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In urban areas, environmental exposures to air pollution, extreme temperatures and noise as well as socio-economic inequalities are amplified. Urban green spaces offer dual benefits: they help mitigate climate change and improve public health by fostering connection to nature, reducing noise and air pollution, mitigating the urban heat island effect, and promoting physical activity. Within the 2023 "Cobenefici di Salute ed equità a supporto dei piani di risposta ai cambiamenti climatici in Italia" project funded by the Ministry of Health, we identified health indicators to assess climate action co-benefits, including those on cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity, birth outcomes and mental health.

Analysis of root-environment interactions reveals mechanical advantages of growth-driven penetration of roots.

Plant roots are considered highly efficient soil explorers. As opposed to the push-driven penetration strategy commonly used by many digging organisms, roots penetrate by growing, adding new cells at the tip, and elongating over a well-defined growth zone. However, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical aspects associated with root penetration is currently lacking.

PERSIST: a pre-post study to assess an educational methodology to enhance youth climate literacy and systems thinking ability.

Background: Education has a pivotal role in preparing society to address the forthcoming health impacts of the climate crisis. Education provides the tools necessary to instil both individual and collective attitudes for mitigating climate change, fosters the development of adaptive skills and mindsets, and promotes a critical understanding of climate change. The aim of the PERSIST project was to assess the effectiveness of a school educational intervention to strengthen literacy on the climate crisis, pro-environmental behaviours, and systems thinking in high school students (aged 14-18 years).

The district operation centres in one of the largest local health authorities in Italy to manage COVID-19 surveillance and homecare: first implementation and results of a survey addressed to general practitioners.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic represented a shock for healthcare systems. Italy was one of the first country to deal with a huge number of patients to be diagnosed, isolated, and treated with scarce evidence-based guidelines and resources. Several organizational and structural changes were needed to face the pandemic at local level.