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Although international and Italian conventions have issued numerous communication protocols to assist people with disabilities during earthquakes or other maxi-emergencies, no tailored strategies exist to create and disseminate information online to deaf people. On August 24, 2016, a devastating earthquake destroyed Amatrice in Central Italy. This natural disaster underlined the lack of information on disabled people possibly involved and the lack of tailored, online communication tools. Having various registries listing disabled residents in the earthquake area might have benefitted emergency procedures. To access information easily and expedite risk management, the authors developed an online information tool for deaf persons, their families, and caregivers. Within hours after the earthquake, they published a Facebook page (Facebook, Inc.; Menlo Park, California USA) including a video provided with subtitles, Italian sign language, and service numbers. Those who accessed the Facebook page spread the information to other social media. Although no registry yet specifies figures, the annual incidence of approximately three to five/1,000 new deaf persons diagnosed in Italy implies that around 5.4% of the total 43,507 Italian deaf people live in the earthquake territory, and presumably 1.3% are younger than 18 years of age. The Facebook page obtained unexpectedly numerous accesses and satisfaction from deaf adults and families with deaf children, as well as hearing family relatives and caregivers. A total of 60% deaf and 10% hearing people asked for more information. Despite limitations, the effort to develop a page for deaf people and their families, via a world-wide social media, permits fast access, outlines safety precautions during maxi-emergencies, and disseminates essential information designed for deaf people on civil protection services. The Facebook page provides a replicable example for developing similar, user-friendly, online tools for disabled groups to disseminate important safety information after earthquakes or other maxi-emergencies.Rotondi L, Zuddas M, Marsella P, Rosati P. A Facebook page created soon after the Amatrice Earthquake for deaf adults and children, families, and caregivers provides an easy communication tool and social satisfaction in maxi-emergencies. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(2):137–141

Treatment and disposal of the mechanically sorted organic fraction (MSOF) of municipal solid waste using a full-scale hybrid bioreactor landfill was experimentally analyzed. A preliminary life cycle assessment was used to compare the hybrid bioreactor landfill with the conventional scheme based on aerobic biostabilization plus landfill. The main findings showed that hybrid bioreactor landfill was able to achieve a dynamic respiration index (DRI)1000 mgO2/(kgVSh) in 20weeks, on average. Landfill gas (LFG) generation with CH4 concentration55% v/v started within 140days from MSOF disposal, allowing prompt energy recovery and higher collection efficiency. With the exception of fresh water eutrophication with the bioreactor scenario there was a reduction of the impact categories by about 30% compared to the conventional scheme. Such environmental improvement was mainly a consequence of the reduction of direct and indirect emissions from conventional aerobic biostabilization and of the lower amount of gaseous loses from the bioreactor landfill.

Although numerous communication protocols and international and Italian conventions have been created to assist people with disabilities during earthquakes or other maxi-emergencies, no tailored strategies exist to disseminate information online to deaf people. On August 24, 2016, a devastating earthquake destroyed Amatrice in central Italy. This disaster highlighted the lack of registries listing disabled people possibly involved and tailored online communication tools. Having this information might have benefitted emergency procedures. To expedite information access and to improve risk management, we created an online information tool tailored for deaf persons. Within hours after the earthquake, we created a Facebook page including subtitled video, Italian sign language information and service numbers. People who accessed the Facebook page distributed the information on the various social media they used. Of a total of 43,507 Italian deaf people, about 0.4% lived in the earthquake territory. Our Facebook page obtained unexpectedly numerous accesses from deaf people and satisfaction from deaf and hearing people. A total of 60% deaf and 10% hearing people asked for more information. Despite limitations, our effort to create a page tailored to deaf people, via a worldwide social media, permits fast access and service information and outlines safety precautions during maxi-emergencies. Our Facebook page provides a starting point for developing other online tools to disseminate information for disabled groups after earthquakes or other maxi-emergencies.