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A skull of Hippopotamus recovered from the area of Tor di Quinto, within the urban area of Rome (central Italy) is here redescribed. Despite being one of the most complete specimens of hippopotamuses of the European Pleistocene, the Tor di Quinto skull did not attract much research interest, due to long-standing uncertainties on its provenance. This work begun in 2021, when the skull was restored, within a large renovation project on the vertebrate exposed at the Earth Science University Museum of Sapienza University of Rome. Original sediments were found inside the cranial and mandible cavities during the restoration work, which were sampled for petrographic analyses. By combining a review of the old paleontological, archeological and geological literature published during the 19th and 20th century on the Rome basin and the correlation of these new sedimentological and petrographic information with the lithostratigraphic and synthemic units of the national geological cartography, we clarify that the Hippopotamus skull was most likely to have been collected from a quarry called Cava Montanari, from a formation dated between 560 and 460 ka. Morphological and biometric analyses clearly support an attribution of the Cava Montanari specimen to the extant species Hippopotamus amphibius. The reassessment of the stratigraphic and geological data on Cava Montanari implies that the studied specimen is the earliest confirmed occurrence of Hippopotamus amphibius in the European fossil record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gill monogenean Sparicotyle chrysophrii (Van Beneden & Hesse, 1863) Mamaev, 1984 is a specific and common parasite of wild and cultured gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758, able to cause disease and mortality in aquaculture systems. Few molecular studies have been carried out on this monogenean, and its population structure and genetic diversity are barely known. This study provides the first contribution to the population genetic variation of S. chrysophrii, based on two molecular markers - the structural ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for the large subunit (28S) and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Samples were collected from the gills of farmed and wild S. aurata from Italy and the Spanish Mediterranean. The analysis included previously published sequences. The 28S rDNA analysis was consistent with previous studies of specimens isolated from S. aurata and confirmed the presence of only one species on the gills of this host in the Mediterranean Sea. The COI sequences analysis suggested that the samples isolated in a previous study from a different host species, wild Boops boops (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Adriatic Sea, may represent a new undescribed sister species of S. chrysophrii. The low nucleotide diversity of S. chrysophrii isolated only from S. aurata versus the high haplotype diversity revealed small differences between haplotypes. The haplotypes shared between wild and farmed hosts from Spain provided the first molecular evidence of the possible transfer of S. chrysophrii between wild and farmed populations of S. aurata. The mtDNA COI analysis did not show a clear genetic structure, probably the result of several factors including coevolution, wild and farmed host interactions, and host population structure in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The short- and long-term variability of the surface spectral solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiance is investigated across Italy using high-quality ground-based measurements from three locations: Aosta (45.7 ∘ N, 7.4 ∘ E, 570 m a.s.l.), Rome (41.9 ∘ N, 12.5 ∘ E, 15 75 m a.s.l.), and Lampedusa (35.5 ∘ N, 12.6 ∘ E, 50 m a.s.l.). The three sites are characterized by different environmental conditions and represent almost the full latitudinal extent of the Italian territory. Data of two periods were analysed: 2006–2020 (all sites) and 1996–2020 (Rome only). The main objective of this study is to quantify the effect of the geopotential height (GPH) at 250 hPa on total ozone, and spectral irradiance at 307.5 and 324 nm. We first show that monthly anomalies in GPH, total ozone, and spectral irradiances are correlated amongst the three sites, suggesting that Italy is often affected by the same synoptical weather systems. We further find statistically significant anticorrelations between GPH and monthly anomalies in total ozone for all stations and months. Conversely, we identify positive correlations between GPH and monthly anomalies in spectral irradiance at 307.5 nm for most months. The influence of GPH on short-term variability also hold for long-term trends. For example, long-term changes in total ozone over the period 2006–2020 were associated with changes in GPH for all stations. This suggests that observed negative trends in total ozone were mainly driven by changes in lower-stratospheric ozone as upper-stratospheric ozone was increasing over this period. For several months of the year, positive trends in UV irradiance were observed, and we found that these trends were predominantly caused by changes in clouds and/or aerosols instead of total ozone. For the longer period of 1996–2020, a statistically significant annualized decrease in total ozone of ∼ 0.1 % per year was identified for Rome and could subsequently be attributed to decreasing lower-stratospheric ozone. While positive trends in spectral irradiance at 307.5 nm were observed for several months of this extended period, the negative trend in total ozone did not lead to a positive trend in the spectral irradiance at 307.5 nm in the deseasonalized data. Our study provides evidence that dynamical processes taking place in the troposphere lead to significant variability in total ozone and surface solar UV irradiance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lombardy (Northern Italy) Regional Health Council created hubs for cancer care, meant to be SARS-CoV-2-free pathways for cancer patients. The workflow of breast cancer (BC) radiotherapy (RT) in one of the hubs is presented here. Methods: Candidates to adjuvant RT during the pandemic peak of March-April 2020 were compared to those treated in the same period of 2019, and patient volume, deferral rate, and type of RT were analyzed. Statistics were calculated with χ2 or Fisher exact tests for categorical variables, and the Wilcoxon rank test for continuous variables. Results: In March-April 2020 the BC patient volume increased by 28% compared to the same period in 2019 (scheduled patients: 175 vs. 137) and amid travel restrictions it was kept high (treated patients: 136 vs. 133), mainly due to an influx from across Lombardy. RT schemes basically did not change, being already centered on hypofractionation. The increase of median time (67 vs. 74.5 days in 2019 and 2020, respectively) to the commencement of RT for low-risk patients was clinically negligible yet statistically significant (p = 0.03), and in line with the pertinent recommendations. No significant difference was found in the time interval between treatments and RT for high-risk patients. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy was avoided throughout the pandemic peak. Twenty-one women (13.6%) delayed either computed tomography simulation or RT commencement mainly because of COVID-19-related concerns and mobility restrictions. Conclusion: The workload for BC was high during the pandemic peak. Hubs allowed the continuation of oncologic treatments, while mitigating the strain on frontline COVID-19 hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Perceptions toward nursing diagnosis (ND) may represent core drivers of its adoption within clinical practice. Few studies have investigated perceptions toward ND within nursing academic contexts. The study was conducted to validate the Italian version of the Minnesota Nurses' Perceptions of Nursing Diagnoses (MNPND) scale on a sample of Italian nursing students and explore the psychometric structure of perceptions in a sample drawn from this population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with an online self-administered questionnaire was used. The study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: A three-factorstructure was obtained from parallel analysis and EFA. This was confirmed using CFA; fit statistics: MLRχ² (132) = 230.150, p <. 001; CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.05 [90% CI = 0.041–0.064]; SRMR = 0.056). Conclusions: The MNPND scale is a useful instrument to measure nursing students' perceptions of ND [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Input-Output analysis, and the subsystem approach in particular, have been widely used in the literature to assess the nature and process of structural change of national economies, with particular reference to deindustrialization and tertiarization processes, as well as to the evolution of the level of centrality of manufacturing in GDP growth. Our paper suggests a methodology to separate, within the subsystems, direct inputs from indirect inputs, which depend on the Input-Output production function and the general organization of the economic system respectively. We provide an example of the application of such methodology to the manufacturing subsystems in Germany and Italy over the period 2000–2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been an increasing proliferation of initiatives focusing on the concept of quality of life and well-being. At the centre of these studies there is the recognizing that the GDP offers only a partial perspective of factors affecting people's lives. Following this line of the research, this paper is aimed at computing the well-being efficiencies of a sample of Italian Province capital cities, using a methodological approach that combines data envelopment analysis (DEA) with Shannon's entropy formula. To avoid subjectivity in choosing a representative set of variables that proxy the phenomenon under study, we rely on the theoretical framework adopted by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) within the equitable and sustainable well-being (BES) project. The dashboard of indicators included in the analysis are related to the Ur-BES initiative, promoted by ISTAT to implement the BES framework at cities level. In a first step of the analysis, an immediate focus on separate dimensions of urban well-being is obtained by summarizing the plurality of available indicators through the building of composite indices. Next, the adopted integrated DEA-Shannon entropy approach has permitted to increase the discriminatory power of DEA procedure and attain a more reliable profiling of Italian Province capital cities well-being efficiencies. The results show a marked duality between the Northern and Southern cities, highlighting important differences in many aspects of human and ecosystem well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a well-established eco-hydrological model that has been extensively applied to watersheds across the globe. This work reviews over two decades (2002–2022) of SWAT studies conducted on Mediterranean watersheds. A total of 260 articles have been identified since the earliest documented use of the model in a Mediterranean catchment back in 2002; of which 62% were carried out in Greece, Italy, or Spain. SWAT applications increased significantly in recent years since 86% of the reviewed papers were published in the past decade. A major objective for most of the reviewed works was to check the applicability of SWAT to specific watersheds. A great number of publications included procedures of calibration and validation and reported performance results. SWAT applications in the Mediterranean region mainly cover water resources quantity and quality assessment and hydrologic and environmental impacts evaluation of land use and climate changes. Nevertheless, a tendency towards a multi-purpose use of SWAT is revealed. The numerous examples of SWAT combined with other tools and techniques outline the model's flexibility. Several studies performed constructive comparisons between Mediterranean watersheds' responses or compared SWAT to other models or methods. The effects of inputs on SWAT outputs and innovative model modifications and improvements were also the focus of some of the surveyed articles. However, a significant number of studies reported difficulties regarding data availability, as these are either scarce, have poor resolution or are not freely available. Therefore, it is highly recommended to identify and develop accurate model inputs and testing data to optimize the SWAT performance. [Display omitted] • SWAT review on Mediterranean hydro-climatic studies. • Lack of SWAT assessment on Mediterranean catchments. • A comparison of data from different Mediterranean basins. • Enhancing data availability for SWAT applications. • Developing a comprehensive knowledge of Mediterranean watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the territorial disparities between Italian provinces through an alternative measure (well-being composite index) as opposed to traditional ones (value added), in order to assess the possible industrial district (ID) effect on growth performance. The analysis shows that the ID effect is absent when considering (per capita) value added growth, which confirms recent empirical evidence, while it is significant when considering well-being. Furthermore, 'highly ID provinces' show a relatively better performance in terms of population growth rates, which, combined with their better socio-economic conditions, sheds new light on the explanation of the persistence of Italian disparities and gives interesting insights for the design of sounder local policy measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between tertiary activities and productivity growth has been extensively studied over the past decades. Research has shown that, within tertiary activities, distributive services play a key role in this dynamic. This framework overturns the traditional view of services as unproductive activities, usually responsible for a structural burden that slows down the evolutionary dynamics of the economic system. Given the slow pace with which the process of modernization of services is moving forward, Italy seems to be making an important exception to this general conclusion. It should be noted that empirical research that approached this problem in the past was usually based on data at the national level. Such an approach does not consider the strong heterogeneity that usually exists between territorial clusters within a nation. In order to overcome such limitations, this paper focuses on the impact of distributive services on productivity growth at the local level, using the Italian industrial districts as a unit of analysis. The results show that in industrial districts the growth of the employment share of distributive services is the consequence of a positive integration with the industrial activities. In the industrial districts, in addition, distributive services make a positive contribution to the productivity growth of the whole economy and to the productivity growth of the industrial sector, confirming that no structural burden seems to be at work. On the contrary, non-district manufacturing areas do not show such positive trends, thus confirming the existence of a district effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To test the suitability of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) for explaining Italian women's role in prostatic cancer screening promotion. Design/Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, online self-report survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 235 Italian women. Variables included attitudes women's role, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, behavioral intention, and prostate cancer screening promotion behavior. A survey composed of the Eastland Prostate Cancer Survey subscales that were consistent with the TPB was distributed via e-mail to potential participants. The survey was live for 12 weeks (March 2013 to May 2013). Responses were collated with eSurv.org. Data were analyzed using latent path analysis and structural equation modeling. Results: Behavioral intentions in promoting prostate cancer screening significantly predicted the likelihood of the Italian women to adopt self-reported prostate cancer screening promotion behaviors. In addition, the exclusive direct impact of the intentions explained 39% of the variance in self-reported behaviors. Conclusions: The TPB could represent a good framework to explain the role of Italian women in prevention behaviors related to the prostatic screening domain. Consistent with literature findings in social and nursing sciences, the intention to promote prostate cancer screening was a powerful "predictor" of the behavior itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of broadband downward longwave (LW) irradiance are carried out at Lampedusa, Italy, in the Mediterranean, jointly with solar irradiance, since 2004 using shaded and unshaded Eppley Precision Infrared Radiometers (PIRs) and Kipp & Zonen CGR4 pyrgeometers. The calibrations of the different pyrgeometers are traceable to the Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos World Radiation Center (PMOD/WRC). Nighttime measurements from intercalibrated pyrgeometers agree within ±2 W m−2. The performance of the pyrgeometers when operated unshaded has been analyzed by comparison with shaded instruments. For the PIR, the nonhomogeneous dome temperature in cloud-free conditions produces differences in LW irradiance within ±4 W m−2, depending on the time of the day and the season. The effect of the LW fraction of solar radiation reaching the sensor and a possible shortwave leakage of the dome interference filter produces differences between shaded and unshaded pyrgeometers during daytime. In cloud-free conditions, the unshaded PIR overestimates the LW irradiance measured by a shaded PIR by up to 10 W m−2, and by up to 12 W m−2 compared to a shaded CGR4. Conversely, the unshaded CGR4 LW irradiances agree with those of a shaded PIR within the measurements' uncertainties. An empirical formula to correct the solar effect of the PIR has been derived. Applying this correction, the average LW irradiance overestimate for cloud-free conditions decreases from 3.8 ± 1.8 to 0.0 ± 1.3 W m−2 in spring, and from 3.2 ± 1.7 to 0.0 ± 1.3 W m−2 in summer. Thus, LW irradiance from an unshaded PIR can be derived within about ±2 W m−2 of a shaded PIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor radon is an important risk factor for human health. Indeed radon inhalation is considered the second cause of lung cancer after smoking. During the last decades, in many countries huge efforts have been made in order to measuring, mapping and predicting radon levels in dwellings. Various researches have been devoted to identify those areas within the country where high radon concentrations are more likely to be found. Data collected through indoor radon surveys have been analysed adopting various statistical approaches, among which hierarchical Bayesian models and geostatistical tools are worth noting. The essential goal of this paper regards the identification of high radon concentration areas (the so-called radon prone areas) in the Abruzzo Region (Italy). In order to accurately pinpoint zones deserving attention for mitigation purpose, we adopt spatial cluster detection techniques, traditionally employed in epidemiology. As a first step, we assume that indoor radon measurements do not arise from a continuous spatial process; thus the geographic locations of dwellings where the radon measurements have been taken can be viewed as a realization of a spatial point process. Following this perspective, we adopt and compare recent cluster detection techniques: the simulated annealing scan statistic, the case event approach based on distance regression on the selection order and the elliptic spatial scan statistic. The analysis includes data collected during surveys carried out by the Regional Agency for the Environment Protection of Abruzzo (ARTA) in 1,861 random sampled dwellings across 277 municipalities of the Abruzzo region. The radon prone areas detected by the selected approaches are provided along with the summary statistics of the methods. Finally, the methodologies considered in this paper are tested on simulated data in order to evaluate their power and the precision of cluster location detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of aerosol chemical composition made on the island of Lampedusa, south of the Sicily channel, during years 2004-2008, are used to identify the in- fluence of heavy fuel oil (HFO) combustion emissions on aerosol particles in the Central Mediterranean. Aerosol samples influenced by HFO are characterized by elevated Ni and V soluble fraction (about 80% for aerosol from HFO combustion, versus about 40% for crustal particles), high V and Ni to Si ratios, and values of Vsol > 6 ng m-3. Evidence of HFO combustion influence is found in 17% of the daily samples. Back trajectories analysis on the selected events show that air masses prevalently come from the Sicily channel region, where an intense ship traffic occurs. This behavior suggests that single fixed sources like refineries are not the main responsible for the elevated V and Ni events, which are probably mainly due to ships emissions. Vsol, Nisol, and non-sea salt Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. show a marked seasonal behaviour, with an evident summer maximum. Such a pattern can be explained by several processes: (i) increased photochemical activity in summer, leading to a faster production of secondary aerosols, mainly Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. , from the oxidation of SO2 (ii) stronger marine boundary layer (MBL) stability in summer, leading to higher concentration of emitted compounds in the lowest atmospheric layers. A very intense event in spring 2008 was studied in detail, also using size segregated chemical measurements. These data show that elements arising from heavy oil combustion (V, Ni, Al, Fe) are distributed in the sub-micrometric fraction of the aerosol, and the metals are present as free metals, carbonates, oxides hydrates or labile complex with organic ligands, so that they are dissolved in mild condition (HNO3, pH1.5). Data suggest a characteristic Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. ratio in the range 200-400 for HFO combustion aerosols in summer at Lampedusa. By using the value of 200 a lower limit for the HFO contribution to total sulphates is estimated. HFO combustion emissions account, as a summer average, at least for 1.2 µgm-3, representing about 30% of the total Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. , 3.9% of PM10, 8% of PM2.5, and 11% of PM1. Within the used dataset, sulphate from HFO combustion emissions reached the peak value of 6.1 µgm-3 on 26 June 2008, when it contributed by 47% to Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. , and by 15% to PM10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea-salt aerosol (SSA) is the dominant contributor to cloud condensation nuclei over ocean areas, where wind speed is significant. Thereby, SSA could affect cloud formation and play an important role in the Earth weather and climate. Rainfall could produce large impact on SSA concentration due to wet removal processes. An analysis of changes in sea-salt aerosol concentration after rainfall is essential for a deeper understanding of the process of SSA loading in the boundary layer. The current experimental study focused on analyzing time variations of SSA mass concentration after rainfall, on the basis of long-term daily SSA measurements during the three-year period 2006-2008, at the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa (Central Mediterranean). To study the effect of rainfall on SSA time variations, we used the superposed epoch method. We applied this approach to differing rainfall events related to different months and atmospheric/sea conditions. Integrated processing was applied to SSA concentration anomalies, in order to filter out random variability. Observational evidence of SSA mass concentration oscillations after rainfall with a maximum on the 2nd day and a minimum on the 4th day was obtained. The knowledge of SSA variations after rainfall is important for validating rainout parameterization in existing sea-salt aerosol and climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Measurements of spectral actinic flux were performed at the ENEA Station for Climate Observations on the island of Lampedusa, in the central Mediterranean, during several periods in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008 with a METCON diode array spectrometer. The ozone photolysis frequency, J(O1D), was calculated from the spectral actinic fluxes. Actinic fluxes determinations were complemented with measurements of total ozone and aerosol optical depth, made with a Brewer spectrophotometer and a multi-filter rotating shadowband radiometer, respectively. As expected, J(O1D) shows a strong dependency on total ozone. The behaviour of J(O1D) was examined at fixed values of total ozone and solar zenith angle; a significant dependency on the aerosol optical depth emerges. The dependency on the aerosol optical depth at 416 nm appears to be linear, and weakly dependent on the total ozone value. The photolysis frequency amplification factor for aerosol is between 0.09 and 0.17 at 30°, and between 0.12 and 0.22 at 60° solar zenith angle, depending on total ozone. Day-to-day changes in AOD produce larger effects on J(O1D) than day-to-day changes in total ozone in summer, and comparable effects in spring. Ozone changes are dominant in autumn and winter. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to characterize the influence of aerosol optical depth on J(O1D) from a relatively large dataset. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study on the intercomparison of ground-based ultraviolet (UV) instruments in Italy. It states that data of the synchronized measurements of global solar UV irradiance using broadband radiometers, filter radiometers, and spectroradiometers were collected and analyzed on their own procedures. It concludes that an average deviation of 16-20% were found for the calibrated instruments which are never involved in field intercomparison.

abstract The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has been measured weekly since 1992 at the island of Lampedusa, in the Mediterranean sea. Lampedusa is a small island located approximately 100 km east of Tunisia, and 250 km south of Sicily. The 10-yr CO2 data set has been analysed to quantify trends, and characterize semi-annual, annual and inter-annual variability. The data show an average trend of +1.7 ppmv yr-1 ; the average annual cycle has an amplitude of about 9 ppmv. In the period of investigation the annual growth rate varies between 0.5 and 4.5 ppmv yr-1 , and the amplitude of the annual cycle between 7 and 11 ppmv yr-1 . By comparing the observed growth rate with recent estimates of carbon dioxide emissions, it is calculated that 58–61% of the emitted CO2 remains in the atmosphere. The CO2 growth rate appears to be related to large-scale dynamic phenomena, primarily El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). An evident signature of the 1997–98 El Niño is apparent in the CO2 record, and corresponds to a weakening of the exchange with the biosphere. A high correlation between the global average temperature and the 12-month average carbon dioxide growth rate is also found. Wind direction displays a significant inter-annual variability throughout the measurement period, possibly influencing the observed evolution of the CO2 concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the microbial community involved in the production process of Italian dry sausage was investigated using physiological analysis and molecular techniques for strain typing and taxonomical identification. A cycle of sausage production was followed collecting samples during the 2 months of ripening process. Microbiological analysis allowed the identification of the main bacterial groups responsible for the fermentation process as lactobacilli and coagulase-negative staphylococci. The use of a polymerase chain reaction-based technique of strain typing, RAPD fingerprinting, demonstrated that the environmental parameters interact to select a limited number of strains that dominate the fermentation process. The staphylococcal populations were characterized for their physiological properties and the two dominant strains were identified as Staphylococcus xylosus and Staph. sciuri. The use of 16S rDNA sequencing allowed the definition of the taxonomical position of the two dominant strains of lactic acid bacteria, as belonging to Lactobacillus sake and Lact. plantarum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides new insights into the relation between the size of the territorial units for which the provision of waste services is entrusted to external operators and their efficiency. The need for a deeper investigation of this relation arises from the fact that on the one hand, the European Union is pushing its Member States towards the adoption of laws aimed at ensuring competition for the market whenever competition in the market is possible; on the other, both the theoretical and the empirical literature cautions policymakers against the risks associated with contracting out. This problem is addressed here through an efficiency analysis of Italian municipalities in the organization of waste services. The stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) is applied to estimate efficiency scores for the municipalities. Then, a regression analysis is carried out to investigate the relation between the efficiency scores and the size of the municipality. This analysis has been carried out using data on a sample of 6,916 Italian municipalities (87.39% of the entire population) for the year 2019. The method adopted here can also support regulatory authorities in defining the size of the territorial units in which other types of local public service should be outsourced. • The beneficial potential of outsourcing public services may vary with the size of the municipality. • An efficiency analysis of the organization of waste services in Italy is presented. • A stochastic frontier analysis to estimate efficiency scores for municipalities is used. • The relation between efficiency scores and size of the municipality is studied. • The best size for gaining benefits from outsourcing is near 62,000 people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Operational regional sea-salt aerosol forecasts have been produced on a daily basis since February 2006 over the open sea in the Mediterranean, where sea-salt aerosol concentrations and their impact on the Mediterranean weather and climate could be significant under strong winds. In order to evaluate the model performance, the numerical simulations of sea-salt aerosol (SSA) were compared with sea-salt ground-based measurements taken at the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, Italy. Considerable effort was made in order to collect and analyze SSA measurements on a daily basis, during the two-year period from 2007 to 2008. In Lampedusa, the conditions of SSA measurements are considered similar to those in the open sea, given the small dimensions of the island. As estimated for all 380days used in the analysis, model-vs.-measurement comparisons at Lampedusa show a relatively high correlation of 0.7 between model data and measurements; a rather low mean bias of −0.5μg/m3; and a mean normalized bias less than 20%. Therefore, the model was capable of producing reasonable SSA concentrations and their day-to-day variations over the open sea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Analysis of time series and trends of nitrous oxide (N2O) and halocompounds weekly monitored at the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa are discussed. Atmospheric N2O levels showed a linear upward growth rate of 0.78ppb yr−1 and mixing ratios comparable with Northern Hemisphere global stations. CFC-11 and CFC-12 time series displayed a decline consistent with their phase-out. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) replacing compounds and SF6 exhibited an increasing temporal behaviour. The most rapid growth rate was recorded for HFC-134a with a value of 9.6% yr−1. The industrial solvents CCl4 and CH3CCl3, banned by the Montreal Protocol, showed opposite trends. While CH3CCl3 reported an expected decay of −1.8ppt yr−1, an increasing rate of 5.7ppt yr−1 was recorded for CCl4 and it is probably related to its relatively long lifetime and persisting emissions. Chlorinated halomethanes showed seasonality with a maximum in early April and a minimum at the end of September. Halon-1301 and Halon-1211 displayed a decreasing trend consistent with industry emission estimates. An interspecies correlation analysis gave positive high correlations between HCFC-22 and HFC-134a (+0.84) highlighting the common extensive employment as refrigerants. Sharing sources inferred the high coupling between CH3Cl and CH3Br (+0.73) and between CHCl3 and CH2Cl2 (+0.77). A singular strong relationship (+0.55) between HFC-134a and CH3I suggested the influence of an unknown anthropogenic source of CH3I. Constraining of source and sink distribution was carried out by transport studies. Results were compared with the European Environment Agency (EEA) emission database. In contrast with the emission database results, our back trajectory analysis highlighted the release of large amounts of HFC-134a and SF6 from Eastern Europe. Observations also showed that African SF6 emissions may be considerable. Leakages from SF6 insulated electrical equipments located in the industrialized Northern African areas justify our observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Italy is frequently affected by Saharan dust intrusions, which result in high PM10 concentrations in the atmosphere and can cause the exceedances of the PM10 daily limits (50μgm−3) set by the European Union (EU/2008/50). The estimate of African dust contribution to PM10 concentrations is therefore a key issue in air quality assessment and policy formulation. This study presents a first identification of Saharan dust outbreaks as well as an estimate of the African dust contribution to PM10 concentrations during the period 2003–2005 over Italy. The identification of dust events has been carried out by looking at different sources of information such as monitoring network observations, satellite images, ground measurements of aerosol optical properties, dust model simulations and air mass backward trajectory analysis. The contribution of Saharan dust to PM10 monthly concentrations has been estimated at seven Italian locations. The results are both spatially (with station) and temporally (with month and year) variable, as a consequence of the variability of the meteorological conditions. However, excluding the contribution of severe dust events (21st February 2004, 25th–28th September 2003, 23rd–27th March 2005), the monthly contribution of dust varies approximately between 1μgm−3 and 10μgm−3 throughout year 2005 and between 1μgm−3 and 8μgm−3 throughout year 2003. In 2004 the dust concentration is lower than 2003 and 2005 (<5μgm−3 at all sites). The reduction in the number of daily exceedances of the limit value (50μgm−3) after subtraction of the dust contribution is also calculated at each station: it varies with station between 20% and 50% in 2005 and between 5% and 25% in 2003 and 2004. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The angular coverage extension of the KLOE-2 electromagnetic calorimeter, from a polar angle of down to , will increase the multiphoton detection capability of the experiment enhancing the search reach for rare kaon, and prompt decay channels. The basic layout of the calorimeter extension consists of two small barrels of LYSO crystals readout with APD photosensors aiming to achieve a timing resolution between 300 and 500ps for 20MeV photons. The first test of a prototype for such a detector was carried out in April 2009 at the Beam Test Facility of Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati of INFN with an electron beam from 100 to 500MeV. In the selected energy range, we measured a light yield of , an energy resolution which can be parametrized as , a position resolution of 2.8mm and a timing resolution of . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The time-patterns of ground-level solar irradiance during the solar eclipse of 29 March, 2006, were observed at three Italian stations (Lampedusa, Mt. Cimone and Bologna) using different radiometric techniques. The global irradiance measured at the sites was found to reach the minimum at times not coinciding with those predicted by radiative transfer model evaluations, with ahead or lag times depending on the optical characteristics of the surface–atmosphere system in the areas surrounding of the stations. This different behaviour has been mainly attributed to the different influence of the environmental conditions on the diffuse radiance component measured at the observation sites. The present results indicate that the incoming diffuse radiance recorded at the three stations was appreciably affected by contributions arising from extended regions of about 30–100km range from the stations. Such an explanation agrees very well with the theoretical evaluations obtained in earlier studies. The surrounding environmental areas of impact at ultraviolet wavelengths have been found to be wider than those in the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The study of the CO2 15-year records at Lampedusa (35° 31′N, 12° 37′E) is presented in this work. Short- and long-term CO2 variability has been investigated. No significant diurnal variations are observable thus remarking the background character and representativeness of the observation site. The CO2 long-term trend shows a mean linear growth rate (GR) of 1.9 ppm yr−1. The periodic behaviour of the time series has been analysed and the mean seasonal cycle amplitude has been found to be 8.72 ppm. The seasonal cycle amplitude shows a marked interannual variability. The lowest value of the seasonal cycle amplitude has been detected in 2003, in concomitance with the strong anomalous heat wave recorded in Europe. CO2 GR behaviour has been related to global processes such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and global temperature (Tg). The influence of ENSO event on GR is remarkable only during 1998. CO2 GR curve shows peaks in the periods 1995, 2001 and 2005 (1.9, 3.7, 3.2 ppm yr−1 respectively) that are characterized by high Tg values and by intense biomass burning events. The anomalous decrease in the GR during the warm 2003 has been attributed to changes in the atmospheric circulation regime. Evaluation of the influence of transport on CO2 variability has been carried out using backward air-mass trajectory analysis and highlights the effect of the regional distribution of sources and sinks. The industrial activities and forests located in the Eastern European and Russian sector strongly affect the CO2 mixing ratio. The CO2 content of air-masses originating from this region is influenced in summertime by the high efficiency of the vegetation sink while in the winter period prevails the effect of industrial emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Measurements of atmospheric methane and other greenhouse gases are routinely carried out at the island of Lampedusa (35. 5°N, 12. 6°E), in the Mediterranean Sea. The CH4 mixing ratio record obtained during the period June 1995–September 2005 shows a distinct annual cycle characterized by a maximum in March and a minimum in late summer. The cycle peak-to-peak amplitude is about 30ppb. In the period of investigation the CH4 growth rate (GR) shows two positive peaks, the first in 1998 with 19ppbyr−1, and the second at the end of 2001 with 14ppbyr−1. A sharp minimum of −13ppbyr−1 occurs in April 2000. The GR remains close to zero after mid-2002. The evolution of methane GR and global temperature anomaly appears well correlated (R=0. 71). The methane removal by reaction with OH, acting both on a global and on smaller scales, seems to play a large role. Significant differences exist among the GR at stations located within or close to the Mediterranean basin, indicating that regional and smaller scale processes must be taken into account to explain the methane evolution. The weekly measurements have been combined with backward airmass trajectories to study the relationship between CH4 mixing ratio and transport. On average, the methane mixing ratio in airmasses from Eastern Europe is about 8ppb higher than in airmasses from Western Europe, 15ppb higher than in airmasses from oceanic regions, and about 20ppb higher than in airmasses from Africa. Among the airmasses from Africa, those from Northern Algeria display the largest CH4 mixing ratio, possibly because of emissions from gas and oil production and leakage from the gas pipelines. A North-to-South latitude gradient in CH4 mixing ratio is also apparent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A significantly stronger impact in mortality and morbidity by COVID-19 has been observed in the northern Italian regions compared to the southern ones. The reasons of this geographical pattern might involve several concurrent factors. The main objective of this work is to investigate whether any correlations exist between the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the different Italian regions and the amount of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation at the Earth's surface. To this purpose, in this environmental ecological study a mixed-effect exponential regression was built to explain the incidence of COVID-19 based on the environmental conditions, and demographic and pathophysiologic factors. Observations and estimates of the cumulative solar UV exposure have been included to quantify the amount of radiation available e.g., for pre-vitamin D3 synthesis or SARS-CoV-2 inactivation by sunlight. The analysis shows a significant correlation (p-value <5 × 10 -2 ) between the response variables (death percentage, incidence of infections and positive tests) and biologically effective solar UV radiation, residents in nursing homes per inhabitant (NHR), air temperature, death percentage due to the most frequent comorbidities. Among all factors, the amount of solar UV radiation is the variable contributing the most to the observed correlation, explaining up to 83.2% of the variance of the COVID-19 affected cases per population. While the statistical outcomes of the study do not directly entail a specific cause-effect relationship, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that solar UV radiation impacted on the development of the infection and on its complications, e.g. through the effect of vitamin D on the immune system or virus inactivation by sunlight. The analytical framework used in this study, based on commonly available data, can be easily replicated in other countries and geographical domains to identify possible correlations between exposure to solar UV radiation and the spread of the pandemic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

At the National Committee for Research and Development of Nuclear Energy and Alternate Energy Sources (ENEA) Center of Frascati, there are several radiation-producing machines: two tokamaks and three electron accelerators; moreover, a neutron generator will begin to operate in a short time. A completely automatic monitoring system has been developed. Radiation control is performed by means of classical active and passive detectors. An automatic acquisition system has been developed: Measured quantities are acquired and stored in a specific data base; information regarding radioactivity levels, machines status, personnel dosimetry and meteorological parameters are available in real time. If any of the radiometric quantities exceeds appropriate reference levels, the following operations automatically activate: An automatic switch turns off the machines and an alarm signal is broadcast to the Health Physics group. In addition, the "Nuclear Emergency" software module starts if a radionuclide emission is detected. This module has been implemented to provide response to radiological emergencies in the ENEA nuclear research centers. The modularity of the computer-based system allows its utilization also in other nuclear centers, such as at nuclear power plants. When activated, the "Nuclear Emergency" displays an alarm signal and informs the Health Physics group about the monitor's location and characteristics and the measured data exceeding the reference level. If emission of radionuclides occurs, a preliminary evaluation of their diffusion in the atmosphere and an estimation of the population dose are performed. Statistical analysis of the event is also possible.