188 research outputs found
Stream gradient Hotspot and Cluster Analysis (SL-HCA) for improving the longitudinal profiles metrics
Rockfall runout, Mount Cimone area, Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy
Numerous mass movements of different typology characterize both mountainous and piedmont
sectors of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Apennine chain, North Italy). Although a less spatially
frequent landslide typology within the region, rock falls represent severe threats to buildings,
roads and persons due to their high propagation velocity. This paper presents an extract of the
Emilia-Romagna regional map of the rock fall runout areas at a scale of 1:25,000. The analysis
of rock fall runout areas was based upon a three-dimensional morphological method (TDM).
The zone presented in the Main Map encompasses the area surrounding Mount Cimone, in
the Emilia-Romagna Region. The proposed regional map of rockfall runout is noteworthy
for planning actions and strategies aimed at the prevention and reduction of landslide risk at
a regional scale
The use of the Stream Length-Gradient index in morphotectonic analysis of small catchments: A case study from Central Italy
The aim of this work is to test an integrated quantitative geomorphic approach based on Stream Length-Gradient Index (SL Index) analysis within the small catchment of the Tarugo River in the Northern Marchean Apennines (Central Italy). The Tarugo River basin, 92 km2 wide, strikes SW-NE across the Marchean Ridge and the western sector of Marchean Piedmont. The area is characterized by a series of NW-SE trending, NE verging thrust folds affecting the Meso-Cenozoic bedrock that pass upward from dominantly carbonate to dominantly terrigenous rocks. The area investigated has been affected since the Pliocene by extensional tectonics, accompanying a regional uplift decreasing in rate north-eastwards. In this work the SL Index analysis has been integrated with the spatial analysis of the Amplitude of relief (Ar) and compared to geological and geomorphological field data. Results of this work indicate that the SL Index is a valid tool to detect the long wavelength structural effect on topography as well as the incipient local response to regional processes (i.e. regional uplift) that is often undetectable by other morphotectonic parameters. In contrast, the SL Index analysis seems not be a valid tool for discriminating the local lithological influence from the tectonic one. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Turbulent flame speed of thermodiffusively unstable flames: experimental investigation and scaling
This work presents an experimental set of Bunsen flames characterized by a
moderate Reynolds number and a variable turbulence intensity. Ten lean
hydrogen-enriched methane-air mixtures at three levels of turbulence are
investigated, ranging from pure methane-air to pure hydrogen-air. Such mixtures
are selected in order to have an almost constant laminar flame speed while
inducing the onset of thermal-diffusive (TD) instability by gradually
increasing the hydrogen content of the blend. The flames are analyzed in terms
of global consumption speed, stretch factor, and flame surface area. Results
indicate an interplay between TD instability and turbulence that enhances the
overall flame propagation. In particular, below a transitional Lewis number,
flame propagation is observed to be particularly sensitive to external
turbulent forcing, expressed in terms of the Karlovitz number. A
parameterization is thus proposed, based on a functional form depending on both
Karlovitz and Lewis numbers, able to fit the experimental results at different
turbulence levels and capture the steep transition across the transitional
Lewis number
New multi-scale approach to improve explanation of patterns of contemporary morphodynamics in the badland landscapes of Central Italy. The important Quaternary context
Remote sensing investigation techniques for the analysis of rocky slope stability in remote areas: a test from the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico
Direct field survey to assess slope stability in steep and remote rocky cliffs is time demanding and highly consuming in term of human and economic resources. However, evolving technologies allow remotely sensed data integrated with GIS to theoretically provide equivalent information. Here we present a case study comparison of these methods applied to the Eastern valley-side of the Chinipas River, Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico.
Results show that remote sensing procedures provides the same discontinuity sets and equivalent attitude information with respect to the data acquired during field survey
Combining satellite multispectral imagery and topographic data for the detection and mapping of fluvial avulsion processes in lowland areas
Fluvial avulsion is an important process in the dynamics of the riverscapes and plays a key role in the drainage network evolution in lowland areas, also influencing past and present social processes and economic activities. Crevasse splays represent significant geomorphological features for understanding the fluvial morphodynamics in lowland areas dominated by avulsion processes. Within wide floodplains characterized by very low elevation ranges, the detection and accurate mapping of crevasse splay morphology and features, such as crevasse channels, levees, and deposit, can be very challenging considering floodplain extension, anthropic impact on the natural channels network, logistic difficulties, and in some cases, climate conditions that prevent field work. This research aims at improving the detection and mapping of crevasse splays in lowland areas through the combination of different remote sensing techniques based on optical multispectral imagery and topographic data derived from satellite earth observation missions. The Lower Mesopotamia Plain (LMP) offers a unique opportunity to study the avulsion processes because it presents numerous examples of crevasse splays, characterized by different sizes and states of activity. Furthermore, in this area, a strong correlation exists between the formation and development of crevasse splays and the expansion of agriculture and early societies since the Early Holocene. Different supervised classification (SC) methods of Landsat 8 satellite images have been tested together with topographic analysis of the microrelief, carried out based on two different 1-arcsec DEMs (AW3D30 and GDEM2). The results of this study demonstrate that the combination of multispectral imagery analysis and topographic analysis of the microrelief is useful for discerning different crevasse elements, distinguishing between active and relict landforms. The methodological approach proved helpful for improving the mapping of erosional and depositional landforms generated by the avulsion process and, in the study area, provided the best results for the active landforms
Material Characterization for Reliable Resin Transfer Molding Process Simulation
Resin transfer molding (RTM) technologies are widely used in automotive, marine, and aerospace applications. The need to evaluate the impact of design and production critical choices, also in terms of final costs, leads to the wider use of numerical simulation in the preliminary phase of component development. The main issue for accurate RTM analysis is the reliable characterization of the involved materials. The aim of this paper is to present a validated methodology for material characterization to be implemented and introduce data elaboration in the ESI PAM-RTM software. Experimental campaigns for reinforcement permeabilities and resin viscosity measurement are presented and discussed. Finally, the obtained data are implemented in the software and then compared to experimental results in order to validate the described methodology
Multiple Acquired Mutations Captured by Liquid Biopsy in the EGFR Addicted Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.
Clinical Practice Points • Metastatic colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death worldwide. • Primary and acquired resistance mechanisms to anti-EGFR treatment are a challenging topic with several clinical implications. • Primary resistance is defined by the presence of activating mutations in BRAF and RAS genes before treatment initiation, while acquired resistance refers to the selection of pre-existing mutant clones or de novo acquisition of mutations under the pressure of anti EGFR treatment. • Testing mutations in RAS and BRAF genes as predictive biomarkers is mandatory. • Liquid biopsy has acquired growing importance and showed to be reliable when compared to tissue NGS. • Liquid biopsy offers a full overview of the genetic landscape of the disease, overcoming spatial and temporal heterogeneity, when compared to tissue biopsy. • Liquid biopsy can be used to capture the changes in biology of cancer cells under the selective pressure of targeted agents over time. • Using complementary techniques allows to increase the diagnostic power and the biological significance of the results
Treatment of Cutaneous Melanoma Harboring SMO p.Gln216Arg Mutation with Imiquimod: An Old Drug with New Results
: Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer and its incidence is growing worldwide. In the last ten years, the therapeutic scenario of this disease has been revolutionized by the introduction of targeted therapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors. However, in patients with many lesions and bulky tumors, in which surgery is no longer feasible, there is a need for new treatment options. Here we report, for the first time to our knowledge, a clinical case where a melanoma patient harboring the SMO p.Gln216Arg mutation has been treated with imiquimod, showing a complete and durable response. To better explain this outstanding response to the treatment, we transfected a melanoma cell line (MeWo) with the SMO p.Gln216Arg mutation in order to evaluate its role in response to the imiquimod treatment. Moreover, to better demonstrate that the antitumor activity of imiquimod was due to its role in suppressing the oncogenic SMO signaling pathway, independently of its immune modulating function, an in vivo experiment has been performed. This clinical case opens up a new scenario for the treatment of melanoma patients identifying a new potentially druggable target
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