MENGA: a new comprehensive tool for the integration of neuroimaging data and the Allen human brain transcriptome atlas

Brain-wide mRNA mappings offer a great potential for neuroscience research as they can provide information about system proteomics. In a previous work we have correlated mRNA maps with the binding patterns of radioligands targeting specific molecular systems and imaged with positron emission tomography (PET) in unrelated control groups. This approach is potentially applicable to any imaging modality as long as an efficient procedure of imaging-genomic matching is provided. In the original work we considered mRNA brain maps of the whole human genome derived from the Allen human brain database (ABA) and we performed the analysis with a specific region-based segmentation with a resolution that was limited by the PET data parcellation. There we identified the need for a platform for imaging-genomic integration that should be usable with any imaging modalities and fully exploit the high resolution mapping of ABA dataset.In this work we present MENGA (Multimodal Environment for Neuroimaging and Genomic Analysis), a software platform that allows the investigation of the correlation patterns between neuroimaging data of any sort (both functional and structural) with mRNA gene expression profiles derived from the ABA database at high resolution.We applied MENGA to six different imaging datasets from three modalities (PET, single photon emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) targeting the dopamine and serotonin receptor systems and the myelin molecular structure. We further investigated imaging-genomic correlations in the case of mismatch between selected proteins and imaging targets

Recharging RFID Tags for Environmental Monitoring Using UAVs: A Feasibility Analysis

RFID tags are used for different purposes. One of the major problems to be addressed, particularly for monitoring purposes, is their limited power autonomy. Tags must perform different tasks with limited power consumption and their batteries capacities are often too low, even if low power consumption techniques are implemented. In these operational situations tags should be kept in operation for long periods of time and the common solution is to go directly where they are installed and recharge them manually or change their batteries; alternatively, when possible, small photovoltaic (PV) panels may be adopted. This paper proposes a feasibility analysis of how it is possible to recharge a multipurpose RFID tag using a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), which is programmed to go above the tags and recharge them. This possibility is analyzed from an energetic point of view assuming to recharge a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) using a common commercial UAV adequately instrumented using the wireless power transfer technique

On the Use of a 77 GHz Automotive Radar as a Microwave Rain Gauge

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) defines the frequency band of 77 GHz (W-band) as the one dedicated to automatic cruise control long-range radars. A car can be thought as a moving integrated weather sensor since it can provide meteorological information exploiting the sensors installed on board. This work presents the preliminary analysis of how a 77 GHz mini radar can be used as a short range microwave rain gauge. After the discussion of the Mie scattering formulation applied to a microwave rain gauge working in the W-band, the proposal of a new Z-R equation to be used for correct rain estimation is given. Atmospheric attenuation and absorption are estimated taking into account the ITU-T recommendations. Functional requirements in adapting automatic cruise control long-range radar to a microwave rain gauge are analyzed. The technical specifications are determined in order to meet the functional requirements

SigMate: a MATLAB-based automated tool for extracellular neuronal signal processing and analysis

Rapid advances in neuronal probe technology for multisite recording of brain activity have posed a significant challenge to neuroscientists for processing and analyzing the recorded signals. To be able to infer meaningful conclusions quickly and accurately from large datasets, automated and sophisticated signal processing and analysis tools are required. This paper presents a Matlab-based novel tool, “SigMate”, incorporating standard methods to analyze spikes and EEG signals, and in-house solutions for local field potentials (LFPs) analysis. Available modules at present are – 1. In-house developed algorithms for: data display (2D and 3D), file operations (file splitting, file concatenation, and file column rearranging), baseline correction, slow stimulus artifact removal, noise characterization and signal quality assessment, current source density (CSD) analysis, latency estimation from LFPs and CSDs, determination of cortical layer activation order using LFPs and CSDs, and single LFP clustering; 2. Existing modules: spike detection, sorting and spike train analysis, and EEG signal analysis. SigMate has the flexibility of analyzing multichannel signals as well as signals from multiple recording sources. The in-house developed tools for LFP analysis have been extensively tested with signals recorded using standard extracellular recording electrode, and planar and implantable multi transistor array (MTA) based neural probes. SigMate will be disseminated shortly to the neuroscience community under the open-source GNU-General Public License

Ultra-light disposable radio probes for atmospheric monitoring

Representation of clouds remains a latent ambiguity for weather forecasting and climate models since their characteristics depends on multidisciplinary processes in a wide range of natural scales, from the collision of micron-sized droplets and particles to the thousand-of-meters scale of airflow dynamics. Within the Horizon 2020 Innovative Training Network Cloud-MicroPhysics-Turbulence-Telemetry (ITN-COMPLETE), the development of ultra-small light disposable radio probes for fluctuation-inside-cloudsmonitoring is promoted and financed. Being light-weighted (less than 20 grams), the probes will have a fluid-dynamic behavior to allow them to “float” inside warm clouds after been released by an aircraft or an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Each disposable probe is equipped with compact size microprocessors (presently the first prototype uses Arduino© Nano), controllers and a set of sensors for the measurement of atmospheric parameters such as velocity, acceleration, pressure, temperature and humidity variations. All probes are part of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) world. In fact, while floating, they collect, store and then send the coded information to a base station located at the ground through a dedicated radio transmission link. It is to be noted that long-range communication link (10 km) should be assured with low power consumption technology: a network based on the Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN© protocol) to connect and exchange data within the end-modules and the base station is the potential adopted solution. As far as possible biocompatible elements within the mini ultra-light radio probes will be used to avoid any environmental pollution

Progress on the realization of innovative low cost disposable hail sensing probes

Detailed studies and researches about hail characterization are considered to play a key role both in weather prediction and potentially also in damage assessment after a strong hail event occurred. Most monitoring instruments perform indirect monitoring operations, sensing the parameters from a remote position and not being directly inside a hailstorm. Since 2015 the CINFAI (Italian National Consortium for the Physic of Atmospheres and Hydrospheres) with its local operative research unit at the DET (Department of Electronic and Telecommunications) of Politecnico di Torino, Italy, realized a first preliminary study concerning the realization of artificial disposable sensing probes to study and monitor hail (conducted within a project called HaSP, founded by Regione Piemonte, Italy) [1]. The study was continued in cooperation with EST (Envisens Technologies s.r.l.), a small Italian engineering company, in order to realize the first small prototypes. Introducing the appropriate modifications, a similar version of the probes can be also suitable for monitoring atmospheric parameters [2]. Aim of this work is to present the progress on the realization of low cost disposable hail sensing probes for remote sensing and the study of the properties of hail. The probes are designed as artificial hailstones in order to study both the physical properties of the portion of atmosphere where the formation of hail occurs and the modification of atmospheric conditions while the hailstones are falling to the ground. For this reason, the probes and the hailstones should have the most similar as possible fluid-dynamic properties. The artificial probes can be dropped by a plane, or potentially by a UAV (Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle) if permitted by specific legislation, which fly above and through the clouds where the hail formation occurs. Each probe is equipped with different sensors and during their falling to the ground, they directly measure different physical parameters (e.g humidity, temperature, pressure, acceleration…). All data are sent to a receiver located on the ground exploiting a specific communication link realized at a frequency not affected by the presence of hail and water in the atmosphere. The hail sensing probes can be used for efficient monitoring operations and studies of hail formation dynamics and conditions, thus increasing the set of instruments used for monitoring, remotely sensing and study the physical properties of hail, and possibly also to improve the hail forecasting models

Derivation of Z-R equation using Mie approach for a 77 GHz radar

The ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) defines the frequency band around 77 GHz as dedicated to automatic cruise control long-range radars. This work aims to demonstrate that, with specific assumption and the right theoretical background it is also possible to use a 77 GHz as a mini weather radar and/or a microwave rain gauge. To study the behavior of a 77 GHz meteorological radar, since the raindrop size are comparable to the wavelength, it is necessary to use the general Mie scattering theory. According to the Mie formulation, the radar reflectivity factor Z is defined as a function of the wavelength on the opposite of Rayleigh approximation in which is frequency independent. Different operative frequencies commonly used in radar meteorology are considered with both the Rayleigh and Mie scattering theory formulation. Comparing them it is shown that with the increasing of the radar working frequency the use of Rayleigh approximation lead to an always larger underestimation of rain. At 77 GHz such underestimation is up to 20 dB which can be avoided with the full Mie theory. The crucial derivation of the most suited relation between the radar reflectivity factor Z and rainfall rate R (Z-R equation) is necessary to achieve the best Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (QPE) possible. Making the use of Mie scattering formulation from the classical electromagnetic theory and considering different radar working frequencies, the backscattering efficiency and the radar reflectivity factor have been derived from a wide range of rain rate using specific numerical routines. Knowing the rain rate and the corresponding reflectivity factor it was possible to derive the coefficients of the Z-R equation for each frequency with the least square method and to obtain the best coefficients for each frequency. The coefficients are then compared with the ones coming from the scientific literature. The coefficients of a 77 GHz weather radar are then obtained. A sensitivity analysis of a 77 GHz weather radar using such Z-R relation is also studied. The work shows that the right knowledge of Z-R equation is absolutely essential to use such a specific radar for the estimation of rainfall. The use Mie scattering theory is absolutely necessary for a 77 GHz radar in order to avoid the heavy underestimation of rainfall

A new modular control board for pulse-jet cleaning of dust collector filter bags

This work presents a timing system modular control board to be used for pulse-jet cleaning of dust collector filter bags or pneumatic conveying systems. Many systems of this kind are already available on the market but only some of them have the ability to operate in full range alternating current power supplies. The presented versatile and innovative control board can control the electro valves, either the ones operating with alternating current and those in direct current (since they are both used in the industrial plants). For the same reason, the designed prototype system can be powered with different voltages, widening the number of potential industrial applications. The electronic board has as main advantage the ability to fully automate the cleaning cycle. It can drive many electro valves simultaneously since it is possible to connect more control boards together if needed. It also allows the user to separate the control section of the system from the section dedicated to the actuation of the electro valves. The electro valves can be controlled from a PC terminal via ethernet. The work describes the adopted solutions and the steps made for the design of the entire prototypal modular board, with particular focus on the innovative timing system

Real Time Monitoring of Extreme Rainfall Events with Simple X-Band Mini Weather Radar

Real time rainfall events monitoring is very important for a large number of reasons: Civil Protection, hydrogeological risk management, hydroelectric power purposes, road and traffic regulation, and tourism. Efficient monitoring operations need continuous, high-resolution and large-coverage data. To monitor and observe extreme rainfall events, often much localized over small basins of interest, and that could frequently causing flash floods, an unrealistic extremely dense rain gauge network should be needed. On the other hand, common large C-band or S-band long range radars do not provide the necessary spatial and temporal resolution. Simple short-range X-band mini weather radar can be a valid compromise solution. The present work shows how a single polarization, non-Doppler and non-coherent, simple and low cost X-band radar allowed monitoring three very intense rainfall events occurred near Turin during July 2014. The events, which caused damages and floods, are detected and monitored in real time with a sample rate of 1 minute and a radial spatial resolution of 60 m, thus allowing to describe the intensity of the precipitation on each small portion of territory. This information could be very useful if used by authorities in charge of Civil Protection in order to avoid inconvenience to people and to monitor dangerous situations