Monitoring of Rain-Induced Landslides for the Territory Protection: The AD-VITAM Project

The authors refer in this paper some of the analyses already done and the planned activities in developing the AD-VITAM Project (InterReg V-A France \u2013 Italy \u2013 E.U. ALCOTRA), which aims to assess the most suitable techniques to obtain a reliable forecasting of rain-induced landslides, in order to enhance the territorial resilience when subject to such a risk. The authors refers about the procedure called LAMP (Landslides Monitoring and Predicting), consisting in an Integrated Hydrological/Geotechnical numerical model (IHG) fed by site-specific installed sensor-network, to help in the start-up calibration of some of the relevant parameters used by the model. The tuned-up simulation models is used to assess the landslide susceptibility to measured/predicted rainfall histories. The implementation of the numerical geotechnical/hydrological models on a GIS platform with regard to some of the selected sites, and the preliminary tests performed on the sensors to be installed on-site in order to monitor the real-time response to rainfalls are briefly described. Thanks to the effective cooperation with the local technicians and the project partners, the final achievements of AD-VITAM could furnish a real support to a better protection of both the natural and the urbanized environments, allowing site-specific warnings and a better hydro-geological risk management capacity

Oscillation of water table due to rainfall: an experience of modeling in GIS

A physically-based Integrated Hydrological-Geotechnical model (IHG) able to assess the rainfallinduced landslide susceptibility was developed, refined and applied in GIS environment along the past years (Passalacqua, 2002; Federici et al., 2014; Bovolenta et al., 2016), showing its reliability. It is a useful instrument to landslide susceptibility evaluations and land-use planning over wide areas. The present paper focuses on the modeling of water table oscillation due to rainfall, comparing different hydrological models

LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY ASSESSMENT: SOIL MOISTURE MONITORING DATA PROCESSED BY AN AUTOMATIC PROCEDURE IN GIS FOR 3D DESCRIPTION OF THE SOIL SHEAR STRENGTH

Abstract. Slope stability is strongly influenced by soil hydraulic conditions. Considering rain-triggered shallow landslides, the stability can be markedly influenced by the propagation of the saturation front inside the unsaturated zone. Soil shear strength varies in the vadose zone depending on the type of soil and the variations of soil moisture. Monitoring of the unsaturated zone can be done by measuring volumetric water content using low-cost instrumentation, such as capacitive sensors that are easy to manage and provide data in near-real time. For a proper soil moisture assessment a laboratory soil-specific calibration of the sensors is recommended. Knowing the soil water content, the suction parameter can be estimated by a Water Retention Curve (WRC), and consequently the soil shear strength in unsaturated conditions is evaluated. Several models are already proposed for shallow landslide susceptibility evaluation, also in FOSS GIS environment. However, these models do not usually consider the soil shear strength in unsaturated conditions, even if it is crucial, especially in the case of shallow landslides. A procedure that allows the estimate of the soil shear strength starting from soil moisture monitoring data (from sensor networks or satellite-derived map) is here presented. Moreover, preliminary results relative to a case study (i.e. the landslide of Ceriana-Mainardo in Italy) are shown. The proposed procedure could be integrated into existing models for landslide susceptibility assessment and also for the emergency management

On the formation of propylene oxide from propylene in space: gas-phase reactions

In the present article, we have investigated the possibility of forming propylene oxide (PO) from propylene (PE) by bi-molecular reactions. Propylene oxide is the first chiral molecule observed in the interstellar medium, and studying the thermodynamics and kinetics of formation can suggest possible synthetic routes. We have focused our attention on gas-phase reactions, and the presence of an environment is discussed in particular for the possibility of forming it by association reactions. In particular, we have considered radical and ion–molecule reactions. Results show that the main gas-phase route to PO formation is represented by ion–molecule reactions which turn out to be compatible with astrophysical conditions, notably: PE + O + and PE+HO2+. Their final product is not PO, but its ionized variant PO + that can be neutralized by electron capture. The only thermodynamically and kinetically allowed reaction which can directly lead to neutral PO is a collision of PE with a singlet-excited OH + but two competing reactions (leading to PE + and PO +) are thermodynamically favored and thus more plausible in space

Quality differences in cheeses produced by lowland and highland units of the Alpine transhumant system

The characteristics of ripened cheeses depend on a large number of factors, of which animal feeding plays an important role. Several researches showed influences of factors linked to forage, such as quality or method of conservation (Verdier-Metz et al., 1998)

Production system and seasonal effects on textural properties of two-month ripened goat's cheese

Since the 1990s, there has been a revival in goat rearing and a resumption in the making of goat’s cheeses in the Province of Trento. Given this, and the local interest in maintaining the production and its traditions, a qualitative description of the goat’s cheeses is desirable. In this study, texture profile analysis, TPA, was used to examine the variability of the rheological properties, depending on production system and season, in raw milk semicooked paste goat’s cheese, ripened for two months, as the Trento Goat Cheese of Traditional Agrifood Products (D.M. n. 350, 1999)

Maintenance of immune tolerance by Foxp3+ regulatory T cells requires CD69 expression

Although FoxP3+ regulatory T cells are key players in the maintenance of immune tolerance and autoimmunity, the lack of specific markers constitute an obstacle to their use for immunotherapy protocols. In this study, we have investigated the role of the C-type lectin receptor CD69 in the suppressor function of Tregs and maintenance of immune tolerance towards harmless inhaled antigens. We identified a novel FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset capable to maintain immune tolerance and protect to developing inflammation. Although CD69+ and CD69−FoxP3+ Tregs exist in homeostasis, only CD69-expressing Tregs express high levels of CTLA-4, ICOS, CD38 and GITR suppression-associated markers, secrete high amounts of TGFβ and have potent suppressor activity. This activity is regulated by STAT5 and ERK signaling pathways and is impaired by antibody-mediated down-regulation of CD69 expression. Moreover, immunotherapy with FoxP3+CD69+ Tregs restores the homeostasis in Cd69−/− mice, that fail to induce tolerance, and is also highly proficient in the prevention of inflammation. The identification of the FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset paves the way toward the development of new therapeutic strategies to control immune homeostasis and autoimmunityThis work was supported by funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: SAF2011-27330 to P.M., SAF2010-15106 to M.L.T and SAF2011-25834 to F.S-M.; grant INDISNET (S2010/BMD-2332) from Comunidad de Madrid and RETICS Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (RD12/0042/0056) from Instituto de Salud Carlos III to P.M and F. S-M; and ERC-2011-AdG294340-GENTRIS to F.S-M. J.R.C. was supported by a CNIC post-doctoral fellowship, R. S-D is funded with a pre-doctoral fellowship from Comunidad de Madrid and E.R.B. and A.M-M. were supported by a FPI pre-doctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The CNIC is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Pro CNIC Foundatio

Maintenance of immune tolerance by Foxp3+ regulatory T cells requires CD69 expression

Although FoxP3+ regulatory T cells are key players in the maintenance of immune tolerance and autoimmunity, the lack of specific markers constitute an obstacle to their use for immunotherapy protocols. In this study, we have investigated the role of the C-type lectin receptor CD69 in the suppressor function of Tregs and maintenance of immune tolerance towards harmless inhaled antigens. We identified a novel FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset capable to maintain immune tolerance and protect to developing inflammation. Although CD69+ and CD69-FoxP3+ Tregs exist in homeostasis, only CD69-expressing Tregs express high levels of CTLA-4, ICOS, CD38 and GITR suppression-associated markers, secrete high amounts of TGFβand have potent suppressor activity. This activity is regulated by STAT5 and ERK signaling pathways and is impaired by antibody-mediated down-regulation of CD69 expression. Moreover, immunotherapy with FoxP3+CD69+ Tregs restores the homeostasis in Cd69-/- mice, that fail to induce tolerance, and is also highly proficient in the prevention of inflammation. The identification of the FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset paves the way toward the development of new therapeutic strategies to control immune homeostasis and autoimmunity.This work was supported by funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: SAF2011-27330 to P.M., SAF2010-15106 to M.L.T and SAF2011-25834 to F.S-M.; grant INDISNET (S2010/BMD-2332) from Comunidad de Madrid and RETICS Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (RD12/0042/0056) from Instituto de Salud Carlos III to P.M and F. S-M; and ERC-2011-AdG294340-GENTRIS to F.S-M. J.R.C. was supported by a CNIC post-doctoral fellowship, R. S-D is funded with a pre-doctoral fellowship from Comunidad de Madrid and E.R.B. and A.M-M. were supported by a FPI pre-doctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The CNIC is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Pro CNIC Foundation.Peer Reviewe

Sfrp1 deficiency makes retinal photoreceptors prone to degeneration

Millions of individuals worldwide suffer from impaired vision, a condition with multiple origins that often impinge upon the light sensing cells of the retina, the photoreceptors, affecting their integrity. The molecular components contributing to this integrity are however not yet fully understood. Here we have asked whether Secreted Frizzled Related Protein 1 (SFRP1) may be one of such factors. SFRP1 has a context-dependent function as modulator of Wnt signalling or of the proteolytic activity of A Disintegrin And Metalloproteases (ADAM) 10, a main regulator of neural cell-cell communication. We report that in Sfrp1^{-/-} mice, the outer limiting membrane (OLM) is discontinuous and the photoreceptors disorganized and more prone to light-induced damage. Sfrp1 loss significantly enhances the effect of the Rpe6^{Leu450Leu} genetic variant -present in the mouse genetic background- which confers sensitivity to light-induced stress. These alterations worsen with age, affect visual function and are associated to an increased proteolysis of Protocadherin 21 (PCDH21), localized at the photoreceptor outer segment, and N-cadherin, an OLM component. We thus propose that SFRP1 contributes to photoreceptor fitness with a mechanism that involves the maintenance of OLM integrity. These conclusions are discussed in view of the broader implication of SFRP1 in neurodegeneration and aging