43 research outputs found
The Role of Digital Health Equity Audits in Preventing Harmful Infodemiology
No full textAbstract
BackgroundHealth disparities persist and are influenced by digital transformation. Although digital tools offer opportunities, they can also exacerbate existing inequalities, a problem amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related infodemic. Health equity audit (HEA) tools, such as those developed in the United Kingdom, provide a framework to assess equity but require adaptation for the digital context. Digital determinants of health (DDoH) are increasingly recognized as crucial factors influencing health outcomes in the digital era.
ObjectiveThis editorial proposes an approach to extend HEA principles to create a specific framework, the digital health equity audit (DHEA), designed to systematically assess and address health inequities within the design, implementation, and evaluation of digital health technologies, with a focus on DDoH.
MethodsWe propose a cyclical DHEA model based on existing HEA principles, integrating them with digital health equity frameworks. The DHEA cycle comprises six phases: (1) scoping the audit and mobilizing the team (including community members); (2) developing the digital health equity profile and identifying inequities (assessing DDoH at individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels); (3) identifying high-impact actions to address DDoH and inequities; (4) prioritizing actions for maximum equity impact; (5) implementing and supporting change; and (6) evaluating progress and impact, and refining. This method emphasizes multilevel interventions and stakeholder engagement.
ResultsThe main result is the articulation of the DHEA framework: a structured, 6-phase cyclical model to guide organizations in the analysis and proactive mitigation of digital health–related disparities. The framework explicitly integrates the assessment of DDoH across multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, community, societal) and promotes the development of targeted interventions to ensure digital solutions promote equity.
ConclusionsThe DHEA model offers an integrated approach to consider social, epidemiological, health, and technological variables, aiming to reduce health inequities through the conscious use of new technologies. It is emphasized that digital technologies can be the cause or the solution to inequalities; DHEAs are proposed as a tool to foster equity. Its systematic adoption, along with a collaborative approach (co-design) and trust building, can help ensure that the benefits of health digitization are equitably distributed while strengthening trust in institutions. Continued attention is needed to manage emerging challenges such as infodemiology in the era of big data and artificial intelligence
Optimizing Viticulture Sustainability Through Foliar Zeolite Treatments: An In-Depth Analysis of Their Impact on Gas Exchange, Yield, and the Composition of Sangiovese Grapes and Wine
No full textIn response to increasingly hot and dry summers driven by climate change, grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) can utilize adaptive mechanisms that often prioritize survival over yield and grape quality. The efficiency of the vine canopy, particularly in terms of gas exchange and net assimilation, declines with water scarcity, underscoring the importance of mitigating strategies such as emergency irrigation. However, in Mediterranean vineyards, water shortages often render irrigation impractical. An alternative approach is the application of minerals, such as zeolites, to mitigate the negative effects of summer stress. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological, vegetative–productive, and qualitative effects of chabazite-rich zeolite treatments on potted grapevines subjected to both water and heat stress, and on field-grown vines exposed only to heat stress. The research was conducted over a 3-year period (2021–2023) on Sangiovese grapevines, divided into two distinct trials: the first on potted vines (2021) and the second on field-grown vines (2022–2023). The potted trial involved 12 plants placed on lysimeters, subjected to water restriction (50% restitution of water lost through transpiration), and divided into two treatments: water stress vines (WS) and WS vines treated with natural zeolite (WS + ZEO). The field trial involved 24 non irrigated plants with two treatments: untreated control (WS) and zeolite treatment (WS + ZEO). Microclimatic conditions were monitored during ripening, and the effects of zeolite were assessed in terms of canopy physiology, yield, sunburn damage, and grape composition. Grapes from the field trial vines were microvinified, and the resulting wine color was analyzed twice, after 3 months and 1 year. The results showed that zeolite treatments effectively reduced canopy temperature by two degrees Celsius, enhancing gas exchange efficiency and photosynthetic activity in potted vines. In field-grown vines, these treatments significantly improved grape composition, particularly boosting total anthocyanin levels by 19% in the berrie sand 10% in the resulting wine, compared to the untreated control. In conclusion, zeolite-based treatments appear to be a valuable tool for improving the productive performance of Sangiovese in environments characterized by multiple summer stresses
Il cordone libero meccanizzato dalla potatura alla vendemmia
No full textIl vitigno Sangiovese ha portamento e crescita dei germogli di tipo intermedio tra assurgente (verso l’alto) e procombente (verso il basso) e tale caratteristica, associata alla notevole fertilità delle gemme basali, consente di adottare potature invernali molto corte e perfettamente integrate con la potatura meccanic
Il cordone libero meccanizzato dalla potatura alla vendemmia
No full textIl vitigno Sangiovese ha portamento e crescita dei germogli di tipo intermedio tra assurgente (verso l’alto) e procombente (verso il basso) e tale caratteristica, associata alla notevole fertilità delle gemme basali, consente di adottare potature invernali molto corte e perfettamente integrate con la potatura meccanic
Il cordone libero meccanizzato dalla potatura alla vendemmia
No full textIl vitigno Sangiovese ha portamento e crescita dei germogli di tipo intermedio tra assurgente (verso l’alto) e procombente (verso il basso) e tale caratteristica, associata alla notevole fertilità delle gemme basali, consente di adottare potature invernali molto corte e perfettamente integrate con la potatura meccanic
Vine Physiology, Yield Parameters and Berry Composition of Sangiovese Grape under Two Different Canopy Shapes and Irrigation Regimes
No full textVitis vinifera L. adapts well to a scarce availability of water in the soil. However, in recent decades, the combination of thermal stress with prolonged water scarcity could have dramatic consequences on the vine’s physiological status. In this paper, we evaluated the effects of two canopy shapes and two irrigation regimes at veraison on vine physiology, yield parameters and grape composition through biochemical and molecular approaches. The water shortage strongly influenced the physiology of Sangiovese only when the stress was moderate to severe. Neither the water stress limited to veraison nor the canopy shape were able to influence the yield parameters and sugar content, and a strong induction of the expression of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins was recorded only in conditions of moderate-to-severe stress. This phenomenon led to an increase in the anthocyanin content in berry skins until the end of veraison. Conversely, no significant effects occurred in terms of biochemical and molecular performance after re-watering and at harvest. Though the shape of the canopy could play a role only under elevated temperature and prolonged drought, severe water stress can affect the vine physiology and berry ripening during the veraison stage
Can the Combination of Rehabilitation and Vitamin D Supplementation Improve Fibromyalgia Symptoms at All Ages?
No full textSeveral studies have indicated a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and widespread
chronic pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia. During this study, the effect of supplementation with
vitamin D in association with physical exercise in patients with fibromyalgia was evaluated, in terms
of improvement of pain, functional capacity and quality of life, also evaluating the presence of any differences in age. A single-center, observational, comparative study was conducted in 80 fibromyalgia
patients. They are randomized into 2 groups: Group A, consisting of patients ≤50 years; and group B,
consisting of patients >50 years. Both received weekly supplementation with 50,000 IU cholecalciferol for 3 months in association with a rehabilitation protocol. Patients were assessed at enrollment
(T0), 3 months (T1), and 6 months (T2) from the initial assessment with blood vitamin D dosage
and administration of rating scales (NRS, FIQ, and SF-12). From the comparison between the two
groups, we have seen that in young people, supplementation with high-dose vitamin D improves
short-term musculoskeletal pain and long-term functional capacity. Conversely, musculoskeletal pain
and long-term quality of life improve in the elderly. Supplementing with high doses of vitamin D
in fibromyalgia patients improves the quality of life and pain in the elderly and also the functional
capacity in the young
Potatura meccanica, effetti su resa e qualità delle uve
No full textLa potatura meccanica è una soluzione versatile che può essere applicata con profitto sia su varietà a bassa fertilità (Trebbiano romagnolo) che ad alta fertilità (Lambrusco salamino) delle gemme basali purché allevate con sistemi idonei alla meccanizzazioneIn questo articolo vengono riportati i risultati di due diversi studi relativi all’impiego della potatura meccanica su Trebbiano romagnolo e Lambrusco salamino, tra i vitigni più coltivati nella Regione Emilia Romagna
Potatura meccanica, effetti su resa e qualità delle uve
No full textLa potatura meccanica è una soluzione versatile che può essere applicata con profitto sia su varietà a bassa fertilità
(Trebbiano romagnolo) che ad alta fertilità (Lambrusco salamino) delle gemme basali purché allevate con sistemi
idonei alla meccanizzazioneIn questo articolo vengono riportati i risultati di due diversi studi relativi all’impiego della potatura meccanica su Trebbiano romagnolo e Lambrusco salamino, tra i vitigni più coltivati nella Regione Emilia Romagna
Occurrence of neural tube defects in pregnancy: an excess of cases in a 2773-km2 area in Central Italy
No full textNeural tube defects (NTDs) have a complex and imperfectly understood etiology, in which both genetic and environmental factors might be involved. The aim of the study was to describe an excess of cases of NTDs in a small area in central Italy. Over a 2-wk period in autumn 2002, three diagnoses of anencephaly were made in a 2773-km(2) area. As a consequence of these events, information on known risk factors as well as data on environmental changes, or epidemics of infectious diseases, in 2002-2004, were collected. The NTD rate was estimated for 10,000 births (live and stillborn) in this area. The 95% confidence intervals of rates were estimated assuming Poisson distribution of cases. Six cases of NTD were observed, with an NTD prevalence rate of 18.5 per 10,000 births (95% CI 17.0, 20.12). No evidence of known risk factors was reported. During summer 2002, the local service for environmental surveillance observed that the threshold level of drinking-water bacterial contamination had been exceeded, which probably resulted in an adjustment in the amount of chlorine added. The major difficulty in making hypotheses regarding the causes of birth defects is linking environmental risk factors exposure to fetal outcome. The prompt gathering of data may be essential. Thus, we emphasize the need for the activation of a population-based congenital malformation registry in order to achieve a deeper understanding of these events etiology
