A Lagrangian PFEM approach tothe numerical simulation of 3D large scale landslides impinging in water reservoirs

Landslides are exceptional natural hazards that can generate extensive damage to structures and infrastructures causing a large number of casualties. A particularly critical condition occurs when the landslide impinges in water reservoirs generating high waves. This work proposes a numerical tool to simulate the macroscopic behavior of a propagating landslide. The Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) is here used and adapted to the specific case of landslide runout. The Lagrangian Navier-Stokes equations of incompressible fluids are used to describe the macroscopic landslide behavior. A rigid-visco-plastic law with a pressure dependent threshold, typical of a non-Newtonian, Bingham-like fluid, is used to characterize the constitutive behavior of the flowing material. Special attention is devoted to the definition of ad-hoc pressure-dependent slip boundary conditions at the interface between the flowing mass and the basal surface to better represent the real landslide-slope interaction. The proposed approach has been validated against numerical benchmarks and small scale experimental tests, showing a good agreement with the physical measurements. Real case scenarios have also been considered. 3D geometries of critical sites, where landslides have occurred, have been reconstructed allowing for the simulation of large scale real landslide runouts. Results are compared with post-event images and measurements, showing the accuracy and the capability of the method

Analysis of Marsupialization of Mandibular Cysts in Improving the Healing of Related Bone Defects

Purpose: Marsupialization, designed to reduce the mandibular cyst volume, has continued to debated regarding its influence on the healing of the related bone cavity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the 3-dimensional radiographic variation over time in mandibular odontogenic cystic lesions after marsupialization and assess the correlations between these variations and variables that can affect the procedure. Materials and Methods: We planned a retrospective cohort study. The predictor variables were the treatment duration, preoperative volume, patient age, histologic type, and number of preoperative residual bony walls. The outcomes variables were the postoperative volume reduction and the daily reduction rate calculated using computed tomography (CT) from before to after marsupialization using software designed for volumetric reconstruction and measurement of cyst-related bone defects. The descriptive and bivariate statistics were computerized, and the significance level was set at P =.05. Results: The sample included 15 patients (12 men and 3 women; mean age, 51.6; range, 27 to 85 years) affected by keratocysts (n = 6), dentigerous cysts (n = 6), and radicular cysts (n = 3) who had undergone marsupialization. The median duration of marsupialization was 406 days (25th to 75th percentile, 276 to 519). The mean ± standard deviation (SD) pre- and postdecompression volumes were 6,908.27 ± 2,669.058 and 2,468.13 ± 1,343.517 mm3, respectively (P < 0.001), and the mean ± SD percentage of reduction was 63.90 ± 13.12%. The volume decrease in the bone defects correlated positively with the treatment duration (P =.009) and preoperative volume (P <.001). However, no correlation was found with the other variables (P >.05) nor between the daily reduction rate and other variables (P >.05). Conclusions: Marsupialization appears useful in improving the healing of cyst-related bone defects in mandibles, especially larger defects. Further studies with a wider sample size would add more knowledge to this topic

Probing of local ferroelectricity in BiFeO3 thin films and (BiFeO3)m(SrTiO3)m superlattices

Ferroelectric BiFeO3 thin films and artificial superlattices of (BiFeO3)m(SrTiO3)m (m~ 1 to 10 unit cells) were fabricated on (001)-oriented SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser ablation. The variation of leakage current and macroscopic polarization with periodicity was studied. Piezo force microscopy studies revealed the presence of large ferroelectric domains in the case of BiFeO3 thin films while a size reduction in ferroelectric domains was observed in the case of superlattice structures. The results show that the modification of ferroelectric domains through superlattice, could provide an additional control on engineering the domain wall mediated functional properties.Comment: 14 pages, To be published in J. Mag. Mag Mater. proceedings of EMRS 200

Citizens observatories for effective Earth observations: the WeSenseIt approach

The WeSenseIt project defines citizen observatories as “A method, an environment and an infrastructure supporting an information ecosystem for communities and citizens, as well as emergency operators and policymakers, for discussion, monitoring and intervention on situations, places and events” . A collaborative approach has been taken to develop solutions that involve an exchange of information and expertise from all participants and where the focus is on arriving at practical solutions with a clear vision and direction. This has created a shared ownership scheme, and shifts power to the process itself rather than remaining within authorities, developers or decision-makers. The project’s emphasis is on delivering highly innovative technologies to support citizens, communities and authorities in developing a real-time situation awareness while ensuring all stakeholders play their part. Implementation has been through a combination of crowdsourcing, custom applications and dedicated web portals designed to foster collaboration, and which has created a shared knowledge base that facilitates decision-making processes and engages with communities. Data is captured via innovative sensors that are used directly by citizens, crowdsourcing from social networks (or by collective intelligence)

The Future of Neutrino Mass Measurements: Terrestrial, Astrophysical, and Cosmological Measurements in the Next Decade. Highlights of the NuMass 2013 Workshop. Milano, Italy, February 4 - 7, 2013

The third Workshop of the NuMass series ("The Future of Neutrino Mass Measurements: Terrestrial, Astrophysical, and Cosmological Measurements in the Next Decade: NuMass 2013") was held at Dipartimento di Fisica "G. Occhialini, University of Milano-Bicocca in Milano, Italy, on 4-7 February 2013. The goal of this international workshop was to review the status and future of direct and indirect neutrino mass measurements in the laboratory as well as from astrophysical and cosmological observations. This paper collects most of the contributions presented during the Workshop

The value of citizen science for flood risk reduction: cost–benefit analysis of a citizen observatory in the Brenta-Bacchiglione catchment

Citizen observatories are a relatively recent form of citizen science. As part of the flood risk management strategy of the Brenta-Bacchiglione catchment, a citizen observatory for flood risk management has been proposed and is currently being implemented. Citizens are involved through monitoring water levels and obstructions and providing other relevant information through mobile apps, where the data are assimilated with other sensor data in a hydrological–hydraulic model used in early warning. A cost–benefit analysis of the citizen observatory was undertaken to demonstrate the value of this approach in monetary terms. Although not yet fully operational, the citizen observatory is assumed to decrease the social vulnerability of the flood risk. By calculating the hazard, exposure and vulnerability of three flood scenarios (required for flood risk management planning by the EU Directive on Flood Risk Management) with and without the proposed citizen observatory, it is possible to evaluate the benefits in terms of the average annual avoided damage costs. Although currently a hypothetical exercise, the results showed a reduction in avoided damage of 45 % compared to a business as usual scenario. Thus, linking citizen science and citizen observatories with hydrological modelling to raise awareness of flood hazards and to facilitate two-way communication between citizens and local authorities has great potential in reducing future flood risk in the Brenta-Bacchiglione catchment. Moreover, such approaches are easily transferable to other catchments

Cloning and sequence analysis of cDNAs encoding the cytosolic precursors of subunits GapA and GapB of chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from pea and spinach

Chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is composed of two different subunits, GapA and GapB. cDNA clones containing the entire coding sequences of the cytosolic precursors for GapA from pea and for GapB from pea and spinach have been identified, sequenced and the derived amino acid sequences have been compared to the corresponding sequences from tobacco, maize and mustard. These comparisons show that GapB differs from GapA in about 20% of its amino acid residues and by the presence of a flexible and negatively charged C-terminal extension, possibly responsible for the observed association of the enzyme with chloroplast envelopes in vitro. This C-terminal extension (29 or 30 residues) may be susceptible to proteolytic cleavage thereby leading to a conversion of chloroplast GAPDH isoenzyme I into isoenzyme II. Evolutionary rate comparisons at the amino acid sequence level show that chloroplast GapA and GapB evolve roughly two-fold slower than their cytosolic counterpart GapC. GapA and GapB transit peptides evolve about 10 times faster than the corresponding mature subunits. They are relatively long (68 and 83 residues for pea GapA and spinach GapB respectively) and share a similar amino acid framework with other chloroplast transit peptides