Earthquake‐induced landslide scenarios for seismic microzonation. Application to the Accumoli area (Rieti, Italy)

Scenarios of earthquake-induced landslides are necessary for seismic microzonation (SM) studies since they must be integrated with the mapping of instability areas. The PARSIFAL (Probabilistic Approach to pRovide Scenarios of earthquake‐Induced slope FAiLures) approach provides extensive analyses, over tens to thousands of square kilometers, and is designed as a fully comprehensive methodology to output expected scenarios which depend on seismic input and saturation conditions. This allows to attribute a rating, in terms of severity level, to the landslide-prone slope areas in view of future engineering studies and designs. PARSIFAL takes into account first-time rock- and earth-slides as well as re-activations of existing landslides performing slope stability analyses of different failure mechanisms. The results consist of mapping earthquake-induced landslide scenarios in terms of exceedance probability of critical threshold values of co-seismic displacements (P[D≥Dc|a(t),ay]). PARSIFAL was applied in the framework of level 3 SM studies over the municipality area of Accumoli (Rieti, Italy), strongly struck by the 2016 seismic sequence of Central Apennines. The use of the PARSIFAL was tested for the first time to screen the Susceptibility Zones (ZSFR) from the Attention Zones (ZAFR) in the category of the unstable areas, according to the guidelines by Italian Civil Protection. The results obtained were in a GIS-based mapping representing the possibility for a landslide to be induced by an earthquake (with a return period of 475 years) in three different saturation scenarios (i.e. dry, average, full). Only 41% of the landslide-prone areas in the Municipality of Accumoli are existing events, while the remaining 59% is characterized by first-time earth- or rock-slides. In dry conditions, unstable conditions or P[D≥Dc|a(t),ay]>0 were for 54% of existing landslides, 17% of first-time rock-slides and 1% of first-time earth- slides. In full saturation conditions, the findings are much more severe since unstable conditions or P[D≥Dc|a(t),ay]>0 were found for 58% of the existing landslides and for more than 80% of first-time rock- and earth-slides. Moreover, comparison of the total area of the ZAFR versus ZSFR, resulted in PARSIFAL screening reducing of 22% of the mapped ZAFR

Phase evolution during Conventional and Flash Sintering of hydroxyapatite-zirconia composite using in-situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction

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Microstructural evolution of 3YSZ flash sintered with current ramp control

Ceramics sintered by Flash Sintering (FS), sometimes have heterogeneity in their microstructure. Among the possible causes of this problem, the formation of hotspots is probably the principal issue observed in flash sintering. The hotspots are formed due to the heterogeneity of the resistance of current passing in the green sample. In this way, in the flash phenomenon, the current finds preferential paths, carrying on non-uniform thermal runaway. In this work, we observed that one way of reversing this problem was gradually increasing the electric current density at FS. For this, 3YSZ was shaped in cylindrical form (5 mm height and 6 mm diameter) and flash sintered, at a tubular setup proposed before1, under the application of an AC electric field of 120 V/cm (RMS basis) applied from the beginning of the furnace heating. Three different electric current density ramps were studied: 0.012, 0.024 and 0.048 A.s-1, named as Z1, Z2 and Z3 respectively, until they reached the maximum value of 100 mA.mm-2 (the moment the power supply was turned off). For comparison purposes, conventional FS (Z0) was performed using the same electrical parameters. The electric source, in this case, remained on after reaching 100 mA.mm-2 for 142 s (time calculated to reach the same total energy supplied by the electrical source of samples Z1). After sintering, the apparent densities of the samples were measured according to the Archimedes principle. For analysis of the microstructure, the samples were cut radially and three regions of each sample were observed in SEM: center, right and left surfaces. The grain size distribution was made for each region using ImageJ software. The apparent density of samples sintered by FS was 94 % (Z0) and samples with electrical current ramp were 93 %, 92 % and 87 % for Z1, Z2 and Z3, respectively. The apparent density is proportional to the total energy supplied to the sample (energy provided by the power supply and thermal energy provided by the furnace). Thus, the density of Z0 was expected to be close to the density of Z1. As samples Z2 and Z3 had more abrupt ramps, the energy supplied was lower, which resulted in lower apparent density. The grain size distribution indicates that the mean grain size between the three different regions did not present statistically significant differences (ANOVA test) for the same sample. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Authentication and discrimination of new Brazilian Canephora coffees with geographical indication using a miniaturized near-infrared spectrometer.

New Brazilian Canephora coffees (Conilon and Robusta) of high added value from specific origins have been protected by geographical indication to guarantee their origin and quality. Recently, benchtop near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics has demonstrated its usefulness to discriminate them. It was the first study, however, and therefore the possibility exists to develop a new portable NIR method for this purpose. This work assessed a miniaturized NIR as a cheaper spectrometer to discriminate and authenticate new Brazilian Canephora coffees with certified geographical origins and to differentiate them from specialty Arabica. Discriminant chemometric and class modeling techniques have been applied and have obtained good predictive ability on external test sets. In addition, models with similar classification purpose were compared with those obtained in previous research carried out with benchtop NIR for the same samples, obtaining comparable results. In this context, the portable method was used as a laboratory technique and has the advantage of being cheaper than benchtop NIR spectrometer. Furthermore, it brings a high possibility to be implemented in small coffee cooperatives, industries or control agencies in the future that do not have high economic resources

123I-Interleukin-2 scintigraphy for the in vivo assessment of intestinal mononuclear cell infiltration in Chron's disease

Activated mononuclear cells expressing interleukin-2 (IL2) receptors (IL2-Rs) heavily infiltrate the Crohn’s disease (CD) gut wall. A new technique for the in vivo detection of tissue infiltrating IL2-R positive (IL2R1ve) cells was developed based on 123I-IL2 scintigraphy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether 123I-IL2 accumulates in the CD gut wall in different phases of the disease and to evaluate the specificity of 123I-IL2 binding to activated IL2R1ve cells infiltrating the gut wall. Methods: Fifteen patients with ileal CD (10 active and 5 inactive) and 10 healthy volunteers were studied by 123I-IL2 scintigraphy. Six patients with active CD were studied before and after 12 wk of steroid treatment. After scintigraphy, patients were followed up for 29–54 mo. Ex vivo autoradiography was performed to determine specificity of 125IIL2 binding to IL2R1ve cells. For bowel scintigraphy, 123I-IL2 (75 MBq) was injected intravenously and g camera images were acquired after 1 h. Bowel radioactivity was quantified in 64 regions of interest (ROIs). Results: Autoradiography showed specific binding of 125I-IL2 to IL2R1ve mononuclear cells infiltrating the CD gut wall. Intestinal 123I-IL2 uptake assessed by the number of positive ROIs was higher in patients with active or inactive CD than in healthy volunteers (P , 0.0001 andP 5 0.03, respectively) and positively correlated with the CD activity index (P 5 0.01). 123I-IL2 intestinal uptake significantly decreased in patients with CD in steroid-induced remission (P 5 0.03). A significant correlation was observed between the number of positive ROIs and time to disease relapse. Conclusion: 123I-IL2 accumulates in the diseased CD gut wall by specific binding to IL2R1ve cells, infiltrating the involved tissues. 123I-IL2 scintigraphy may be an objective tool for the in vivo assessment of intestinal activated mononuclear cell infiltration

Time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) and chemometrics for determination of fat content in commercial products of milk powder.

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Ileal lesions in patients with ulcerative colitis after ileo-rectal anastomosis: Relationship with colonic metaplasia

Aim: To assess whether in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with ileo-rectal anastomosis (IRA), ileal lesions may develop in the neo-terminal-ileum and their possible relation with phenotypic changes towards colonic epithelium. Methods: A total of 19 patients with IRA under regular follow up were enrolled, including 11 UC and 8 controls (6 Crohn's disease, CD; 1 familial adenomatous polyposis, FAP; 1 colon cancer, colon K). Ileal lesions were identified by ileoscopy with biopsies taken from the ileum (involved and uninvolved) and from the rectal stump. Staining included HE and immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against colonic epithelial protein CEP (Das-1) and human tropomyosin isoform 5, hTM5 (CG3). Possible relation between development of colonic metaplasia and ileal lesions was investigated. Results: Stenosing adenocarcinoma of the rectal stump was detected in 1 UC patient. The neo-terminal ileum was therefore investigated in 10/11 UC patients. Ileal ulcers were detected in 7/10 UC, associated with colonic metaplasia in 4/7 (57.1%) and Das-1 and CG3 reactivity in 3/4 UC. In controls, recurrence occurred in 4/6 CD, associated with colonic metaplasia in 3/4 and reactivity with Das-1 and CG3 in 2/3. Conclusion: Present findings suggest that in UC, ileal lesions associated with changes towards colonic epithelium may develop also after IRA. Changes of the ileal content after colectomy may contribute to the development of colonic metaplasia, leading to ileal lesions both in the pouch and in the neo-terminal ileum after IRA

Wireless capsule endoscopy and proximal small bowel lesions in Crohn's disease

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of proximal small bowel (SB) lesions detected by wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) in Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: WCE was performed in 64 patients: 32 with CD of the distal ileum, and 32 controls with iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) or diarrhea. WCE was performed using the Given SB-WCE, followed by small intestine contrast ultrasonography (SICUS). Findings compatible with CD by using WCE included erosions, aphthoid or deep ulcers, and strictures/stenosis. RESULTS: WCE detected proximal SB lesions in 16/32 (50%) patients (14 aphthoid ulcers, 2 deep ulcers, one stricture), which appeared not to be related to clinical parameters [epigastric pain, age, smoking, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), IDA]. Among patients with proximal SB lesions, 6 (37%) were smokers, 3 (19%) NSAID users, 3 (19%) had epigastric pain and 4 (25%) had IDA. SICUS detected proximal SB lesions in 3/32 patients (19%) also showing lesions with WCE. No correlations were observed between proximal SB lesions assessed by WCE or by SICUS (χ2 = 1.5, P = 0.2). CONCLUSION: The use of WCE allows the detection of previously unknown upper SB lesions in a high proportion of patients with a previous diagnosis of CD involving the distal ileum. © 2010 Baishideng

Impact of a multidisciplinary approach in enteropathic spondyloarthritis patients

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are chronic autoinflammatory diseases that partially share the genetic predisposition and the unchecked inflammatory response linking the gut to the joints. The coexistence of both conditions in patients and the increased cross-risk ratios between SpA and IBD strongly suggest a shared pathophysiology. The prevalence of Enteropathic-related Spondyloarthritis (ESpA) in IBD patients shows a wide variation and may be underestimated. It is well accepted that the management of joint pain requires rheumatological expertise in conjunction with gastroenterologist assessment. In this view, we aimed at assessing, in a prospective study performed in a combined Gastro-Intestinal and Rheumatologic "GI-Rhe" clinic: (1) the prevalence of ESpA and other rheumatologic diseases in IBD patients with joint pain; (2) the features of the ESpA population; and (3) the diagnostic delay and the potential impact of the combined assessment. From November 2012 to December 2014, IBD patients with joint pain referring to a dedicated rheumatologist by the IBD-dedicated gastroenterologist were enrolled. Clinical and biochemical evaluations, joint involvement and disease activity assessment, diagnostic delay, and treatment were recorded. IBD patients (n = 269) with joint pain were jointly assessed in the "GI-Rhe" Unit. A diagnosis of ESpA was made in 50.5% of IBD patients with joint pain. ESpA patients showed a peripheral involvement in 53% of cases, axial in 20.6% and peripheral and axial in 26.4% of cases. ESpA patients had a higher prevalence of other autoimmune extra-intestinal manifestations and received more anti-TNF treatment compared with IBD patients. A mean diagnostic delay of 5.2. years was revealed in ESpA patients. Patients with joint disease onset in the 2002-2012 decade had reduced diagnostic delay compared with those with onset in the 1980-1990 and 1991-2001 decades. Diagnostic delay was further reduced for patients with joint onset in the last two years in conjunction with the establishment of the GI-Rhe clinic. Multidisciplinary approach improved management of rheumatic disorders in IBD patients allowing a more comprehensive care

Colonic phenotype of the ileum in Crohn's disease: A prospective study before and after ileocolonic resection

Background: Colonic metaplasia has been described in pouchitis. In a prospective study, we investigated whether colonic phenotype may develop in Crohn's disease (CD) ileum. The expression of sulfomucins (colonic mucin), sialomucins, and CD10 (small intestine mucin and phenotype) was evaluated before and after ileocolonic resection for CD. Methods: From February 2007 to March 2010, 22 patients with CD undergoing surgery were enrolled. Clinical (Crohn's Disease Activity Index >150) and endoscopic recurrence (Rutgeerts score ≥1) rates were assessed at 6 and 12 months. Ileal samples were taken at surgery (T0), at 6 (T1), and 12 months (T2) for histology, histochemistry (High Iron Diamine-Alcian Blue), and immunohistochemistry (anti-CD10). Results: In 22 patients, recurrence was assessed at 6 and 12 months (clinical recurrence 9% and 18%; endoscopic recurrence 73% and 77%). In all 22 patients, ileal samples were taken at 6 and 12 months (involved area in patients with recurrence). In 19 of 22 (86.3%) patients, the involved ileum was also studied at surgery. At T0, T1, and T2, the expression of sialomucins and CD10 (small intestine mucin and phenotype) was comparable and higher (P < 0.0001) than the expression of sulfomucins (colonic mucin) (mean [range], T0:82 [35-100] versus 75 [0-100] versus 16 [0-50]; T1:96 [60-100] versus 94.7 [50-100] versus 3.89 [0-40]; T2:93.3 [60-100] versus 88.1 [25-100] versus 6.6 [0-40]). The expression of small-intestine mucin and phenotype was higher at T1 (P = 0.025) versus T0 (P = 0.026). Differently, the expression of colonic mucin was lower at T1 versus T0 (P = 0.027). Conclusions: In CD, the ileum involved by severe/established lesions develops a "metaplastic" colonic mucosa phenotype. Differently, CD ileum with no lesions or with early recurrence maintains the "native" small intestine type mucin secretion and phenotype