Basic features of the predictive tools of early warning systems for water-related natural hazards: examples for shallow landslides

Abstract. To manage natural risks, an increasing effort is being put in the development of early warning systems (EWS), namely, approaches facing catastrophic phenomena by timely forecasting and alarm spreading throughout exposed population. Research efforts aimed at the development and implementation of effective EWS should especially concern the definition and calibration of the interpretative model. This paper analyses the main features characterizing predictive models working in EWS by discussing their aims and their features in terms of model accuracy, evolutionary stage of the phenomenon at which the prediction is carried out and model architecture. Original classification criteria based on these features are developed throughout the paper and shown in their practical implementation through examples of flow-like landslides and earth flows, both of which are characterized by rapid evolution and quite representative of many applications of EWS

α2 High molecular mass cysteine proteinase inhibitor: HMrα2-CPI An inhibitor of human liver cathepsin H as probed by kinetic study

AbstractHMrα2CPI was found to be an inhibitor of human liver cathepsin H by the measurement of the dissociation constant (Ki), the association rate constant (k1) and the dissociation rate constant (k−1) between the enzyme and the inhibitor. These data suggest that this protein-proteinase inhibitor can play a physiological role in the regulation of free cathepsin H

Strategies for Agile Leadership in a Challenging Environment

The post pandemic environment has provided many significant challenges for all forms of organisations. The requirement for good leadership in this context is vital. This research considers the features of such leadership and how their application can affect organisations and their required outputs. The need for agility in this sphere is proposed, in order to accommodate the environmental challenges, globally and within the different sectors. There should be an emphasis on creativity in order to provide solutions to the many issues for organisations in the prevailing environment. Recruitment and retention are viewed as critical activities for sustaining these entities by ensuring the supply of the requisite standard of personnel at all levels. The latter should have suitable qualifications or the aptitude to acquire them. These staff should be given appropriate training then empowered, including being given the scope to utilise their own leadership style, as appropriate. The form of the post pandemic environment and its effects on leadership are noted. The principal factors identified here include the economic challenges, hybrid working patterns and the use of agency staff to supplement the permanent resource. The proactive development of leaders is emphasised as a critical activity for organisations, enabling them to address the issues prevalent in their environment. Research into this area occurred, using qualitative techniques. A literature review and interview with a current practitioner were performed, in order to glean the data for an inductive analysis. A template to assist organisations in creating a strategy for ‘Agile Leadership’ was then formulated.How to cite this article: Blair, G., Barratt, S., & Pagano, R., (2023). Strategies for Agile Leadership in a Challenging Environment. GS Spark: Journal of Applied Academic Discourse. 1(1), 55-66. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.837211

Central Venous Catheter Infection with Brevibacterium sp. in an Immunocompetent Woman: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Brevibacterium spp. were considered apathogenic until a few reports of infections in immunocompromised patients were published. Herein, we present a case of a catheter-related septicemia with Brevibacterium casei in an immunocompetent patient receiving continuous iloprost infusion for pulmonary arterial hypertension and review the clinical presentation of this mainly emerging opportunistic pathoge

Constraining Modified Gravity with Euclid

Future proposed satellite missions as Euclid can offer the opportunity to test general relativity on cosmic scales through mapping of the galaxy weak lensing signal. In this paper we forecast the ability of these experiments to constrain modified gravity scenarios as those predicted by scalar-tensor and $f(R)$ theories. We found that Euclid will improve constraints expected from the PLANCK satellite on these modified gravity models by two orders of magnitude. We discuss parameter degeneracies and the possible biases introduced by modified gravity

Engineering 4.0 to Improve the Safety of Plant Operators in a Metalworking Company of International Importance: The Ansaldo Energia Case

The paper describes how a multidisciplinary team has developed, on behalf of Ansaldo Energia Spa, a methodology based on the technologies made available by Industry 4.0; a methodology that allows rescue teams to quickly intervene in the event of man-down in isolated areas of the plant where the unfortunate person would risk being found with significant delay and consequent problems for his physical well-being. To achieve this result, an appropriate hardware and software device has been developed by a highly specialized supplier, under the direction of the team. Such a device makes it possible to alert automatically rescue teams in real-time, at the occurrence of the event, and geo-locate, with extreme precision, the man on the ground. The methodology, once devised, has been standardized in a series of sequential and generalized steps, in order to make it applicable to any type of company or construction site, or workshop in which the event of the man-down may occur. The methodology is configured as a real toolkit for the protection of operators from damage, even extreme, that can derive from prolonged waits of the rescue teams, each time that operators incur negative events for their safety, whether they are exogenous (illnesses with fainting, heart attacks, epileptic attacks, strokes...) and endogenous (accidents in the workplace)

POLOCALC: a Novel Method to Measure the Absolute Polarization Orientation of the Cosmic Microwave Background

We describe a novel method to measure the absolute orientation of the polarization plane of the CMB with arcsecond accuracy, enabling unprecedented measurements for cosmology and fundamental physics. Existing and planned CMB polarization instruments looking for primordial B-mode signals need an independent, experimental method for systematics control on the absolute polarization orientation. The lack of such a method limits the accuracy of the detection of inflationary gravitational waves, the constraining power on the neutrino sector through measurements of gravitational lensing of the CMB, the possibility of detecting Cosmic Birefringence, and the ability to measure primordial magnetic fields. Sky signals used for calibration and direct measurements of the detector orientation cannot provide an accuracy better than 1 deg. Self-calibration methods provide better accuracy, but may be affected by foreground signals and rely heavily on model assumptions. The POLarization Orientation CALibrator for Cosmology, POLOCALC, will dramatically improve instrumental accuracy by means of an artificial calibration source flying on balloons and aerial drones. A balloon-borne calibrator will provide far-field source for larger telescopes, while a drone will be used for tests and smaller polarimeters. POLOCALC will also allow a unique method to measure the telescopes' polarized beam. It will use microwave emitters between 40 and 150 GHz coupled to precise polarizing filters. The orientation of the source polarization plane will be registered to sky coordinates by star cameras and gyroscopes with arcsecond accuracy. This project can become a rung in the calibration ladder for the field: any existing or future CMB polarization experiment observing our polarization calibrator will enable measurements of the polarization angle for each detector with respect to absolute sky coordinates.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, Accepted by Journal of Astronomical Instrumentatio

Water Distribution Networks Resilience Analysis: A comparison between graph theory-based approaches and global resilience analysis

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer via the DOI in this record.The structure and connectivity of infrastructure systems such as water distribution networks (WDNs) affect their reliability, efficiency and resilience. Suitable techniques are required to understand the potential impacts of system failure(s), which can result from internal (e.g. water hammer) or external (e.g. natural hazards) threats. This paper aims to compare two such techniques: Graph Theory (GT) and Global Resilience Analysis (GRA). These are applied to a real network – L’Aquila (central Italy) – and two benchmark networks – D-Town and EXNET. GT-based metrics focus on the topology of WDNs, while GRA provides a performance-based measure of a system’s resilience to a given system failure mode. Both methods provide information on the response of WDNs to pipe failure, but have different data requirements and thus different computational costs and precision. The results show that although GT measures provide considerable insight with respect to global WDN behavior and characteristics, performance-based analyses such as GRA (which provide detailed information on supply failure duration and magnitude) are crucial to better understand the local response of WDNs to pipe failure. Indeed, particularly for complex networks, topological characteristics may not be fully representative of hydraulic performances and pipe failure impacts.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC