Interdisciplinary consensus statements on imaging of DRUJ instability and TFCC injuries.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this agreement was to establish evidence-based consensus statements on imaging of distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) instability and triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injuries by an expert group using the Delphi technique. METHODS: Nineteen hand surgeons developed a preliminary list of questions on DRUJ instability and TFCC injuries. Radiologists created statements based on the literature and the authors' clinical experience. Questions and statements were revised during three iterative Delphi rounds. Delphi panelists consisted of twenty-seven musculoskeletal radiologists. The panelists scored their degree of agreement to each statement on an 11-item numeric scale. Scores of "0," "5," and "10" reflected complete disagreement, indeterminate agreement, and complete agreement, respectively. Group consensus was defined as a score of "8" or higher for 80% or more of the panelists. RESULTS: Three of fourteen statements achieved group consensus in the first Delphi round and ten statements achieved group consensus in the second Delphi round. The third and final Delphi round was limited to the one question that did not achieve group consensus in the previous rounds. CONCLUSIONS: Delphi-based agreements suggest that CT with static axial slices in neutral rotation, pronation, and supination is the most useful and accurate imaging technique for the work-up of DRUJ instability. MRI is the most valuable technique in the diagnosis of TFCC lesions. The main indication for MR arthrography and CT arthrography are Palmer 1B foveal lesions of the TFCC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: MRI is the method of choice for assessing TFCC lesions, with higher accuracy for central than peripheral abnormalities. The main indication for MR arthrography is the evaluation of TFCC foveal insertion lesions and peripheral non-Palmer injuries. KEY POINTS: • Conventional radiography should be the initial imaging technique in the assessment of DRUJ instability. CT with static axial slices in neutral rotation, pronation, and supination is the most accurate method for evaluating DRUJ instability. • MRI is the most useful technique in diagnosing soft-tissue injuries causing DRUJ instability, especially TFCC lesions. • The main indications for MR arthrography and CT arthrography are foveal lesions of the TFCC.

Sensitivity analysis for a participatory approach to enhance the climate resilience of Venice, Italy.

Increases in the magnitudes and frequencies of climate-related extreme events are redistributing risk across coastal systems, including their environmental, economic, and social components. Consequently, stakeholders (SHs) are faced with long-term challenges and complex information when managing assets, services, and uses of the coast. In this context, SH engagement is a key step for risk management and in the preparation of resilience plans to respond and adapt to climate change. This paper develops a participatory method to identify and prioritize a set of risk measures, combining multi-criteria analysis with sensitivity analysis. The process involved local and regional authorities of the Veneto region testing the method, including national, regional, and local government, catchment officers, research organizations, natural parks managers and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). SHs identified and ranked a range of adaptation measures to increase climate resilience, with a focus on coastal risk in the Venice lagoon. Results demonstrate that the sensitivity analysis provides useful information on how different sectors of expertise can influence the ranking of the identified risk management measures, highlighting the value of investigating the preferences or priorities of different SH groups within the definition of adaptation plans.

Presurgical Perspective and Postsurgical Evaluation of Morton's Neuroma and Other Nerve Lesions.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a robust method used for both preoperative and postoperative evaluation of Morton's neuroma and other neural lesions. MRI is used to confirm the diagnosis and for precise localization, estimation of outcome, and differential diagnoses. The differential diagnoses include mechanically induced plantar plate ruptures with associated Morton's neuroma-like tumors in the intermetatarsal/interdigital spaces; mechanical fibrosis cushion formations and pseudo bursae in the plantar foot adipose tissue; rheumatologic affections, such as rheumatoid nodules, gouty nodules, and intermetatarsal bursitis; and lastly the tenosynovial giant cell tumor (formerly called pigmented villonodular synovitis). In the postoperative evaluation after resection of Morton's neuroma, the same differential diagnoses must be considered as in the preoperative evaluation. Similarly, a high prevalence (up to 25%) of asymptomatic Morton's neuroma-like findings in the intermetatarsal and interdigital spaces should be kept in mind when interpreting postoperative recurrent forefoot pain after Morton's neuroma resection.

Interdisciplinary consensus statements on imaging of scapholunate joint instability.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this agreement was to establish evidence-based consensus statements on imaging of scapholunate joint (SLJ) instability by an expert group using the Delphi technique. METHODS: Nineteen hand surgeons developed a preliminary list of questions on SLJ instability. Radiologists created statements based on the literature and the authors' clinical experience. Questions and statements were revised during three iterative Delphi rounds. Delphi panellists consisted of twenty-seven musculoskeletal radiologists. The panellists scored their degree of agreement to each statement on an eleven-item numeric scale. Scores of '0', '5' and '10' reflected complete disagreement, indeterminate agreement and complete agreement, respectively. Group consensus was defined as a score of '8' or higher for 80% or more of the panellists. RESULTS: Ten of fifteen statements achieved group consensus in the second Delphi round. The remaining five statements achieved group consensus in the third Delphi round. It was agreed that dorsopalmar and lateral radiographs should be acquired as routine imaging work-up in patients with suspected SLJ instability. Radiographic stress views and dynamic fluoroscopy allow accurate diagnosis of dynamic SLJ instability. MR arthrography and CT arthrography are accurate for detecting scapholunate interosseous ligament tears and articular cartilage defects. Ultrasonography and MRI can delineate most extrinsic carpal ligaments, although validated scientific evidence on accurate differentiation between partially or completely torn or incompetent ligaments is not available. CONCLUSIONS: Delphi-based agreements suggest that standardized radiographs, radiographic stress views, dynamic fluoroscopy, MR arthrography and CT arthrography are the most useful and accurate imaging techniques for the work-up of SLJ instability. KEY POINTS: • Dorsopalmar and lateral wrist radiographs remain the basic imaging modality for routine imaging work-up in patients with suspected scapholunate joint instability. • Radiographic stress views and dynamic fluoroscopy of the wrist allow accurate diagnosis of dynamic scapholunate joint instability. • Wrist MR arthrography and CT arthrography are accurate for determination of scapholunate interosseous ligament tears and cartilage defects.

Preparation of Microspheres and Monolithic Microporous Carbons from the Pyrolysis of Template-Free Hyper-Crosslinked Oligosaccharides Polymer.

Carbon-based materials with different morphologies have special properties suitable for application in adsorption, catalysis, energy storage, and so on. Carbon spheres and carbon monoliths are also nanostructured materials showing promising results. However, the preparation of these materials often require the use of a template, which aggravates their costs, making the operations for their removal complex. In this work, hollow carbon microspheres and carbon monolith were successfully prepared via carbonization of hyper-crosslinked polymer based on either cyclodextrins or amylose, in a template-free way. The carbons obtained are of the microporous type, showing a surface area up to 610 m2/g, and a narrow pore distribution, typically between 5 and 15 Å.

Mechanochemical green synthesis of hyper-crosslinked cyclodextrin polymers.

Cyclodextrin nanosponges (CD-NS) are nanostructured crosslinked polymers made up of cyclodextrins. The reactive hydroxy groups of CDs allow them to act as multifunctional monomers capable of crosslinking to bi- or multifunctional chemicals. The most common NS synthetic pathway consists in dissolving the chosen CD and an appropriate crosslinker in organic polar aprotic liquids (e.g., N,N-dimethylformamide or dimethyl sulfoxide), which affect the final result, especially for potential biomedical applications. This article describes a new, green synthetic pathway through mechanochemistry, in particular via ball milling and using 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole as the crosslinker. The polymer obtained exhibited the same characteristics as a CD-based carbonate NS synthesized in a solvent. Moreover, after the synthesis, the polymer was easily functionalized through the reaction of the nucleophilic carboxylic group with three different organic dyes (fluorescein, methyl red, and rhodamine B) and the still reactive imidazoyl carbonyl group of the NS.

In Situ Synthesis of MIL-100(Fe) at the Surface of Fe3O4@AC as Highly Efficient Dye Adsorbing Nanocomposite.

A new magnetic nanocomposite called MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC was synthesized by the hydrothermal method as a stable adsorbent for the removal of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye from aqueous medium. In this work, in order to increase the carbon uptake capacity, magnetic carbon was first synthesized and then the Fe3O4 was used as the iron (III) supplier to synthesize MIL-100(Fe). The size of these nanocomposite is about 30-50 nm. Compared with activated charcoal (AC) and magnetic activated charcoal (Fe3O4@AC) nanoparticles, the surface area of MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC were eminently increased while the magnetic property of this adsorbent was decreased. The surface area of AC, Fe3O4@AC, and MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC was 121, 351, and 620 m2/g, respectively. The magnetic and thermal property, chemical structure, and morphology of the MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC were considered by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), zeta potential, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunner-Emmet-Teller (BET), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. The relatively high adsorption capacity was obtained at about 769.23 mg/g compared to other adsorbents to eliminate RhB dye from the aqueous solution within 40 min. Studies of adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that RhB adsorption conformed the Langmuir isotherm model and the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Thermodynamic amounts depicted that the RhB adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic process. In addition, the obtained nanocomposite exhibited good reusability after several cycles. All experimental results showed that MIL-100(Fe) @Fe3O4@AC could be a prospective sorbent for the treatment of dye wastewater.

Postpartum Bone Marrow Edema at the Sacroiliac Joints May Mimic Sacroiliitis of Axial Spondyloarthritis on MRI.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to compare MRI findings in the sacroiliac joints of postpartum women (as a model of mechanical changes) and women with known axial spondyloarthritis (as an inflammatory model). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: For this prospective multicenter age-matched, case-control study, sacroiliac joint MRI examinations of 30 healthy women (mean age, 34.0 years) in the early postpartum period (mechanical group) and 30 age-matched women (mean age, 33.8 years) with known axial spondyloarthritis (retrospective inflammatory group) were compared. Blinded to clinical information, readers assessed MR images using the following scoring systems: Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) MRI index, Berlin method, Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria, and SPARCC MRI structural score. Descriptive statistics as percentages of the different findings (i.e., bone marrow edema [BME], erosion, fatty bone marrow replacement, backfill, ankylosis) and scores between groups and between delivery modes were compared. RESULTS: In the postpartum group, 63.3% (19/30) of women showed BME around the sacroiliac joints compared with 86.7% (26/30) of women in the spondyloarthritis group (based on ASAS criteria). Erosions were uncommon in the postpartum group (10.0% [3/30] postpartum vs 56.7% [17/30] spondyloarthritis). Fatty bone marrow replacement, backfill, and ankylosis were not seen in the postpartum group. In subjects with positive MRI findings for sacroiliitis based on ASAS criteria, the SPARCC MRI index (mean ± SD, 13.6 ± 14.5 vs 13.0 ± 10.7; p = 0.818) and Berlin method (4.5 ± 3.0 and 5.5 ± 3.5, p = 0.378) were not different between the postpartum and spondyloarthritis groups. Scores were not different between birth modalities. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy-induced BME at the sacroiliac joints, as a result of prolonged mechanical stress, was present in 63.3% of women who underwent MRI during the early postpartum period and may mimic sacroiliitis of axial spondyloarthritis.

Assessment of hindfoot alignment using MRI and standing hindfoot alignment radiographs (Saltzman view).

OBJECTIVE: To compare the hindfoot alignment measured on standing HAV radiographs (Saltzman view) and on non-weight-bearing coronal MR images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The apparent moment arm was measured on weight-bearing conventional radiographs (Saltzman views) and on MRIs of the ankle in 50 consecutive patients (mean age, 54 years; age range, 18-77 years). The evaluation was performed independently by three readers using analogous reference points for both methods. Positive values were assigned when the deepest point of the calcaneus was lateral to the tibial axis as valgus, negative values as varus. The intertechnique agreement and correlation for the measurements performed with HAV radiographs and MRI were assessed for each reader using the Bland-Altman method and the Pearson correlation coefficient, respectively. The interobserver agreement was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The means of apparent moment arms, with the standard deviation (SD) in parentheses, of three readers were +2.0 (±8.4) mm, +1.5 (±6.6) mm and -1.4 (±8.2) mm on HAV radiographs and +4.6 (±7.4) mm, +6.3 (±5.3) mm and +5.4 (±6.4) mm on MRI. The Bland-Altman analysis found a systematic bias for all three readers, corresponding to an overestimation of measurements with MRI (systematic bias ranging from 2.6 to 4.8 mm). The intertechnique correlation was found moderate to high. The Pearson coefficients for the three readers were 0.75, 0.64 and 0.65. The interobserver agreement among the three readers was 0.72, 0.77 and 0.68 for HAV, MRI and both modalities together, respectively. CONCLUSION: Hindfoot alignment can be estimated on MRI but the correlation between the values on HAV radiographs and MR images is only moderate with a tendency to increased positive values (valgization) on MR images.

Controlled Release of DEET Loaded on Fibrous Mats from Electrospun PMDA/Cyclodextrin Polymer.

Electrospun beta-cyclodextrin (ßCD)-based polymers can combine a high surface-to-volume ratio and a high loading/controlled-release-system potential. In this work, pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)/ßCD-based nanosponge microfibers were used to study the capability to host a common insect repellent (N,N-diethyl-3-toluamide (DEET)) and to monitor its release over time. Fibrous samples characterized by an average fibrous diameter of 2.8 ± 0.8 µm were obtained and subsequently loaded with DEET, starting from a 10 g/L diethyl ether (DEET) solution. The loading capacity of the system was assessed via HPLC/UV⁻Vis analysis and resulted in 130 mg/g. The releasing behavior was followed by leaving fibrous DEET-loaded nanosponge samples in air at room temperature for a period of between 24 h and 2 weeks. The releasing rate and the amount were calculated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the release of the repellent was found to last for over 2 weeks. Eventually, both the chemical composition and sample morphology were proven to play a key role for the high sample loading capacity, determining the microfibers' capability to be applied as an effective controlled-release system.

Is there an Added Value of T1-Weighted Contrast-Enhanced Fat-suppressed Spin-Echo MR Sequences Compared to STIR Sequences in MRI of the Foot and Ankle?

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively compare T1-weighted fat-suppressed spin-echo magnetic resonance (MR) sequences after gadolinium application (T1wGdFS) to STIR sequences in patients with acute and chronic foot pain. METHODS: In 51 patients referred for MRI of the foot and ankle, additional transverse and sagittal T1wGdFS sequences were obtained. Two sets of MR images (standard protocol with STIR or T1wGdFS) were analysed. Diagnosis, diagnostic confidence, and localization of the abnormality were noted. Standard of reference was established by an expert panel of two experienced MSK radiologists and one experienced foot surgeon based on MR images, clinical charts and surgical reports. Patients reported prospectively localization of pain. Descriptive statistics, McNemar test and Kappa test were used. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy with STIR protocol was 80% for reader 1, 67% for reader 2, with contrast-protocol 84%, both readers. Significance was found for reader 2. Diagnostic confidence for reader 1 was 1.7 with STIR, 1.3 with contrast-protocol; reader 2: 2.1/1.7. Significance was found for reader 1. Pain location correlated with STIR sequences in 64% and 52%, with gadolinium sequences in 70% and 71%. CONCLUSIONS: T1-weighted contrast material-enhanced fat-suppressed spin-echo magnetic resonance sequences improve diagnostic accuracy, diagnostic confidence and correlation of MR abnormalities with pain location in MRI of the foot and ankle. However, the additional value is small. KEY POINTS: • Additional value of contrast-enhanced MR over standard MR with STIR sequences exists. • There is slightly more added value for soft tissue than for bony lesions. • This added value is limited. • Therefore, application of contrast material cannot be generally recommended.

The Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland: summary.

The 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) 2016 in Switzerland, Zurich will be summarized.

Medial Collateral Ligament Complex of the Ankle: MR Imaging Anatomy and Findings in Medial Instability.

Ankle ligament injuries are among the most common injuries in sports and recreational activities. Injuries of the medial collateral ligament or deltoid ligament complex account for ∼ 15% of ligamentous ankle trauma. They are usually associated with injuries of the lateral collateral ligaments and the tibiofibular syndesmosis, as well as malleolar fractures. The deltoid ligament complex consists of a superficial and a deep layer. The three main components of the superficial layer are the tibionavicular, tibiospring, and tibiocalcaneal ligaments. The deep layer is composed of the anterior and posterior tibiotalar ligaments; the latter is the strongest ligament of the whole complex. In approximately half of patients, injuries of the superficial layer are associated with a lesion of the posterior tibiotalar ligament (pTTL), whereas in contradistinction most injuries to the pTTL are associated with lesions of the superficial layer. The most common location of injuries to the superficial layer is at the tibial periosteal attachment with partial discontinuity, delamination, or a complete tear with or without lesions of the flexor retinaculum. Lesions of the pTTL are often midsubstance. In chronic lesions a distorted and thickened superficial layer at the tibial insertion with periosteal reaction and bony spurs is usually visible. The scarred pTTL shows loss of normal striation. In chronic stages of pTTL lesions, volume loss is typically seen. Associated periosteal spurs and intraligamentous ossicles are common. In late stages, tibiotalar valgus with osteoarthritic changes of the ankle will develop.

Spring Ligament Complex and Posterior Tibial Tendon: MR Anatomy and Findings in Acquired Adult Flatfoot Deformity.

The spring ligament complex is an important stabilizer of the medial ankle, together with the posterior tibial tendon (PTT) and the deltoid ligament complex. Lesions in these stabilizers result in acquired adult flatfoot deformity. The spring ligament complex includes three ligaments: the superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament, the medioplantar oblique calcaneonavicular ligament, and the inferoplantar longitudinal calcaneonavicular ligament. Normal MR imaging anatomy of the spring ligament complex and the PTT are described and illustrated in detail. Isolated lesions of the spring ligament complex are rare. In most cases, spring ligament complex lesions are secondary to PTT dysfunction. The best criteria for an injury of the clinically relevant superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament are increased signal on proton-density or T2-weighted sequences with thickening (> 5 mm), thinning (< 2 mm), or partial or complete discontinuity. A thickened ligament can be simulated by the gliding layer between the PTT and the superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament (thickness: 1-3 mm). The most common location of injury is the superior and distal portion of the superomedial calcaneonavicular ligament. A lesion seen by the orthopedic foot surgeon at the junction between the tibiospring ligament and the superomedial portion of the calcaneonavicular ligament is commonly classified as a spring ligament injury. In addition, an overview of MR imaging findings in different stages of the acquired adult flatfoot deformity is provided.

The Effect of Electrospun Gelatin Fibers Alignment on Schwann Cell and Axon Behavior and Organization in the Perspective of Artificial Nerve Design.

Electrospun fibrous substrates mimicking extracellular matrices can be prepared by electrospinning, yielding aligned fibrous matrices as internal fillers to manufacture artificial nerves. Gelatin aligned nano-fibers were prepared by electrospinning after tuning the collector rotation speed. The effect of alignment on cell adhesion and proliferation was tested in vitro using primary cultures, the Schwann cell line, RT4-D6P2T, and the sensory neuron-like cell line, 50B11. Cell adhesion and proliferation were assessed by quantifying at several time-points. Aligned nano-fibers reduced adhesion and proliferation rate compared with random fibers. Schwann cell morphology and organization were investigated by immunostaining of the cytoskeleton. Cells were elongated with their longitudinal body parallel to the aligned fibers. B5011 neuron-like cells were aligned and had parallel axon growth when cultured on the aligned gelatin fibers. The data show that the alignment of electrospun gelatin fibers can modulate Schwann cells and axon organization in vitro, suggesting that this substrate shows promise as an internal filler for the design of artificial nerves for peripheral nerve reconstruction.

Hip MRI: how useful is intraarticular contrast material for evaluating surgically proven lesions of the labrum and articular cartilage?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to prospectively compare the diagnostic performance of MR arthrography and conventional MRI with surgical correlation in the same patient for detecting labrum and articular cartilage defects. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (mean age, 31.8 years) underwent MR arthrography, conventional MRI, and subsequent hip surgery, which served as the reference standard. Labrum and cartilage defects were evaluated at MRI by two independent readers. A McNemar test and kappa statistics were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: At surgery, 31 labral tears were identified. MR arthrography had an advantage over conventional MRI for detecting labral tears at the anterosuperior quadrant (sensitivity of MR arthrography, 81% and 69% for readers 1 and 2, respectively; sensitivity of conventional MRI, 50% for both readers); this difference in performance between MR arthrography and conventional MRI was statistically significant for reader 1 (p = 0.02) but not for reader 2 (p = 0.2). Interobserver agreement for labral tears was higher for MR arthrography (κ = 0.81) than for conventional MRI (κ = 0.63). Surgery showed 31 acetabular cartilage defects and nine femoral cartilage defects. MR arthrography had an advantage over conventional MRI for detecting acetabular cartilage defects (sensitivity of MR arthrography, 71% and 92% for readers 1 and 2, respectively; sensitivity of conventional MRI, 58% and 83%), whereas there was no advantage to using MR arthrography for detecting femoral cartilage defects with statistically significant difference for the acetabular cartilage or femoral cartilage. Interobserver agreement was slightly higher for MR arthrography (κ = 0.50) than for conventional MRI (κ = 0.40) for assessing the acetabular cartilage and was almost identical for the femoral cartilage (κ = 0.62 and 0.63, respectively). CONCLUSION: MR arthrography was superior to conventional MRI for detecting labral tears and acetabular cartilage defects and showed a higher interobserver agreement. For femoral cartilage lesions, both modalities yielded comparable results.

Maltodextrin-Based Cross-Linked Electrospun Mats as Sustainable Sorbents for the Removal of Atenolol from Water.

Maltodextrins are products of starch hydrolysis that can be processed into dry fibres through electrospinning and subsequently cured via mild thermal treatment to obtain nonwoven cross-linked polysaccharide-based mats. The sustainability of the process and the bioderived nature make this class of materials suitable candidates to be studied as renewable sorbents for the removal of contaminants from water. In this work, electrospinning of water solutions containing 50% wt. of commercial maltodextrin (Glucidex 2®) and 16.6% wt. of citric acid was carried out at 1.2 mL/h flow and 30 kV applied voltage, followed by thermal curing at 180 °C of the dry fibres produced to obtain cross-linked mats. Well-defined fibres with a mean diameter of 1.64 ± 0.35 µm were successfully obtained and characterised by scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Afterwards, a series of sorption tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the mats in removing atenolol from water. The results of the batch tests followed by HPLC-UV/Vis showed high sorption rates, with over 90% of the atenolol removed, and a maximum removal capacity of 7 mg/g. Furthermore, continuous fixed-bed sorption tests proved the positive interaction between the polymers and atenolol.

Pluvial flood risk assessment for 2021-2050 under climate change scenarios in the Metropolitan City of Venice.

Pluvial flood is a natural hazard occurring from extreme rainfall events that affect millions of people around the world, causing damages to their properties and lives. The magnitude of projected climate risks indicates the urgency of putting in place actions to increase climate resilience. Through this study, we develop a Machine Learning (ML) model to predict pluvial flood risk under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 for future scenarios of precipitation for the period 2021-2050, considering different triggering factors and precipitation patterns. The analysis is focused on the case study area of the Metropolitan City of Venice (MCV) and considers 212 historical pluvial flood events occurred in the timeframe 1995-2020. The methodology developed implements spatio-temporal constraints in the ML model to improve pluvial flood risk prediction under future scenarios of climate change. Accordingly, a cross-validation approach was applied to frame a model able to predict pluvial flood at any time and space. This was complemented with historical pluvial flood data and the selection of nine triggering factors representative of territorial features that contribute to pluvial flood events. Logistic Regression was the most reliable model, with the highest AUC score, providing robust result both in the validation and test set. Maximum cumulative rainfall of 14 days was the most important feature contributing to pluvial flood occurrence. The final output is represented by a suite of risk maps of the flood-prone areas in the MCV for each quarter of the year for the period 1995-2020 based on historical data, and risk maps for each quarter of the period 2021-2050 under RCP4.5 and 8.5 of future precipitation scenarios. Overall, the results underline a consistent increase in extreme events (i.e., very high and extremely high risk of pluvial flooding) under the more catastrophic scenario RCP8.5 for future decades compared to the baseline.

New insights on the degradation of polystyrene and polypropylene by larvae of the superworm Zophobas atratus and gut bacterial consortium enrichments obtained under different culture conditions.

This study aims to deepen knowledge of the biodegradation of plastics, focusing on polypropylene (PP) fabric from surgical masks and polystyrene (PS) by larvae of Zophobas atratus as well as of specialized bacterial consortia from their gut, which were obtained in different enrichment conditions (aerobic, anaerobic, presence or absence of combined nitrogen). Plastics ingested by larvae obtained in Spain did not show any signs of oxidation but only limited depolymerization, preferably from the lowest molecular weight chains. Gut microbiota composition changed as an effect of plastic feeding. Such differences were more evident in bacterial enrichment cultures, where the polymer type influenced the composition more than by culture conditions, with an increase in the presence of nitrogen-fixers in anaerobic conditions. PS and PP degradation by different enrichment cultures was confirmed under aerobic and anaerobic conditions by respirometry tests, with anaerobic conditions favouring a more active plastic degradation. In addition, exposure to selected bacterial consortia in aerobiosis induced limited surface oxidation of PS. This possibly indicates that different biochemical routes are being utilized in the anaerobic gut and in aerobic conditions to degrade the polymer.