Soil moisture mapping from ASAR imagery for the Flumendosa and Meuse river basins

SP-461 (CD)Soil moisture monitoring and the characterization of the spatial and temporal variability of this hydrologic parameter at scales from small catchments to large river basins continues to receive much attention, reflecting its critical role in subsurface – land surface – atmosphere interactions and its importance to drought analysis, crop yield forecasting, irrigation planning, flood protection, and forest fire prevention. We will describe the objectives and methodologies of an Envisat project that will aim to produce maps of seasonal soil moisture patterns at the regional scale based on ASAR imagery. The work will be carried out for two river basins that have significantly different climatic, geologic, and land use characteristics: the Flumendosa basin in Sardinia (Italy) and the larger Meuse basin that drains a good part of Belgium and the Netherlands as well as portions of France, Germany, and Luxembourg. High resolution ASAR data will be acquired over selected catchment scale test sites within each of these study regions, whereas medium resolution images will be acquired over the entire river basin (or extended region in the case of the smaller basin). A statistical analysis of the information from the processed images at these two different scales will be used to develop an aggregation methodology to generate large scale soil moisture maps. Data assimilation techniques will also be developed for dynamically integrating the high resolution satellite data into catchment scale hydrological simulation models. The work being planned will be placed in the context of recent efforts at validating and applying SAR soil moisture data, which we will briefly review

Implementation of preventive and predictive BRCA testing in patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancer: a position paper of Italian Scientific Societies

Constitutional BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants (PVs) are associated with an increased risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers. Current evidence indicates that BRCA1/2 PVs are also associated with pancreatic cancer, and that BRCA2 PVs are associated with prostate cancer risk. The identification of carriers of constitutional PVs in the BRCA1/2 genes allows the implementation of individual and family prevention pathways, through validated screening programs and risk-reducing strategies. According to the relevant and increasing therapeutic predictive implications, the inclusion of BRCA testing in the routine management of patients with breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancers represent a key requirement to optimize medical or surgical therapeutic and prevention decision-making, and access to specific anticancer therapies. Therefore, accurate patient selection, the use of standardized and harmonized procedures, and adherence to homogeneous testing criteria, are essential elements to implement BRCA testing in clinical practice. This consensus position paper has been developed and approved by a multidisciplinary Expert Panel of 64 professionals on behalf of the AIOM–AIRO–AISP–ANISC–AURO–Fondazione AIOM–SIAPEC/IAP–SIBioC–SICO–SIF–SIGE–SIGU–SIU–SIURO–UROP Italian Scientific Societies, and a patient association (aBRCAdaBRA Onlus). The working group included medical, surgical and radiation oncologists, medical and molecular geneticists, clinical molecular biologists, surgical and molecular pathologists, organ specialists such as gynecologists, gastroenterologists and urologists, and pharmacologists. The manuscript is based on the expert consensus and reports the best available evidence, according to the current eligibility criteria for BRCA testing and counseling, it also harmonizes with current Italian National Guidelines and Clinical Recommendations

Colorectal cancer in old age. Our experience

Two hundred and thirty-three patients treated for colorectal cancer during the period 1976-1991 were divided into three groups (A: 74 yr) in order to perceive possible statistically significant differences in patients older than 75 years. Epidemiological features are similar among the three groups, while a greater diagnostic delay (p = 0.013), a higher incidence of emergency procedures (p = 0.006) and a more advanced AP stage were found in group C. The high anesthesiological risk determined a conservative surgical approach only in 4.1% of patients, while a curative resection was performed on 51% of group C vs 72.7% of group A (p = 0.016). Postoperative complications and mortality for curative resections were 28% and 12% in group C vs 24.6% and 2.9% in group A (p = n.s.); the overall 5 years survival rate was 62.9%, 51.7% and 42.2% in groups A, B, and C. It is concluded that age alone should not be considered as a contraindication to curative surgery for colorectal cancer, for life expectancy and quality are considerably worse in the elderly undergoing derivative surgery

Acute complications of pulmonary hydatidosis. Apropos 44 cases

The authors examine a series of 44 patients with an acute complication of the hydatid disease of the lung. Clinical data, diagnostic features, surgical procedures and short and long term results are compared with those of 80 cases presenting no complications. Acute complication has in many cases a non specific clinical presentation and its evidence can only be found by means of radiology. The basic principles of surgical treatment are the same of the non complicated cysts, even though resection is more often performed (56.8%) since contextual lung and bronchial involvement is frequent. The authors report no significant difference between short- and long-term results in the two series

Telerilevamento a supporto del monitoraggio delle risorse idriche invasate

La Regione Sardegna, così come avviene nel resto del Mediterraneo, è interessata ciclicamente da fenomeni siccitosi importanti. Tra i più critici si ricordano il 1987, 1990, il 2000 fino al 2003 e gli anni recenti 2015-2016. Tali eventi siccitosi hanno portato in alcuni anni ad una riduzione della capacità utile di oltre il 50% superando in alcuni anni anche l’80% , costringendo i gestori a ricorrere alle acque morte. È importante perciò stimare quantitativamente e qualitativamente le risorse invasate (70% su scala nazionale) e monitorarne l’evoluzione nel tempo. Le tecniche di Telerilevamento integrate in ambiente GIS forniscono in questi ambiti ed in particolari condizioni di emergenza idrica un valido supporto per la stima della riduzione dei volumi idrici disponibili in termine di superficie. oltre che dei fenomeni di eutrofizzazione, utilizzando algoritmi oramai messi a punto in campo ottico. I parametri rilevati a terra vengono integrati e validati con quelli rilevati da satellite. Ai fini dello studio, in itinere, è stato utilizzato come area campione l’invaso del Mulargia. I dati da satellite sono stati confrontati con i dati reali acquisiti da Enas (bollettini giornalieri dei volumi disponibili, grado % di riempimento dell’invaso oltre che gli afflussi giornalieri - periodo 2009-2016), e dall’Agenzia di Distretto della Sardegna (ADIS) che predispone nei primi mesi dell’anno nell’ambito del Piano di gestione della crisi idrica tramite indicatori di stato degli invasi che determinano i seguenti puntatori di allerta: il regime ordinario, il livello di vigilanza, il livello di pericolo ed il livello di emergenza. Sono state esaminate 120 immagini Landsat a cavallo degli anni 1984-2016 (Landsat 8, ETM7 e TM 4/5) disponibili gratuitamente sul sito dell’USGS (https://www.usgs.gov) ed importate su QGIS. La scelta delle immagini si è focalizzata sui periodi di massima criticità dei livelli idrici da rapportare a quelli di massimo invaso. Su ogni immagine è stata digitalizzata la superficie idrica utile al fine di rapportarla con quella del massimo invaso e stimarne le riduzioni in kmq ed in percentuale. I risultati sono stati messi a confronto con il grado di riempimento % rilevato dei bollettini giornalieri. Sulle immagini del periodo 2015-2016 sono stai poi testati vari indici disponibili in bibliografia per l’estrazione della superficie idrica; ma si è reso necessario metterne a punto uno nuovo che ha mostrato ottimi indici di correlazione con i dati oggettivi

Il Progetto Sinago. Intervento psicoeducativo individuale.

Il Progetto “Sinago” (dal greco “condurre insieme / “accompagnare”) nasce nel 2010 con l’idea che la presa in carico di adolescenti debba essere in grado di adattarsi alle diverse esigenze emerse negli ultimi anni