Usefulness of image guidance in the surgical treatment of petrous apex cholesterol granuloma

The petrous apex is a pyramid-shaped structure, located medial to the inner ear and the intrapetrous segment of the internal carotid artery. Lesions of the petrous apex can be surgically treated through different surgical routes. Because of the important neurovascular structures located inside the temporal bone, anatomical 3D knowledge is paramount. For this reason, image-guided surgery could represent a useful tool. We report the case of a young woman who came to our observation for a trigeminal neuralgia due to a petrous apex cholesterol granuloma. The lesion was treated through the placement of a drainage tube via an infracochlear approach, with the aid of neuronavigation and intraoperative MRI. Preoperative CT scan images and intraoperative MRI images were fused for surgical planning. The accuracy of the neuronavigation system has proved to be good, and the safety of the procedure was enhanced. Therefore, neuronavigation and intraoperative MRI, though not available in all neurootological centres, should be considered useful tools in these challenging procedures

Studio delle possibilità di utilizzo della costellazione Glonass nel suo stato

GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is a global position satellite system realized by ex- Urss at the same time with the United State’s one. The first launch of satellites went back to 12th October 1982, they completed constellation with 24 satellites in 1997. In the years Russia didn’t have economic force to maintain active the entire constellation. But in 2002 GLONASS relaunching started, that provides 18 satellites before 2007, and it will reach 24 satellites before 2010. The program provides the launch of three or two rockets a year, each one will bring to space two or three satellite. At present (15th September 2006) there are 15 operative GLONASS satellites. The aim of this work is to show the potentiality of the jointed use of GPS and GLONASS satellites by performing an adequate subdivision of the observations collected during a survey in the area of Rome using TOPCON receivers able to acquire data coming from both constellations

Tidal errors and deformations in regional GPS networks

At present, the tidal correction model described in the IERS 2003 Conventions should be applied in the processing of permanent networks: in brief, the model involves the computation of a first order tidal correction plus some corrective terms, as functions of space and time. In the BERNESE software, one of the main scientific softwares for GPS network processing, the IERS tidal model is implemented; in July 2004, a bug in the tidal correction routine was identified by one of the paper authors and corrected by the BERNESE staff: the error concerned a second order term, related to the semidiurnal tidal signal. An experimental analysis on the error effects in the results stemming from processing of regional networks has been carried out. A network of 8 European permanent GPS stations has been selected: the network choice ensures heterogeneity in the length and the orientation of the baselines. One year of data has been considered and two elaborations of the data have been performed using the BERNESE 4.2 SW, by applying the same processing strategy and, respectively, the wrong (old) and the right (corrected) tidal correction routine. The differences in the network results and the deformations caused by the error are discussed

Current geodetic deformation in the South Africa region

We present a preliminary velocity field of the African continent derived from continuous GPS observations from 2004 to 2008. The aim of our work is to investigate the strain-rate pattern along the East Africa rift, in particular along the boundary of the two African plates (the Nubian and the Somalian) and in the South Africa region. We have processed GPS data in a time window spanning four years, i.e. from 2004 to 2008, involving IGS, TrigNet (a network of permanent GPS stations distributed throughout South Africa) and other sporadic sites. The GPS data have been processed by means of the Bernese software version 5.0 dividing the entire African network into two clusters. The combination of daily loosely constrained solutions provides the time series of about a hundred of permanent GPS sites mainly located in the African continent. Site velocities together with periodic signals, eventual steps, have been estimated simultaneously using the complete covariance matrices. Finally the velocity field has been expressed in the ITRF2005 reference frame. This investigation gives a preliminary idea of the velocity field and strain-rate pattern we can expect in the South-East Africa region, the observed deformations being barely measurable, below a few mm/year

An algorithm for the search of homogeneous strain-rate fields

The aim of this paper is to describe the theoretical fundamentals and the main features of a software suitably implemented to estimate the strain-rate tensor from continuous GPS data. Current softwares developed for geophysical applications generally estimate or compute bi-dimensional strain, since this is the most requested use. On the contrary, this software allows for a three-dimensional estimate of the strain-rate tensor. It accounts for all the significant GPS velocities and estimates the strain-rate components by the least squares method starting from the hypothesis of one homogeneous strain-rate field. An initial field has to be defined by at least 4 sites which pass the chi-squared test on the strain-rate homogeneity. The developed algorithm automatically searches for sites belonging to this initial homogeneous field, starting from the site nearest to the barycentre of the first 4 sites and proceeding until a user-defined limit distance. Each time a site is added, the homogeneity of the whole field is suitably tested by a number of statistic tests. In this work the algorithm has been also applied to some areas of geophysical interest

Rotational Effects associated with ground motion during the Mw 6.3 2009 L’Aquila (Central Italy) Earthquake

The Mw 6.3 2009 L’Aquila (Central Italy) earthquake produced more than one hundred rotational effects on chimneys, pillars, capitals and gravestones. In this paper we focus on the 37 objects that can be more reliably considered as representative of pure rotational ground motion, and find a relation between the distribution of the observed rotations, the epicentral distance, the macroseismic intensities and the directivity effects that characterize the L’Aquila event. We also find sound relationships between the type of observed rotations and the geophysical, geotechnical and geomorphological characteristics of the site of observation. In downtown L’Aquila we find 1) a remarkable convergence between distribution of the rotations and of the damage; 2) 100% of the rotations occurred at sites characterized by high factors of amplification and poor geological setting; 3) the ground rotations are not strongly dependent on topographic effects. Finally, from quantitative analyses of GPS data we find that the effect of the seismic arrival on an individual vertical object retrieved rotated is an overall rotation with a substantially unpredictable directio

Water level and volume estimations of the Albano and Nemi lakes (central Italy)

In April 2006 an airborne laser scanning (LIDAR) survey of the Albano and Nemi craters was carried out to obtain a high resolution digital terrain model (DTM) of the area. We have integrated the LIDAR survey of the craters and the recent bathymetry of the Albano lake to achieve a complete DTM, useful for morphological studies. In addition, with a GPS RTK survey (July 2007) we estimated the Albano and Nemi mean lake levels respectively at 288.16 m and 319.02 m (asl). Based on the integrated DTM and the newly estimated water level values, we evaluated about 21.7·106 m3 the water volume loss of the Albano lake from 1993 to 2007, with an average rate of about 1.6·106 m3/yr

GPS Positioning and Velocity Field in the Apennines Subduction Zone

A stable geodetic reference frame permits to relate one position to another and to compute a reliable deformation field from geodetic observations. In order to satisfy scientific requirements, the reference frame should be accurate, reliable and internally consistent over time with unambiguously specified datum definition (origin, scale, orientation and their respective time evolution). Current reference frame stability between successive frame realizations suggests that the agreement is at the level of 1 cm and 0.3 mm/yr respectively for absolute and time derivative translation and scale factors. They represent the current stability over time of the reference frame and set the sensitivity for geodetic measurements. Here we will present the results of a GPS deformation field in the Italian region obtained from all the available permanent GPS stations operated in Italy. The complex nature of the ongoing tectonic deformation along the Alpine-Apennines orogenic systems is now evident and GPS data have proven its capability to measure millimetre scale deformations

Modeling ground deformations of Panarea volcano hydrothermal/geothermal system (Aeolian Islands, Italy) from GPS data.

Panarea volcano (Aeolian Islands, Italy) was considered extinct until November 3, 2002 when a submarine gas eruption began in the area of the islets of Lisca Bianca, Bottaro, Lisca Nera, Dattilo and Panarelli, about 2.5 km east of Panarea Island. The gas eruption decreased to a state of low degassing by July 2003. Before 2002 the activity of Panarea volcano was characterized by mild degassing of hydrothermal fluid. The compositions of the 2002 gases and their isotopic signatures suggested that the emissions originated from a hydrothermal/geothermal reservoir fed by magmatic fluids. We investigate crustal deformation of Panarea volcano using the GPS velocity field obtained by the combination of continuous and episodic site observations of the Panarea GPS network in the time span 1995-2007. We present a combined model of Okada sources which explains the GPS results acquired in the area after December 2002. The kinematics of Panarea volcano show two distinct active crustal domains characterized by different styles of horizontal deformation, supported also by volcanological and structural evidences. A subsidence in the order of several mm/yr is affecting the entire Panarea volcano and a shortening of 10-6 yr-1 has been estimated in the Islets area. Our model reveals that the degassing intensity and distribution are strongly influenced by geophysical-geochemical changes within the hydrothermal/geothermal system. These variations may be triggered by changes in the regional stress field as suggested by the geophysical and volcanological events that occurred on 2002 in the Southern Tyrrhenian area

Towards an integrated approach for red mud valorisation: a focus on titanium

AbstractIn this work red mud, a highly alkaline waste product generated during alumina production process, was valorised as a source of valuable metals and as an adsorbent material. A hydrometallurgical process was developed in order to recover titanium from red mud. By a leaching step with hydrochloric acid followed by ammonia precipitation and a further purification step by solvent extraction with Cyanex 301 using toluene as a solvent, quantitative recovery of titanium with a high purity level (> 95%) was achieved. Red mud adsorption properties were also tested for metal removal from aqueous solutions. The results showed the red mud potential in applications such as environmental remediation. The adsorption order was found to be: iron > lead > copper > manganese, zinc. Red mud can be thus potentially valorised both as a source of secondary titanium and as an adsorbent material, according to the principles of Circular Economy which promote waste reduction and the preservation of natural resources