Land Cover Classification and Monitoring through Multisensor Image and Data Combination

Authors in this work aim to present new analysis methods for Earth Observation, developed by processing Sentinel-1 and Landsat-8 satellite data and combining them in an original way. Comparing SAR and Optical/Multispectral data is a procedure already in use because they are two acquisition systems that provide very different and therefore complementary and useful information. Even if the combination of such different data is not a simple process, the overall information greatly improves when both satellite data are jointly used, as application of our procedure to some case studies demonstrates

Landslide change detection and displacement tracking using nanosatellite imagery: La Montagna landslide, southern Italy

Landslides move with spatial and temporal variable velocity. This parameter, being representative of the landslide magnitude, has to be considered in hazard evaluation and mitigation measurement planning, so that it is of dramatic importance to accurately describe landslide kinematics. In the last decade, a new low-cost satellite platform has started acquiring daily data of the earth surface in the form of RGB-NIR images. In this paper, we explore the potential of using these products to make a change detection morphometric analysis and track surface displacement of the actively moving La Montagna landslide in southern Italy, through visual analysis of 12 scenes acquired between October 2018 and March 2019. We validated the reconstructed displacement time series through a comparison with monitoring data acquired using an extensometer. Results from our analysis underline the potential of using satellite imagery characterized by very high revisiting cycle to reconstruct landslide kinematics. © Sapienza Università Editrice

Recombinant probiotics for treatment and prevention of enterotoxigenic escherichia coli diarrhea

Copyright © 2005 American Gastroenterological Association Published by Elsevier Inc.Background & Aims: We have developed a therapeutic strategy for gastrointestinal infections that is based on molecular mimicry of host receptors for bacterial toxins on the surface of harmless gut bacteria. The aim of this study was to apply this to the development of a recombinant probiotic for treatment and prevention of diarrheal disease caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains that produce heat-labile enterotoxin. Methods: This was achieved by expressing glycosyltransferase genes from Neisseria meningitidis or Campylobacter jejuni in a harmless Escherichia coli strain (CWG308), resulting in the production of a chimeric lipopolysaccharide capable of binding heat-labile enterotoxin with high avidity. Results: The strongest heat-labile enterotoxin binding was achieved with a construct (CWG308:pLNT) that expresses a mimic of lacto-N-neotetraose, which neutralized ≥93.8% of the heat-labile enterotoxin activity in culture lysates of diverse enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains of both human and porcine origin. When tested with purified heat-labile enterotoxin, it was capable of adsorbing approximately 5% of its own weight of toxin. Weaker toxin neutralization was achieved with a construct that mimicked the ganglioside GM2. Preabsorption with, or coadministration of, CWG308:pLNT also resulted in significant in vivo protection from heat-labile enterotoxin-induced fluid secretion in rabbit ligated ileal loops. Conclusions: Toxin-binding probiotics such as those described here have considerable potential for prophylaxis and treatment of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli–induced travelers’ diarrhea.Adrienne W. Paton, Michael P. Jennings, Renato Morona, Hui Wang, Antonio Focareta, Louise F. Roddam and James C. Pato

Calculating Economic Flood Damage through Microscale Risk Maps and Data Generalization: A Pilot Study in Southern Italy

In recent decades, floods have caused significant loss of human life as well as interruptions in economic and social activities in affected areas. In order to identify effective flood mitigation measures and to suggest actions to be taken before and during flooding, microscale risk estimation methods are increasingly applied. In this context, an implemented methodology for microscale flood risk evaluation is presented, which considers direct and tangible damage as a function of hydrometric height and allows for quick estimates of the damage level caused by alluvial events. The method has been applied and tested on businesses and residential buildings of the town of Benevento (southern Italy), which has been hit by destructive floods several times in the past; the most recent flooding occurred in October 2015. The simplified methodology tries to overcome the limitation of the original method-the huge amounts of input data-by applying a simplified procedure in defining the data of the physical features of buildings (e.g., the number of floors, typology, and presence of a basement). Data collection for each building feature was initially carried out through careful field surveys (FAM, field analysis method) and subsequently obtained through generalization of data (DGM, data generalization method). The basic method (FAM) allows for estimating in great detail the potential losses for representative building categories in an urban context and involves a higher degree of resolution, but it is time-consuming; the simplified method (DGM) produces a damage value in a shorter time. By comparison, the two criteria show very similar results and minimal differences, making generalized data acquisition most efficient

Sequential Therapy for Helicobacter Pylori Eradication: The Time is Now!

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Multi-temporal maps of the Montaguto earth flow in Southern Italy from 1954 to 2010

Historical movement of the Montaguto earth flow in southern Italy has periodically destroyed residences and farmland, and damaged the Italian National Road SS90 and the Benevento-Foggia National Railway. This paper provides maps from an investigation into the evolution of the Montaguto earth flow from 1954 to 2010. We used aerial photos, topographic maps, LiDAR data, satellite images, and field observations to produce multi-temporal maps. The maps show the spatial and temporal distribution of back-tilted surfaces, flank ridges, and normal, thrust, and strike-slip faults. Springs, creeks, and ponds are also shown on the maps. The maps provide a basis for interpreting how basal and lateral boundary geometries influence earth-flow behavior and surface-water hydrology. © 2013 Journal of Maps