A Methodological Approach to Determine Sound Response Modalities to Coastal Erosion Processes in Mediterranean Andalusia (Spain)

Human occupation along coastal areas has been greatly increasing in recent decades and, in many places, human activities and infrastructures are threatened by erosion processes that can produce relevant economic and human losses. In order to reduce such impacts and design sound management strategies, which can range from the "no action" to the "protection" option, coastal managers need to know the intrinsic coastal sensitivity and the potential vulnerability and value of land uses. In this paper, in a first step, coastal sensitivity was determined by calculating the following: (i) the spatial distribution at the coast of the wave forcing obtained by using the ERA5 wave dataset and defined as the energy associated with the 50-year return period storm. Two storm conditions were considered, that is, one for the eastern and one for the western parts of the Andalusia Mediterranean coast, respectively, characterized by a height of 8.64-7.86 m and 4.85-4.68 m and (ii) the existence of a buffer zone, namely the dry beach width expressed as a multiple of the 20-year predicted shoreline position that was calculated using a dataset of aerial photographs covering a time span from 1956 to 2016. Coastal sensitivity values were divided into five classes with class 1 indicating the lowest sensitivity (i.e., the presence of a wide buffer zone associated with low wave energy flux values) and class 5 the highest sensitivity (i.e., a narrow buffer zone associated with very high wave energy flux values). In a second step, land uses were obtained from the official Land Use Map of the Andalusia Region, based on the results of the "Coordination of Information on the Environment" (CORINE) European Project. Such uses were divided into five classes from class 1 including natural areas (typologies "A" and "B" of the CORINE Project) to class 5 including very capital land uses (typologies "E1" and "E2"). In a third step, information concerning coastal sensitivity and land uses was crossed to determine the best mitigation strategies to cope with erosion processes. The "no action" option was observed at the westernmost area of Cadiz Province and at some areas from the west coast of Almeria Province, where both coastal sensitivity and land use classes show low values; the "adaptation" option was recorded along more than one half of the coast studied, essentially at natural areas with high sensitivity and at urbanized areas with low sensitivity; and the "protection" option was observed especially at some areas from the center and eastern part of Malaga Province and at the easternmost areas of Almeria Province, where both coastal sensitivity and land use classes presented high values

Tsunami Propagation and Flooding in Sicilian Coastal Areas by Means of a Weakly Dispersive Boussinesq Model

This paper addresses the tsunami propagation and subsequent coastal areas flooding by means of a depth-integrated numerical model. Such an approach is fundamental in order to assess the inundation hazard in coastal areas generated by seismogenic tsunami. In this study we adopted, an interdisciplinary approach, in order to consider the tsunami propagation, relates both to geomorphological characteristics of the coast and the bathymetry. In order to validate the numerical model, comparisons with results of other studies were performed. This manuscript presents first applicative results achieved using the weakly dispersive Boussinesq model in the field of tsunami propagation and coastal inundation. Ionic coast of Sicily (Italy) was chosen as a case study due to its high level of exposure to tsunamis. Indeed, the tsunami could be generated by an earthquake in the external Calabrian arc or in the Hellenic arc, both active seismic zones. Finally, in order to demonstrate the possibility to give indications to local authorities, an inundation map, over a small area, was produced by means of the numerical model

Influenza del clima ondoso e delle mareee sulla posizione della linea di riva: Lido Signorino (Marsala)

La conoscenza della posizione della linea di riva nel tempo è indispensabile per verificare la necessità di opere di difesa e per lo sviluppo di piani di gestione costiera. Essa rappresenta l’intersezione tra la superficie marina e quella terrestre, non è un’entità geometrica fissa, ma varia continuamente a causa del moto ondoso e delle fluttuazioni del livello marino ed è in continuo movimento a causa dei fenomeni di trasporto solido. La maggior difficoltà riscontrata nelle operazioni di rilievo è la determinazione esatta della sua posizione. Risulta pertanto necessaria la comprensione delle caratteristiche del moto ondoso (conoscenza delle mareggiate), dei livelli marini e del profilo trasversale della spiaggia al momento del rilievo. Questo lavoro di ricerca ha come principale obbiettivo l’analisi dell'influenza del clima ondoso e della marea sulla stima della posizione della linea di riva attraverso immagini telerilevate, inoltre viene proposta una nuova metodologia messa a punto su un caso di studio reale. La metodologia proposta ha carattere multi disciplinare, considera infatti, sia aspetti geomorfologici, sia aspetti idraulico marittimi e utilizza strumenti tipici del telerilevamento. Lo studio del clima ondoso è stato condotto a partire dalla mareggiata ordinaria fatta propagare nell'area in studio attraverso un modello di onda spettrale (SWAN: Simulating WAves Nearshore). Inoltre si sono considerate sia le oscillazioni mareali sia la massima altezza raggiunta dall’onda sulla spiaggia emersa (run-up). Il caso in studio ha messo in evidenza gli errori prodotti nella stima della posizione della linea di riva mediante la semplice individuazione della stessa attraverso ortofoto georiferite (1994, 2000, 2006) infatti in tal modo il tracciamento della linea di riva viene eseguito considerando solamente l'interfaccia "asciutto/bagnato". Riportando sulle ortofoto lo spostamento della linea di riva determinato dal clima ondoso associato all’ordinaria mareggiata e riportando anche le massime oscillazioni mareali, si è riscontrato che durante l’intervallo temporale analizzato l’errore aggiuntivo prodotto risulterebbe superiore a 15 m, inficiando l’attendibilità di uno studio diacronico dell'evoluzione della linea di riva

Dune Systems' Characterization and Evolution in the Andalusia Mediterranean Coast (Spain)

This paper deals with the characterization and evolution of dune systems along the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia, in the South of Spain, a first step to assess their relevant value in coastal flood protection and in the determination of sound management strategies to protect such valuable ecological systems. Different dune types were mapped as well as dune toe position and fragmentation, which favors dune sensitivity to storms' impacts, and human occupation and evolution from 1977 to 2001 and from 2001 to 2016. Within a GIS (Geographic Information System) project, 53 dune systems were mapped that summed a total length of ca. 106 km in 1977, differentiating three dune environments: (i) Embryo and mobile dunes (Type I), (ii) grass-fixed dunes (Type II) and (iii) stabilized dunes (Type III). A general decrease in dunes' surfaces was recorded in the 1977-2001 period (-7.5 x 10(6)m(2)), especially in Malaga and Almeria provinces, and linked to dunes' fragmentation and the increase of anthropic occupation (+2.3 x 10(6)m(2)). During the 2001-2016 period, smaller changes in the level of fragmentation and in dunes' surfaces were observed. An increase of dunes' surfaces was only observed on stable or accreting beaches, both in natural and anthropic areas (usually updrift of ports)

ACE gene polymorphism and IgA nephropathy: An ethnically homogeneous study and a meta-analysis

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Ganglion-specific splicing of TRPV1 underlies infrared sensation in vampire bats.

Vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are obligate blood feeders that have evolved specialized systems to suit their sanguinary lifestyle. Chief among such adaptations is the ability to detect infrared radiation as a means of locating hotspots on warm-blooded prey. Among vertebrates, only vampire bats, boas, pythons and pit vipers are capable of detecting infrared radiation. In each case, infrared signals are detected by trigeminal nerve fibres that innervate specialized pit organs on the animal's face. Thus, vampire bats and snakes have taken thermosensation to the extreme by developing specialized systems for detecting infrared radiation. As such, these creatures provide a window into the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying evolutionary tuning of thermoreceptors in a species-specific or cell-type-specific manner. Previously, we have shown that snakes co-opt a non-heat-sensitive channel, vertebrate TRPA1 (transient receptor potential cation channel A1), to produce an infrared detector. Here we show that vampire bats tune a channel that is already heat-sensitive, TRPV1, by lowering its thermal activation threshold to about 30 °C. This is achieved through alternative splicing of TRPV1 transcripts to produce a channel with a truncated carboxy-terminal cytoplasmic domain. These splicing events occur exclusively in trigeminal ganglia, and not in dorsal root ganglia, thereby maintaining a role for TRPV1 as a detector of noxious heat in somatic afferents. This reflects a unique organization of the bat Trpv1 gene that we show to be characteristic of Laurasiatheria mammals (cows, dogs and moles), supporting a close phylogenetic relationship with bats. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism for physiological tuning of thermosensory nerve fibres

Para- and perirenal ultrasonographic fat thickness is associated with 24-hours mean diastolic blood pressure levels in overweight and obese subjects

BACKGROUND: Renal sinus fat (RSF) has been recognized as a risk factor for arterial hypertension. This study was addressed to examine whether also para- and perirenal fat accumulation is associated to higher 24-h mean systolic (SBP) and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels in overweight and obese subjects. METHODS: A cohort of 42 overweight and obese patients, 29 women and 13 men, aged 25-55 years, not treated with any kind of drug, was examined. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), fasting insulin and glucose serum levels, insulin resistance (assessed by using the homeostasis model assessment [HOMAIR]), and 24-h aldosterone urine levels were measured. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was measured with 15 min intervals from 7.0 a.m. to 11.0 a.m. and with 30 min intervals from 23.0 to 7.0 for consecutive 24 h, starting from 8:30 AM. Measurement of para- and perirenal fat thickness was performed by ultrasounds by a duplex Doppler apparatus. RESULTS: Para- and perirenal ultrasonographic fat thickness (PUFT) was significantly and positively correlated with WC (p < 0.01), insulin (p < 0.01), HOMAIR (p < 0.01), and 24-h mean DBP levels (p < 0.05). 24-h mean DBP was also significantly and positively correlated with 24-h aldosterone urine concentrations (p < 0.001). A multivariate analysis by multiple linear regression was performed; the final model showed that the association of 24-h mean DBP as dependent variable with PUFT (multiple R = 0.34; p = 0.026) and daily aldosterone production (multiple R = 0.59; p = 0.001) was independent of other anthropometric, hormone and metabolic parameters. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a positive independent association between PUFT and mean 24-h diastolic blood pressure levels in overweight and obese subjects, suggesting a possible direct role of PUFT in increasing daily diastolic blood pressure