Infrared thermography and DInSAR surveying methodologies have been integrated and compared to study the state and distribution of activity of one of the largest landslides of northeastern Sicily, ...Italy, which is characterized by a slow retrogressive evolution. The Randazzo Landslide was triggered by heavy rainfalls in 1996 and its activity caused the disruption of a strategic transportation corridor, along with the formation of a landslide dam in the Alcantara Valley. After more than 20 years, the slope is still affected by instability and worrying signs of reactivations (e.g., deformation and cracking of road pavement) were surveyed in the field. The application of infrared thermography during the landslide survey allowed detecting peculiar features according to the different thermal pattern of the elements occurring along the slope. In particular, areas with different surface temperature were associated to vegetated spots, steep portions, bare sectors, and contact between different lithologies. Incipient portions and ancient landslide bodies were located, proving the utility of this experimental approach to the surveying of unstable slopes. Information on the entity, in terms of velocity, of the recent landslide displacements were provided by a DInSAR monitoring, which allowed ascertaining the presence of movements affecting several sectors of the landslide, mainly matching with the areas highlighted by thermal images. Achieved outcomes represent a scientifically relevant datum providing important information on the surveyed landslide from the risk management point of view and proving the utility of integrating infrared thermography and DInSAR methodologies for the study of complex movements.
Coexistence issues between IEEE 802.11b wireless communication networks and IEEE 802.15.4 wireless sensor networks, operating over the 2.4-GHz industrial, scientific, and medical band, are assessed. ...In particular, meaningful experiments that are performed through a suitable testbed are presented. Such experiments involve both the physical layer, through measurements of channel power and the SIR, and the network/transport layer, by means of packet loss ratio estimations. Different configurations of the testbed are considered; major characteristics, such as the packet rate, the packet size, the SIR, and the network topology, are varied. The purpose of this paper is to gain helpful information and hints to efficiently face coexistence problems between such networks and optimize their setup in some real-life conditions. Details concerning the testbed, the measurement procedure, and the performed experiments are provided.
ABSTRACT
The Hera mission will arrive at the Didymos system to study the efficiency of momentum transfer and to further investigate the binary system in great detail after the Double Asteroid ...Redirection Test (DART) mission impact. We took advantage of two online data bases of meteorites spectra and of recent Didymos spectra taken before and after the DART impact. We performed the first selection based on the comparison of the band centre values of the silicate absorption bands (localized at 1 and 2 μm) between Didymos and the meteorites. The second selection was made defining a four-dimensional space parameter whose dimensions were the band depth and the slope of the two bands, normalized to Didymos values. We introduced a distance measure to find the closest meteorites to Didymos in this space. Finally, we made the last selection based on other criteria, such as the presence of different spectra of the same meteorite, the presence of different spectra from different data bases, and the comparison with the literature. The result of this work is a list of six meteorites that are the most analogous to Didymos system. We also found out that Didymos is most probably mainly composed of L/LL ordinary chondrites, with a preference for the LL sub-type. From our list of meteorites, we were able to estimate the normalized abundance of olivine and pyroxene of Didymos. Finally, a match between Didymos and OC meteorites was also found in the Mid-InfraRed (MIR) range.
The assignment of absolute configuration (AC) is a crucial step in the structural characterization of natural products, especially for those subjected to biological assays. Methods such as X-ray ...crystallography, stereocontrolled organic synthesis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and chiroptical spectroscopies are commonly used to determine the AC of chiral natural compounds. Even with these well-established techniques, however, unambiguous stereochemical assignments of natural products remain a challenge, resulting in an increasing number of structural misassignments being reported every year. Herein, we will present the main techniques that have been used in AC reassignments of natural products over the last 10 years, along with some selected examples. Special attention will be paid to the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. With this, we expect to provide the readers with critical information to help them to choose the appropriate methods for correct AC determinations.
Introduction
Knowing how metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is indicated in different countries is essential information for the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic ...Disorders (IFSO).
Aim
To analyze the indications for MBS recommended by each of the national societies that comprise the IFSO and how MBS is financed in their countries.
Methods
All IFSO societies were asked to fill out a survey asking whether they have, and which are their national guidelines, and if MBS is covered by their public health service.
Results
Sixty-three out of the 72 IFSO national societies answered the form (87.5%). Among them, 74.6% have some kind of guidelines regarding indications for MBS. Twenty-two percent are still based on the US National Institute of Health (NIH) 1991 recommendations, 43.5% possess guidelines midway the 1991s and ASMBS/IFSO 2022 ones, and 34% have already adopted the latest ASMBS/IFSO 2022 guidelines. MBS was financially covered in 65% of the countries.
Conclusions
Most of the IFSO member societies have MBS guidelines. While more than a third of them have already shifted to the most updated ASMBS/IFSO 2022 ones, another significant number of countries are still following the NIH 1991 guidelines or even do not have any at all. Besides, there is a significant number of countries in which surgical treatment is not yet financially covered. More effort is needed to standardize indications worldwide and to influence insurers and health policymakers to increase the coverage of MBS.
Graphical Abstract
We use panel data on a complete inventory of household spending and assets to estimate the spending response to the sharp and largely unexpected declines in house values that occurred in the Great ...Recession. Our study complements the existing literature on this topic by relying exclusively on longitudinal micro data on both household wealth and expenditure. Our data span the period 2002–2012, allowing us to separate trends in spending from innovations in response to unexpected wealth changes. We find the marginal propensity to consume out of an unexpected housing wealth change to be 6 cents per dollar among older American households. (JEL D12, D14, E21)
Les données à caractère personnel représentent aujourd’hui l’un de bien le plus important faisant l’objet d’échanges tant dans le secteur privé et commercial que dans le secteur public, entre ...services répressifs ou de renseignement. Le Conseil de l’Europe s’est très rapidement préoccupé des risques et des enjeux liés au respect des droits de l’homme lors du traitement de données à caractère personnel, appuyé grandement par l’activité interprétative de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme qui a su élargir la portée de l’article 8 de la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme (CEDH), au point d’y inclure la protection de toute donnée à caractère personnel. Les autorités publiques font une utilisation grandissante des données personnelles de citoyens et ressortissants de pays tiers et les révélations en matière de surveillance massive en sont une preuve éloquente. Cet article, mettant en exergue le fait que la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme a - au fil des décennies - permis de mitiger les violations des droits fondamentaux des personnes dans ce domaine, vise à souligner qu’il est aujourd’hui plus que jamais légitime de s’interroger sur le fait de savoir si la protection offerte par la CEDH est encore adaptée aux défis contemporains liés à la protection des données à caractère personnelles.
•Thymic epithelial tumors(TETs) often require a multimodal approach, including RT.•RT dose recommendations largely derive from old data, where 2D RT was widely used.•This systematic review focused on ...the optimal dose for TETs with modern RT.•5 eligible studies reporting dose response were analyzed and synthesized.•Current guidelines remain valid, this work might be an eye-opener fostering new data.
Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare thoracic tumors, often requiring multimodal approaches. Surgery represents the first step of the treatment, possibly followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) and, less frequently, chemotherapy. For unresectable tumors, a combination of chemotherapy and RT is often used. Currently, the optimal dose for patients undergoing radiation is not clearly defined. Current guidelines on RT are based on studies with a low level of evidence, where 2D RT was widely used. We aim to shed light on the optimal radiation dose for patients with TETs undergoing RT through a systematic review of the recent literature, including reports using modern RT techniques such as 3D-CRT, IMRT/VMAT, or proton-therapy. A comprehensive literature search of four databases was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Two investigators independently screened and reviewed the retrieved references. Reports with < 20 patients, 2D-RT use only, median follow-up time < 5 years, and reviews were excluded. Two studies fulfilled all the criteria and therefore were included. Loosening the follow-up time criteria to > 3 years, three additional studies could be evaluated. A total of 193 patients were analyzed, stratified for prognostic factors (histology, stage, and completeness of resection), and synthesized according to the synthesis without meta-analysis (SWIM) method. The paucity and heterogeneity of eligible studies led to controversial results. The optimal RT dose neither for postoperative, nor primary RT in the era of modern RT univocally emerged. Conversely, this overview can spark new evidence to define the optimal RT dose for each TETs category.
PDF
