6 research outputs found
MOUNTAINHYDRO: INTEGRATING GEOLOGY, GEOPHYSICS AND HYDROGEOLOGY IN A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
No full textSpring water represents a vital source of drinking water for local communities in mountain areas worldwide. As water demand and pressure on groundwater resources increase in a context of changing climate, there is a growing commitment to assess groundwater availability and to develop sustainable water supply strategies.
Effective groundwater management relies on a comprehensive characterization of aquifer systems. In this regard, karst-fractured terrains pose unique challenges due to their complex and heterogeneous nature. This study focuses on the assessment of aquifer systems in karst-fissured mountain environments, by employing a multidisciplinary approach based on three pillars: geology, geophysics, and hydrogeology.
The geological pillar centers on the construction of a 3D geological model derived from a combination of existing geological maps and targeted field observations. The model captures the spatial distribution of geological units and major structural lineaments and serves as a framework for the interpretation of groundwater preferential flow paths.
The geophysical pillar involves the use of high resolution DC resistivity surveys and densely spaced transient electromagnetic (EM) methods, both ground-based and airborne. Geophysical surveys play a key role in capturing the subsurface heterogeneity and identifying preferential flow paths within the rock volumes. The integration of the geological model into the geophysical inversion through an iterative process provides insights into the hydrogeological characteristics of the investigated system and enhances reliability of the interpretations. Moreover, the 3D inversion of airborne EM data has proven effective in increasing model accuracy in topographically and geologically complex terrains.
The hydrogeological pillar consists of groundwater chemical and stable isotope analyses, as well as hydrodynamic characterization. These analyses support the delineation of recharge areas of the springs and help characterize the behavior of the aquifer system. In addition, numerical simulations of groundwater flow were carried out to test different scenarios of recharge and flow paths in order to validate the conceptual model.
The results demonstrate the strength of an iterative, integrated modelling strategy in improving the understanding of complex karst-fissured aquifers.
Two representative study areas were selected to implement and validate the multidisciplinary approach: one in northern Italy (Val Sabbia, Lombardy), and the other in southern Spain (Sierra de Aracena, Andalusia). These sites exemplify geologically complex mountain terrains, providing robust testing ground for the methodology
Hydrogeological characteristics and water availability in the mountainous aquifer systems of Italian Central Alps: A regional scale approach
No full textGroundwater resources in mountain areas are strategically important to maintain adequate water supply for domestic uses, farming, industrial activities, and energy production, also considering the expected growing demand due to ongoing climate changes. Within this framework, the objective of the study is to develop a regional approach, compliant with the European requirements of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC and Groundwater Directive 2006/118/EC, that could support public agencies and water companies to efficiently manage and protect the available water resources in mountainous environments.
The proposed approach identifies and delineates groundwater bodies by coupling a 3D hydro-stratigraphic model with the definition of the water budget and water hydrochemical fingerprints in a geologically complex Alpine environment in Northern Italy. Sixteen groundwater bodies (GWBs) have been identified all over the 10.290 km2 area, showing an average storage capacity of more than 500 Mm3 y−1 (about 3% of the average total inflow from precipitation and snowmelt), with differences up to four times between GWBs mainly constituted of carbonate rocks and those prevalently composed of crystalline or terrigenous rocks. Groundwater quality in the study domain is generally excellent, with few exceptions due to geogenic (i.e., natural) or anthropogenic sources of contamination. The results of this study show the advantages of coupling 3D hydro-stratigraphic modelling combined with meteorological, hydrological and hydrogeological information, which consist in: i) identifying the most Strategic Storage Reservoir both in terms of quality and storage capacity; ii) evaluating the present ground- and surface water availability; iii) detecting areas of specific interest for implementing groundwater monitoring networks; iv) recognising recharge areas of the most relevant springs, to implement protection strategies of the resource
Rileggendo Pierre Carlier: Odisseo tiranno?
No full textThe paper arises from a careful lecture of many works of Pierre Carlier, especially the Homer (Fayard, 1999), where the scholar states that the ideology of the Odyssey announces in some ways the tyrannical ideology. In a close dialogue with the author, I have passed in review the elements of the extraordinary basileia of Odysseus, especially the sphere of justice, and I went through the ending of the Odyssey, which I define a kind of prophecy about the future of Greek history for the presence of new concepts: amnesty, peace and wealth. The role of Odysseus at the end of the poem prefigures that of historical tyrants because it represents the case of a sovereignty reached by personal merit: an emblematic case that had been identified by the political thought of Aristotle
The Use of Pulmonary Artery Catheters and Echocardiography in the Cardiac Surgery Setting: A Nationwide Italian Survey
No full textObjective: Wide variations exist in the use of pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) and echocardiography in the field of cardiac surgery. Design: A national survey promoted by the Italian Association of Cardio-Thoracic Anesthesiologists and Intensive Care was conducted. Setting: The study occurred in Italian cardiac surgery centers (n = 71). Participants: Anesthesiologists-intensivists were enrolled. Interventions: Anonymous questionnaires were used to investigate the use of PACs and echocardiography in the operating room (OR) and intensive care unit (ICU). Measurements and Main Results: A total of 257 respondents (32.2% response rate) from 59 centers (83.1% response rate) participated. Use of PACs seems less common in ORs (median insertion in 20% [5-70] of patients), with slightly higher use in ICUs; in about half of cases, it was the continuous cardiac output monitoring system of choice. Almost two-thirds of respondents recently inserted at least one PAC within a few hours of ICU admission, despite its need being largely preoperatively predictable. Protocols regulating PAC insertion were reported by 25.3% and 28% of respondents (OR and ICU, respectively). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed intraoperatively in >75% of patients by 86.4% of respondents; only 23.7% stated that intraoperative TEE relied on anesthesiologists. Tissue Doppler and/or 3D imaging were widely available (87.4% and 82%, respectively), but only 37.8% and 24.3% of respondents self-declared skills in these modalities, respectively; 77.1% of respondents had no echocardiography certification, nor were pursuing certification (various reasons); 40.9% had not attended recent echocardiography courses. Lower PAC use was associated with university hospitals (OR: p = 0.014, ICU: p = 0.032) and with lower interventions/year (OR: p = 0.023). Higher independence in performing TEE was reported in university hospitals (OR: p < 0.001; ICU: p = 0.006), centers with higher interventions/year (OR: p = 0.019), and by respondents with less experience in cardiology (ICU: p = 0.046). Conclusion: Variability in the use of PACs and echocardiography was found. Protocols regulating the use of PACs seem infrequent. University centers use PACs less and have greater skills in TEE. Training and certifications in echocardiography should be encouraged. (c) 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Lack of SARS-CoV-2 RNA environmental contamination in a tertiary referral hospital for infectious diseases in Northern Italy
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Emergency Department and Out-of-Hospital Emergency System (112-AREU 118) integrated response to Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a Northern Italy centre
No full textSince December 2019, the world has been facing the life-threatening disease, named Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The response of the Emergency Medicine network, integrating "out-of-hospital" and "hospital" activation, is crucial whenever the health system has to face a medical emergency, being caused by natural or human-derived disasters as well as by a rapidly spreading epidemic outbreak. We here report the Pavia Emergency Medicine network response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The "out-of-hospital" response was analysed in terms of calls, rescues and missions, whereas the "hospital" response was detailed as number of admitted patients and subsequent hospitalisation or discharge. The data in the first 5 weeks of the Covid-19 outbreak (February 21-March 26, 2020) were compared with a reference time window referring to the previous 5 weeks (January 17-February 20, 2020) and with the corresponding historical average data from the previous 5 years (February 21-March 26). Since February 21, 2020, a sudden and sustained increase in the calls to the AREU 112 system was noted (+ 440%). After 5 weeks, the number of calls and missions was still higher as compared to both the reference pre-Covid-19 period (+ 48% and + 10%, respectively) and the historical control (+ 53% and + 22%, respectively). Owing to the overflow from the neighbouring hospitals, which rapidly became overwhelmed and had to temporarily close patient access, the population served by the Pavia system more than doubled (from 547.251 to 1.135.977 inhabitants, + 108%). To minimize the possibility of intra-hospital spreading of the infection, a separate "Emergency Department-Infective Disease" was created, which evaluated 1241 patients with suspected infection (38% of total ED admissions). Out of these 1241 patients, 58.0% (n = 720) were admitted in general wards (n = 629) or intensive care unit (n = 91). To allow this massive number of admissions, the hospital reshaped many general ward Units, which became Covid-19 Units (up to 270 beds) and increased the intensive care unit beds from 32 to 60. In the setting of a long-standing continuing emergency like the present Covid-19 outbreak, the integration, interaction and team work of the "out-of-hospital" and "in-hospital" systems have a pivotal role. The present study reports how the rapid and coordinated reorganization of both might help in facing such a disaster. AREU-112 and the Emergency Department should be ready to finely tune their usual cooperation to respond to a sudden and overwhelming increase in the healthcare needs brought about by a pandemia like the current one. This lesson should shape and reinforce the future
