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The site of Casal Lumbroso is located in the north-west sector of Rome (central Italy). Stratigraphic and geochemical data presented here evidence that the archaeological and paleontological horizon lies at the top of the Tiber River aggradational succession related to the MIS 11c sea level highstand (dated at ca. 404 ka), and that the paleohabitat was characterised by wooded environments and humid climatic conditions. Paleontological analysis allows attributing most of the remains to an adult individual of straight-tusked elephant, Palaeoloxodon antiquus , with sporadic elements referred to Stephanorhinus sp., Bovinae, Cervinae, Cervus elaphus , Dama sp., Canis sp., Oryctolagus sp., Talpa sp., Testudines, and Amphibia. Two bird remains are referred to Anatidae and Strigiformes. A rich lithic assemblage, mainly made of flint, was also found associated with the fossil remains. Taphonomic, technological and functional analyses indicate that the P. antiquus carcass was probably exploited by humans not only as a food source, but also as a source of raw material, as documented by the presence of several intentionally fractured elephant bone fragments, some of them also with flake removals, with localized use wear traces. The findings at Casal Lumbroso highlight once again the importance of the territory around the city of Rome for Middle Pleistocene studies. The northwestern sector of the city, where other important sites such as Castel di Guido and La Polledrara di Cecanibbio have also been discovered, is therefore crucial for understanding human strategies for exploiting elephant carcasses.

Despite abundant information on landslides, and on landslide hazard and risk, in Italy, little is known on the direct impact of event landslides on road networks and on the related economic costs. We investigated the physical and economic damage caused by two rainfall-induced landslide events in Central and Southern Italy, to obtain road restoration cost statistics. Using a GIS-based method, we exploited road maps and landslide event inventory maps to compute different metrics that quantify the impact of the landslide events on the natural landscape and on the road networks, by road type. The maps were used with cost data obtained from multiple sources, including local authorities, and specific legislation, to evaluate statistically the unit cost per metre of damaged road and the unit cost per square metre of damaging landslide, separately for main and secondary roads. The obtained unit costs showed large variations which we attribute to the different road types in the two study areas and to the different abundance of landslides. Our work confirms the long-standing conundrum of obtaining accurate landslide damage data and outlines the need for reliable, standardized methods to evaluate landslide damage and associated restoration costs that regional and local administrations can use rapidly in the aftermath of a landslide event. We conclude recommending that common standardized procedures to collect landslide cost data following each landslide event are established, in Italy and elsewhere. This will allow for more accurate and reliable evaluations of the economic costs of landslide events.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a soilborne fungal pathogen, and it is a major threat to lettuce production, causing lettuce drop. This study evaluated the antifungal effectiveness of five essential oils (EOs) (Rosmarinus officinalis, R. officinalis var. verbenone, Lavandula hybrida, Origanum majorana, and Thymus vulgaris) at 0.1%, 1%, and 10%, along with their phytotoxic effect in the field on three different crops (lettuce, tomato, and chard) following foliar application. T. vulgaris EO completely inhibited S. sclerotiorum mycelial growth at all tested concentrations. R. officinalis, L. hybrida, and O. majorana also showed full inhibition at 1% and 10%, while R. officinalis var. verbenone achieved 80–100% inhibition. R. officinalis had the least phytotoxic effects, with only a minimal effect on chard at 1%. R. officinalis var. verbenone caused low/moderate phytotoxicity in lettuce and chard but had no toxic effect on tomato. L. hybrida and O. majorana had moderate to low effects, while T. vulgaris was the most phytotoxic, significantly affecting lettuce and tomato at 1%. Further field trials are needed to define EO application protocols toward sustainable lettuce drop management without risks of phytotoxicity.

We inspected a sector of the Apennines (central–southern Italy) in geographic and structural continuity with the Quaternary-active extensional belt but where clear geomorphic and seismological signatures of normal faulting are unexpectedly missing. The evidence of active tectonics in this area, between Abruzzo and Molise, does not align with geodetic deformation data and the seismotectonic setting of the central Apennines. To investigate the apparent disconnection between active deformation and the absence of surface faulting in a sector where high lithologic erodibility and landslide susceptibility may hide its structural evidence, we combined multi-scale and multi-source data analyses encompassing morphometric analysis and remote sensing techniques. We utilised high-resolution topographic data to analyse the topographic pattern and investigate potential imbalances between tectonics and erosion. Additionally, we employed aerial-photo interpretation to examine the spatial distribution of morphological features and slope instabilities which are often linked to active faulting. To discern potential biases arising from non-tectonic (slope-related) signals, we analysed InSAR data in key sectors across the study area, including carbonate ridges and foredeep-derived Molise Units for comparison. The topographic analysis highlighted topographic disequilibrium conditions across the study area, and aerial-image interpretation revealed morphologic features offset by structural lineaments. The interferometric analysis confirmed a significant role of gravitational movements in denudating some fault planes while highlighting a clustered spatial pattern of hillslope instabilities. In this context, these instabilities can be considered a proxy for the control exerted by tectonic structures. All findings converge on the identification of an ~20 km long corridor, the Castel di Sangro–Rionero Sannitico alignment (CaS-RS), which exhibits varied evidence of deformation attributable to active normal faulting. The latter manifests through subtle and diffuse deformation controlled by a thick tectonic nappe made up of poorly cohesive lithologies. Overall, our findings suggest that the CaS-RS bridges the structural gap between the Mt Porrara–Mt Pizzalto–Mt Rotella and North Matese fault systems, potentially accounting for some of the deformation recorded in the sector. Our approach contributes to bridging the information gap in this complex sector of the Apennines, offering original insights for future investigations and seismic hazard assessment in the region.

We present a 130 km 2 wide geological map for the NE side of the fault-bounded High Agri Valley Southern Italy, that formed in the Quaternary in response to extensional tectonics dissecting the folds and thrusts of the Lucanian Apennine. To prepare the map, at 1:25,000 scale, we integrated information obtained through field surveys and the review of pre-existing geological data. Our work describes a number of significant map-scale structures, which can be related to well-constrained tectonic episodes. The new geological map provides important constraints that can be used to distinguish ancient structures from those that were active during the Quaternary, allowing a more detailed reconstruction of the processes that operate during the development of a post-orogenic trough. We expect that the new map will be used for different types of geological investigations, including studies of inversion tectonics, active tectonics, geosite mapping, 3D modelling of geological structures.

Starting on 24th August 2016, Central Italy was struck by a six-month earthquake sequence that caused 303 victims and extensive major damages to urban areas and infrastructures, in some cases entire villages needed complete rebuilding. In this paper we present a map that portrays the overall susceptibility to multiple landslide types and the exposure to landslides of the rural-urban areas of the Castelsantangelo sul Nera Municipality, a typical village of the central Italian Apennine. The map is based on a procedure that ingests geomorphological data and models and groups the individual landslide susceptibility maps in a joint susceptibility and exposure map based on expert-defined criteria. The procedure has been applied to built-up and to undeveloped areas to highlight their exposure and was used as a tool for planning post-seismic reconstruction. We advise that such maps are used also as basic tool for ordinary urban planning.

Geological and lithological maps provide essential spatial data for various environmental assessments and studies. However, these maps lack detailed quantitative information on the geotechnical characteristics of rocks and soils, which limits their use for modelling purposes. This study addresses this gap by compiling a comprehensive database of over 2300 geotechnical parameter records searching the international literature. Focusing on cohesion, friction angle, and porosity, we analyse their distributions across different lithotypes, emphasising their significance in slope stability modelling. For the Italian territory, the collected information was used to associate geotechnical parameters to the lithological classes as identified by Bucci et al. 2022 . These types of reclassified maps may provide researchers and stakeholders with a comprehensive dataset useful for slope stability assessment and land management at small scale. Descriptive statistics and validation from grey literature underscore the dataset’s utility in enhancing geotechnical characterizations and supporting geological hazard assessments.

The paper describes the multitemporal landslide inventory map prepared for the urban areas of Motta Montecorvino and Volturino, two municipalities located in the Southern Apennines (Apulia Region, Italy). These territories show a high propensity to landslides of different types and magnitude, which periodically interfere with the anthropic structures and infrastructures. For the study area, the spatial and temporal distribution of landslides is detected for the period between 1954 and 2003, through the visual interpretation of multiple sets of black and white digital stereoscopic aerial photographs at different scales. The analysis reveals locally high frequency of landslide occurrence and built-up areas on existing landslides, either on the body or on the crown areas. In particular, we show that over the years new residential areas were developed despite the presence of large old mass movements.

Data on the use of reactivity tests in high-risk procedures derive mainly from cardiac surgery but could also have applicability in neurosurgery. Our study aims to evaluate the safety of reactivity tests in patients with surgical indications for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). We conducted a case-control study to determine risk factors and outcomes (early-onset complications if they occurred <7 days; late-onset if they occurred >7 days) in patients undergoing evacuation of CSDH recruited in the 2-year period 2022-2024. Patients with a history of antiplatelet treatment and a reactivity test with early negativization (patients in whom the platelet aggregation test became negative before the required suspension period for safely performing the surgical intervention) and an urgent neurosurgical indication were considered cases. Patients who were not taking antiplatelet therapy were considered controls. Complications taken into consideration were cerebral acute subdural hematoma, intraparenchymal hemorrhage, and ischemic complications. We analyzed data from 170 patients who consecutively underwent neurosurgical intervention for CSDH. We enrolled 68 cases who were on antiplatelet therapy before the procedure and showed early negativization on reactivity tests (cases) and 102 controls who were patients who had never been on antiplatelet therapy (controls). We did not observe statistically significant early-onset complications in the case group when compared to the control one (p: 0.64). Regarding late-onset complications, the incidence of total hemorrhagic events was similar in the two study groups (p: 0.14). CSDH is an extremely common condition in the elderly population and in patients on antiplatelet drugs. This condition often requires an urgent neurosurgical intervention, and waiting for antiplatelet treatment to be ineffective could worsen the outcome. Reactivity tests could therefore be a useful and safe tool to guide the timing of neurosurgery and to reduce the hospitalization time.

Background The coverage for influenza vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) is inadequate in many countries despite strong recommendations; is there evidence that influenza vaccination is effective in preventing absenteeism? Aim of the study is to evaluate the influenza vaccination coverage and its effects on absences from work among HCWs of an Italian academic healthcare trust during the 2017–2018 influenza season. Methods We performed a retrospective study to identify predictive characteristics for vaccination, and a retrospective cohort study to establish the effect of vaccination on absences among the vaccinated and non-vaccinated cohorts between December 2017 and May 2018. Overall absence rates over the whole observation period and sub-rates over 14-days intervals were calculated; then comparison between the two groups were conducted applying Chi-square test. Results Influenza vaccination coverage among 4419 HCWs was 14.5%. Age, university degree, medical care area and physician profile were positively associated with vaccine uptake. Globally during influenza season non-vaccinated HCWs lost 2.47/100 person-days of work compared to 1.92/100 person-days of work among vaccinated HCWs ( p  < 0.001); significant differences in absences rates resulted when focusing on the influenza epidemic peak. Conclusions Factors predicting influenza uptake among HCWs were male sex, working within medical care area and being a physician. Absenteeism among HCWs resulted to be negatively correlated with vaccination against influenza. These findings add evidence to the urgent need to implement better influenza vaccination strategies towards HCWs to tackle vaccine hesitancy among professionals.