Integration of natural and technological risks in Lombardy, Italy

Abstract. Multi-risk assessment is becoming a valuable tool for land planning, emergency management and the deployment of mitigation strategies. Multi-risk maps combine all available information about hazard, vulnerability, and exposed values related to different dangerous phenomena, and provide a quantitative support to complex decision making. We analyse and integrate through an indicator-based approach nine major threats affecting the Lombardy Region (Northern Italy, 25 000 km2), namely landslide, avalanche, flood, wildfire, seismic, meteorological, industrial (technological) risks; road accidents, and work injuries. For each threat, we develop a set of indicators that express the physical risk and the coping capacity or system resilience. By combining these indicators through different weighting strategies (i.e. budgetary allocation, and fuzzy logic), we calculate a total risk for each threat. Then, we integrate these risks by applying AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) weighting, and we derive a set of multi-risk maps. Eventually, we identify the dominant risks for each zone, and a number of risk hot-spot areas. The proposed approach can be applied with different degree of detail depending on the quality of the available data. This allows the application of the method even in case of non homogeneous data, which is often the case for regional scale analyses. Moreover, it allows the integration of different risk types or metrics. Relative risk scores are provided from this methodology, not directly accounting for the temporal occurrence probability of the phenomena

A regional-scale conceptual and numerical groundwater flow model in fluvio-glacial sediments for the Milan Metropolitan area (Northern Italy)

Study region: The Milan metropolitan area lies on one of the most important aquifer in Italy, heavily exploited for public and industrial water supply. The area, covering 3135 km2 in the Po Plain (Northern Italy) with a continental climate, is bounded by the Po, the Adda and the Ticino rivers and by the prealpine foothills. Regional hydrology is characterised by a network of natural and man-made elements, and lowland springs. The sedimentary sequence, from bottom to top, is formed by meandering river plain deposits, the distal fringe of the glacial outwash plains and proximal braid-plain deposits. Study focus: This study proposes a general approach for aquifer geometry reconstruction and hydrodynamic parametrization of hydrofacies in fluvio-glacial deposits, and their implementation into a 3D regional groundwater flow model. This approach is based on sedimentologically-defined lithofacies/hydrofacies and their correlation in space to obtain nearly homogeneous subunits starting from available data (i.e. 8628 borehole logs, grain size distributions, well tests) and sedimentological knowledge. New hydrological insights for the region: The calibrated 3D FEM groundwater model allows quantifying the main components of the hydrogeological budget at the regional scale, and the fluxes among the different hydro-stratigraphic units. A sensitivity analysis of groundwater levels to the main recharge components suggests importance of anthropogenic disturbances with respect to natural recharge, and that land-use change may impact water resources more than climate change

Thrombocytopenia induced by a taurine-containing energy drink: an adverse reaction to herbal medicine

Thrombocytopenia is a well-recognized adverse effect of many drugs. The association of thrombocytopenia with herbal remedies, nutritional supplements, foods and beverages, complementary or alternative medicines, has been rarely described. There are reports of thrombocytopenia caused by quinine-containing beverages, cow�s milk, cranberry juice, Jui, a Chinese herbal tea, Lupinus termis bean and tahini. A definite evidence of a causal association with thrombocytopenia is warranted; nevertheless not always there is provided probable or possible evidence in the association with thrombocytopenia. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of thrombocytopenia induced by taurine, present in an energy drink prescribed to our patient as tonic treatment

Runs of homozygosity in the Italian goat breeds: impact of management practices in low‑input systems

Background Climate and farming systems, several of which are considered as low-input agricultural systems, vary between goat populations from Northern and Southern Italy and have led to different management practices. These processes have impacted genome shaping in terms of inbreeding and regions under selection and resulted in differences between the northern and southern populations. Both inbreeding and signatures of selection can be pinpointed by the analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH), which provides useful information to assist the management of this species in different rural areas. Results We analyzed the ROH distribution and inbreeding (FROH) in 902 goats from the Italian Goat Consortium2 dataset. We evaluated the differences in individual ROH number and length between goat breeds from Northern (NRD) and Central-southern (CSD) Italy. Then, we identified the signatures of selection that differentiate these two groups using three methods: ROH, ΔROH, and averaged FST. ROH analyses showed that some Italian goat breeds have a lower inbreeding coefficient, which is attributable to their management and history. ROH are longer in breeds that are undergoing non-optimal management or with small population size. In several small breeds, the ROH length classes are balanced, reflecting more accurate mating planning. The differences in climate and management between the NRD and CSD groups have resulted in different ROH lengths and numbers: the NRD populations bred in isolated valleys present more and shorter ROH segments, while the CSD populations have fewer and longer ROH, which is likely due to the fact that they have undergone more admixture events during the horizontal transhumance practice followed by a more recent standardization. We identified four genes within signatures of selection on chromosome 11 related to fertility in the NRD group, and 23 genes on chromosomes 5 and 6 related to growth in the CSD group. Finally, we identified 17 genes on chromosome 12 related to environmental adaptation and body size with high homozygosity in both groups. Conclusions These results show how different management practices have impacted the level of genomic inbreeding in two Italian goat groups and could be useful to assist management in a low-input system while safeguarding the diversity of small populations

Recommendations for the quantitative analysis of landslide risk

This paper presents recommended methodologies for the quantitative analysis of landslide hazard, vulnerability and risk at different spatial scales (site-specific, local, regional and national), as well as for the verification and validation of the results. The methodologies described focus on the evaluation of the probabilities of occurrence of different landslide types with certain characteristics. Methods used to determine the spatial distribution of landslide intensity, the characterisation of the elements at risk, the assessment of the potential degree of damage and the quantification of the vulnerability of the elements at risk, and those used to perform the quantitative risk analysis are also described. The paper is intended for use by scientists and practising engineers, geologists and other landslide experts.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen

Donor Cell Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Chronic Granulomatous Disease: A Case Report and Literature Review

The patient reported here underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) due to chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) caused by biallelic mutations of the NCF1 gene. Two years later, he developed AML, which was unexpected and was recognized via sex-mismatched chromosomes as deriving from the donor cells; the patient was male, and the donor was his sister. Donor cell leukemia (DCL) is very rare, and it had never been reported in patients with CGD after HSCT. In the subsequent ten years, the AML relapsed three times and the patient underwent chemotherapy and three further HSCTs; donors were the same sister from the first HSCT, an unrelated donor, and his mother. The patient died during the third relapse. The DCL was characterized since onset by an acquired translocation between chromosomes 9 and 11, with a molecular rearrangement between the MLL and MLLT3 genes-a quite frequent cause of AML. In all of the relapses, the malignant clone had XX sex chromosomes and this rearrangement, thus indicating that it was always the original clone derived from the transplanted sister's cells. It exhibited the ability to remain quiescent in the BM during repeated chemotherapy courses, remission periods and HSCT. The leukemic clone then acquired different additional anomalies during the ten years of follow-up, with cytogenetic results characterized both by anomalies frequent in AML and by different, non-recurrent changes. This type of cytogenetic course is uncommon in AML

Genetic diversity of Italian goat breeds assessed with a medium-density SNP chip

Background: Among the European countries, Italy counts the largest number of local goat breeds. Thanks to the recent availability of a medium-density SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) chip for goat, the genetic diversity of Italian goat populations was characterized by genotyping samples from 14 Italian goat breeds that originate from different geographical areas with more than 50 000 SNPs evenly distributed on the genome. Results: Analysis of the genotyping data revealed high levels of genetic polymorphism and an underlying North-south geographic pattern of genetic diversity that was highlighted by both the first dimension of the multi-dimensional scaling plot and the Neighbour network reconstruction. We observed a moderate and weak population structure in Northern and Central-Southern breeds, respectively, with pairwise FST values between breeds ranging from 0.013 to 0.164 and 7.49 % of the total variance assigned to the between-breed level. Only 2.11 % of the variance explained the clustering of breeds into geographical groups (Northern, Central and Southern Italy and Islands). Conclusions: Our results indicate that the present-day genetic diversity of Italian goat populations was shaped by the combined effects of drift, presence or lack of gene flow and, to some extent, by the consequences of traditional management systems and recent demographic history. Our findings may constitute the starting point for the development of marker-assisted approaches, to better address future breeding and management policies in a species that is particularly relevant for the medium-and long-term sustainability of marginal regions

Post-operative acute urinary retention after greenlight laser. Analysis of risk factors from a multicentric database

Purpose: Greenlight laser is a mini-invasive technique used to treat Benign Prostatic Obstruction (BPO). Some of the advantages of GreenLight photoselective vaporization (PVP) are shorter catheterization time and hospital stay compared to TURP. Post-operative acute urinary retention (pAUR) leads to patients' discomfort, prolonged hospital stay and increased health care costs. We analyzed risk factors for urinary retention after GreenLight laser PVP. Materials and methods: In a multicenter experience, we retrospectively analyzed the onset of early and late post-operative acute urinary retention in patients undergoing standard or anatomical PVP. The pre-, intra- and post-operative characteristics were compared betweene patients who started to void and the patients who developed post-operative urinary retention. Results: The study included 434 patients suitable for the study. Post-operative acute urinary retention occurred in 39 (9%). Patients with a lower prostate volume (P < .001), an adenoma volume lower than 40 mL (P < .001), and lower lasing time (P = .013) had a higher probability to develop pAUR at the univariate analysis. The multivariate logistic regression confirmed that lower lasing time (95% CI: 0.86-0.99, OR = 0.93, P = .046) and adenoma volume (95% CI: 0.89-0.98, OR = 0.94, P = .006) are correlated to pAUR. Furthermore IPSS ≥ 19 (95% CI: 1.19- 10.75, OR = 2.27, P = .023) and treatment with 5-ARI (95% CI: 1.05-15.03, OR = 3.98, P = .042) are risk factors for pAUR. Conclusion: In our series, post-operative acute urinary retention was related to low adenoma volume and lasing time, pre-operative IPSS ≥ 19 and 5-ARI intake. These data should be considered in deciding the best timing for urethral catheters removal

Multiscale Analysis of Geo-Hazards Affecting the Alhambra Cultural Heritage

[EN] This paper presents a multiscale methodology to perform successful geo-hazards assessment in the context of Cultural Heritage. The methodology, defined in the European PROTHEGO project, has been applied to the Alhambra case study. Alhambra is an important Word Heritage site located in Andalusia, Spain. The site is prone to suffer flood, earthquake and landslide phenomena. The proposed multiscale methodology leans on new remote monitoring and modelling technics that not entail aesthetic and functional impacts on the site. For large-scale monitoring, satellite remote sensing technology enables to detect and characterize spatiotemporal ground and structure deformation as a whole, with up to millimeter precision. For very local phenomena analysis, small-scale monitoring based on Terrestrial Laser Scanner and airborne drone digital photogrammetry surveys enables to detect erosion processes that affect the slopes of the citadel. Furthermore, numerical modelling enables geo-mechanical instabilities to be quantified at different scales. Large-scale modelling shows that the most dangerous slope is located at the San Pedro cliff site. Small-scale stability analysis in the San Pedro cliff shows that a slope failure, triggered by a possible earthquake scenario, could reach the wall foundations of the Alhambra citadel located 22 m behind it. Finally, very detailed small-scale modelling, using very precise digital elevation models, enables to track local instabilities and erosion phenomena. Such a multiscale, interdisciplinary approach is the most effective way to identify, assess and monitor risks, strengthening disaster preparedness at heritage property.The research leading to these results has been supported by the PROTHEGO Project (Protection of European Cultural Heritage from Geo-hazards), funded through the framework of the Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage and Global Change (JPICH), and under ERA-NET Plus and the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) of the European CommissionPeer reviewe

Damage to Buildings in Large Slope Rock Instabilities Monitored with the PSInSAR™ Technique

The slow movement of active deep-seated slope gravitational deformations (DSGSDs) and deep-seated rockslides can cause damage to structures and infrastructures. We use Permanent Scatterers Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (PSInSAR™) displacement rate data for the analysis of DSGSD/rockslide activity and kinematics and for the analysis of damage to buildings. We surveyed the degree of damage to buildings directly in the field, and we tried to correlate it with the superficial displacement rate obtained by the PSInSAR™ technique at seven sites. Overall, we observe that the degree of damage increases with increasing displacement rate, but this trend shows a large dispersion that can be due to different causes, including: the uncertainty in the attribution of the degree of damage for buildings presenting wall coatings; the complexity of the deformation for large phenomena with different materials and subjected to differential behavior within the displaced mass; the absence of differential superficial movements in buildings, due to the large size of the investigated phenomena; and the different types of buildings and their position along the slope or relative to landslide portions