A mixed quantitative approach to evaluate rockfall risk and the maximum allowable traffic on road infrastructure

Rockfall events constitute one of the most dangerous phenomena in mountainous areas, which can affect transportation routes. In a risk mitigation perspective, the quantification of the risk for pedestrians and vehicles represents a crucial aspect for authorities. A method tailored to these elements at risk is herein presented. The proposed method is based on a mixed formulation of the Quantitative Risk Assessment and the Event Tree Analysis approaches. According to these procedures, an accurate evaluation of the annual probability of adverse outcomes can be computed considering all the scenarios which can lead to a fatality or to an injury. Vice versa, the method lets to evaluate the allowable traffic condition, given an acceptable threshold for the risk. Furthermore, it serves to quantify the risk reduction in case of installed passive mitigation measures and, thus, to plan the priority of intervention works. An application on a study case in the Italian Alps illustrates the potentialities of the methodology

Integration of satellite interferometric data in civil protection strategies for landslide studies at a regional scale

Multi-Temporal Satellite Interferometry (MTInSAR) is gradually evolving from being a tool developed by the scientific community exclusively for research purposes to a real operational technique that can meet the needs of different users involved in geohazard mitigation. This work aims at showing the innovative operational use of satellite radar interferometric products in Civil Protection Authority (CPA) practices for monitoring slow-moving landslides. We present the example of the successful ongoing monitoring system in the Valle D’Aosta Region (VAR-Northern Italy). This system exploits well-combined MTInSAR products and ground-based instruments for landslide management and mitigation strategies over the whole regional territory. Due to the critical intrinsic constraints of MTInSAR data, a robust regional satellite monitoring integrated into CPA practices requires the support of both in situ measurements and remotely sensed systems to guarantee the completeness and reliability of information. The monitoring network comprises three levels of analysis: Knowledge monitoring, Control monitoring, and Emergency monitoring. At the first monitoring level, MTInSAR data are used for the preliminary evaluation of the deformation scenario at a regional scale. At the second monitoring level, MTInSAR products support the prompt detection of trend variations of radar benchmarks displacements with bi-weekly temporal frequency to identify active critical situations where follow-up studies must be carried out. In the third monitoring level, MTInSAR data integrated with ground-based data are exploited to confirm active slow-moving deformations detected by on-site instruments. At this level, MTInSAR data are also used to carry out back analysis that cannot be performed by any other tool. From the example of the Valle D’Aosta Region integrated monitoring network, which is one of the few examples of this kind around Europe, it is evident that MTInSAR provides a great opportunity to improve monitoring capabilities within CPA activities

Brief Communication: On the rapid and efficient monitoring results dissemination in landslide emergency scenarios: the Mont de La Saxe case study

Abstract. Straightforward communication of monitoring results is of major importance in emergency scenarios relevant to large slope instabilities. Here we describe the communication strategy developed for the Mont de La Saxe rockslide threatening La Palud and Entrèves hamlets in the Courmayeur municipality (Aosta Valley, Italy). Starting from the definition of actions and needs of the landslide management team, including scientists, technicians, civil protection operators, decision makers, and politicians, we show that sharing and disseminating ad hoc information simplifies the understanding of the landslide evolution, as well as the correct communication of the level of criticality

A microspectroscopic study of the electronic homogeneity of ordered and disordered Sr2FeMoO6

Besides a drastic reduction in saturation magnetization of disordered Sr2FeMoO6 compared to highly ordered samples, magnetizations as a function of the temperature for different disordered samples may also show qualitatively different behaviors. We investigate the origin of such diversity by performing spatially resolved photoemission spectroscopy on various disordered samples. Our results establish that extensive electronic inhomogeneity, arising most probably from an underlying chemical inhomogeneity in disordered samples is responsible for the observed magnetic inhomogeneity. It is further pointed out that these inhomogeneities are connected with composition fluctuations of the type Sr2Fe1+xMo1-xO6 with Fe-rich (x>0) and Mo-rich (x<0) regions.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Satellite interferometric data for landslide intensity evaluation in mountainous regions

Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MTInSAR) data offer a valuable support to landslide mapping and to landslide activity estimation in mountain environments, where in situ measures are sometimes difficult to gather. Nowadays, the interferometric approach is more and more used for wide-areas analysis, providing useful information for risk management actors but at the same time requiring a lot of efforts to correctly interpret what satellite data are telling us. In this context, hot-spot-like analyses that select and highlight the fastest moving areas in a region of interest, are a good operative solution for reducing the time needed to inspect a whole interferometric dataset composed by thousands or millions of points. In this work, we go beyond the concept of MTInSAR data as simple mapping tools by proposing an approach whose final goal is the quantification of the potential loss experienced by an element at risk hit by a potential landslide. To do so, it is mandatory to evaluate landslide intensity. Here, we estimate intensity using Active Deformation Areas (ADA) extracted from Sentinel-1 MTInSAR data. Depending on the localization of each ADA with respect to the urban areas, intensity is derived in two different ways. Once exposure and vulnerability of the elements at risk are estimated, the potential loss due to a landslide of a given intensity is calculated. We tested our methodology in the Eastern Valle d'Aosta (north-western Italy), along four lateral valleys of the Dora Baltea Valley. This territory is characterized by steep slopes and by numerous active and dormant landslides. The goal of this work is to develop a regional scale methodology based on satellite radar interferometry to assess the potential impact of landslides on the urban fabric

Indication to pelvic lymph nodes dissection for prostate cancer: the role of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging when the risk of lymph nodes invasion according to Briganti updated nomogram is &lt;5

Background: The Briganti updated nomogram (BN) is the most popular predictive model aiming to predict the presence of lymph node invasion (LNI) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa), but it lacks information obtained by preoperative imaging. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the role of multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) in the indication to perform pelvic lymph nodes dissection (PLND) or not in patients with risk of LNI according to BN below 5%. Methods: Since March 2012 and September 2016, 310 patients who underwent a preoperative mp-MRI for staging purpose and subsequent robot-assisted extended PLND (RAEPLND) were retrospectively evaluated. Mp-MRIs were prospectively analyzed by two experienced radiologists. The imaging parameters analyzed were the presence of extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicles invasion (SVI) and predominant Gleason pattern 4 (pG4). All patients underwent RAEPLND by two experienced surgeons with a standardized technique. A dedicated uropathologist performed all pathological analysis. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used in order to identify the predictors of LNI in patients with PCa. Results: In the overall population, 57 (18.4%) patients had histologically proven pN1 disease. 48/250 patients (19.2%) with a risk of LNI â¥5% as calculated by the BN were staged pN1 at final histopathological analysis. 9/60 patients (15.0%) with a risk of LNI <5% as calculated by BN, who underwent RAEPLND anyway according to the findings at mp-MRI, were staged pN1 at final histopathological analysis. At multivariate logistic regression analysis, all the three mp-MRI parameters were significant independent predictors of LNI after RAEPLND. Conclusions: The role of mp-MRI seemed to be crucial in patients with a risk of LNI <5% as calculated by the BN. The presence of ECE, SVI, or pG4 at mp-MRI was found to be an independent predictor of LNI by itself

Modulating MIOX2 expression in Nicotiana tabacum and impacts on genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis

Cell walls are essential structures for plant development and growth. Apart from its biological functions, the polysaccharides that make cell walls (cellulose, hemicellulose and pectins) are the principal natural fibrous materials, considered the most important renewable resource on earth, used as raw material for many industrial processes among them, for pulp and paper production, charcoal, and biofuels. For all these reasons, the study of molecular composition and biosynthesis of plant cell walls has been a matter of great interest for researchers over the past few years. In this context, a full-length cDNA fragment of Miox2 gene was cloned from Arabidopsis seedlings, using RT-PCR, with an open reading frame of 954 pb and a corresponding protein subunit molecular mass of 37 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed a high degree of homology with myo-Inosytol oxygenases from other organisms. This cDNA was used for genetic transformation of model plants (tobacco), which expressed either antisense or sense RNA. Transgenic homozygous tobacco model plants with either repression or constitutively expressed Miox2 were obtained with the number of copies varying from 1 to 7. Neither, the repression of the endogenous tobacco Miox genes or the constitutive expression of Miox2 gene, caused major impact on plant development, leaf morphology or flowering time. There was however, statistically significant (P<0.05) changes in the arabinan and D-galacturonate contents. These results clearly indicate that the modulation of the myo-Inositol pathway caused no major impact on cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis.As paredes celulares vegetais são estruturas essenciais para o crescimento e desenvolvimento das plantas. Além de suas diversas funções biológicas, os componentes polissacarídicos constituintes das paredes celulares (celulose, hemiceluloses e pectinas) são de vital importância como fonte natural de fibras, sendo consideradas as fontes principais de recursos renováveis do planeta, utilizados como matéria prima para diversos processos industriais, dentre eles, a produção de papel e celulose, carvão vegetal e biocombustíveis. Todos esses fatores têm despertado grande interesse no estudo da composição e biossíntese das paredes celulares. Neste contexto, um fragmento de cDNA do gene Miox2 foi clonado de plântulas de Arabidopsis, via RT-PCR, com uma região aberta de leitura de 954 pb e sua proteína com massa molecular de 37kDa. A sequência deduzida de aminoácidos do cDNA apresentou alto grau de identidade com mio-Inositol oxigenases de outros organismos. Este cDNA foi usado para transformação genética de plantas modelo (tabaco) que produziram RNA antisense ou sense. Plantas de tabaco homozigotas para o transgene com repressão ou expressão constitutiva do gene Miox2 foram obtidas com um número de cópias do transgene, variando de 1 a 7. A repressão do gene Miox de tabaco endógeno assim como a expressão constitutiva do gene Miox2 de Arabidopsis não causaram alterações no desenvolvimento, morfologia foliar ou tempo de florescimento das plantas. Entretanto, alterações estatisticamente significativas (P<0.05) ocorreram no conteúdo de arabinana e de D-galacturonato. Estes resultados indicam que a modulação do metabolismo do mio-Inositol não causou grandes impactos na biossíntese dos polissacarídeos da parede celular.Fil: Defávari Nascimento, D.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Conti, Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Labate, Mônica T. V.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Gutmanis, Gunta. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Bertolo, Ana L. F.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: de Andrade, Alexander. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Bragatto, Juliano. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Pagotto, Luís Otávio. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Damin, Plínio. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Moon, David H.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; BrasilFil: Labate, Carlos A.. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz; Brasi