SATURN: A Technological Demonstration Mission for Distributed SAR Imaging

The OHB-Italia S.p.A-led consortium is in the midst of Phase B of SATURN (Synthetic AperTure radar cUbesat foRmation flyiNg), part of ALCOR, an Italian Space Agency (ASI) programme promoting the development of the next generation Italian CubeSats. SATURN is a demonstration mission that features Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology applied to a Swarm of CubeSats equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Earth Observation. MIMO is based on cooperative active sensors, where each one transmits signals and receives the illuminated common area backscatter related to the entire swarm, increasing measurement performances with a trend approximatively equal to the square of the number of sensors. The complete SATURN constellation features 16 mini-swarms, each of 3 CubeSats, spread over 4 SSOs equally spaced by 3 hours of local time. The constellation is designed to provide an average revisit time of 1.5 h and an interferometric revisit time of 1 day worldwide. The aim of this demonstration mission is to verify MIMO technology applied to SAR on a mini-swarm of 3 CubeSats in close formation on a Low Earth Down-Dusk Sun Synchronous Orbit. Using OHB-I’s M3Multi Mission Modular platform equipped with a miniaturized SAR Instrument, developed by ARESYS S.r.l. and Airbus Italia S.p.A., our mission is able to achieve a resolution of 5x5 m over a 30 km swath. Thus, SATURN enables low-cost, scalable SAR missions for affordable access to space for public and private entities, overcoming the single point of failure of one large and complex satellite. Subsequent swarms, deploying from 3 to 48 CubeSats, are expected to bring technological innovations and improve Italy’s competitiveness in the European and global Earth Observation scenario

NEFRECTOMIA PARZIALE LAPAROSCOPICA VS OPEN:IMPATTO DELLA CURVA DI APPRENDIMENTO SUI RISULTATI ONCOLOGICI E FUNZIONALI

NEFRECTOMIA PARZIALE LAPAROSCOPICA VS OPEN:IMPATTO DELLA CURVA DI APPRENDIMENTO SUI RISULTATI ONCOLOGICI E FUNZIONAL

The instruments used by the Italian centres for cognitive disorders and dementia to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the tools used in Italy to diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: In collaboration with the Luigi Amaducci Research Consortium, the Italian Network of Alzheimer Evaluation Units prepared a questionnaire to describe how MCI is diagnosed in the Italian Centres for cognitive disorders and dementia (CCDD). Results: Most of the ninety-two CCDDs participating in the survey were located in hospitals (54.7%); large percentages were coordinated by neurologists (50.8%) and geriatricians (44.6%). Almost all (98.5%) used the Mini Mental State Examination to diagnose MCI; the Clock Drawing Test was also frequently used (83.9%). Other neuropsychological, imaging and biomarker tests were utilized less frequently and a wide diversity in the instruments used was noted. Conclusions: According to the results, diagnoses of MCI are based on a multitude of instruments, with major differences in the clinical assessment of geriatricians and neurologists. Standardized testing protocols, validated instruments and cut-off points need to be identified and adopted by the CCDDs for assessing MCI

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora