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Terrestrial ecosystems play a crucial role in global carbon cycling by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and storing it primarily in living biomass and soil. Monitoring terrestrial carbon stocks is essential for understanding the impacts of changes in land use on carbon sequestration. This study investigates the potential of remote sensing techniques and the Google Earth Engine to map and monitor changes in the forests of Calabria (Italy) over the past two decades. Using satellite-sourced Corine land cover datasets and the InVEST model, changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC), and carbon concentrations are analyzed, providing insights into the carbon dynamics of the region. Furthermore, cellular automata and Markov chain techniques are used to simulate the future spatial and temporal dynamics of LULC. The results reveal notable fluctuations in LULC; specifically, settlement and bare land have expanded at the expense of forested and grassland areas. These land use and land cover changes significantly declined the overall carbon stocks in Calabria between 2000 and 2024, resulting in notable economic impacts. The region experienced periods of both decline and growth in carbon concentration, with overall losses resulting in economic impacts up to EUR 357.57 million and carbon losses equivalent to 6,558,069.68 Mg of CO 2 emissions during periods of decline. Conversely, during periods of carbon gain, the economic benefit reached EUR 41.26 million, with sequestered carbon equivalent to 756,919.47 Mg of CO 2 emissions. This research aims to highlight the critical role of satellite data in enhancing our understanding and development of comprehensive strategies for managing carbon stocks in terrestrial ecosystems.

Nowadays, the availability of affordable multi-constellation multi-frequency receivers has broadened access to accurate positioning. The abundance of satellite signals coupled with the implementation of ground- and satellite-based correction services has unlocked the potential for achieving real-time centimetre-level positioning with low-cost instrumentation. Most of the current and future applications cannot exploit well-consolidated satellite positioning techniques such as Network Real Time Kinematic (RTK) and Precise Point Positioning (PPP); the former is inapplicable for large user bases due to the necessity of a two-way communication link between the user and the NRTK service provider, while the latter necessitates long convergence times that are not in keeping with kinematic application. In this context, the hybrid PPP-RTK technique has emerged as a potential solution to meet the demand for real-time, low-cost, accurate, and precise positioning. This paper presents an Internet of Things (IoT) GNSS device developed with low-cost hardware; it leverages a commercial PPP-RTK correction service which delivers corrections via IP. The main target is to obtain both horizontal and vertical decimetre-level accuracies in urban kinematic tests, along with other requisites such as solution availability and the provision of connection ports for interfacing an IoT network. A vehicle-borne kinematic test has been conducted to evaluate the device performance. The results show that (i) the IoT device can deliver horizontal and vertical positioning solutions at decimetre-level accuracy with the targeted solution availability, and (ii) the provided IoT ports are feasible for gathering the position solutions over an internet connection.

Continuous and unplanned urbanization, combined with negative alterations in land use land cover (LULC), leads to a deterioration of the urban thermal environment and results in various adverse ecological effects. The changes in LULC and thermal characteristics have significant implications for the economy, climate patterns, and environmental sustainability. This study focuses on the Province of Naples in Italy, examining LULC changes and the Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) from 1990 to 2022, predicting their distributions for 2030. The main objectives of this research are the investigation of the future seasonal thermal characteristics of the study area by characterizing land surface temperature (LST) through the UTFVI and analyzing LULC dynamics along with their correlation. To achieve this, Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat 9 Operational Land Imager (OLI) imagery were utilized. LULC classification was performed using a supervised satellite image classification system, and the predictions were carried out using the cellular automata-artificial neural network (CA-ANN) algorithm. LST was calculated using the radiative transfer equation (RTE), and the same CA-ANN algorithm was employed to predict UTFVI for 2030. To investigate the multi-temporal correlation between LULC and UTFVI, a cross-tabulation technique was employed. The study's findings indicate that between 2022 and 2030, there will be a 9.4% increase in built-up and bare-land areas at the expense of the vegetation class. The strongest UTFVI zone during summer is predicted to remain stable from 2022 to 2030, while winter UTFVI shows substantial fluctuations with a 4.62% decrease in the none UTFVI zone and a corresponding increase in the strongest UTFVI zone for the same period. The results of this study reveal a concerning trend of outward expansion in the built-up area of the Province of Naples, with central northern regions experiencing the highest growth rate, predominantly at the expense of vegetation cover. These predictions emphasize the urgent need for proactive measures to preserve and protect the diminishing vegetation cover, maintaining ecological balance, combating the urban heat island effect, and safeguarding biodiversity in the province.

GNSS has become ubiquitous in high-precision applications, although the cost of high-end GNSS receivers remains a major obstacle for many applications. Recent advances in GNSS receiver technology have led to the development of low-cost GNSS receivers, making high-precision positioning available to a wider range of users. One such technique for achieving high-precision positioning is Precise Point Positioning-Real Time Kinematic (PPP-RTK). It is a GNSS processing technique that combines the PPP and RTK approaches to provide high-precision positioning in real time without the need for a base station. In this work, we aim to assess the performance of the low-cost u-blox ZED-F9P GNSS module in PPP-RTK mode using the low-cost u-blox ANN-MB antenna. The experiment was designed to investigate both the time it takes the receiver to resolve the phase ambiguity and to determine the positioning accuracies achievable. Results showed that the u-blox ZED-F9P GNSS module could achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy in about 60 s in PPP-RTK mode. These results make the PPP-RTK technique a good candidate to fulfill the demand for mass-market accurate and robust navigation since uses satellite-based corrections to provide accurate positioning information without the need for a local base station or network. Furthermore, due to its rapid acquisition capabilities and accurate data georeferencing, the technique has the potential to serve as a valuable method to improve the accuracy of the three-S techniques (GIS, remote sensing, and GPS/GNSS).

We study an oracle operation, along with its circuit design, which combined with the Grover diffusion operator boosts the probability of finding the minimum or maximum solutions on a weighted directed graph. We focus on the geometry of sequentially connected bipartite graphs, which naturally gives rise to solution spaces describable by Gaussian distributions. We then demonstrate how an oracle that encodes these distributions can be used to solve for the optimal path via amplitude amplification. And finally, we explore the degree to which this algorithm is capable of solving cases that are generated using randomized weights, as well as a theoretical application for solving the Traveling Salesman problem.

Background: Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN) is a rare condition characterized by severe, paroxysmal episodes of pain mainly localized to the external ear canal, pharynx, and tongue, usually caused by a neurovascular conflict between postero-inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) and IX cranial nerve. Sometimes there is also a compression of X c.n., Case Description: We present a case of a 71-year-old female with a 3-year history of intense pain localized in the pharynx and posterior portion of the tongue. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) documented a neurovascular conflict between a loop of PICA and IX left c.n. Surgery was performed through a retrosigmoid craniectomy. The intraoperative findings documented a loop of PICA compressing IX, X, and XI c.n. Microvascular decompression (MVD) of IX c.n. was performed using the interposing technique. No rhizotomy and MVD of the X c.n. was performed. Postoperative course showed the regression of all symptoms., Conclusions: The surgical treatment of patients with GN caused by complex neurovascular conflicts can be safely performed with the classical MVD of IX c.n. A double MVD of both IX and X c.n. has a role only in patients presenting symptoms from both nerves. Rhizotomy, in our opinion, has to be avoided in all cases. The authors review the literature concerning GN caused by complex neurovascular conflicts.

Introduction: Cavernous angiomas of the spinal cord are rare vascular malformations, which account for approximately 5 to 12 percent of spinal cord vascular lesions. They usually originate in the vertebrae, with occasional extension into the extradural space, and intramedullary cavernomas, even if reported in the literature, are very rare., Case Presentation: We report the case of a 34-year-old Caucasian woman affected by a thoracic intramedullary cavernous angioma. Our patient complained of 10-day history of acute dorsal pain, progressive weakness of both lower extremities, worse on the right side, a 'pins and needles' sensation in the abdominal region and bladder dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging showed, at D5 level, a vascular malformation, which was not documented at spinal angiography. Our patient underwent surgical treatment with total removal of the lesion and her symptoms gradually improved. A histological examination revealed the typical features of a cavernous angioma., Conclusions: Intramedullary cavernous angioma is a rare lesion that should be diagnosed early and surgically treated before rebleeding or enlargement of the lesion can occur.

Background: Hemifacial spasm (HS) and spasmodic torticollis (ST) are well-known disorders that are caused by a neurovascular conflict. HS is characterized by irregular, involuntary muscle contractions on one side of the face due to spasms of orbicularis oris and orbicularis oculi muscles, and is usually caused by vascular compression of the VII cranial nerve. ST is an extremely painful chronic movement disorder causing the neck to involuntary turn to the side, upward and/or downward. HS is usually idiopathic but it is rarely caused by a neurovascular conflict with the XI cranial nerve., Case Description: We present a case of a 36-year-old woman with a 2-year history of left hemifacial spasm and spasmodic torticollis. Pre-surgical magnetic resonance imaging MRI examination was performed with 3TMRI integrated by 3Ddrive and 3DTOF image fusion. Surgery was performed through a left suboccipital retrosigmoid craniectomy. The intraoperative findings documented a transfixing artery penetrating the facial nerve and a dominant left anteroinferior cerebellar artery (AICA) in contact with the anterior surface of the pons and lower cranial nerves. Microvascular decompression (MVD) was performed. Postoperative course showed the regression of her symptoms., Conclusions: Transfixing arteries are rarely reported as a cause of neurovascular conflicts. The authors review the literature concerning multiple neurovascular conflicts.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages and limits of virtual magnetic resonance techniques in planning surgery for microvascular decompression in patients with neurovascular conflict., Materials and Methods: Between December 2010 and December 2011, we prospectively observed 32 patients (30 with trigeminal neuralgia and two with hemifacial spasm), with a suspected clinical diagnosis of neurovascular conflict. To assess the contact between nerve and vessel, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by three-dimensional (3D) constructive interference in steady state (CISS) and high-resolution MR angiography (MRA) were performed in all cases. Moreover, we performed presurgical simulation of microvascular decompression using MR two-dimensional image fusion and virtual cisternography. The neuroradiological findings were compared with the surgical findings., Results: In all cases, we demonstrated the anatomical relations between cranial nerves and offending vessels with an optimal correlation between radiological and surgical patterns., Conclusions: Advanced virtual MRI techniques, such as image fusion and virtual cisternography, are able to depict the complex anatomical relationships between neural and vascular structures within the cisternal spaces of the skull base. These techniques can be considered an optimal presurgical tool to support traditional MRI evaluation of this region.

Background: Trigeminal schwannomas are uncommon intracranial tumors. Extracranial trigeminal schwannomas in the infratemporal fossa are rare., Methods: We present a case with a clinical history of facial pain. MRI and CT scans showed a mass arising from the infratemporal fossa extending into the intracranial space., Results: We performed a combined neurosurgical and maxillofacial approach with preoperative endovascular embolization. Complete removal of the parasellar component was achieved with a minimal extracranial neoplastic residual. High microvessel density, reflecting intense neoangiogenesis, was detected through the immunohistochemical staining with endoglin., Conclusions: Due to the unique development pattern of trigeminal schwannoma involving multiple intracranial fossae and extracranial compartment, we chose a combined neurosurgical and maxillofacial approach with preoperative embolization of the tumor. Immunohistochemical findings suggest that the extensive growth observed may be related to an intense neoangiogenesis, opening the perspective to novel therapeutic options based on the inhibition of neoangiogenesis., (Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Brain metastases (BM) are the most common intracranial tumors and their incidence is increasing. Untreated brain metastases are associated with a poor prognosis and a poor performance status. Metastasis development involves the migration of a cancer cell from the bulk tumor into the surrounding tissue, extravasation from the blood into tissue elsewhere in the body, and formation of a secondary tumor. In the recent past, important results have been obtained in the management of patients affected by BM, using surgery, radiation therapy, or both. Conventional chemotherapies have generally produced disappointing results, possibly due to their limited ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. The advent of new technologies has led to the discovery of novel molecules and pathways that have better depicted the metastatic process. Targeted therapies such as bevacizumab, erlotinib, gefitinib, sunitinib and sorafenib, are all licensed and have demonstrated improved survival in patients with metastatic disease. In this review, we will report current data on targeted therapies. A brief review about brain metastatic process will be also presented.

Interdigital erosions are frequently due to tinea pedis. However, other infectious conditions, such as candidiasis, erythrasma or bacterial infections, can generate lesions that cannot be differentiated at the clinical level. Microbiological tests are therefore necessary. This clinical case shows a man with interdigital lesions of 10 months of evolution that are not responding to antifungal treatment.