Derivation of Clear-Air Turbulence Parameters from High-Resolution Radiosonde Data

The knowledge of atmospheric refractive-index structure constant (Cn2) profiles is fundamental to determine the intensity of turbulence, and hence the impact of the scintillation impairment on the signals propagating in the troposphere. However, their relation with atmospheric variables is not straightforward, and profiles based on statistical considerations are normally employed. This can be a shortcoming when performing simulations for which scintillation disturbances need to be consistent with the assumed atmospheric conditions. In order to overcome this limitation, this work describes a procedure to obtain an estimate of the refractive-index structure constant profile under given atmospheric conditions. The procedure is based on the application of the vertical gradient approach to high resolution radiosonde data. The fact that turbulence is confined to vertically thin layers is accounted for by identifying the turbulent layers through the analysis of the Richardson number profiles, and the value of the outer scale length is estimated using the Thorpe length calculated from potential temperature profile. The procedure is applied to high resolution radiosonde data from the SPARC Data Center and the obtained results are consistent with measured Cn2 profiles previously published in the literature

Partial-Body Cryotherapy Acutely Augments Resting Metabolism in Obese Women

Cryotherapy has been shown to reduce pro-inflammatory response, relieve pain and enhance muscles\u2019 post-exercise recovery. Cryostimulation could be also proposed as an alternative strategy to trigger cold-induced thermogenesis in overweight/obese subjects. In this study, 16 obese (BMI: 32\ub14 kg/m2) women (43.4\ub14.8 years) underwent Partial-Body Cryotherapy (PBC) (-130\ub0C x 150sec) for 5 days (1/day, h 07:00 AM). Resting energy metabolism (REE) was assessed by indirect calorimetry pre- and post-PBC on day 1 and day 5. Subjects were energy-controlled (physical activity and dietary intake). Before 5th-day PBC, REE was increased by 5.5% versus pre-1st-day PBC values (1755\ub1265 vs. 1664\ub1241 kcal/day; p=0.0005). With a similar design, in a larger sample of 80 subjects (F=61; M=19; 34.4\ub111.1 years; BMI: 24.4\ub14.8 kg/m2), REE augmented by 1.89% (p=0.02) after PBC of day 1. In a multivariate analysis, multiple regression output a positive relationship between cryostimulated REE and body weight (Spearman r=0.68; p<0.0001, Figure). Altogether, these preliminary data suggest that cold-induced thermogenesis could be explored as an alternative therapy to combat weight gain and obesity. Longitudinal studies could test chronic effects of cryotherapy, estimating the extent of the metabolic adaptations that could be favorably preserved

Validation of rainfall estimation derived from commercial DVB received signal with disdrometer, rain gauges and ground based radar

An accurate measurement and monitoring of precipitation events is closely linked with different applications that have an impact on human welfare such as water resources management, and floods, landslides or wildfire risk assessments. Currently rain gauges, disdrometers, ground-based weather radars and satellite sensors (both active and passive) can be considered the conventional devices for precipitation measurements that are worldwide adopted. These devices have different measurement principles, time and space resolution, and accuracy (Gebremichael and Testik, 2013). In the last decade, a new technology that exploits the microwave satellite links has been investigated to retrieve precipitation information. The idea is to estimate the precipitation starting from the attenuation of the signal along its propagation path. Few studies have been carried out in this direction (such as Barthès and Mallet, 2013 and Mercier et al., 2015), showing promising results. In that regards, recently, an Italian project called NEFOCAST, funded by Tuscany Region (Italy), has been carried out with the aim of estimating rainfall rate from attenuation measurements made available by commercial interactive digital video broadcasting (DVB) receivers, called smartLNBs. During the NEFOCAST project, an ad hoc rainfall retrieval algorithm has been developed, tuned and tested. It allows to estimate, with 1-minute rate, the instantaneous rainfall rate (R, in mm/h) from the ratio η = Es/N0 between the received energy-per-symbol Es and the one-sided power spectral density of the additive white Gaussian noise N0, (Giannetti et al. 2017). To validate the algorithm, a 1-year field campaign (from January 2018 to January 2019) was conducted. The collected data allow to compare the SmartLNB precipitation estimates with the measurements gathered by ‘conventional’ meteorological devices such as rain gauges, weather radar and disdrometer. A network of 24 smartLNBs was deployed in Tuscany, along with 11 rain gauges and one X-band dual-polarization weather radar. Furthermore, the performance of the NEFOCAST algorithm has been preliminarily tested by comparing data provided from one SmartLNB installed at the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (ISAC) of CNR in Rome (Italy) with a co-located laser disdrometer. For this site, data from a dual polarization C-band weather radar (Polar55C) could be compared with SmartLNB measurements along the Earth-satellite link. In fact, during the project the Polar55C has been aimed in the same direction as the SmartLNB, with the same elevation angle, thus scanning the same portion of atmosphere where the SmartLNB signal was propagating. Preliminary results show a good agreement between the total cumulative precipitation (in mm) obtained from SmartLNB data and the one collected by the co-located disdrometer during different rainfall events. The corresponding values of Normalized Mean Absolute Error (NMAE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) obtained comparing the total cumulative precipitations obtained from SmartLNB and disdrometer are 41% and 4.71 mm, respectively. Encouraging results come also from the comparison of the total precipitation amounts as measured by the network of SmartLNBs and rain gauges, with values of NMAE (RMSE) that range between 39% and 53% (2.8 mm and 8.0 mm), depending on the specific site

Magnetization plateaux cascade in the frustrated quantum antiferromagnet Cs2_2CoBr4_4

We have found an unusual competition of two frustration mechanisms in the 2D quantum antiferromagnet Cs$_2$CoBr$_4$. The key actors are the alternation of single-ion planar anisotropy direction of the individual magnetic Co$^{2+}$ ions, and their arrangement in a distorted triangular lattice structure. In particular, the uniquely oriented Ising-type anisotropy emerges from the competition of easy-plane ones, and for a magnetic field applied along this axis one finds a cascade of five ordered phases at low temperatures. Two of these phases feature magnetization plateaux. The low-field one is supposed to be a consequence of a collinear ground state stabilized by the anisotropy, while the other plateau bears characteristics of an "up-up-down" state exclusive for lattices with triangular exchange patterns. Such coexistence of the magnetization plateaux is a fingerprint of competition between the anisotropy and the geometric frustration in Cs$_2$CoBr$_4$.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Confinement of fractional excitations in a triangular lattice antiferromagnet

High-resolution neutron and THz spectroscopies are used to study the magnetic excitation spectrum of Cs$_2$CoBr$_4$, a distorted-triangular-lattice antiferromagnet with nearly XY-type anisotropy. What was previously thought of as a broad excitation continuum [Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 087201 (2022)] is shown to be a series of dispersive bound states reminiscent of "Zeeman ladders" in quasi-one-dimensional Ising systems. At wave vectors where inter-chain interactions cancel at the Mean Field level, they can indeed be interpreted as bound finite-width kinks in individual chains. Elsewhere in the Brillouin zone their true two-dimensional structure and propagation are revealed.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figure

Effect of Levodopa-Carbidopa Intestinal Gel on Non-Motor Symptoms in Patients with Advanced Parkinson\u27s Disease

Background: Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG; carbidopa-levodopa enteral suspension in the United States), delivered via percutaneous gastrojejunostomy (PEG-J) and titrated in the inpatient setting, is an established treatment option for advanced Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuations. However, long-term prospective data on the efficacy of LCIG on non-motor symptoms and the safety of outpatient titration are limited. Methods: In this 60-week, open-label phase 3b study, LCIG titration was initiated in an outpatient setting following PEG-J placement in PD patients. The efficacy of LCIG on motor and non-motor symptoms, quality of life, and safety was assessed. Results: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled in the study and 28 patients completed the treatment. A majority of patients (54%) completed outpatient titration within the first week of LCIG infusion. LCIG led to significant reductions from baseline in Non-Motor Symptom Scale (NMSS) total score (least squares mean ± SE = −17.6 ± 3.6, P \u3c 0.001) and 6 of the NMSS domain scores (sleep/fatigue, attention/memory, gastrointestinal tract, urinary, sexual function, miscellaneous) at week 12. These reductions were maintained at week 60 with the exception of the urinary domain. “Off” time (−4.9 ± 0.5 hours/day, P \u3c 0.001) and “On” time without troublesome dyskinesia (−4.3 ± 0.6 hours/day, P \u3c 0.001) were improved at week 60. Adverse events (AEs) were reported in 37 (95%) patients. Conclusions: LCIG treatment led to reductions in non-motor symptom burden and motor fluctuations in advanced PD patients. The safety profile was consistent with previous studies that used inpatient titration and outpatient titration did not appear to pose additional risk

Validazione di una innovativa rete di rilevamento pluviometrica basata sulla misura opportunistica di segnali televisivi diffusi da satellite

Nonostante la varietà di metodi e strumenti esistenti per la misura di precipitazioni, non esiste un metodo che funzioni meglio di tutti gli altri in tutte le condizioni operative. I pluviometri sono gli strumenti tradizionalmente utilizzati per ottenere misure puntuali con elevata precisione del quantitativo d’acqua che precipita in un determinato intervallo di tempo. I sistemi radar meteorologici consentono invece di stimare la distribuzione spaziale della precipitazione e di monitorarne la dinamica, pur se con precisioni minori. Infine i satelliti consentono in maniera indiretta di stimare la precipitazione su scale molto più ampie, ma al prezzo di un aumento dell’incertezza e di una minor risoluzione spazio temporale. Rispetto a questi strumenti tradizionali ve ne sono alcuni che derivano da un uso opportunistico di sistemi progettati e realizzati per altri scopi, ma che possono comunque fornire informazioni utili alla stima della precipitazione. In particolare, i sistemi di telecomunicazione che impiegano radiocollegamenti con frequenze superiori al GHz possono fornire informazioni rilevanti sulle precipitazioni, attraverso la misurazione dell'attenuazione del segnale trasmesso causata dalle gocce di pioggia nella tratta dal trasmettitore al ricevitore. NEFOCAST è un progetto di ricerca FAR-FAS finanziato dalla Regione Toscana, che sfrutta questa opportunità attraverso innovativi dispositivi satellitari bidirezionali (cioè trasmettitori/ricevitori) denominati Smart Low-Noise Block converter (SmartLNB), concepiti per l’interazione ubiquitaria via satellite ma in grado di rilevare il valore di attenuazione del segnale ricevuto e di trasmetterlo direttamente ad un centro di raccolta. L'utilizzo di SmartLNB presenta significativi vantaggi in termini di costi e facilità di installazione/configurazione e fornisce la possibilità di applicazione in qualsiasi area coperta dal segnale satellitare, offrendo al tempo stesso un'efficiente soluzione “embedded” per la trasmissione dei dati, senza necessità di ricorrere a ricevitori dedicati per la stima della pioggia. L’algoritmo di stima della precipitazione di NEFOCAST è stato studiato basandosi su modelli fisici e su modelli empirico-statistici. Per tale scopo sono state effettuate delle campagne di misura utilizzando uno SmartLNB, un radar meteorologico (puntato nella stessa direzione del satellite) ed un disdrometro co-locati presso la sede del CNR-ISAC di Roma. L’algoritmo di stima dei campi di precipitazione è stato implementato attraverso un filtro di Kalman che utilizza come dati di input le misure degli SmartLNB e dati ausiliari da osservazioni satellitari. Durante il progetto NEFOCAST è stata infine condotta una campagna di test e validazione dell’algoritmo messo a punto per la stima della precipitazione a partire da misure di attenuazione effettuate con gli SmartLNB. Durante tale campagna di misura, della durata di un anno circa, sono stati dislocati sul territorio della Regione Toscana un numero significativo di SmartLNB. Le stime di precipitazione ottenute dalla rete di SmartLNB, opportunamente densa di terminali nell’area di Firenze, sono state analizzate attraverso i confronti con una rete di pluviometri co-locata e un radar polarimetrico X-band Doppler installato per gli obiettivi di calibrazione/validazione