Continuous photometric observations at ENEA base in Lampedusa to estimate precipitable water

Water vapour is a variable component of the atmosphere both in space and time. It is one of the most important components because of its effects in many fi elds: Meteorology, Climatology, Remote Sensing, Energy-Budget, Hydrology, etc. This work compares radiometric (sun photometer) readings, Global Positioning System (GPS) data and a meteorological model forecasted data. The aim is to understand if GPS measurements may help Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. It is well known that GPS measurements are affected by the so-called tropospheric delay. Part of it, the so-called wet delay is related mainly to the amount of water vapour along the path of the GPS signal through the troposphere. Precise knowledge of the abundance of water vapour, in space and time, is important for NWP model because water vapour is the predecessor of precipitation. Despite the high variability of water vapour compared to other meteorological fi elds, like pressure and wind, water vapour observations are scarce, so that additional measurements of water vapour are expected to benefi t meteorology. A new sun photometer, which is part of the AERONET (AErosol and RObotic NETwork) program, has been installed at the ENEA (Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente) base of Lampedusa Island. The sun photometer is quite close (less then 4 km) to an ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) GPS permanent receiver. A long record (summer period of the year 2000) of sun photometric measurements is available for the station at Lampedusa. We found that the GPS and sun photometric data are better correlated (std. dev. about 10 mm for the wet delay) than are the GPS measurements with the NWP model predictions. This is an indication that GPS delay data may contain information useful for weather prediction

A comparative analysis of temperature trends at Modena Geophysical Observatory and Mount Cimone Observatory, Italy

Global warming has become a critical environmental, social, and economic threat, with increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. This study aims to analyse temperature trends and climate indices in the Po Valley, a significant economic and agricultural region in Italy, by examining data from two historical stations: the urban Modena Observatory and the rural Mount Cimone Observatory. The analysis extends previous studies to 2018, assessing the magnitude of climate changes since the 1950s and isolating the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in Modena. Significant warming trends were confirmed at both sites, with in maximum (TX) and minimum (TN) temperatures trends nearly doubling from 1981 to 2018 compared to 1951–2018. For example, TX trends reached 0.84°C·decade−1 in Modena and 0.62°C·decade−1 at Mount Cimone, while TN trends were 0.77 and 0.80°C·decade−1, respectively. Extreme climate indices showed a substantial increase in warm days and nights (TX90p and TN90p, respectively). Particularly we found TX90p of 27.5 days·decade−1 in Modena and 15 days·decade−1 at Mount Cimone while TN90p of 29.5 days·decade−1 in Modena, 22 days·decade−1 at Mount Cimone. The UHI effect significantly impacts Modena's temperature trends. Urbanization contributes up to 65% of the rise in warm nights. Specifically, frost days decreased by 1.88 days·decade−1 (37% of Urban Contribute, UC), tropical nights increased by 5.16 days·decade−1 (57% UC), warm nights increased by 12.7 days·decade−1 (65% UC), and cool nights decreased by 3.19 days·decade−1 (39% UC). Overall, the study underscores the importance of considering both global and local factors in regional climate trend analysis

GPS Zenith Total Delays and precipitable water in comparison with special meteorological observations in Verona (Italy) during MAP-SOP

Continuous meteorological examination of the Pre-Alpine zones in Northern Italy (Po Valley) is important for determination of atmospheric water cycles connected kith floods and rainfalls. During a special meteorological observing period (MAP-SOP). radiosounding and other measurements were made in the site of Verona (Italy), This paper deals with Zenith Total Delay (ZTD) and Precipitable Water (PW) comparisons obtained by GPS, radiosounding and other meteorological measurements. PW and ZTD from ground-based GPS data in comparison with classical techniques (e.g.. WVR, radiosounding,) from recent literature present an accurate tool for use in meteorology applications (e.g., assimilation in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models oil short-range precipitation forecasts). Comparison of such ZTD for MAP-SOP showed a standard deviation of 16.1 mm and PW comparison showed a standard deviation of 2.7 mm, confirming the accuracy of GPS measurements for meteorology applications. In addition, PW data and its time variation are also matched with time series of meteorological situations. Those results indicate that changes in PW values could be connected to changes in air masses, i.e. to passages of both cold and warm fronts. There is also a correlation between precipitation. forthcoming increase and the following decrease of PW. A good agreement between oscillation of PW and precipitation and strong cyclonic activities is found

Analysis of the urban heat island effects on building energy consumption

Urban areas usually experience higher temperatures when compared to their rural surroundings. Several studies underlined that specific urban conditions are strictly connected with the Urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon, which consists in the environmental overheating related to anthropic activities. As a matter of fact, urban areas, characterized by massive constructions that reduce local vegetation coverage, are subject to the absorption of a great amount of solar radiation (short wave) which is only partially released into the atmosphere by radiation in the thermal infrared (long wave). On the contrary, green areas and rural environments in general show a reduced UHI effect, that is lower air temperatures, due to evapo-transpiration fluxes. Several studies demonstrate that urban microclimate affects buildings’ energy consumption and calculations based on typical meteorological year could misestimate their actual energy consumption. In this study, two different sets of meteorological data are used for the calculation of the heating and cooling energy needs of an existing university building. The building is modeled using TRNSYS v.17 software. The first set of data was collected by a weather station located in the city center of Modena, while the second set of data was collected by another station, located in the surrounding area of the city, near to the studied building. The influence of the different meteorological situations described by the two weather stations are analyzed and assumed to be representative of the UHI effect. Furthermore, the effects of UHI mitigation strategies on the building energy needs are evaluated and discussed

GPS Zenith Total Delays and Precipitable Water in comparison with special meteorological observations in Verona (Italy)during MAP-SOP

Continuous meteorological examination of the Pre-Alpine zones in Northern Italy (Po Valley)is important for determination of atmospheric water cycles connected with floods and rainfalls.During a special meteorological observing period (MAP-SOP),radiosounding and other measurements were made in the site of Verona (Italy). This paper deals with Zenith Total Delay (ZTD)and Precipitable Water (PW)comparisons obtained by GPS, radiosounding and other meteorological measurements.PW and ZTD from ground-based GPS data in comparisonwith classical techniques (e.g.,WVR,radiosounding)from recent literature present an accurate tool for use in meteorology applications (e.g.,assimilation in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP)models on short-range precipitation forecasts).Comparison of such ZTD for MAP-SOP showed a standard deviation of 16.1 mm and PW comparison showed a standard deviation of 2.7 mm,confirming the accuracy of GPS measurements for meteorology applications.In addition,PW data and its time variation are also matched with time series of meteorological situations.Those results indicate that changes in PW values could be connected to changes in air masses,i.e.to passages of both cold and warm fronts.There is also a correlation between precipitation, forthcoming increase and the following decrease of PW.A good agreement between oscillation of PW and precipitation and strong cyclonic activities is found

Continuous photometric observations at ENEA base in Lampedusa to estimate precipitable water

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Targeted Epigenetic Remodeling of the \u3cem\u3eCdk5\u3c/em\u3e Gene in Nucleus Accumbens Regulates Cocain- and Stress-Evoked Behavior

Recent studies have implicated epigenetic remodeling in brain reward regions following psychostimulant or stress exposure. It has only recently become possible to target a given type of epigenetic remodeling to a single gene of interest, and to probe the functional relevance of such regulation to neuropsychiatric disease. We sought to examine the role of histone modifications at the murine Cdk5 (cyclin-dependent kinase 5) locus, given growing evidence of Cdk5 expression in nucleus accumbens (NAc) influencing reward-related behaviors. Viral-mediated delivery of engineered zinc finger proteins (ZFP) targeted histone H3 lysine 9/14 acetylation (H3K9/14ac), a transcriptionally active mark, or histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), which is associated with transcriptional repression, specifically to the Cdk5 locus in NAc in vivo. We gound that Cdk5-ZFP transcription factors are sufficient to bidirectionally regulate Cdk5 gene expression via enrichment of their respective histone modifications. We examined the behavioral consequences of this epigenetic remodeling and found that Cdk5-targeted H3K9/14ac increased cocaine-induced locomotor behavior, as well as resilience to social stress. Conversely, Cdk5-targeted H3K9me2 attenuated both cocaine-induced locomotor behavior and conditioned place preference, but had no effect on stress-induced social avoidance behavior. The current study provides evidence for the causal role of Cdk5 epigenetic remodeling in NAc in Cdk5 gene expression and in the control of reward and stress responses. Moreover, these data are especially compelling given that previous work demonstrated opposite behavioral phenotypes compared with those reported here upon Cdk5 overexpression or knockdown, demonstrating the importance of targeted epigenetic remodeling tools for studying more subtle molecular changes that contribute to neuropsychiatric disease

Liberal governmentality in Spain: bodies, minds, and the medical construction of the “outsider,” 1870–1910

This paper traces the fragility of the subject in the period extending from the aftermath of the Sexenio through to the early twentieth century. In particular, two case studies are focused upon: the question of gender “deviance” and the figure of the genius, in order to understand how medicine participated in the construction of “outsider” identities within the context of the emerging liberal order. How did liberal rationales exclude or curtail certain wayward expressions of identity and subjectivity? What consequences did the marking of “excessive” figures or outsiders have for notions of inclusiveness and citizenship within the late-nineteenth-century liberal order? By concentrating primarily on medical texts and journals published during the period, this study builds on existing research to tease out answers to these questions

Ethosuximide modifies network excitability in the rat entorhinal cortex via an increase in GABA release

Ethosuximide is the drug of choice for treating generalized absence seizures, but its mechanism of action is still a matter of debate. It has long been thought to act by disrupting a thalamic focus via blockade of T-type channels and, thus, generation of spike-wave activity in thalamocortical pathways. However, there is now good evidence that generalized absence seizures may be initiated at a cortical focus and that ethosuximide may target this focus. In the present study we have looked at the effect ethosuximide on glutamate and GABA release at synapses in the rat entorhinal cortex in vitro, using two experimental approaches. Whole-cell patch-clamp studies revealed an increase in spontaneous GABA release by ethosuximide concurrent with no change in glutamate release. This was reflected in studies that estimated global background inhibition and excitation from intracellularly recorded membrane potential fluctuations, where there was a substantial rise in the ratio of network inhibition to excitation, and a concurrent decrease in excitability of neurones embedded in this network. These studies suggest that, in addition to well-characterised effects on ion channels, ethosuximide may directly elevate synaptic inhibition in the cortex and that this could contribute to its anti-absence effects. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'