Explore the vast range of titles available.

Various methods have been proposed in the literature to predict the rainfall conditions that are likely to trigger landslides in a given area. Most of these methods, however, only consider the rainfall events that resulted in landslides and provide deterministic thresholds with a single possible output (landslide or no‐landslide) for a given input (rainfall conditions). Such a deterministic view is not always suited to landslides. Slope stability, in fact, is not ruled by rainfall alone and failure conditions are commonly achieved with a combination of numerous relevant factors. When different outputs (landslide or no‐landslide) can be obtained for the same input a probabilistic approach is preferable. In this work we propose a new method for evaluating rainfall thresholds based on Bayesian probability. The method is simple, statistically rigorous, and returns a value of landslide probability (from 0 to 1) for each combination of the selected rainfall variables. The proposed approach was applied to the Emilia‐Romagna Region of Italy taking advantage of the historical landslide archive, which includes more than 4000 events for which the date of occurrence is known with daily accuracy. The results show that landsliding in the study area is strongly related to rainfall event parameters (duration, intensity, total rainfall) while antecedent rainfall seems to be less important. The distribution of landslide probability in the rainfall duration‐intensity shows an abrupt increase at certain duration‐intensity values which indicates a radical change of state of the system and suggests the existence of a real physical threshold. Key Points A probabilistic approach is needed to evaluate landslide rainfall thresholds Bayes theorem is suited to this purpose Landslide probability is strongly related to the event rainfall

We present a new method for the automatic classification of Persistent Scatters Interferometry (PSI) time series based on a conditional sequence of statistical tests. Time series are classified into distinctive predefined target trends, such as uncorrelated, linear, quadratic, bilinear and discontinuous, that describe different styles of ground deformation. Our automatic analysis overcomes limits related to the visual classification of PSI time series, which cannot be carried out systematically for large datasets. The method has been tested with reference to landslides using PSI datasets covering the northern Apennines of Italy. The clear distinction between the relative frequency of uncorrelated, linear and non-linear time series with respect to mean velocity distribution suggests that different target trends are related to different physical processes that are likely to control slope movements. The spatial distribution of classified time series is also consistent with respect the known distribution of flat areas, slopes and landslides in the tests area. Classified time series enhances the radar interpretation of slope movements at the site scale, pointing out significant advantages in comparison with the conventional analysis based solely on the mean velocity. The test application also warns against potentially misleading classification outputs in case of datasets affected by systematic errors. Although the method was developed and tested to investigate landslides, it should be also useful for the analysis of other ground deformation processes such as subsidence, swelling/shrinkage of soils, or uplifts due to deep injections in reservoirs.

The adoption of 2007/60/EC Directive requires European countries to implement flood hazard and flood risk maps by the end of 2013. Flood risk is the product of flood hazard, vulnerability and exposure, all three to be estimated with comparable level of accuracy. The route to flood risk assessment is consequently much more than hydraulic modelling of inundation, that is hazard mapping. While hazard maps have already been implemented in many countries, quantitative damage and risk maps are still at a preliminary level. A parsimonious quasi-2-D hydraulic model is here adopted, having many advantages in terms of easy set-up. It is here evaluated as being accurate in flood depth estimation in urban areas with a high-resolution and up-to-date Digital Surface Model (DSM). The accuracy, estimated by comparison with marble-plate records of a historic flood in the city of Florence, is characterized in the downtown's most flooded area by a bias of a very few centimetres and a determination coefficient of 0.73. The average risk is found to be about 14 € m−2 yr−1, corresponding to about 8.3% of residents' income. The spatial distribution of estimated risk highlights a complex interaction between the flood pattern and the building characteristics. As a final example application, the estimated risk values have been used to compare different retrofitting measures. Proceeding through the risk estimation steps, a new micro-scale potential damage assessment method is proposed. This is based on the georeferenced census system as the optimal compromise between spatial detail and open availability of socio-economic data. The results of flood risk assessment at the census section scale resolve most of the risk spatial variability, and they can be easily aggregated to whatever upper scale is needed given that they are geographically defined as contiguous polygons. Damage is calculated through stage–damage curves, starting from census data on building type and function, for the main categories in the study area: structures, household contents and commercial contents. This method is tested in the area of the St. Croce district in Florence, one of the most seriously affected in the famous 1966 flood.

Aim:To compare the outcome of various surgical approaches of orbital decompression in patients with Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) receiving surgery for disfiguring proptosis.Method:Data forms and questionnaires from consecutive, euthyroid patients with inactive GO who had undergone orbital decompression for disfiguring proptosis in 11 European centres were analysed.Results:Eighteen different (combinations of) approaches were used, the swinging eyelid approach being the most popular followed by the coronal and transconjunctival approaches. The average proptosis reduction for all decompressions was 5.0 (SD 2.1) mm. After three-wall decompression the proptosis reduction was significantly greater than after two-wall decompression. Additional fat removal resulted in greater proptosis reduction. Complications were rare, the most frequent being worsening of motility, occurring more frequently after coronal decompression. The average change in quality of life (QOL) in the appearance arm of the GO-QOL questionnaire was 20.5 (SD 24.8) points.Conclusions:In Europe, a wide range of surgical approaches is used to reduce disfiguring proptosis in patients with GO. The extent of proptosis reduction depends on the number of walls removed and whether or not fat is removed. Serious complications are infrequent. Worsening of ocular motility is still a major complication, but was rare in this series after the swinging eyelid approach.

To evaluate the long-term stability of intratympanic steroids and investigate the 'real' impact of sudden sensorineural hearing loss on patients. A total of 14 patients treated with intratympanic steroids were evaluated by audiometric and vestibular examinations. The modified Glasgow Benefit Inventory was used to evaluate quality of life changes after intratympanic steroid treatment. There was no significant difference between pure tone average post-intratympanic steroids and at follow up. The general Glasgow Benefit Inventory score was not significantly associated with the presence of tinnitus or dizziness, or with patient age. The change in pure tone average after intratympanic steroid treatment did not correlate with social or physical scores, but correlated strongly with the general Glasgow Benefit Inventory score (p = 0.0023). Intratympanic steroid administration led to a stable improvement in hearing. Quality of life assessment showed that patients can feel satisfaction regardless of the hearing outcome. Patients who regained a social hearing level expressed greater satisfaction than patients without serviceable hearing. Overall, quality of life improvement was not related to hearing improvement. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is devastating. Considering the audiological effects alone ignores the 'human' perspective. Audiological success can correlate with poor quality of life outcome.

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis show variable otorhinolaryngological involvement. Up to 14 per cent of granulomatosis with polyangiitis patients have subglottis involvement; little is known about the laryngeal involvement in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis. A literature review was conducted, together with a prospective cross-sectional analysis of 43 eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis patients. All patients underwent fibre-optic laryngoscopy with narrow-band imaging, and completed health-related questionnaires. The literature review showed only two cases of laryngeal involvement in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis; in our cohort, no cases of subglottis stenosis were found, but local signs of laryngeal inflammation were present in 72 per cent of cases. Of the patients, 16.2 per cent had a pathological Reflux Finding Score (of 7 or higher). Laryngeal inflammation in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis is frequent. It is possibly due more to local factors than to eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis itself. However, ENT evaluation is needed to rule out possible subglottis inflammation. These findings are in line with current literature and worthy of confirmation in larger cohorts.

In accord with the MUST, 12 of the patients (5 women and 7 men; 30%) showed a certain degree of risk of malnutrition, of which 5 (2 women and 3 men; 12,5%) at medium risk and so worthy of follow-up, and 7 (3 women and 4 men; 17,5%) at high risk of malnutrition. [...]in our group, women with HNSCC were more at risk of malnutrition than men (p=0.011). Conclusions Despite the small study population, this study gives unique information on nutritional status, food intake, and dysphagia in head and neck cancer survivors in the long term, which is educational for dieticians / nutritionists and the awareness of the total multidisciplinary head and neck oncology team.

The enantioselective hydrogenation of the C=C double bond in ( E )-2-methyl-2-butenoic acid was studied using Pd-based (5 wt.% on Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 or TiO 2 ) catalysts, prepared by sol–gel methods and modified with cinchonidine (CD). The catalysts were characterized by XRD, NH 3 –TPD, H 2 -chemisorption analyses and N 2 -physisorption for BET surface area measurements. In the absence of CD, some catalysts showed a satisfactory hydrogenation capacity, with best values for those supported on silica. However, when CD was added, the enantiomeric excess values obtained were lower than those previously observed using analogous commercial catalysts. The influence of preparation conditions on support texture and metal dispersion was evidenced and tentatively correlated with activity and enantioselectivity.

Reading acquisition is extremely difficult for about 5% of children because they are affected by a heritable neurobiological disorder called developmental dyslexia (DD). Intervention studies can be used to investigate the causal role of neurocognitive deficits in DD. Recently, it has been proposed that action video games (AVGs)—enhancing attentional control—could improve perception and working memory as well as reading skills. In a partial crossover intervention study, we investigated the effect of AVG and non-AVG training on attentional control using a conjunction visual search task in children with DD. We also measured the non-alphanumeric rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological decoding and word reading before and after AVG and non-AVG training. After both video game training sessions no effect was found in non-alphanumeric RAN and in word reading performance. However, after only 12 h of AVG training the attentional control was improved (i.e., the set-size slopes were flatter in visual search) and phonological decoding speed was accelerated. Crucially, attentional control and phonological decoding speed were increased only in DD children whose video game score was highly efficient after the AVG training. We demonstrated that only an efficient AVG training induces a plasticity of the fronto-parietal attentional control linked to a selective phonological decoding improvement in children with DD.

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is the most frequent neurodevelopmental disorder among school-age children. Traditional remediation programs for DD are rarely controlled for the placebo effect, raising the hypothesis that positive expectations might explain their efficacy. Wearing expensive flickering glasses has been associated with extraordinary improvements in reading skills. The placebo effect and efficacy of these glasses on reading performance were tested. A double blind within-subject experimental design was used in children with DD ( n  = 49; Experiment 1) and unselected young adults ( n  = 48; Experiment 2). Positive expectancy (placebo effect) improved word reading accuracy in young children with DD, with an effect size larger than those reported for gold-standard training programs. This improvement in reading accuracy was replicated in adult poor readers; whereas typical readers improved only in pseudoword decoding speed. Individually-tuned flickering glasses decreased the advantage of word reading over pseudoword reading (the lexicality effect) and predicted pseudoword decoding speed in children with DD. These findings cast shadows on the real efficacy of dyslexia standard training and highlight how the role of placebo effect in training for DD could be dramatically underestimated.