Impact of upstream landslide on perialpine lake ecosystem: An assessment using multi-temporal satellite data

Monitoring freshwater and wetland systems and their response to stressors of natural or anthropogenic origin is critical for ecosystem conservation. A multi-temporal set of 87 images, acquired by Sentinel-2 satellites over three years (2016–2018), provided quantitative information for assessing the temporal evolution of key ecosystem variables in the perialpine Lake Mezzola (northern Italy), which has suffered from the impacts of a massive landslide that took place upstream of the lake basin in summer 2017. Sentinel-2 derived products revealed an increase in lake turbidity triggered by the landslide that amounted to twice the average values scored in the years preceding and following the event. Hotspots of turbidity within the lake were in particular highlighted. Moreover, both submerged and riparian vegetation showed harmful impacts due to sediment deposition. A partial loss of submerged macrophyte cover was found, with delayed growth and a possible community shift in favor of species adapted to inorganic substrates. Satellite-derived seasonal dynamics showed that exceptional sediment load can overwrite climatic factors in controlling phenology of riparian reed beds, resulting in two consecutive years with shorter than normal growing season and roughly 20% drop in productivity, according to spectral proxies. Compared to 2016, senescence came earlier by around 20 days on average in 2017 season, and green-up was delayed by up to 50 days (20 days, on average) in 2018, following the landslide. The approach presented could be easily implemented for continuous monitoring of similar ecosystems subject to external pressures with periods of high sediment loads

Hardware prototyping and validation of a W-ΔDOR digital signal processor

Microwave tracking, usually performed by on ground processing of the signals coming from a spacecraft, represents a crucial aspect in every deep-space mission. Various noise sources, including receiver noise, affect these signals, limiting the accuracy of the radiometric measurements obtained from the radio link. There are several methods used for spacecraft tracking, including the Delta-Differential One-Way Ranging (ΔDOR) technique. In the past years, European Space Agency (ESA) missions relied on a narrowband ΔDOR system for navigation in the cruise phase. To limit the adverse effect of nonlinearities in the receiving chain, an innovative wideband approach to ΔDOR measurements has recently been proposed. This work presents the hardware implementation of a new version of the ESA X/Ka Deep Space Transponder based on the new tracking technique named Wideband ΔDOR (W-ΔDOR). The architecture of the new transponder guarantees backward compatibility with narrowband ΔDOR

A case of Incontinentia Pigmenti associated with congenital absence of portal vein system and nodular regenerative hyperplasia

Congenital absence of portal vein system (CAPVS) is a rare condition in which portal perfusion is bypassed by portosystemic shunt leading to the development of portal hypertension (PH) or porto‐systemic encephalopathy (PSE). Visceral anomalies and liver cancer can be associated with CAPVS1.Thanks to the advances in imaging, the number of CAPVS cases detected has increased. Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP) (OMIM #308300) also represents a rare condition, characterized by skin, teeth, hair, nails, eyes and central nervous system alterations, due to mutations of NEMO/IKBKG gene. We report on the first case of IP associated with CAPVS and nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) of the liver, in a patient with facial dysmorphisms and speech delay. Although rare, this finding may support the role of NEMO in liver homeostasis

Trade-off between angular resolution and straylight contamination in CMB anisotropy experiments. II. Straylight evaluation

Satellite CMB anisotropy missions and new generation of balloon-borne and ground experiments, make use of complex multi-frequency instruments at the focus of a meter class telescope. Between 70 GHz and 300 GHz, where foreground contamination is minimum, it is extremely important to reach the best trade-off between the improvement of the angular resolution and the minimization of the straylight contamination mainly due to the Galactic emission. We focus here, as a working case, on the 30 and 100 GHz channels of the Planck Low Frequency Instrument (LFI). We evaluate the GSC introduced by the most relevant Galactic foreground components for a reference set of optical configurations. We show that it is possible to improve the angular resolution of 5-7% by keeping the overall GSC below the level of few microKelvin. A comparison between the level of straylight introduced by the different Galactic components for different beam regions is presented. Simple approximate relations giving the rms and peak-to-peak levels of the GSC are provided. We compare the results obtained at 100 GHz with those at 30 GHz, where GSC is more critical. Finally, we compare the results based on Galactic foreground templates derived from radio and IR surveys with those based on WMAP maps including CMB and extragalactic source fluctuations.Comment: Submitted to A&A. Quality of the figures was degraded for size-related reason

Groundwater flow process in the active volcanic system of Ischia Island (Italy)

The volcanic system of Ischia is characterized by an intense hydrothermal activity, documented since the early 16th century by the study of Iasolino (1588), which represents the first systematic analysis of the thermal springs of the island for therapeutic purposes. Later studies partially contributed to the enhancement of knowledge on the volcanic, hydrogeological and hydrothermal features of the island, highlighting the strong interaction between hydrothermal flowpaths and volcano- tectonic processes. The reconstruction of the interplay between hydrothermal and magmatic system becomes, therefore, a fundamental element for territorial planning, not only in terms of management of the huge water and geothermal resource, but also in a perspective of prevention and mitigation of volcanic risk. Thermal springs, fumaroles and mud deposits give beginning clues about deep hydrothermal conditions. Till now at Ischia, the local geochemical characterization of fluids and groundwater has been used for the definition of the origin and structure of the hydrothermal system as a whole, as the hydrogeological information is incomplete. However, volcanic hydrothermal systems, such as that characterizes the island of Ischia, are particularly difficult to analyze and outline, as the groundwater resources are the result of a complex and dynamic mixing among meteoric water, sea water and deep fluids. In such cases, the need for an interdisciplinary approach is evident, involving knowledge and research methods ranging from geology to volcanology, geophysics, geochemistry and hydrogeology. With particular reference to the functional and structural representation of the geothermal system of the Ischia island and the resulting correlations with the volcano-tectonic processes, the examination of previous information highlights the need to update and improve the knowledge on groundwater hydrodynamics and mineralization processes. Therefore, the present study aims at a strongly interdisciplinary action that, starting from the design and implementation of a database on the existing geological/volcanological and hydrogeological information, will contribute to highlight the critical issues, define an operating scheme of the hydro-geo-thermal system of the island of Ischia, and upgrade its hydrogeological, geochemical and volcanic monitoring system. The preliminary results improved the definition of the hydrogeological complexes and advanced knowledge of the groundwater flow conditions

Groundwater flow characterization and reconstruction of the hydrothermal system of Ischia as a tool for volcanic risk mitigation

The volcanic system of Ischia is characterized by an intense hydrothermal activity, documented since the early 16th century by the study of Iasolino [1588], which represents the first systematic analysis of the thermal springs of the island for therapeutic purposes. Later studies partially contributed to the enhancement of knowledge on the volcanic, hydrogeological and hydrothermal features of the island, highlighting the strong interaction between hydrothermal flowpaths and volcanotectonic processes. The reconstruction of the hydrothermal system becomes, therefore, a fundamental element for territorial planning, not only in terms of management of the huge water and geothermal resource, but also and above all in a perspective of prevention and mitigation of volcanic risk. Thermal springs, fumaroles and clay deposits due to the hydrothermal alteration of volcanic products testifies for the existence of an active deep hydrothermal system. However at Ischia the geochemical characterization of fluids and groundwater, performed through sampling and analysis of a discrete number of scattered springs, wells and fumaroles, has been used for the definition of the origin and structure of hydrothermal systems as a whole, as the hydrogeological information is incomplete. Moreover, volcanic hydrothermal systems, such as that characterizes the island of Ischia, are particularly difficult to analyze and outline, as the groundwater resources are the result of an articulated and dynamic interaction among meteoric water, sea water and fluids of deep origin. In such cases, the need for an interdisciplinary approach is evident, involving knowledge and research methods ranging from geology to volcanology, geophysics, geochemistry, mineralogy and hydrogeology. With particular reference to the functional and structural representation of the geothermal system of the island of Ischia and the resulting correlations with the volcanotectonic processes, the examination of previous information highlights the need to update and improve the knowledge on groundwater hydrodynamics and mineralization processes. Therefore, the present work represents a strong interdisciplinary action that, starting from the design and implementation of a database on the existing geological/volcanological and hydrogeological information, contributes to highlight the critical issues, define an operating scheme of the hydrogeothermal system of the island of Ischia, and upgrade its hydrogeological, geochemical and volcanic monitoring system, in order to contribute to the mitigation of volcanic and related risks. The knowledge of groundwater dynamics and pathways, in fact, is of fundamental importance for understanding the water/magma interaction processes in case of realimentation of the shallow magmatic system, and the assessment of the possibility of phreatic explosions occurrence. Moreover, the knowledge of the thermal fluids’ circulation and the related rock alteration processes is of paramount importance in the definition of the mechanic characteristics of rock masses and their proneness to failure

Influence of Tap Water Quality and Household Water Use Activities on Indoor Air and Internal Dose Levels of Trihalomethanes

Individual exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) in tap water can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or dermal exposure. Studies indicate that activities associated with inhaled or dermal exposure routes result in a greater increase in blood THM concentration than does ingestion. We measured blood and exhaled air concentrations of THM as biomarkers of exposure to participants conducting 14 common household water use activities, including ingestion of hot and cold tap water beverages, showering, clothes washing, hand washing, bathing, dish washing, and indirect shower exposure. We conducted our study at a single residence in each of two water utility service areas, one with relatively high and the other low total THM in the residence tap water. To maintain a consistent exposure environment for seven participants, we controlled water use activities, exposure time, air exchange, water flow and temperature, and nonstudy THM sources to the indoor air. We collected reference samples for water supply and air (pre–water use activity), as well as tap water and ambient air samples. We collected blood samples before and after each activity and exhaled breath samples at baseline and postactivity. All hot water use activities yielded a 2-fold increase in blood or breath THM concentrations for at least one individual. The greatest observed increase in blood and exhaled breath THM concentration in any participant was due to showering (direct and indirect), bathing, and hand dishwashing. Average increase in blood THM concentration ranged from 57 to 358 pg/mL due to these activities. More research is needed to determine whether acute and frequent exposures to THM at these concentrations have public health implications. Further research is also needed in designing epidemiologic studies that minimize data collection burden yet maximize accuracy in classification of dermal and inhalation THM exposure during hot water use activities

The impact of puberty on the onset, frequency, location, and severity of attacks in hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency: A survey from the Italian Network for Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema (ITACA)

Introduction. Hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency is influenced by hormonal factors, with a more severe course of disease in women. Our study aims to deepen the impact of puberty on onset, frequency, location and severity of attacks.MethodsRetrospective data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and shared by 10 Italian reference centers of the Italian Network for Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema (ITACA).ResultsThe proportion of symptomatic patients increased significantly after puberty (98.2% vs 83.9%, p=0.002 in males; 96.3% vs 68,4%, p<0.001 in females); the monthly mean of acute attacks was significantly higher after puberty, and this occurred both in females (median (IQR) = 0.41(2) in the three years before puberty vs 2(2.17) in the three years after, p<0.001) and in males (1(1.92) vs 1.25(1.56) respectively, p<0.001). The increase was greater in females. No significant differences were detected in attack location before and after puberty.DiscussionOverall, our study confirms previous reports on a more severe phenotype in the female gender. Puberty predisposes to increased numbers of angioedema attacks, in particular in female patients

The pre-launch Planck Sky Model: a model of sky emission at submillimetre to centimetre wavelengths

We present the Planck Sky Model (PSM), a parametric model for the generation of all-sky, few arcminute resolution maps of sky emission at submillimetre to centimetre wavelengths, in both intensity and polarisation. Several options are implemented to model the cosmic microwave background, Galactic diffuse emission (synchrotron, free-free, thermal and spinning dust, CO lines), Galactic H-II regions, extragalactic radio sources, dusty galaxies, and thermal and kinetic Sunyaev-Zeldovich signals from clusters of galaxies. Each component is simulated by means of educated interpolations/extrapolations of data sets available at the time of the launch of the Planck mission, complemented by state-of-the-art models of the emission. Distinctive features of the simulations are: spatially varying spectral properties of synchrotron and dust; different spectral parameters for each point source; modeling of the clustering properties of extragalactic sources and of the power spectrum of fluctuations in the cosmic infrared background. The PSM enables the production of random realizations of the sky emission, constrained to match observational data within their uncertainties, and is implemented in a software package that is regularly updated with incoming information from observations. The model is expected to serve as a useful tool for optimizing planned microwave and sub-millimetre surveys and to test data processing and analysis pipelines. It is, in particular, used for the development and validation of data analysis pipelines within the planck collaboration. A version of the software that can be used for simulating the observations for a variety of experiments is made available on a dedicated website.Comment: 35 pages, 31 figure