M-BIM: a new tool for the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze

[EN] The paper deals with an ongoing research activity for developing a Building Information Model (BIM) for the facility and collections management of museums. The BIM success lies not only in its application for the design and construction of buildings but also because it helps the information management of a building throughout its life cycle. Compared to other activities, in museums management, the container/content relationship is essential for the preventive conservation of artworks, according to national and international guidelines. Then, an effective BIM-based museum information system linked to external databases (called M-BIM) should include also the art collections for managing information regarding both the building and artworks by 3D objects handling. This facilitates the management of the procedures prescribed by international best practices (as the facility and conservation reports set up for the loan of artworks) or by Italian regulations (as to check the compliance of a museum with the minimum standards or to archive renovations and temporary exhibitions). The proposed methodology has been tested on the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze (Florence, Italy), situated in a complex heritage building. Starting from data acquired during a laser scanner survey carried out in 2011, a HBIM of the whole building has been created. Then, the sculptures and paintings of a consistent part of the museum have been modelled with different approaches and inserted as BIM objects. Artworks instances include 3D geometry and physical data (dimensions, materials, weight, etc.), other data are obtained from links to already existing external catalogues. A database conceptual model has been formalised, according to INSPIRE Consolidated Unified Modelling Language (UML) of the INSPIRE Directive, with the aim to maintain the independence of the BIM approach but improving data connection with other databases and sources.Highlights:A holistic information management system for museums (M-BIM) is proposed, including both information on the building and the collections.International and Italian guidelines, and best practices on museums management are compared.The Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze is used as a case study for testing the application of M-BIM on a heritage building.[ES] El artículo trata una investigación en curso que aborda el desarrollo del modelado de información de la construcción (BIM) para la gestión de instalaciones y colecciones de museos. El éxito del BIM no reside sólo en su aplicación en el diseño y la construcción de edificios, sino también en que ayuda en la gestión de la información de una construcción durante todo su ciclo de vida. En comparación con otras actividades, en la gestión de los museos, la relación contenedor/contenido es esencial en la conservación preventiva de las obras de arte, de acuerdo con las directrices nacionales e internacionales. Entonces, un sistema eficaz de información museística mediante BIM y que se enlace con bases de datos externas (denominado M-BIM) debería incluir las colecciones de arte para la gestión de la información relativa tanto al edificio como a las obras de arte mediante la manipulación de objetos en 3D. Esto facilita la gestión de los procedimientos prescritos por las mejores prácticas internacionales (como los informes de instalación y conservación establecidos para el préstamo de obras de arte) o por la normativa italiana (como el control de la conformidad de un museo con los estándares mínimos o almacenar renovaciones y exposiciones temporales). La metodología propuesta se ha probado en la Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze (Italia), situada en un edificio patrimonial de gran complejidad. Se ha creado un HBIM de todo el edificio a partir de los datos capturados en 2011 en un levantamiento con escáner láser. Después, las esculturas y pinturas de una parte consistente del museo se han modelado con diferentes enfoques e insertado como objetos BIM. Los ejemplos de obras de arte incluyen geometría 3D y datos físicos (dimensiones, materiales, peso, etc.), otros datos se obtienen a partir de enlaces a catálogos externos ya existentes. Se ha formalizado un modelo conceptual de bases de datos, según el el lenguaje unificado de modelado (UML) Consolidado INSPIRE de la Directiva INSPIRE, con el objetivo de mantener la independencia del procedimiento BIM, pero mejorando la conexión de los datos con otras bases de datos y fuentes.The research has been carried out as part of the GAMHer project: Geomatics Data Acquisition and Management for Landscape and Built Heritage in a European Perspective, PRIN:–Bando 2015, Prot. 2015HJLS7E.Tucci, G.; Conti, A.; Fiorini, L.; Corongiu, M.; Valdambrini, N.; Matta, C. (2019). M-BIM: una nueva herramienta para la Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze (Florencia). Virtual Archaeology Review. 10(21):40-55. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2019.11943SWORD4055102

On the Implementation of a regional X-bandweather radar network

In the last few years, the number of worldwide operational X-band weather radars has rapidly been growing, thanks to an established technology that offers reliability, high performance, and reduced efforts and costs for installation and maintenance, with respect to the more widespread C- and S-band systems. X-band radars are particularly suitable for nowcasting activities, as those operated by the LaMMA (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the sustainable development) Consortium in the framework of its institutional duties of operational meteorological surveillance. In fact, they have the capability to monitor precipitation, resolving very local scales, with good spatial and temporal details, although with a reduced scanning range. The Consortium has recently installed a small network of X-band weather radars that partially overlaps and completes the existing national radar network over the north Tyrrhenian area. This paper describes the implementation of this regional network, detailing the aspects related with the radar signal processing chain that provides the final reflectivity composite, starting from the acquisition of the signal power data. The network performances are then qualitatively assessed for three case studies characterised by different precipitation regimes and different seasons. Results are satisfactory especially during intense precipitations, particularly regarding what concerns their spatial and temporal characterisation

Multi-Sensor UAV Application for Thermal Analysis on a Dry-Stone Terraced Vineyard in Rural Tuscany Landscape

Italian dry-stone wall terracing represents one of the most iconic features of agricultural landscapes across Europe, with sites listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites and FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). The analysis of microclimate modifications induced by alterations of hillslope and by dry-stone walls is of particular interest for the valuation of benefits and drawbacks of terraces cultivation, a global land management technique. The aim of this paper is to perform a thermal characterization of a dry-stone wall terraced vineyard in the Chianti area (Tuscany, Italy), to detect possible microclimate dynamics induced by dry-stone terracing. The aerial surveys were carried out by using two sensors, in the Visible (VIS) and Thermal InfraRed (TIR) spectral range, mounted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), with two different flights. Our results reveal that, in the morning, vineyard rows close to dry-stone walls have statistically lower temperatures with respect to the external ones. In the afternoon, due to solar insulation, temperatures raised to the same value for each row. The results of this early study, jointly with the latest developments in UAV and sensor technologies, justify and encourage further analyses on local climatic modifications in terraced landscapes

The First Detection of a Pulsar with ALMA

Although there is a general consensus on the fact that pulsars’ radio emission is coherent in nature, whereas the emission from the optical to high-energy γ-rays is due to incoherent processes, it has not been established yet at which wavelengths the transition occurs, which is key information for all emission models of pulsar magnetospheres. Of course, to address this issue, covering the spectral region between the GHz radio frequencies and the mid-infrared (IR) is crucial. We used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe the Vela pulsar (PSR B0833-45), one of the very few observed in radio and from the mid-IR up to the very high-energy γ-rays. We detected Vela at frequencies of 97.5, 145, 233, and 343.5 GHz, which makes it the first pulsar ever detected with ALMA. Its energy density spectrum follows a power law of spectral index α = -0.93 ± 0.16. This corresponds to very high brightness temperatures—from 1017 to 1015 K—suggesting that a coherent radiative process still contributes to the millimeter/submillimeter emission. Therefore, this is the first indication of coherent emission in pulsars extending to the submillmeter range. At the same time, we identified an extended structure, preliminarily detected in ground-based near-IR observations, at a distance of ∼1.″4 from the pulsar, possibly interpreted as a counter-jet protruding from the pulsar

Pulsar observations with European telescopes for testing gravity and detecting gravitational waves

A background of nanohertz gravitational waves from supermassive black hole binaries could soon be detected by pulsar timing arrays, which measure the times-of-arrival of radio pulses from millisecond pulsars with very high precision. The European Pulsar Timing Array uses five large European radio telescopes to monitor high-precision millisecond pulsars, imposing in this way strong constraints on a gravitational wave background. To achieve the necessary precision needed to detect gravitational waves, the Large European Array for Pulsars (LEAP) performs simultaneous observations of pulsars with all five telescopes, which allows us to coherently add the radio pulses, maximize the signal-to-noise of pulsar signals and increase the precision of times-of-arrival. We report on the progress made and results obtained by the LEAP collaboration, and in particular on the addition of the Sardinia Radio Telescope to the LEAP observations during its scientific validation phase. In addition, we discuss how LEAP can be used to monitor strong-gravity systems such as double neutron star systems and impose strong constraints on post-keplerian parameters

The Sardinia Radio Telescope . From a technological project to a radio observatory

Context. The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is the new 64 m dish operated by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). Its active surface, comprised of 1008 separate aluminium panels supported by electromechanical actuators, will allow us to observe at frequencies of up to 116 GHz. At the moment, three receivers, one per focal position, have been installed and tested: a 7-beam K-band receiver, a mono-feed C-band receiver, and a coaxial dual-feed L/P band receiver. The SRT was officially opened in September 2013, upon completion of its technical commissioning phase. In this paper, we provide an overview of the main science drivers for the SRT, describe the main outcomes from the scientific commissioning of the telescope, and discuss a set of observations demonstrating the scientific capabilities of the SRT. Aims: The scientific commissioning phase, carried out in the 2012-2015 period, proceeded in stages following the implementation and/or fine-tuning of advanced subsystems such as the active surface, the derotator, new releases of the acquisition software, etc. One of the main objectives of scientific commissioning was the identification of deficiencies in the instrumentation and/or in the telescope subsystems for further optimization. As a result, the overall telescope performance has been significantly improved. Methods: As part of the scientific commissioning activities, different observing modes were tested and validated, and the first astronomical observations were carried out to demonstrate the science capabilities of the SRT. In addition, we developed astronomer-oriented software tools to support future observers on site. In the following, we refer to the overall scientific commissioning and software development activities as astronomical validation. Results: The astronomical validation activities were prioritized based on technical readiness and scientific impact. The highest priority was to make the SRT available for joint observations as part of European networks. As a result, the SRT started to participate (in shared-risk mode) in European VLBI Network (EVN) and Large European Array for Pulsars (LEAP) observing sessions in early 2014. The validation of single-dish operations for the suite of SRT first light receivers and backends continued in the following year, and was concluded with the first call for shared-risk early-science observations issued at the end of 2015. As discussed in the paper, the SRT capabilities were tested (and optimized when possible) for several different observing modes: imaging, spectroscopy, pulsar timing, and transients

SRT performance measurements (2018-2021)

Tests of characterization are periodically performed at SRT in order to check the status of the antenna, ensure a good functioning of the different components (e.g. active surface, receivers, backends, etc), and improve the observing performances at the different frequencies. In particular, the tests include measurements of beam shape, pointing, gain curves and focus for the different receivers (L, C, X and K-bands). We report the results of the main tests carried out after a long stop of the antenna due to the reparation of the main servo motors chillers in 2020 and compare them with those carried out during the recommissioning in 2018 (after the change of the actuators of the active surface). These results will be useful in order to compare the new status of the antenna after the upgrade of the new receivers at higher frequency (PON)

Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene

To identify novel genes associated with ALS, we undertook two lines of investigation. We carried out a genome-wide association study comparing 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls. Independently, we performed a rare variant burden analysis comparing 1,138 index familial ALS cases and 19,494 controls. Through both approaches, we identified kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) as a novel gene associated with ALS. Interestingly, mutations predominantly in the N-terminal motor domain of KIF5A are causative for two neurodegenerative diseases: hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG10) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2). In contrast, ALS-associated mutations are primarily located at the C-terminal cargo-binding tail domain and patients harboring loss-of-function mutations displayed an extended survival relative to typical ALS cases. Taken together, these results broaden the phenotype spectrum resulting from mutations in KIF5A and strengthen the role of cytoskeletal defects in the pathogenesis of ALS.Peer reviewe

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta