how far are we from the use of satellite rainfall products in landslide forecasting

Abstract Satellite rainfall products have been available for many years (since '90) with an increasing spatial/temporal resolution and accuracy. Their global scale coverage and near real-time products perfectly fit the need of an early warning landslide system. Notwithstanding these characteristics, the number of studies employing satellite rainfall estimates for predicting landslide events is quite limited. In this study, we propose a procedure that allows us to evaluate the capability of different rainfall products to forecast the spatial-temporal occurrence of rainfall-induced landslides using rainfall thresholds. Specifically, the assessment is carried out in terms of skill scores, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The procedure is applied to ground observations and four different satellite rainfall estimates: 1) the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis, TMPA, real time product (3B42-RT), 2) the SM2RASC product obtained from the application of SM2RAIN algorithm to the Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) derived satellite soil moisture (SM) data, 3) the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Network (PERSIANN), and 4) the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Morphing Technique (CMORPH). As case study, we consider the Italian territory for which a catalogue listing 1414 rainfall-induced landslides in the period 2008–2014 is available. Results show that satellite products underestimate rainfall with respect to ground observations. However, by adjusting the rainfall thresholds, satellite products are able to identify landslide occurrence, even though with less accuracy than ground-based rainfall observations. Among the four satellite rainfall products, CMORPH and SM2RASC are performing the best, even though differences are small. This result is to be attributed to the high spatial/temporal resolution of CMORPH, and the good accuracy of SM2RSC. Overall, we believe that satellite rainfall estimates might be an important additional data source for developing continental or global landslide warning systems

Defective metabolic programming impairs early neuronal morphogenesis in neural cultures and an organoid model of Leigh syndrome

Leigh syndrome (LS) is a severe manifestation of mitochondrial disease in children and is currently incurable. The lack of effective models hampers our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the neuronal pathology of LS. Using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and CRISPR/Cas9 engineering, we developed a human model of LS caused by mutations in the complex IV assembly gene SURF1. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and multi-omics analysis revealed compromised neuronal morphogenesis in mutant neural cultures and brain organoids. The defects emerged at the level of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), which retained a glycolytic proliferative state that failed to instruct neuronal morphogenesis. LS NPCs carrying mutations in the complex I gene NDUFS4 recapitulated morphogenesis defects. SURF1 gene augmentation and PGC1A induction via bezafibrate treatment supported the metabolic programming of LS NPCs, leading to restored neuronal morphogenesis. Our findings provide mechanistic insights and suggest potential interventional strategies for a rare mitochondrial disease

Observation of a first ντ\nu_\tau candidate in the OPERA experiment in the CNGS beam

The OPERA neutrino detector in the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) has been designed to perform the first detection of neutrino oscillations in direct appearance mode through the study of the $\nu_\mu\rightarrow\nu_\tau$ channel. The hybrid apparatus consists of an emulsion/lead target complemented by electronic detectors and it is placed in the high energy long-baseline CERN to LNGS beam (CNGS) 730 km away from the neutrino source. Runs with CNGS neutrinos were successfully carried out in 2008 and 2009. After a brief description of the beam, the experimental setup and the procedures used for the analysis of the neutrino events, we describe the topology and kinematics of a first candidate $\nu_\tau$ charged-current event satisfying the kinematical selection criteria. The background calculations and their cross-check are explained in detail and the significance of the event is assessed.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure

Truncating SRCAP variants outside the Floating-Harbor syndrome locus cause a distinct neurodevelopmental disorder with a specific DNA methylation signature

Truncating variants in exons 33 and 34 of the SNF2-related CREBBP activator protein (SRCAP) gene cause the neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) Floating-Harbor syndrome (FLHS), characterized by short stature, speech delay, and facial dysmorphism. Here, we present a cohort of 33 individuals with clinical features distinct from FLHS and truncating (mostly de novo) SRCAP variants either proximal (n = 28) or distal (n = 5) to the FLHS locus. Detailed clinical characterization of the proximal SRCAP individuals identified shared characteristics: developmental delay with or without intellectual disability, behavioral and psychiatric problems, non-specific facial features, musculoskeletal issues, and hypotonia. Because FLHS is known to be associated with a unique set of DNA methylation (DNAm) changes in blood, a DNAm signature, we investigated whether there was a distinct signature associated with our affected individuals. A machine-learning model, based on the FLHS DNAm signature, negatively classified all our tested subjects. Comparing proximal variants with typically developing controls, we identified a DNAm signature distinct from the FLHS signature. Based on the DNAm and clinical data, we refer to the condition as "non-FLHS SRCAP-related NDD.'' All five distal variants classified negatively using the FLHS DNAm model while two classified positively using the proximal model. This suggests divergent pathogenicity of these variants, though clinically the distal group presented with NDD, similar to the proximal SRCAP group. In summary, for SRCAP, there is a clear relationship between variant location, DNAm profile, and clinical phenotype. These results highlight the power of combined epigenetic, molecular, and clinical studies to identify and characterize genotype-epigenotype-phenotype correlations.Genetics of disease, diagnosis and treatmen

Emerging CO2 capture systems

In 2005, the IPCC SRCCS recognized the large potential for developing and scaling up a wide range of emerging CO2 capture technologies that promised to deliver lower energy penalties and cost. These included new energy conversion technologies such as chemical looping and novel capture systems based on the use of solid sorbents or membrane-based separation systems. In the last 10 years, a substantial body of scientific and technical literature on these topics has been produced from a large number of R&D projects worldwide, trying to demonstrate these concepts at increasing pilot scales, test and model the performance of key components at bench scale, investigate and develop improved functional materials, optimize the full process schemes with a view to a wide range of industrial applications, and to carry out more rigorous cost studies etc. This paper presents a general and critical review of the state of the art of these emerging CO2 capture technologies paying special attention to specific process routes that have undergone a substantial increase in technical readiness level toward the large scales required by any CO2 capture system

Immunohistochemical investigation on canine meningiomas

Immunohistochemical staining patterns were studied in brain and spinal cord meningiomas of the dog. Nineteen archived cases were selected and classified according WHO classification (Koestner et al. 1999). They included five transitional, five meningothelial, two fibroblastic, two angiomatous and five anaplastic meningiomas. To differentiate meningioma from other central nervous system tumors a panel of immunohistochemical markers (vimentin, S100, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Pancytokeratin, AE1/AE3 cytokeratin) were checked. Moreover, E-cadherin and beta-catenin expressions were investigated in order to identify the role they eventually play in meningioma\u2019s morphogenesis. In all cases, vimentin labelling was strong and was detected in 100% of neoplastic cells. S100 expression was detected in 2 out of 19 cases (meningothelial and anaplastic type), showing to be mild and focal. GFAP, Pancytokeratin and AE1/AE3 cytokeratin were negative in all cases under study. E-cadherin was expressed in 3 out of 19 cases as focal, granular, cytoplasmic/membranous positivity. Whorl figures were E-cadherin positive in one transitional meningioma, one meningothelial and one anaplastic hystotypes, while neoplastic cells were negative in both the fibroblastic and angiomatous morphotype. Beta-catenin was not expressed. E-cadherin expression reflected the presence of homotypic interactions of neoplastic cells in the meningothelial as well as transitional hystotypes

Espressione immunoistochimica di caderina-E e beta-catenina nel meningioma del cane

I meningiomi derivano dalla proliferazione neoplastica dei villi aracnoidei della leptomeninge aracnoide e sono i tumori primitivi più frequenti del sistema nervoso centrale del cane. L’esistenza di numerosi istotipi è dovuta alla loro origine mista, sia mesodermica che neuroectodermica. A causa di questa molteplicità di istotipi la diagnosi risulta talvolta difficile, rendendo necessario l’utilizzo di marcatori immunoistochimici. Scopo del presente lavoro è di testare l’espressione della Caderina E e della beta-catenina, molecole di adesione epiteliale, per considerare il loro eventuale ruolo nella morfogenesi di questi tumori, in associazione ad un pannello di anticorpi già in uso nella diagnosi di meningioma. Un pannello immunoistochimico comprendente vimentina, proteina S-100, Proteina Gliale Fibrillare Acida, pancitocheratine, Caderina E e beta-catenina è stato applicato a 18 meningiomi canini. Tutti i meningiomi mostrano una forte e diffusa positività per la vimentina, 2 su 18 sono debolmente e focalmente positivi all’S-100, 3 su 18 mostrano una positività eterogenea alla Caderina E. La Proteina Gliale Fibrillare Acida, le pancitocheratine e la beta-catenina non sono espressi dalle cellule neoplastiche. La forte e diffusa positività alla vimentina conferma la diagnosi di meningioma, l’immunoreattività per S-100 è stata scarsa e lieve e non è da considerarsi utile nell’iter diagnostico. L’espressione della Caderina E in 3 differenti istotipi, in particolare in corrispondenza delle tipiche formazioni a vortice, suggerisce un possibile ruolo di questa molecola nell’architettura strutturale di questi tumori. Saranno necessarie ulteriori indagini per verificare il reale significato di una tale espressione nel meningioma di cane

The influence of the galactic magnetic field on the age of cosmic ray protons

Published by SIS-Pubblicazioni - Laboratori Nazionali di FrascatiConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7 Rome / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Computed age of cosmic ray protons in the local zone of the galactic disk= and its dependence on the magnetic field

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale -. P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal