Studio delle possibilità di utilizzo della costellazione Glonass nel suo stato

GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is a global position satellite system realized by ex- Urss at the same time with the United State’s one. The first launch of satellites went back to 12th October 1982, they completed constellation with 24 satellites in 1997. In the years Russia didn’t have economic force to maintain active the entire constellation. But in 2002 GLONASS relaunching started, that provides 18 satellites before 2007, and it will reach 24 satellites before 2010. The program provides the launch of three or two rockets a year, each one will bring to space two or three satellite. At present (15th September 2006) there are 15 operative GLONASS satellites. The aim of this work is to show the potentiality of the jointed use of GPS and GLONASS satellites by performing an adequate subdivision of the observations collected during a survey in the area of Rome using TOPCON receivers able to acquire data coming from both constellations

Tidal errors and deformations in regional GPS networks

At present, the tidal correction model described in the IERS 2003 Conventions should be applied in the processing of permanent networks: in brief, the model involves the computation of a first order tidal correction plus some corrective terms, as functions of space and time. In the BERNESE software, one of the main scientific softwares for GPS network processing, the IERS tidal model is implemented; in July 2004, a bug in the tidal correction routine was identified by one of the paper authors and corrected by the BERNESE staff: the error concerned a second order term, related to the semidiurnal tidal signal. An experimental analysis on the error effects in the results stemming from processing of regional networks has been carried out. A network of 8 European permanent GPS stations has been selected: the network choice ensures heterogeneity in the length and the orientation of the baselines. One year of data has been considered and two elaborations of the data have been performed using the BERNESE 4.2 SW, by applying the same processing strategy and, respectively, the wrong (old) and the right (corrected) tidal correction routine. The differences in the network results and the deformations caused by the error are discussed

Water level and volume estimations of the Albano and Nemi lakes (central Italy)

In April 2006 an airborne laser scanning (LIDAR) survey of the Albano and Nemi craters was carried out to obtain a high resolution digital terrain model (DTM) of the area. We have integrated the LIDAR survey of the craters and the recent bathymetry of the Albano lake to achieve a complete DTM, useful for morphological studies. In addition, with a GPS RTK survey (July 2007) we estimated the Albano and Nemi mean lake levels respectively at 288.16 m and 319.02 m (asl). Based on the integrated DTM and the newly estimated water level values, we evaluated about 21.7·106 m3 the water volume loss of the Albano lake from 1993 to 2007, with an average rate of about 1.6·106 m3/yr

GPS Positioning and Velocity Field in the Apennines Subduction Zone

A stable geodetic reference frame permits to relate one position to another and to compute a reliable deformation field from geodetic observations. In order to satisfy scientific requirements, the reference frame should be accurate, reliable and internally consistent over time with unambiguously specified datum definition (origin, scale, orientation and their respective time evolution). Current reference frame stability between successive frame realizations suggests that the agreement is at the level of 1 cm and 0.3 mm/yr respectively for absolute and time derivative translation and scale factors. They represent the current stability over time of the reference frame and set the sensitivity for geodetic measurements. Here we will present the results of a GPS deformation field in the Italian region obtained from all the available permanent GPS stations operated in Italy. The complex nature of the ongoing tectonic deformation along the Alpine-Apennines orogenic systems is now evident and GPS data have proven its capability to measure millimetre scale deformations

Strain rate relaxation of normal and thrust faults in Italy

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Integrazione di rilievi batimetrici e laser scanner aereo nell'area dei Colli Albani

The Colli Albani are a Quaternary volcanic complex located about 15 km SE of Rome, comprised in an area of latitudes 41.6-41.9 N and longitudes 12.5-12.9 E. It has recently developed particular interest in the geophysical community for some peculiar characteristics imputable to a residual volcanic activity. In the framework of a project financed by the Department of the Civil Protection devoted to the study of the Colli Albani deformations, we have recently realized a bathymetric survey of the Albano lake and an airborne laser scanner survey of the Albano and Nemi craters. The present work is composed by two phases. In a first phase the accuracy of the DEM achieved by the laser scanner is verified through a comparison with a GPS kinematic survey. In particular, our aim is to test if the use of DEM in different formats, TIN or Grid, could lead to meaningful differences in terms of accuracy and precision. In a second phase of the work, we merged the LIDAR and bathymetric data with the purpose to achieve a complete digital terrain model of the area that could allow in the next future geo-morphological analyses of the whole volcanic structure

Sulodexide counteracts endothelial dysfunction induced by metabolic or non-metabolic stresses through activation of the autophagic program

OBJECTIVE: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) predisposes to venous thrombosis (VT) and post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), a long-term VT-related complication. Sulodexide (SDX) is a highly purified glycosaminoglycan with antithrombotic, pro-fibrinolytic and anti-inflammatory activity used in the treatment of chronic venous disease (CVD), including patients with PTS. SDX has recently obtained clinical evidence in the “extension therapy” after initial-standard anticoagulant treatment for the secondary prevention of recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Herein, we investigated how SDX counteracts ED. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were used. Metabolic and non metabolic-induced ED was induced by treating with methylglyoxal (MGO) or irradiation (IR), respectively. Bafilomycin A1 was used to inhibit autophagy. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for cell viability, terminal de-oxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay for cell apoptosis, Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis for gene and protein expression were used. RESULTS: SDX protected HUVEC from MGO- or IR-induced apoptosis by counteracting the activation of the intrinsic and extrinsic caspase cascades. The cytoprotective effects of SDX resulted from a reduction in a) ROS production, b) neo-synthesis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL1, IL6, IL8), c) DNA damage induced by MGO or IR. These effects were reduced when autophagy was inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: Data herein collected indicate the ability of SDX to counteract ED induced by metabolic or non-metabolic stresses by involving the intracellular autophagy pathway. Our experience significantly increases the knowledge of the mechanisms of action of SDX against ED and supports the use of SDX in the treatment of CVD, PTS and in the secondary prevention of recurrent DVT

Static stress drop as determined from geodetic strain rates and statistical seismicity

Two critical items in the energetic budget of a seismic province are the strain rate, which is measured geodetically on the Earth’s surface, and the yearly number of earthquakes exceeding a given magnitude. Our study is based on one of the most complete and recent seismic catalogs of Italian earthquakes and on the strain rate map implied by a multi-year velocity solution for permanent GPS stations. For 36 homogeneous seismic zones, we used the appropriate Gutenberg Richter relation based on the seismicity catalog to estimate a seismic strain rate, which is the strain rate associated with the mechanical work due to a co-seismic displacement. The volume storing most of the elastic energy is associated with the long-term deformation of each seismic zone, and therefore, the seismic strain rate is inversely proportional to the static stress drop. The GPS-derived strain rate for each seismic zone limits the corresponding seismic strain rate, and an upper bound for the average stress drop is estimated. These results demonstrated that the implied regional static stress drop ranged from 0.1 to 5.7 MPa for catalog earthquakes in the moment magnitude range [4.5–7.3]. These results for stress drop are independent of the “a” and “b” regional parameters and heat flow but are very sensitive to the assumed maximum magnitude of a seismic province. The data do not rule out the hypothesis that the stress drop positively correlates with the time elapsed after the largest earthquake recorded in each seismic zone