Urban centers are characterized by scarcity of outcrops. At the urban-planning level, the examination of results from previous geological surveys and studies may provide sufficient data for an ...accurate subsurficial geologic modeling. In addition, in historical centers a GIS-based multitemporal analysis of historical and archaeological maps, and the examination of archive documents and reports, may be effective especially for the detection of geomorphic changes. The application of such a methodology at the Esquiline Hill allowed to detect the three-millennia-long landscape-modification main phases connected with the construction of the oldest city walls. They include a unique sequence of anthropogenic aggradational and erosional phases that shaped many anthropogenic landforms, presently visible and invisible, or vanished. Among them, the anthropogenic hill Monte della Giustizia, vanished since the end of the 19th century CE when it was erased, and the military moat, excavated in the 6th century BCE and enlarged in the 4th century BCE, finally backfilled in the 4th century CE, since then invisible. These geomorphic changes lastly output a flat leveled landscape similar to the previous volcanic plateau. Results suggest that the “geomorphological convergence,” that is, the resemblance between natural landforms created by different morphogenetic processes, also exists between natural and artificial landforms. Moreover, the study evidenced relationships between landforms and the damage status of historical masonry buildings, specifically connected with their foundation over thick layers of geotechnically-weak anthropogenic deposits. This advises that the multidisciplinary approach may also provide risk managers additional geological features to be evaluated as potential sources of natural hazard.
In historical urban centres, the superimposition of excavation and deposition activities over time has resulted in an irregular spatial distribution of anthropogenic deposits, which may reach ...considerable thicknesses. The detection of those thicknesses requires extensive investigations. Broad borehole and geophysical campaigns cost time and money, consequently at the urban-planning level, it is usual to shift to an estimation of thicknesses, which may be performed through map-algebra operations, that is, by subtracting from the modelled ground surface the elevation of the anthropogenic-deposit basal surface. The latter is implemented through the interpolation of point elevation data, which are generally provided by borehole logs. Despite the development of advanced spatial interpolation methodologies, previous modelling results in the literature show that if the process is affected by insufficient input data, it produces imprecise interpolation outputs. This paper reports an interdisciplinary methodology aiming at enhancing elevation datasets, in order to obtain more accurate digital elevation models. The increase in number and spatial distribution of input points is achieved through past-landscape analyses mainly based on elevation data given by borehole logs, available archaeological reports and historical topographic maps, these being generally available for historical urban centres. The methodology was tested in an urban sector of Rome, where significant activities have been performed for millennia particularly during the Roman Age. A reliable model of the basal surface of the anthrostrata led to a better estimation of the spatial distribution of such deposits and, in addition, revealed the original topographic surface, as modified by human activities.
Urban-geomorphology studies in historical cities provide a significant contribution towards the broad definition of the Anthropocene, perhaps even including its consideration as a new unit of ...geological time. Specific methodological approaches to recognize and map landforms in urban environments, where human-induced geomorphic processes have often overcome the natural ones, are proposed. This paper reports the results from, and comparison of, studies conducted in coastal historical cities facing the core of the Mediterranean Sea – that is, Genoa, Rome, Naples, Palermo (Italy) and Patras (Greece). Their settlements were facilitated by similar climatic and geographical contexts, with high grounds functional for defence, as well as by the availability of rocks useful as construction materials, which were excavated both in opencast and underground quarries. Over centuries, urbanization has also required the levelling of relief, which was performed by the excavation of heights, filling of depressions and by slope terracing. Consequently, highly modified hydrographic networks, whose streams were dammed, diverted, modified in a culvert or simply buried, characterize the selected cities. Their urban growth, which has been driven by maritime commercial activities, has determined anthropogenic coastal progradation through port and defence or waterfront works. Aggradation of artificial ground has also occurred as a consequence of repeated destruction because of both human and natural events, and subsequent reconstruction even over ruins, buried depressions and shallow cavities. As a result, the selected cities represent anthropogenic landscapes that have been predominately shaped by several human-driven processes, sometimes over centuries. Each landform represents the current result, often from multiple activities with opposing geomorphic effects. Beyond academic progress, we believe that detecting and mapping these landforms and processes should be compulsory, even in risk-assessment urban planning, because of the increase of both hazards and vulnerability as a result of climate-change-induced extreme events and extensive urbanization, respectively.
Cappucci, S.; Valentini, E.; Del Monte, M.; Paci, M.; Filipponi, F., and Taramelli, A., 2017. Detection of natural and anthropic features on small islands. In: Martinez, M.L.; Taramelli, A., and ...Silva, R. (eds.), Coastal Resilience: Exploring the Many Challenges from Different Viewpoints. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 77, pp. 73–87. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Mapping the distribution of seabed habitats, and estimating the spatial distribution of features and biocenosis over land and the seafloor, is particularly important for the analysis of human impacts. The present paper uses an innovative image analysis method that integrates different data sources from airborne remote sensing and in situ measurements for different features, allowing the detection of ecological ‘tipping points’ both in emerged and submerged coastal environments. Results show that it is possible to differentiate between the respective roles of: first, the internal variability of the natural morphological system and second, of external forcing factors. The final evidence, however, identifies a clear signature of external forcing, but whether of anthropogenic or natural origin, is unclear. The spatial pattern of the response to anthropogenic forcing may be indistinguishable from patterns of natural variability. It is argued that this novel approach to define tipping points following anthropogenic impacts could be most valuable in the management of natural resources and the economic development of coastal areas worldwide.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NMLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
The aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate the agreement between chest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) and to assess the diagnostic performance of chest ...MRI relative to that of CT during the follow-up of patients recovered from coronavirus disease 2019.
Materials and methods
Fifty-two patients underwent both follow-up chest CT and MRI scans, evaluated for ground-glass opacities (GGOs), consolidation, interlobular septal thickening, fibrosis, pleural indentation, vessel enlargement, bronchiolar ectasia, and changes compared to prior CT scans. DWI/ADC was evaluated for signal abnormalities suspicious for inflammation. Agreement between CT and MRI was assessed with Cohen’s
k
and weighted
k
. Measures of diagnostic accuracy of MRI were calculated.
Results
The agreement between CT and MRI was almost perfect for consolidation (
k
= 1.00) and change from prior CT (
k
= 0.857); substantial for predominant pattern (
k
= 0.764) and interlobular septal thickening (
k
= 0.734); and poor for GGOs (
k
= 0.339), fibrosis (
k
= 0.224), pleural indentation (
k
= 0.231), and vessel enlargement (
k
= 0.339). Meanwhile, the sensitivity of MRI was high for GGOs (1.00), interlobular septal thickening (1.00), and consolidation (1.00) but poor for fibrotic changes (0.18), pleural indentation (0.23), and vessel enlargement (0.50) and the specificity was overall high. DWI was positive in 46.0% of cases.
Conclusions
The agreement between MRI and CT was overall good. MRI was very sensitive for GGOs, consolidation and interlobular septal thickening and overall specific for most findings. DWI could be a reputable imaging biomarker of inflammatory activity.
Urban geomorphology has important implications in spatial planning of human activities, and it also has a geotouristic potential due to the relationship between cultural and geomorphological ...heritage. Despite the introduction of the term Anthropocene to describe the deep influence that human activities have had in recent times on Earth evolution, urban geomorphological heritage studies are relatively rare and limited and urban geotourism development is recent. The analysis of the complex urban landscape often need the integration of multidisciplinary data. This study aims to propose the first urban geomorphoheritage assessment method, which originates after long-lasting previous geomorphological and geotouristic studies on Rome city centre, it depict rare examples of the geomorphological mapping of a metropolis and, at the same time, of an inventory of urban geomorphosites. The proposal is applied to geomorphosites in the Esquilino neighbourhood of Rome, whose analysis confirm the need for an
method for assessing urban geomorphosites, as already highlighted in the most recent literature on the topic. The urban geomorphoheritage assessment method is based on: (i) the urban geomorphological analysis by means of multitemporal and multidisciplinary data; (ii) the geomorphosite inventory; and (iii) the geomorphoheritage assessment and enhancement. One challenge is to assess invisible geomorphosites that are widespread in urban context. To this aim, we reworked the attributes describing the Value of a site for Geotourism in order to build up a specific methodology for the analysis of the urban geomorphological heritage.
In recent years, much research have dealt with the impact of human and climate change on the morpho‐evolution of Mediterranean catchments characterized by high ecological and cultural value. In this ...paper, we speculated how humans can influence hillslope degradation by reviewing the relationships between denudation processes and land use changes in some representative areas located in different Italian regions (i.e., Liguria, Tuscany, Basilicata, and Sicily). The selected study cases are characterized by different climatic and geological features, land use, and land management and can be considered indicative of the hillslope degradation issues that affected the Apennines during the last century. We compared and discussed the main outcomes from previous studies, with the aim of identifying the main drivers leading to hillslope degradation and to shed light on the role of human action. We revealed that hillslope degradation can be mainly related to deforestation for land reclamation, cropland abandonment, and the increase of hazardous rainfall. Moreover, we focused on how human impact can have both positive and negative feedbacks. In some cases (e.g., badlands), the land levelling has produced an initial inhibition of land degradation, whereas after intensive agricultural practices, accelerated soil depletion has occurred, favouring erosion processes. Analogously, terracing controlled erosion as long as the entire terrace system was maintained, but abandoned terraced slopes can increase the magnitude of geo‐hydrological phenomena in response to high‐intensity rainfall. On‐the‐other‐hand, both rural landscape and related erosional landforms can be appreciated as elements of landscape diversity and contribute to tourism development.
Scientific research about geological and geomorphological heritage recently proved to be the base of new opportunities for tourism. The peculiar case of urban landscape analysis offers new frontiers ...to the traditional urban cultural tourism. The tourism offer based on natural aspects of urban areas is described in this paper thanks to three examples of urban geotourism tools: GeoGuide Lausanne, TOURinSTONES and GeoGuide Rome mobile applications. Each case focuses on the transfer of geoscientific knowledge from scientific research to the “tourist” content, with the innovative support of the mobile application technology. The apps contribute to the promotion of the links between cultural and geological heritages, which is the goal of urban geotourism: to convey the message that substrate profoundly influences the culture that is established on it. The mobile application technology has many strengths for interpretation, e.g. by overlaying images or adding sounds and videos, which allow the visitors to discover landforms now covered by buildings and infrastructures; it has also technical strengths, such as looking for additional information and organizing the city visit at home or to reexperience it after the trip. The apps do not have any impact on the field; they are concise, easy to read, interactive and funny. The public understanding of science is very important; it helps enhancing the role of the researchers and the impact of their work on the society and the daily lives of citizens. In this context, GeoGuide apps are useful to transfer knowledge and make it usable to people.
Objectives
Our goal is to determine the ability of multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) to differentiate muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) from non-muscle invasive bladder cancer ...(NMIBC).
Methods
Patients underwent mpMRI before tumour resection. Four MRI sets, i.e. T2-weighted (T2W) + perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI), T2W plus diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), T2W + DWI + PWI, and T2W + DWI + PWI + dif-fusion tensor imaging (DTI) were interpreted qualitatively by two radiologists, blinded to histology results. PWI, DWI and DTI were also analysed quantitatively. Accuracy was determined using histopathology as the reference standard.
Results
A total of 82 tumours were analysed. Ninety-six percent of T1-labeled tumours by the T2W + DWI + PWI image set were confirmed to be NMIBC at histopathology. Overall accuracy of the complete mpMRI protocol was 94% in differentiating NMIBC from MIBC. PWI, DWI and DTI quantitative parameters were shown to be significantly different in cancerous versus non-cancerous areas within the bladder wall in T2-labelled lesions.
Conclusions
MpMRI with DWI and DTI appears a reliable staging tool for bladder cancer. If our data are validated, then mpMRI could precede cystoscopic resection to allow a faster recognition of MIBC and accelerated treatment pathways.
Key Points
•
A critical step in BCa staging is to differentiate NMIBC from MIBC
.
•
Morphological and functional sequences are reliable techniques in differentiating NMIBC from MIBC
.
•
Diffusion tensor imaging could be an additional tool in BCa staging
.
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