An extensive investigation of more than 90 landslides affecting a small river basin in Central Italy was performed by combining field surveys and remote sensing techniques. We thus defined the geomorphological setting of slope instability processes. Basic information, such as landslides mapping and landslides type definition, have been acquired thanks to geomorphological field investigations and multi-temporal aerial photos interpretation, while satellite SAR archive data (acquired by ERS and Envisat from 1992 to 2010) have been analyzed by means of A-DInSAR (Advanced Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) techniques to evaluate landslides past displacements patterns. Multi-temporal assessment of landslides state of activity has been performed basing on geomorphological evidence criteria and past ground displacement measurements obtained by A-DInSAR. This step has been performed by means of an activity matrix derived from information achieved thanks to double orbital geometry. Thanks to this approach we also achieved more detailed knowledge about the landslides kinematics in time and space.

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Abstract:In this work, the ability of advanced satellite interferometry to monitor pre-failure landslide behaviours and the potential application of this technique to Failure Forecasting Methods (FFMs) are analysed. Several limits affect the ability of the technique to monitor a landslide process, especially during the pre-failure phase (tertiary creep). In this study, two of the major limitations affecting the technique have been explored: (1) the low data sampling frequency and (2) the phase ambiguity constraints. We explored the time series of displacements for 56 monitored landslides inferred from the scientific literature and from different in situ and remote monitoring instruments (i.e., extensometers, inclinometers, distometers, Ground Base InSAR, and total station). Furthermore, four different forecasting techniques have been applied to the monitoring data of the selected landslides. To analyse the reliability of the FFMs based on the InSAR satellite data, the 56 time series have been sampled based on different satellite features, simulating the satellite revisit time and the phase ambiguity constraints. Our analysis shows that the satellite InSAR technique could be successful in monitoring the landslide's tertiary creep phase and, in some cases, for forecasting the corresponding time of failure using FFMs. However, the low data sampling frequency of the present satellite systems do not capture the necessary detail for the application of FFMs in actual risk management problems or for early warning purposes.

Body surface area (BSA) is probably the most used tool for indexing physiological functions. The most relevant past and present measuring methods have been examined, and an analysis of selected methods used to measure and to estimate was performed. The evaluation of methods demonstrates a relationship between past and present measuring methods, but also highlights the doubtfulness of their suitability due to the criteria used to select the population for measurements and to estimate BSA by formulae, due to the weight variance according to the same height and the lack of a numeric estimate of the body shape. The use of BSA formulae generated from a population with anthropometric measures different from those of a population where the formulae are applied, and the change in today’s BSA towards 1.73 m² can induce risks by incorrectly estimating GFR and in planning dialysis prescriptions.

Incr-PD is used in Italy in a large number of incident PD patients. The reasons for this increase need to be clarified, as current adequacy targets are based on full-dose studies with a very low glomerular filtration rate (GFR).