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This paper presents the follow-up phase of a broader work that illustrates a multidisciplinary research activity carried out as part of an institutional collaboration between the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria and 18 Sicilian municipalities, located in an area called “Jonian Valleys of Peloritani”, Italy. The collaboration is finalized in order to outline perspectives and strategies for the material and immaterial progress of the area. The research activities are at initial stages, this paper illustrates the first results of the cognitive phase relating to the case study.

This paper is the first part of a broader work that illustrates a multidisciplinary research activity carried out as part of an institutional collaboration, between the Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria and 18 Sicilian municipalities, located in an area called “Jonian Valleys of Peloritani”. The collaboration is finalized in order to outline perspectives and strategies for the material and immaterial progress of the area. The research activities are at initial stages, this paper illustrates the methodological aspects.

Several frameworks to evaluate the sediment connectivity—the physical linkage of sediment through the channel system—in a catchment have been proposed and verified in several environmental contexts. A simple but effective index (“catchment connectivity index”, CCI), considering the geomorphological characteristics of the channels and the connectivity between hillslopes and channels was proposed for estimating the sediment connectivity in Spanish rivers. The procedure to calculate the CCI is improved in this study, which suggest a modified index (“mCCI”) to make simpler and more realistic the hydrological and geomorphological description of the landscape elements influencing the sediment connectivity. The new procedure to calculate the mCCI reduces the need of many field surveys (whose output is often affected by errors when carried out by low-experience operators) and makes quicker the CCI application on a catchment scale (thanks to the large use of GIS).

Previously, in a large river of Mexico regulated by more than 200 check dams, we demonstrated that vegetation cover and channel characteristics were the dominant factors on the structure conditions and capacity to store sediments. This study focuses on other categorical (i.e., check dam type and location, soil texture and land use) and numerical (i.e. water discharge, check dam dimensions) variables, to whom statistical analysis is applied, in order to assess their influence on sediment filling degree and conditions (functional or destroyed) of the check dams in the same river. ANOVA has shown that: (i) check dam type (gabion or stone) and location (headwater, middle or valley reaches), and soil texture significantly influence the sediment filling degree of structures; (ii) vegetation cover of the drained sub-watersheds, water discharge, channel width and check dam upstream depth significantly affect the structure conditions (functional or destroyed). PCA has provided two derivative variables, related to the geomorphological characteristics of channels and vegetation cover, to whom sediment retention behind check dams is related.

Diagnostic Ultrasound (US) is an operator and patient dependent examination where anatomical and hemodynamic analysis settings have to be adjusted in real-time while scanning.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is one of the terms used to describe a number of different techniques used for prolonged cardiac and/or respiratory support. During ECMO a fraction of the patient venous return is diverted through an artificial lung for gas exchange (oxygenation and CO2 removal) and then returned to the patient. Depending on the returning vessel (venous or arterial), ECMO can be used for cardiac (veno-arterial bypass (VA-ECMO)) or respiratory support. For respiratory support blood can be drained either from a venous vessel (veno-venous ECMO (VV-ECMO)) or from an arterial vessel (arteriovenous bypass (AV-ECMO)). During VV and VA-ECMO, the blood is withdrawn from the patient through the action of a pump, whereas during AV-ECMO, the blood flow is driven by the patient’s arterial pressure. For respiratory support in ARDS patients, VV-ECMO represents the simplest and more rational choice [1]. Depending on the extracorporeal blood flow (ECBF), VV-ECMO can be used to support both oxygenation and CO2 removal (ECBF 3–7 l/min, total extracorporeal support) or to provide mainly CO2 removal (ECBF 0.5–2.5 l/min, partial extracorporeal support). This chapter will focus mainly on the application of VV-ECMO in ARDS patient.