacteria indicators detected in the beach cast. The underlying sand was affected by such contamination, with most of the sample within the provisional limit set by WHO for enterococci in beach sand (60 CFU/g) that was associated to a health risk of<5 % of gastroenteritis attributable to accidental ingestion of sand; nevertheless, some enterococci peak values (980 MPN/g) could be associated to a health risk for gastroenteritis>10 %. The beach-stranded material was collected without separating the sand, with annual quantity of 1,243 kg/m, that was processed in a dedicated facility allowing to recover up to 98 % of sand and biomass after the treatment, with moderate expenditure for the coastal municipality (22 €/m). Overall, this study allowed to better figure out the cause-effect relationships underlying the accumulation of stranded material along shoreline and the effectiveness of the management practices toward beach-stranded material. Therefore, the usage of the DPSIR framework as structuring model to understand the problem of stranded material could be useful for beach managers and administrators, and its adoption within beach management programs is worth for improving beach quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We present a comprehensive overview of fin whale historical and modern mortality events that occurred between 1624 and 2021 along the Italian coast, highlighting spatial and temporal patterns and, where possible, the proximal causes of mortality. Emerging hot spot analysis shows the spatial and temporal consistency of mortality events along the northern coast of the island of Sardinia, the central coast of Tuscany and the Gulf of Trieste in the northern Adriatic Sea. The coast of Liguria and the northern coast of Tuscany are sporadic hot spots, while the central coast of Italy along the Tyrrhenian Sea as well as the coast of southern Sardinia and northern Sicily have been identified as new hot spots of mortality events for the species. While the analysis of the temporal patterns suggests a steep increase in the number of mortality events starting in the second half of the 1980s, we cannot exclude the possibility that this positive trend is the result of a strong observer bias. Conversely, recent mortality events seem to be consistent in number over the last six decades and subject to year-round seasonality. Our results show that younger and immature individuals are the fin whales most affected by ship strikes. This study supports the implementation of a conservation plan to ensure the survival of the species in the Mediterranean region. The Mediterranean Sea hosts a population of fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the only species of Mysticete regularly occurring in the basin. Observed and inferred mortality suggests that the population is likely declining. Accordingly, understanding the causes of mortality and assessing the health status is pivotal to the survival of this endangered population. While such studies are inherently difficult for a highly roaming species with a pelagic distribution, mortality events provide the opportunity to investigate biological and epidemiological traits linked to these events, and evaluate the footprint of human activity, especially when long-term data series exist. We present a comprehensive spatial–temporal overview of fin whale mortality events along the Italian coast encompassing four centuries (1624–2021). Time series analysis was used to highlight structural changes in the evolution of mortality through time, while spatial–temporal patterns in the distribution of mortality events were assessed through emerging hot spot analysis methods. Recent mortality events (1964–2021) were further explored to evaluate, where possible, the primary causes of mortality and to identify anthropogenic threats of conservation concerns. This long-term survey offers the basis for an understanding of the health status of this B. physalus population and provides much-needed information for developing an effective management and conservation plan for the species in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Italy, abortion services are public: therefore, health Institutions should provide clear and easily readable web-based information. We aimed to 1) assess variation in abortion services utilisation; 2) analyse the readability of institutional websites informing on induced abortion; 3) explore whether easier-to-read institutional websites influenced the correct fruition of abortion services. Methods: We identified from the 2021 administrative databases of Tuscany all women having an abortion, and–among them–women having an abortion with the certification provided by family counselling centres, following the pathway established by law. We assessed variation in total and certified abortion rates by computing the Systematic Component of Variation. We analysed the readability of the Tuscan health authorities' websites using the readability assessment tool READ-IT. We explored how institutional website readability influenced the odds of having certified abortions by running multilevel logistic models, considering health authorities as the highest-level variables. Results: We observed high variation in the correct utilization of the abortion pathway in terms of certified abortion rates. The READ-IT scores showed that the most readable text was from the Florence Teaching Hospital website. Multilevel models revealed that higher READ-IT scores, corresponding to more difficult texts, resulted in lower odds of certified abortions. Conclusions: Large variation in the proper fruition of abortion pathways occurs in Tuscany, and such variation may depend on readability of institutional websites informing on induced abortion. Therefore, health Institutions should monitor and improve the readability of their websites to ensure proper and more equitable access to abortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aridity and drought, which are determined by climatic and temporary water scarcity, respectively, are important limiting factors for plant gross primary production. These phenomena are commonly assessed and/or monitored by means of weather indices, most of which are based on observations of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. The estimation of such indices over large areas can be carried out using multiple datasets, i.e., those derived from weather stations, satellite images, and ground radars. The possibility of using interpolated or remotely sensed datasets in place of ground measurements was currently investigated for Tuscany, a region in Central Italy, showing complex and heterogeneous environmental features. The former weather datasets were first evaluated versus corresponding ground measurements. Next, the basic weather variables were combined and cumulated over 30–60 days to yield synthetic indicators of water deficit, which were assessed in the same way. Finally, these indicators were evaluated to predict the soil water conditions of a meadow and an olive grove during the 2021 summer period. The results obtained indicate that the use of the multi-source weather datasets induces only a minor deterioration of the water stress indicators and is therefore efficient to monitor the water status of different ecosystems with high spatial (200 m) and temporal (daily) details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) and the Italian Regional Health Systems have implemented measures together with data collection and analysis to improve medicines' appropriate prescription. Administrative databases represent rich Real-World Evidence (RWE) sources that may be leveraged for research purposes. Thus, such heritage may allow for appropriate prescription studies to be carried out on complex pharmaceutical molecules, as the appropriateness of prescriptions is essential both for patients' treatment and to ensure healthcare systems' sustainability. This study analyzed the appropriate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) prescribed in psoriasis treatment across Tuscany, Italy. Data were extracted from several large administrative databases collected by the Tuscan Regional Healthcare System through record linkages. The analysis showed that over 30% of the 2020 cohort of psoriatic patients could be regarded as potentially inappropriate treated, signaling that mAbs are often prescribed as first-line treatment contrary to guidelines. Variation was observed in the appropriate prescription of mAbs, across different types of mAbs and areas. The study revealed potential inappropriate prescription, and its geographic variation should raise awareness among managers about the appropriate use of resources. Despite limitations, this could represent a pilot for future studies to evaluate the appropriate prescription of mAbs in other clinic conditions and across time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although everything seemed clear about the Ag-Sb-S compounds belonging to one of the more deeply studied experimental systems, nature allowed us to discover a new polymorph of Ag3SbS3, which could represent a compound for assessing new technological potentialities. The new mineral species pyradoketosite, Ag3SbS3 (IMA 2019-132), was discovered in the pyrite + baryte + iron oxide ore deposit of the Monte Arsiccio mine, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy. It occurs as brittle orange acicular crystals, up to 200 μm in length and 25 μm in thickness, with adamantine luster. Under reflected light, pyradoketosite is slightly bluish-gray, with abundant orange internal reflections. Bireflectance is weak, and anisotropism was not observed, being masked by abundant internal reflections. Minimum and maximum reflectance data for the wavelengths recommended by the Commission on Ore Mineralogy [Rmin/Rmax (%) (λ, nm)] are 32.8/32.9 (470), 30.2/30.7 (546), 29.0/29.6 (589), and 27.5/28.4 (650). Electron microprobe analysis gave (mean of 6 spot analyses, in wt%): Ag 59.81, Sb 22.63, S 17.78, total 100.22. On the basis of (Ag+Sb) = 4 atoms per formula unit, the empirical formula of pyradoketosite is Ag2.996(11)Sb1.004(11)S2.996(15). Pyradoketosite is monoclinic, space group P21/n, with a = 13.7510(15), b = 6.9350(6), c = 19.555(2) Å, β = 94.807(4)°, V = 1858.3(3) Å3, Z = 12. The crystal structure was solved and refined to R1 = 0.063 on the basis of 2682 unique reflections with Fo> 4σ(Fo) and 191 refined parameters. The structure of pyradoketosite can be described as formed by the alternation of {101} layers: an Sb-rich layer, Sb3AgS3, and two distinct Ag8S6 layers. This layered organization allows identifying structural relationships with the wittichenite-skinnerite pair. Pyradoketosite is associated with pyrargyrite, tetrahedrite-(Hg), valentinite, and probable pyrostilpnite in baryte + dolomite + quartz veins embedded in metadolostone. Its name derives from the old Greek words "πυρ" (fire) and "άδόκητος" (unforeseen), because of the unexpected occurrence of this third polymorph of the compound Ag3SbS3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A main key success for public transportation networks is their tuning by the analysis of mobility demand with respect to the offer in terms of public transportation means. Most of the solutions at the state of the art have strong limitations in taking into account: multiple contextual information as attractors/motivations for people movements, modalities of travel means, multiple operators, and a range of key performance indicators. For these reasons, a model for analyzing the demand with respect to the offer of mobility has been studied, and the corresponding tool DORAM developed. DORAM allows to perform the analysis of alternative scenarios, as what-if analyses, when the transport service offer and the mobility demand changed in the scenario, adopting a fast-computation strategy to compare scenarios with the aim of detecting/identifying motivations of crowded conditions on stops and on the vehicles. The analysis can exploit a wide range of data sources when computing a set of key performance indicators. The DORAM solution has been defined and developed in the MOSAIC research and development project with ALSTOM and other companies. The DORAM solution is validated by using real data and conditions in the Tuscany region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide healthcare systems face challenges in assessing and monitoring chronic care pathways and, even more, the value generated for patients. Patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) represent a valid Real-World Evidence (RWE) source to fully assess health systems' performance in managing chronic care pathways.Methods: The originality of the study consists in the chance of adopting PROMs, as a longitudinal assessment tool for continuous monitoring of patients' adherence to therapies and self-care behavior recommendations in clinical practice and as a chance to provide policy makers insights to improve chronic pathways adopting a patient perspective. The focus was on PROMs of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) collected in the Gabriele Monasterio Tuscan Foundation (FTGM), a tertiary referral CHF centre in Pisa, Italy. During the hospital stay, CHF patients were enrolled and received a link (via SMS or email) to access to the first questionnaire. Follow-up questionnaires were sent 1, 7 and 12 months after the index hospitalisation. Professionals invited 200 patients to participate to PROMs surveys. 174 answers were digitally collected at baseline from 2018 to 2020 and analysed. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted, using Chi2, t-tests and regression models together with narrative evidence from free text responses.Results: Both quantitative and qualitative results showed FTGM patients declared to strongly adhere to the pharmacological therapy across the entire pathway, while seemed less careful to adhere to self-care behavior recommendations (e.g., physical activity). CHF patients that performed adequate Self-Care Maintenance registered outcome improvements. Respondents declared to be supported by family members in managing their adherence.Conclusions: The features of such PROMs collection model are relevant for researchers, policymakers and for managers to implement interventions aimed at improving pathway adherence dimensions. Among those, behavioral economics interventions could be implemented to increase physical activity among CHF patients since proven successful in Tuscany. Strategies to increase territorial care and support patients' caregivers in their daily support to patients' adherence should be further explored. Systematic PROMs collection would allow to monitor changes in the whole pathway organization. This study brings opportunities for extending such monitoring systems to other organizations to allow for reliable benchmarking opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Functional richness, diversity and evenness are usually considered complementary facets of community structure. • Here we show that functional evenness fails to properly capture the regularity of species abundances in functional space. • We will thus introduce the notion of functional imbalance, an indicator of the strength of interaction between species abundances and their functional dissimilarities. • Functional diversity always increases with increasing functional imbalance. • Therefore, functional imbalance is a more appropriate indicator of this facet of community structure than functional evenness. It is generally assumed that functional richness, diversity and evenness are complementary and, taken together, describe different facets of the distribution of species and their abundances in functional space. However, although these three primary components of community structure are commonly accepted by most community ecologists, measures of functional evenness usually fail to properly capture the regularity of species abundances in functional space. In this paper we will use an underexplored decomposition of Rao's index of functional diversity to introduce the notion of functional imbalance, an indicator of the strength of interaction between species abundances and their functional dissimilarities. Functional diversity always increases with increasing functional imbalance. Therefore, functional imbalance seems a more appropriate indicator of this facet of community structure than functional evenness. A worked example aimed at evaluating the influence of grazing on plant community structure showed that all proposed measures of functional imbalance were able to highlight the main functional changes of a dry calcareous grassland in Tuscany (Italy) following grazing exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardoon (C. cardunculus var. altilis DC) is commonly cultivated in the Mediterranean area to produce stalks that are consumed once cooked. Before cooking, stalks are usually subjected to blanching, which means they are exposed to darkness for a few weeks. The present work analyzed the effect of field blanching carried out for 40 days in different ways (burying the stalks under soil or covering them with plastic sheet) on the total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic profile, cynaropicrin content (a bitter compound), and antioxidant activity (AA) of two cardoon cultivars. The nutraceutical quality of blanched cardoons was also investigated following boiling. The phenolic profile revealed a higher number of compounds in blanched stalks than in raw ones. The cynaropicrin content decreased in both cultivars after blanching, indicating a sensitivity to dark conditions and the effectiveness of blanching method in reducing its bitterness. The data presented contribute to improving the knowledge about the effect of blanching and boiling on the quality of cardoon stalks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of the new Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus marked the start of a long phase of health emergency and quickly led to the adoption of an articulated strategy to contain the contagion. Starting from March 2020, this had important effects on the main areas of individual and collective life also in our country. Priorities of intervention and unprecedented challenges have therefore been imposed on organizations and institutions first of all in the health sector but no less in the economic and social sphere. The aim of the article is to outline an updated profile of the rhythms and professional strategies of social work in Tuscany. Taking advantage of some key concepts and giving voice to the operators through some recent research results, the article analyzes the paths of reorganization of the times and working methods of those who work with the most fragile and vulnerable and question the adequacy of spaces for individual planning and sustainability, with a dedicated attention to the intertwining of individual time and social time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop and validate a case-finding algorithm for the identification of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cases in a region-wide Italian pathology registry (PR). Materials and methods: Data collected between 2009 and 2017 in the PR and the Pharmacy Database of the University Hospital of Siena and the PR of Tuscany region were used. A NSCLC-identification algorithm based on free-text keywords and SNOMED morphology and topography codes was designed and tested on data from Siena: indication for drug use (i.e. NSCLC) was the reference standard for sensitivity (SE); positive predictive value (PPV) was estimated through manual review. Algorithm modifications were then tested to improve algorithm performance: PPV was calculated against validated dataset from PR of Siena; a range of SE [min-max] was estimated in PR of Tuscany using analytical formulae that assumed NSCLC incidence equal either to 80% or 90% of overall lung cancer incidence recorded in Tuscany. The algorithm modification with the best performance was chosen as the final version of the algorithm. A random sample of 200 cases was extracted from the PR of Tuscany for manual review. Results: The first version of the algorithm showed a PPV of 74.7% and SE of 79% in PR of Siena. The final version of the algorithm had a SE in PR of Tuscany that grew with calendar time (2009 = [24.7%-28%]; 2017 = [57.9%-65.1%]) and a PPV of 93%. Conclusions: The final NSCLC-finding algorithm showed with very high PPV. SE was in line with the expected contribution of PR to overall cases captured in the regional Cancer Registry, with a trend of increase over calendar time. Given the promising algorithm validity and the wide use of SNOMED terminology in electronic pathology records, the proposed algorithm is expected to be easily adapted to other electronic databases for (pharmaco)epidemiology purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) are an essential food for the human diet and thus represent an important source of biologically active substances. This study aimed at investigating the content of bioactive substances (total anthocyanin and polyphenol contents and chlorogenic acid) in seven potato varieties (Belana, Cecile, Magenta Love, Mozart, Talentine, Toscana, and Violet Queen) with various flesh and skin colors. To evaluate the impact of potato maturity on the analyzed parameters, potato samples were harvested in two different periods (1st harvest—July and 2nd harvest—September). Total anthocyanin and polyphenol contents were determined spectrophotometrically, and chlorogenic acid by the HPLC-DAD method. Varieties with a colored flesh (Magenta Love and Violet Queen) showed the highest content of bioactive substances. The maturity level significantly (p < 0.05) affected the total content of anthocyanins and polyphenols in potatoes. Early to medium early varieties (Belana and Magenta Love) showed an increase in chlorogenic acid content during maturation, while in other varieties, chlorogenic acid decreased due to higher maturity. In terms of the content of bioactive substances with a possible positive effect on human health, the consumption of potatoes with colored flesh could be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studying and measuring accessibility to care services has become a major concern for health care management, particularly since the global financial collapse. This study focuses on Tuscany, an Italian region, which is re-organizing its inpatient and outpatient systems in line with new government regulations. The principal aim of the paper is to illustrate the application of GIS methods with real-world scenarios to provide support to evidence-based planning and resource allocation in healthcare.Methods: Spatial statistics and geographical analyses were used to provide health care policy makers with a real scenario of accessibility to outpatient clinics. Measures for a geographical potential spatial accessibility index using the two-step floating catchment area method for outpatient services in 2015 were calculated and used to simulate the rationalization and reorganization of outpatient services. Parameters including the distance to outpatient clinics and volumes of activity were taken into account.Results: The spatial accessibility index and the simulation of reorganization in outpatient care delivery are presented through three cases, which highlight three different managerial strategies. The results revealed the municipalities where health policy makers could consider a new spatial location, a shutdown or combining selected outpatient clinics while ensuring equitable access to services.Conclusions: A GIS-based approach was designed to provide support to healthcare management and policy makers in defining evidence-based actions to guide the reorganization of a regional health care delivery system. The analysis provides an example of how GIS methods can be applied to an integrated framework of administrative health care and geographical data as a valuable instrument to improve the efficiency of healthcare service delivery, in relation to the population's needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuber magnatum Picco is a greatly appreciated truffle species mainly distributed in Italy. Its price and characteristics mostly depend on its geographical origin. Truffles represent a fundamental step of the life cycle of Tuber species promoting spore dissemination. They consist of two main parts, gleba, the inner part, and peridium, which is in direct contact with ground soil. Within the truffle and around in the growing soil, both the occurrence and abundance of different microbial species seem to play an essential role in truffle production. The development of the next-generation sequencing (NGS) based technology has greatly improved to deepen the role of the composition of microbial communities, thus improving the knowledge of the existing relationships between microbial taxa in a specific condition. Here, we applied a metabarcoding approach to assess the differences in T. magnatum samples collected from three areas in Tuscany (Italy). Peridium and gleba were analyzed separately with the aim to distinguish them based on their microbial composition. Also, soil samples were collected and analyzed to compare productive and unproductive truffle grounds to confirm the presence of specific patterns linked to truffle production. Results indicate that differences occurred between truffle compartments (gleba and peridium) as well as between analyzed soils (productive and unproductive), with distinctive taxa associated. Furthermore, findings also demonstrated specific characteristics associated with truffle collection areas, thus indicating a degree of microbial selection related to different environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrology and timing of magmatic-hydrothermal systems and the linkage between plutonic and volcanic domains are central topics in geosciences, because of broad implications for natural hazards and exploitation of natural resources. We investigated by the 40Ar–39Ar method the timescale of a well-characterized natural example, the Mio-Pliocene Campiglia Marittima magmatic-hydrothermal system (Tuscany, Italy). 40Ar–39Ar data from pristine and homogeneous trioctahedral micas and sanidine from the plutonic-hydrothermal-subvolcanic-volcanic sequence (from the Botro ai Marmi Granite to the San Vincenzo Rhyolite) record crystallization ages and define a temporal sequence lasting 973 ± 43 ka, starting from 5.409 ± 0.043 Ma. K-feldspar from mafic and felsic porphyries, unlike micas, are affected by submillimetre, micropore laden, alteration domains consisting of secondary K-feldspar and albite, and yielded staircase-shaped age spectra, compatible with a ternary mixing. Results document that the San Vincenzo Rhyolite consists of two diachronous batches, the first emplaced at 5.0024 ± 0.0062 Ma, closely following emplacement of mafic porphyries, the second at 4.4359 ± 0.0045 Ma. Bulk of hydrothermal deposits, consisting of skarns and associated Zn–Pb(-Ag) mineralization predating Fe–Cu ore, formed within the first ~ 400-ka lifetime of the whole sequence and was closely followed by the first eruption which should have run out most of the ore-forming potential of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of death after hospitalizations for diabetic foot (DF) complications, comparing two different cohorts of people with or without a prior history of DF hospitalizations across the years 2011 to 2018 in Tuscany, Italy. The DF complications were categorized by administrative source datasets such as: amputations (both major and minor), gangrene, ulcers, infections, Charcot and revascularizations. A further aim was to present the trend over time of the first ever incidents of diabetic foot hospitalizations in Tuscany. The eight-year-mortality rate was higher in the cohort with prior hospitalizations (n = 6633; 59%) compared with the cohort with first incident DF hospitalizations (n = 5028; 44%). Amputations (especially major ones) and ulcers had the worst effect on survival in people without basal history of DF hospitalizations and respectively in those with a history of prior DF hospitalizations. In both cohorts, revascularization procedures, when compared to ulcers, were associated with a significantly reduced risk of mortality. The prevalence rate of minor amputations showed a slightly rising trend over time. This result agrees with the national trend. Conversely, the progressive increase over time of revascularizations, associated with the fractional decrease in the rate of gangrene, suggests a trend for more proactive behavior by DF care teams in Tuscany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how Pesticide Risk Indicators (PRIs) can be applied to help develop sound economic policies. We modified one of the numerous PRIs proposed over the years, the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ), originally developed for the fruit industry, to consider co-formulants and adjuvants. The new formula includes three components representing the externalities of farm worker risk, consumer risk, and ecological risk. It also considers the potential externalities of the use of pesticides on residents living near the farms where these products are used. We applied the modified EIQ to two areas located in central Italy (the Chiana Valley in Tuscany and the Tiber and Upper Tiber Valleys in Tuscany/Umbria), surveying a sample of farms to determine the quantity and types of pesticides used on five crops: durum wheat, soft wheat, corn, tobacco, and olives. After calculating the impact quotient, we used data from a survey conducted in a different Italian region regarding the willingness to pay (WTP) for a pesticide-free environment and determined the WTP for even minimal changes in that quotient. Using those results, we simulated the changes in welfare (calculated as changes in willingness to pay) that would result from modifying the amount of land used for each crop. Our findings indicate that the proposed WTP indicator may have broad utility and that its application may lead to enhanced awareness of the consequences of pesticide use in farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccine literacy (VL) mediates the transfer of information and facilitates vaccination acceptance. The aims of this study are to validate the HLVa-IT (Health Literacy Vaccinale degli adulti in Italiano—Vaccine health literacy for adults in Italian language) for the staff of nursing homes (NHs), to measure VL in such a peculiar target group, and to assess its relationship with the sources used to obtain information about vaccines and vaccinations. A survey has been conducted in a sample of Tuscan NHs using an online questionnaire. Eight-hundred and fifty-three questionnaires were analyzed. Two dimensions of the HLVa-IT appeared (functional and interactive/communicative/critical VL). The HLVa-IT interactive/communicative/critical subscale score was slightly higher than the functional subscale, although with no statistical significance. General practitioners (GPs) or other professionals have been reported as the main source of information by most of the respondents (66.1%). The HLVa-IT total score was significantly higher among those who have declared to use official vaccination campaigns (mean score: 3.25 ± 0.49; p < 0.001), GPs or other health professionals (3.26 ± 0.47; p < 0.001), and search engines (3.27 ± 0.48; p = 0.040) as the main sources of information. In conclusion, the HLVa-IT could be reliable test to investigate VL for staff of NHs, and also to highlight criticalities related to information sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Apuan Alps (Italy) are an internationally renowned karst region where several karst springs have a mean discharge exceeding 100 L/s, thus representing important water resources. One of the major springs, the Pollaccia, was monitored for approximately one year. This spring drains a structurally complex metamorphic karst aquifer that is characterized by multiple hydrologic sectors with variable recharge and infiltration styles. Spring discharge, water temperature, and electrical conductivity were compared to precipitation data, and time lag analysis was performed on 27 storm hydro/thermo/chemographs (HTC-graphs) that occurred in different hydrological phases. A marked seasonality was observed for all the monitored parameters and for the measured lags. The comparison of the storm HTC-graphs with no precipitation phases permitted recognition of the differential contribution of the various sectors. The Pollaccia's hydrodynamic behavior was related to three different scenarios in the recharge area: (1) allogenic runoff recharge in the noncarbonate sectors; (2) autogenic recharge and runoff over the steeply dipping marble outcrops, characterized by fast epiphreatic flow through master conduits and low epikarst storage; (3) autogenic recharge through highly fractured, gently dipping marble outcrops, characterized by quick hydraulic pressure transfer to the phreatic zone and relevant epikarst storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus trees are a very important crops that are cultivated worldwide, but not much knowledge is known about the ecophysiological responses to climatic changes in trees under natural conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate their adaptive capacity in response to seasonal phenological and environmental changes. The trial included Citrus trees (sweet orange, bitter orange, lemon, mandarin) growing under non-regular cropping conditions in a Monumental Charterhouse in Tuscany, in a subtropical Mediterranean climate with hot summer conditions. During a 1-year field trial, we determined the variations in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and leaf biochemical traits (content of chlorophylls and carotenoids, total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total non-structural carbohydrates). In all Citrus spp., interspecific mean values of photochemical efficiency peaked during the summer, while a marked photoinhibition occurred in the winter in concomitance with higher interspecific mean values of leaf TPC, TAC, and non-structural carbohydrates. The trees showed the pivotal role played by photosynthetic acclimation as a survival strategy to tolerate abiotic stress in the climate change hotspot of Mediterranean environment. This study is included in a wider project aimed at a new valorization of Citrus trees as genetic resource and its by-products with added-value applications for innovative functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the occurrence of Ostreopsis ovata (O. ovata) Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) has increased in the coasts of the Ligurian Sea, causing problems to the marine environment and human health. Favourable conditions for O. ovata bloom are triggered by many drivers, many of which are still under investigation, but we hypothesize that this phenomenon can be simulated using a reduced number of major meteo-marine factors, namely water temperature and remixing. Satellite and model data obtained and derived from Copernicus service, namely Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Significant Wave Height (SWH), were therefore investigated as possible proxies of these local factors. A simplified conceptual model, built on such proxies, was developed and applied to yield a synthetic indicator informative on O. ovata abundance. The model was tested in two study areas in the Ligurian Sea, Marina di Pisa and Marina di Massa in Tuscany, Italy. The results obtained show that the synthetic indicator is able to account for about 35% of the temporal variability of O. ovata bloom occurrence in the two study areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multidisciplinary approach to coastal process research has been increasingly encouraged in the last decade, and it is now widely accepted for a thorough, in-depth analysis of any issue related to such an environment. In this study, we emphasized the need for the integration of different time-scales, not just disciplines. Many geological datasets provided by several sources contribute to the knowledge of coastal processes. We retrieved the available datasets about morphodynamic, geomorphological, and geological aspects of the northern Tuscany (Italy) littoral cell, and we merged all of them with QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System) applications to provide an assessment of the current situation starting from a geological perspective. Data processing resulted in maps and stratigraphic sections that confirmed that sediment supply is the main factor driving the evolution of the littoral cell. Such a perspective is also useful for the development of reliable coastal evolution future scenarios, not just for a better definition of the present situation. As these datasets are now available for many sectors of coast around the world, this approach may be easily replicated elsewhere to improve coastal management policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the seismotectonics and the seismic hazard of the study sector of the Northern Apennines (Italy), one of the most important earthquakes of magnitude M w = 6.5 which struck the Lunigiana and Garfagnana areas (Tuscany) on 7 September 1920 should be studied. Given the early instrumental epoch of the event, neither geometric and kinematic information on the fault-source nor its fault-plane solution were available. Both areas were candidates for hosting the source fault and there was uncertainty between a normal fault with Apenninic direction or an anti-Apenninic strike-slip. We retrieved 11 focal parameters (including the fault-plane solution) of the 1920 earthquake. Only macroseismic intensity information (from 499 inhabited centres) through the KF-NGA inversion technique was used. This technique uses a Kinematic model of the earthquake source and speeds up the calculation by a Genetic Algorithm with Niching. The result is a pure dip-slip focal solution. The intrinsic ambiguities of the KF-NGA method (±180° on the rake angle; choice of the fault plane between the two nodal planes) were solved with field and seismotectonic evidence. The earthquake was generated by a normal fault (rake angle = 265° ± 8°) with an Apennine direction (114° ± 5°) and dipping 38° ± 6° towards SW. The likely candidate for hosting the source-fault in 1920 is the Compione-Comano fault that borders the NE edge of the Lunigiana graben. The KF-NGA algorithm proved to be invaluable for studying the kinematics of early instrumental earthquakes and allowed us to uniquely individuate, for the first time ever, the seismogenic source of the 1920 earthquake. Our findings have implications in hazard computation and seismotectonic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape evolution over the last 8000 years in three areas located along Tuscany, Latium, and Campania coasts (central Tyrrhenian) has been deduced through a morphological, stratigraphical, and historical approach considering the physical evolution and human activity. Between 8000 and 6000 yr BP, the Sea Level Rise (SLR) dominated and, near the river mouths, inlets occurred. In the Tuscany area, Mt. Argentario was an island and to SE of the Ansedonia promontory a lagoon occurred. The areas were covered by a dense forest and the human influence was negligible. Between 6000 and 4000 yr BP, humans organized settlements and activities, and a general coastline progradation occurred. A tombolo linked Mt. Argentario to the mainland. In the Tiber and Campania areas, coastal lakes and a strand plain developed. Between 4000 and 3000 yr BP, near Mt. Argentario, two tombolos enclosed a wide lagoon. At the SE of the Ansedonia promontory, the lagoon split into smaller water bodies. In the Tiber and Campania areas, delta cusps developed. The anthropogenic presence was widespread and forests decreased. During the last 3000 years, anthropic forcing increased when the Etruscans and Romans changed the territory through towns, salt pans, and ports. After the Roman period, natural forcing returned to dominate until the birth of the Italian State and technological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a common causative agent of acute hepatitis in the world, with a serious public health burden in both developing and industrialized countries. Cervids, along with wild boars and lagomorphs, are the main wild hosts of HEV in Europe and constitute a documented source of infection for humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of HEV in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) living in Tuscany, Central Italy. Liver samples from 48 roe deer and 60 fallow deer were collected from carcasses during the hunting seasons. Following the results obtained from molecular and histopathologic studies, 5/48 (10.4%) roe deer and 1/60 (1.7%) fallow deer liver samples were positive for the presence of HEV RNA. All PCR-positive livers were also IHC-positive for viral antigen presence, associated with degenerative and inflammatory lesions with predominantly CD3+ cellular infiltrates. This study represents the first identification in Italy of HEV RNA in roe and fallow deer and the first study in literature describing liver alterations associated with HEV infection in cervids. These results demonstrate that HEV is present in wild cervid populations in Italy and confirm the potential zoonotic role of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Many studies have investigated the potential role of ozone exposure in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The effects on specific cardiovascular outcome and the role of individual susceptibility are less studied. This paper focuses on the short-term effects of ozone on acute coronary events and it investigates comorbidities as indicators of personal susceptibility. Setting and patients: This study was conducted in five urban areas of the Tuscany region (Italy) covering the period January 2002–December 2005. Air quality and meteorological data from urban background monitoring sites were collected. Hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction and out-of-hospital coronary deaths were extracted from administrative database. Design: Both time series and case-crossover designs were applied. The confounding effects of some time-dependent variables, such as temperature, were taken into account. Some potential susceptibility factors were investigated. Pooled estimates were derived from random-effect meta-analysis. Results: During the warm season 4555 hospitalized acute myocardial infarctions and 1931 out-of-hospital coronary deaths occurred. Authors estimated a 6.3% (95% confidence interval, 1.2%, 11.7%) increase in out-of-hospital coronary deaths for a 10μg/m3 increase in ozone (lag0–5). Results also suggested higher risks for females, elderly, and patients previously hospitalized for cerebrovascular and artery diseases. Conclusions: This study adds further evidence to the relation between cardiovascular diseases and ozone exposure, showing an adverse effect on out-of-hospital coronary deaths, but not on hospitalized acute myocardial infarctions. Some susceptible subgroups, such as females, elderly, and patients affected by some chronic diseases, are likely to be at major risk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper provides an overview of the main Pennsylvanian sites in Italy yielding associations rich in plants and/or palynomorphs. So far in Italy, the principal outcrops are located in the Southern Alps, Tuscany and Sardinia. In the Western Southern Alps and bordering Switzerland, Westphalian outcrops are small and scattered. Nevertheless, one of them yielded an abundant fossil flora, stored at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Milan, (Venzo and Maglia Collection). In the Carnic Alps, (Eastern Southern Alps), continental deposits of Moscovian to Gzhelian age also occur near the border with Austria. They have produced a high number of preserved plant fossils, presently stored in the Museo Friulano di Storia Naturale of Udine. In Tuscany, the two main sections yielding Westphalian to Autunian floras are those of the Iano and Pisani Mountains. A rich collection of plant fossils from those sites is hosted at the Museo di Storia Naturale of Florence University and at the Museum of Natural History of Pisa University. In Sardinia, plant fossil sites are located in the south west and central east parts of the island. The San Giorgio Basin (Iglesiente subregion) and the Tuppa Niedda section (Arburese subregion) are late Westphalian-early Stephanian in age. In the Barbagia at Seui-Seulo and the Gerrei subregions, other continental basins yielded transitional "Stephanian-Autunian" fossil plant associations. The slabs are stored as part of the Lovisato Collection at the Lovisato Museum of the Chemical and Geoscience Department of Cagliari University. Smaller historical outcrops of Carboniferous age are also known from other Italian regions, such as Liguria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This manuscript summarises the results of a project concerning the energy consumption of public buildings and utilities and the evaluation of the most effective and feasible ways to save energy in Certaldo, a small township in Tuscany with approximately 16,000 inhabitants. The energy analysis highlighted a specific partitioning of electric and thermal energy for final use. For example, more than 60% of the electricity consumption of the town is for street lighting, which is still uses obsolete and environmentally problematic lighting technologies, and more than 13% for lighting public schools. With respect to heat utilities, more than 60% of natural gas consumption is for heating public schools and 18% is for heating sport/athletic facilities. The partitioning of energy consumption introduced a list of requalification measures focused on specific areas: each area has an energy saving potential and specific feasible energy requalification technologies in addition to the possible introduction of suitable renewables. The selection of the proposed interventions was based on the results of model simulations, municipal urban regulations and prevailing trends resulting from a survey of municipalities that are the same size as Tuscany. The type and impact of these interventions were also in agreement with the trends found in different international contexts. In the final part of this paper, some instruments and considerations regarding the evaluation of the return on investment (ROI) for investments in energy bill reduction are presented. Although few data are available in the literature about actions to improve energy efficiency in the public sector of small municipalities, the comparison of energy consumption of Certaldo with that of bigger towns with similar climate conditions showed a reasonable proportionality to population and size of the urban area. Thus, the methodology and the examined solutions could be considered a representative case study and a starting point for municipalities with a similar size and number of inhabitants. Finally, a curve of profitability for investments in energy efficiency of the administration was constructed. It can be extended, at least in a first approximation, to similar cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since carbon dioxide (CO2) is the major greenhouse gas emitted by human activities, it is necessary to assess its sources and sinks, simulating the complex dynamics of CO2 flows involved in the carbon balance. To understand the advantages of carbon models for the political and environmental management of a region, we model the carbon cycle of Siena Province, a fairly large area in Tuscany (central Italy). The model develops the socio-ecological processes that determine the anthropogenic emissions and removals of CO2 from 2006 to 2016. We also include sources of the powerful greenhouse gas methane (CH4), such as landfills, wastewater treatment, combustion of fossil fuels and livestock. We then estimate the carbon footprint of Siena Province and elaborate six scenarios of emission reduction. The dynamic model proposed in this paper provides a good quantitative estimation of variations in emissions of CO2 and CH4 on a local scale, quantifying present and future sources and sinks of carbon in the study area. The scenarios of emission reduction are useful for assessing regional management in time. Economic aspects are not considered in the scenarios of emission reduction, because while the economy influences the choice of solutions it does not affect the model results. Siena Province therefore has an instrument for setting guidelines for good management of the resources and natural capital it administers; the model improves as it is updated year by year. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the profiles of three artificial coarse-grained beaches located at Marina di Pisa (Tuscany, Italy) were monitored from April 2008 to May 2009 in order to define the response of the beaches to major storms that occurred during the study. Two beaches are similar, the third differs in length and in the level of protection, being less than half the length of the others and devoid of an offshore submerged breakwater. The work was achieved by means of accurate topographic surveys intended to reconstruct the beach profile from the backshore up to the foreshore-upper shoreface transition (step). The surveys were performed with an RTK-GPS instrument, which provided extremely precise recording of the beach. The most significant features of the beaches were tracked during each survey; in particular, the landward foot of the storm berm, the crest of the storm berm, the coastline, and the step crest were monitored. Five cross-shore transects were traced on each beach. Along these transects, any meaningful slope change was recorded to obtain accurate sections of the beach. The field datasets were processed with AutoCAD software to compare the beach profile evolution during the year-long research. The results showed a comparable evolution of the twin beaches: the resulting storm berm retreat of about 15 to 19m is a remarkable feature considering the coarse grain size and the offshore protection. Due to the absence of the breakwater, the third beach was characterized by even higher values of recession (over 20m), and showed hints of wave reflection-related processes after the huge, steep storm berm had been formed and grown after the high energy events. These processes were not as evident on the twin beaches. These results underline the different response of three similar protection schemes, and the importance that frequent monitoring of the beach morphology holds when it comes to coastal management issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The official inquiry on osteoporosis in Italy, promoted by the Italian Senate in 2002 concluded that proper preventive strategies should be adopted at regional level in order to prevent osteoporotic fractures. Tuscany is the first Italian region who has promoted an official program (the TARGET project) aimed to reduce osteoporotic fractures by ensuring adequate treatment to all people aged ≤65 years old who experience a hip fragility fracture. Objective: this paper provides information concerning the implementation of TARGET project in Tuscany, assuming that it may represent an useful model for similar experiences to be promoted in other Italian Regions and across Europe. Methods: we have examined the model proposed for the regional program, and we have particularly analyzed the in-hospital and post-hospitalization path of hip fractured patients aged >65 years old in Tuscany after the adoption of TARGET project by Tuscany healthcare system and during its ongoing start-up phase. Results: orthopaedic surgeons have been gradually involved in the project and are increasingly fulfilling all the clinical prescriptions and recommendations provided in the project protocol. Different forms of cooperation between orthopaedic surgeons and other clinical specialists have been adopted at each hospital for the treatment of hip fractured elderly patients. GPs involvement needs to be fostered both at regional and local level. Conclusions: The effort of Tuscany region to cope with hip fractures suffered from elderly people must be acknowledged as an interesting way of addressing this critical health problem. Specific preventive strategies modelled on the Tuscany TARGET project should be implemented in other Italian regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a brief history and overview of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Annunciation (Compagnia della Santissima Annunziata) in Fosdinovo, a small town in the Lunigiana region in north-western Tuscany. From the fourteenth to the eighteenth century the town's history was closely connected with the Malaspina family. The principal source of information for the confraternity is its oldest book, an unpublished paper register datable to 1614. The confraternity itself was founded in 1468, just a few months before the Marquis Gabriele Malaspina assumed possession of the territory in the wake of an agreement that finally ended the conflicts between the heirs of Antonio Alberico Malaspina. From the moment of its foundation the confraternity had an oratory. In 1653 the oratory was rebuilt by Pasquale Malaspina as a rather sizeable building (25 m x 13 m). The church holds a valuable fifteenth-century wooden statue of the Madonna Annunciate, to whom, from the seventeenth century on, many miracles have been attributed. The confraternity's first book is a rich fount of information for the physical aspects of the oratory that allows us to track the work carried out on it and to analyze the confraternity's organizational structures. In light of this information, the confraternity seems to have been primarily interested in the organization of its members' devotional life and in religious rituals. It did have, however, a small mutual assistance program that came into operation especially at the time of a member's death and saw to the funeral services of the deceased and related rituals. The confraternity's membership list indicates that in the seventeenth century, a time of great importance in the history of the confraternity, there was relatively little evolution in a dynastic sense and the highest positions in the organization went to members from a restricted number of families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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