Explore the vast range of titles available.

On the 26th of November 2022, as a consequence of heavy rainfall, diffuse landslides were triggered in the Northern sector of Ischia. The present study investigated the main features of the debris flow originated in a small catchment basin falling within the Casamicciola Terme Municipality. The debris flow, triggered around 05:00 a.m. from the Northern slope of Mt. Epomeo, travelled about 850 m before impacting a populated area. In detail, it affected about 30 buildings causing 12 casualties and several injured, more than 200 people displaced, and severe damages to the road network, resulting one of the most destructive landslide events occurred on the island. This multidisciplinary work, aimed at a preliminary assessment of the event, considered geological and geomorphological evidence collected during a field investigation, as well as environmental data, to set up numerical models both for landslide triggering and propagation. Along the pre-existing channel, a marked erosional behaviour was observed with a maximum removed thickness of about 5.5 m, whilst the material deposition largely occurred after the impact on buildings. The total volume mobilised by the debris flow was estimated in approximately 40,000 m3. Considering the geological and geomorphological conditions, as well as the high vulnerability and the socio-economic importance of the area, a careful monitoring and risk management activities in the next months will be necessary.

This paper is focused on the archaeological area of Metaponto (Mexomov-nov) and its territory, located in southern Italy. The area played an important role for the agricultural economy and the traffic of goods and people, from the south of Italy towards the central regions, starting from the Neolithic period, and reaching the zenith with the Greek polis of Metaponto and its hinterland. The site is herein analyzed through an integrated use of several Earth observation and remote sensing technologies and ancillary data produced over the years by archaeologists and scholars. The aim was to identify new buried elements of archaeological interest, for the reconstruction of the historical-archaeological landscape. Through the combined use of optical and radar satellite images, high-resolution images obtained by Unmanned Aerial System (visible, multispectral, and thermal infrared), geophysical data, and archival data, it was possible to deepen the knowledge of the area, in particular the “Castrum” area, identifying new buried evidence (structures, roads, and elements of the ancient landscape).

We studied new particle formation and modal behavior of ultrafine aerosol particles on the high East Antarctic plateau at the Concordia station, Dome C (75°06' S, 123°23' E). Aerosol particle number size distributions were measured in the size range 10–600 nm from 14 December 2007 to 7 November 2009. We used an automatic algorithm for fitting up to three modes to the size distribution data. The total particle number concentration was low with the median of 109 cm−3. There was a clear seasonal cycle in the total particle number and the volume concentrations. The concentrations were at their highest during the austral summer with the median values of 260 cm−3 and 0.086 μm3 cm−3, and at their lowest during the austral winter with corresponding values of 15 cm−3 and 0.009 μm3 cm−3. New particle formation events were determined from the size distribution data. During the measurement period, natural new particle formation was observed on 60 days and for 15 of these days the particle growth rates from 10 to 25 nm in size could be determined. The median particle growth rate during all these events was 2.5 nm h−1 and the median formation rate of 10 nm particles was 0.023 cm−3 s−1. Most of the events were similar to those observed at other continental locations, yet also some variability in event types was observed. Exceptional features in Dome C were the winter events that occurred during dark periods, as well as the events for which the growth could be followed during several consecutive days. We called these latter events slowly growing events. This paper is the first one to analyze long-term size distribution data from Dome C, and also the first paper to show that new particle formation events occur in central Antarctica.

This paper deals with the integration and fusion of UAV-based imagery, including Vis-NIR multispectral and infrared thermography data, with georadar and geomagnetic prospecting, applied on Grumentum, pre-Roman and Roman city, with an important phase dated to Late Antiquity, of the ancient Lucania, in Basilicata region. The data were processed individually and then integrated with each other in order to recover as much information as possible from the different signals. Due to the qualitative and quantitative approaches to the integration and fusion of the diverse data sets and features, it was possible to detect some urban blocks (insulae) reasonably referable to the Roman age, although obviously not datable, and other features spatially linked to the late antique/early medieval church. Grumentum’s experience shows considerable potential as well as limits in the use of the image fusion-based approach for the enhancement of archaeological features, from which emerges the need to continue experimenting these approaches on a greater number of case studies.

Adiabatic quantum computation (AQC) is a promising counterpart of universal quantum computation, based on the key concept of quantum annealing (QA). QA is claimed to be at the basis of commercial quantum computers and benefits from the fact that the detrimental role of decoherence and dephasing seems to have poor impact on the annealing towards the ground state. While many papers show interesting optimization results with a sizable number of qubits, a clear evidence of a full quantum coherent behavior during the whole annealing procedure is still lacking. In this paper we show that quantum non-demolition (weak) measurements of Leggett Garg inequalities can be used to efficiently assess the quantumness of the QA procedure. Numerical simulations based on a weak coupling Lindblad approach are compared with classical Langevin simulations to support our statements.

Occurrence of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients (patients) undergoing chemotherapy is a remarkable concern for the oncologist. In addition, careful attention has to be paid to the possible major bleeding when patients carrying gastrointestinal cancer need antithrombotic therapies. To date some Cancer Associated Thrombosis (CAT) risk scores as Khorana and PROTECHT score have been developed to identify the cancer population at high-risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Consensus guidelines recommend to consider also low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for primary thromboprophylaxis in high-risk patients. This is a report on a retrospective case series of 15 intra-luminal not surgically treated gastrointestinal cancer patients deemed high risk for VTE. The patients had a Khorana or PROTECHT score of 2 points or more (at least ≥ 2 points). They were undergoing first line chemotherapy in the absence of endoscopic signs of cancer spontaneous bleeding. A prophylactic dose of LMWH was administered just before starting the chemotherapy session and until 48 hours after its completion. The authors mainly aimed to report occurrence of clinically perceptible gastrointestinal bleeding events. Fifteen patients were administered LMWH – median age: 59 (range: 42–79); gender: male 12 (80%); tumor type: stomach – 13 patients (86%); gastro-esophageal junction: 2 patients (14%). Duration of heparin treatment: the total treatment duration was 228 days; mean 15.2 days (range: 5–45); nadroparin: mean 14.7 days (range: 5–45); enoxaparin: mean 10.1 days (range: 5–20); parnaparin: a total of 5 days. None of the patients experienced perceptible gastrointestinal bleeding. Short-term LMWH thromboprophylaxis appeared to be safe for this series of patients.

The Arctic climate is modulated, in part, by atmospheric aerosols that affect the distribution of radiant energy passing through the atmosphere. Aerosols affect the surface‐atmosphere radiation balance directly through interactions with solar and terrestrial radiation and indirectly through interactions with cloud particles. Better quantification of the radiative forcing by different types of aerosol is needed to improve predictions of future climate. During April 2009, the airborne campaign Pan‐Arctic Measurements and Arctic Regional Climate Model Inter‐comparison Project (PAM‐ARCMIP) was conducted. The mission was organized by Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research of Germany and utilized their research aircraft, Polar‐5. The goal was to obtain a snapshot of surface and atmospheric conditions over the central Arctic prior to the onset of the melt season. Characterizing aerosols was one objective of the campaign. Standard Sun photometric procedures were adopted to quantify aerosol optical depth AOD, providing a three‐dimensional view of the aerosol, which was primarily haze from anthropogenic sources. Independent, in situ measurements of particle size distribution and light extinction, derived from airborne lidar, are used to corroborate inferences made using the AOD results. During April 2009, from the European to the Alaskan Arctic, from sub‐Arctic latitudes to near the pole, the atmosphere was variably hazy with total column AOD at 500 nm ranging from ∼0.12 to >0.35, values that are anomalously high compared with previous years. The haze, transported primarily from Eurasian industrial regions, was concentrated within and just above the surface‐based temperature inversion layer. Extinction, as measured using an onboard lidar system, was also greatest at low levels, where particles tended to be slightly larger than at upper levels. Black carbon (BC) (soot) was observed at all levels sampled, but at moderate to low concentrations compared with historical records. BC was highest near the North Pole, suggesting there had been an accumulation of soot within the Arctic vortex. Few, optically thick elevated aerosol layers were observed along the flight track, although independent lidar observations reveal evidence of the passage of volcanic plumes, which may have contributed to abnormally high values of AOD above 4 km. Enhanced opacity at higher altitudes during the campaign is attributed to an accumulation of industrial pollutants in the upper troposphere in combination with volcanic aerosol resulting from the March–April 2009 eruptions of Mount Redoubt in Alaska. The presence of Arctic haze during April 2009 is estimated to have reduced the net shortwave irradiance by ∼2–5 W m−2, resulting in a slight cooling of the surface.

The EU Flood Risk Management Directive 2007/60/EC aims at an active involvement of interested parties in the setting up of flood risk management plans and thus calls for more governance-related decision-making. This requirement has two perspectives. On the one hand, there is (1) the question of how decision-makers can improve the quality of their governance process. On the other hand, there is (2) the question of how the public shall be appropriately informed and involved. These questions were the centre of the ERA-Net CRUE-funded project IMRA (integrative flood risk governance approach for improvement of risk awareness) that aimed at an optimisation of the flood risk management process by increasing procedural efficiency with an explicit involvement strategy. To reach this goal, the IMRA project partners developed two new approaches that were implemented in three case study areas for the first time in flood risk management: 1. risk governance assessment tool: An indicator-based benchmarking and monitoring tool was used to evaluate the performance of a flood risk management system in regard to ideal risk governance principles; 2. social milieu approach: The concept of social milieus was used to gain a picture of the people living in the case study regions to learn more about their lifestyles, attitudes and values and to use this knowledge to plan custom-made information and participation activities for the broad public. This paper presents basic elements and the application of two innovative approaches as a part of an \"involvement strategy\" that aims at the active involvement of all interested parties (stakeholders) for assessing, reviewing and updating flood risk management plans, as formulated in the EU Flood Risk Management Directive 2007/60/EC.

We compare ground-based measurements of aerosol optical depth and Ångström parameter at six Arctic stations in the period 2001–2006 with the results from two global aerosol dynamics and transport models, ECHAM-HAM and TM5. Satellite measurements from MODIS and the MACC reanalysis product are used to examine the spatial distribution and the seasonality of these parameters and to compare them with model results. We find that both models provide a good reproduction of the Ångström parameter but significantly underestimate the observed AOD values. We also explore the effects of changes in emissions, model resolution and the parametrization of wet scavenging.

The Po Valley is one of the most polluted areas in Europe. In order to provide a further contribution to the characterization of aerosol optical properties in this area, a more than 2 yr set of Multi Filter Rotating Shadow‐band Radiometer (MFRSR) measurements performed from September 2006 to May 2009 at Bologna, in northern Italy, were analyzed, paying particular attention to calibration, cloud screening, and uncertainty assessment of the measurements. The results show that daily mean aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 500 nm varies between 0.02 and 0.78, with an overall average value of 0.20 ± 0.11, and that daily mean values of Ångström's exponent α range between 0.21 and 1.86, with an overall average value of 1.23 ± 0.30. The annual variations of these parameters are evidence of the large variability of aerosol content and size distribution shape parameters throughout the year. Interannual seasonal statistics show a cyclic behavior of AOD, with monthly median values increasing from winter to autumn. In late spring and summer, several episodes of Saharan dust transport from North Africa were associated with high values of AOD and low values of α, contributing to an appreciable modification of the seasonal mean values of these two optical parameters. The high temporal resolution of daily field measurements allowed the definition of the average features of daily cycles for both parameters AOD and α, on a seasonal basis. Comparison of MFRSR results with those obtained from three AERONET stations in the Po Valley shows good agreement for both optical parameters. Absolute values of biases and root‐mean‐square differences between the MFRSR results and those of the AERONET stations were found to be lower than 0.05 and 0.20, respectively, for AOD at 500 nm and lower than 0.30 and 0.44 for α, indicating that aerosol optical characteristics are quite homogeneous over the whole region.