Sharing data and maps on flood and landslide hazards, vulnerability, and related risk reduction Public Works via a web platform at national scale: the case of #italiasicura

Italy has experienced many flood and landslide disasters, during and after which the local intrinsic risk management levels have been very different. This problem can be managed, in cooperation with other policies, through improvements in risk awareness and preparedness. With this aim in mind, #italiasicura web platform has been developed, based on a geographic “non-GIS” interface (although working with an underlying database system) to show hazard maps and risk reduction Public Works in the whole of Italy, up to local level. Such an instrument operates as an innovative “social tool”, developed to be used both by decision/makers and citizens, giving the possibility, at any stage of the user experience on the platform, of an easy information sharing via social media. Such a kind of tool represents an opportunity of increasing the knowledge linked to flood and landslide hazards and structural defence strategies. As a matter of fact, the #italiasicura web platform is based upon three pages: one, geographic, presenting hazard, risk and physical infrastructures; the second, also geographic, focused on national emergencies; the third, text and graphics, allowing a number of simple queries and rankings of the main parameters related to the topics of the platform. From a technical point of view, although there is a map on the screen and an underlying database system (permanently updated automatically), neither layers to be switched on and off are present nor any other typical GIS user interface function. All information is presented based upon the coordinates and the zoom level, to allow a better user experience, particularly with the responsive version toward mobiles. Both graphic pages open on the national map. A text box self customizes itself, aggregating data on the actual zoom level; the main navigation actions are performed moving the mouse and acting on the mouse wheel. A new URL is generated at any event generated by the user. Data shown and related web analytics are an interesting source of information for refining risk management strategies and studies; at the same time, they will allow a greater involvement of the scientific community and young researchers, enabling them to elaborate bottom-up suggestions to decision makers

Looking for Light Pseudoscalar Bosons in the Binary Pulsar System J0737-3039

We present numerical calculations of the photon-light-pseudoscalar-boson conversion in the recently discovered binary pulsar system J0737-3039. Light pseudoscalar bosons (LPBs) oscillate into photons in the presence of strong magnetic fields. In the context of this binary pulsar system, this phenomenon attenuates the light beam emitted by one of the pulsars, when the light ray goes through the magnetosphere of the companion pulsar. We show that such an effect is observable in the gamma-ray band since the binary pulsar is seen almost edge-on, depending on the value of the LPB mass and on the strenght of its two-photon coupling. Our results are surprising in that they show a very sharp and significant (up to 50%) transition probability in the gamma-ray ($>$ tens of MeV) domain. The observations can be performed by the upcoming NASA GLAST mission.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

Formal Versus Functional Method in Comparative Constitutional Law

In the field of comparative constitutional law, the dominant approach to concept formation and research design is formal. That is, comparative projects generally identify what counts as the supreme law that can be enforced against all other sources of law based on the “constitutional” label of the positive law (written constitutions and the jurisprudence of constitutional courts) and the law books. This formal method, however, has significant limitations when compared with the functional method used in the field of comparative law more generally speaking. After a brief exposition of the functional method, this article explores the advantages of the functional method as applied to comparative constitutional law with the problem of judicial review (based on the supreme law) of social and economic policy-making in France, the United States, and Germany. Only in Germany is this law contained in constitutional law. In France, the supreme law is to be found largely in administrative law, because the constitutional court faces an institutional competitor, some would say superior, in the highest administrative court (Conseil d’État). In the United States, the supreme law is to be found in administrative law because economic and social rights—the rights that most directly affect this area of state activity—have largely been read out of constitutional law. Based on the functional method, the article proceeds to identify the similarities that unite the law of France and Germany and that set it apart from the law of the United States. It also outlines the important avenues of theoretical inquiry triggered by these similarities and differences in judicial review. The article concludes by sketching a functional agenda for empirical research in comparative constitutional law

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as an early predictor of prolonged intensive care unit stay after cardiac surgery.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein of lipocalin family highly expressed in various pathologic states and is an early biomarker of acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery. We performed an observational study to evaluate the role of NGAL in predicting postoperative intensive care stay in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We enrolled 27 consecutive patients who underwent high-risk cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Urinary NGAL (uNGAL) was measured before surgery, at intensive care unit (ICU) arrival and 24 h later. Univariate and multivariate predictors of ICU stay were performed. uNGAL was 18.0 (8.7–28.1) ng/mL at baseline, 10.7 (4.35–36.0) ng/mL at ICU arrival and 29.6 (9.65–29.5) 24 h later. The predictors of prolonged ICU stay at the multivariate analysis were body mass index (BMI), uNGAL 24 h after surgery, and aortic cross-clamp time. The predictors of high uNGAL levels 24 h after at a multivariate analysis were preoperative uNGAL and logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation. At a multivariate analysis the only independent predictors of prolonged ICU stay were BMI, uNGAL 24 h after surgery and aortic cross-clamp time