Novel Approach to Rainfall Rate Estimation based on Fusing Measurements from Terrestrial Microwave and Satellite Links

Reliable, cheap and accurate measurements of rainfall rate are growing to be more and more important in many sectors as: meteorology, agriculture, flood warning, and weather forecasting. Recently, indeed, the development of novel competitive techniques has been pushed in order to improve accuracy and reliability performance, such as commercial microwave links and broadcast satellite links. The aim of the current paper is to extend previous works of the literature based on land wireless links only. The basic idea consists in synergically employing both land and satellite based approaches together, by collecting and properly fusing the corresponding measurements. To this end, an iterative optimization procedure has been developed. As shown by numerical results, the proposed procedure gives the estimated rainfall map with a considerable accuracy and improved performance respect to the conventional algorithm based on terrestrial link only

Multi-Satellite Rain Sensing: Design Criteria and Implementation Issues

In this paper, we propose a novel opportunistic multi-satellite sensor system which overcomes the limitations of the conventional single-satellite solutions of the literature. The considerable robustness to the possible unavailability of some satellites, besides being well suited for powerful 2D reconstruction techniques of the rain field, makes it an appealing solution for experimental tests within national and EU-funded research projects

Power allocation for goodput optimization in BICM-OFDM systems

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Optimum goodput-oriented power allocation policy for BIC-OFDM packet transmissions

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Efficiency assessment of hybrid coatings for natural building stones : advanced and multi-scale laboratory investigation

The efficiency of a hybrid patented consolidant (PAASi) and two commercially available hybrid coatings (a consolidant named AlSiX and a hydrophobic product named WS3) properly modified was assessed on a calcarenite substrate. Test routines based on standard recommendations were first applied to evaluate the performances of the consolidant and protective treatments, while the investigation of additional aspects such as penetration depth and interaction with the substrate was achieved by a multi-scale approach based on classic intrusion methods (mercury intrusion porosimetry) and Drilling Resistance Measurement System (DRMS), combined with non-invasive imaging techniques (X-ray computed micro-tomography and neutron radiography) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS). A distinct interaction of the products with the pore network of the stone was quantified in the range 0.007–200 µm. Their effects on capillary water absorption were also visualized with neutron imaging. The suitability of the products on the selected substrate was discussed, highlighting also how the applied routine can support conservation material studies. The results indicated that the Al-Si-based product led to unwanted effects. Alternative application methods and/or curing procedures have to be explored to overtake these undesirable changes. On the contrary, the polyamidoamine-based product seemed to be more suitable for calcarenite substrates conservation. The performances of the hydrophobic coating, when used in combination with consolidants, were strictly influenced by the pre-consolidation of the substrate

Multi-scale laboratory routine in the efficacy assessment of conservative products for natural stones

The evaluation of conservative treatments’ efficacy on natural building stones are usually based on standard recommendation routines finalized to evaluate compatibility and harmfulness of products in turn of the substrate. However, the visualization and the quantification of products inside pore structure of natural stones is not immediate through standard tests, so that imaging and advanced techniques are recently proposed in material conservation field to improve knowledge on penetration depth, modification of pore-air interface at different scale and monitor dynamic absorption processes. Moreover, natural stones are usually characterized by complex structure, which changes due to conservative treatments have to be inspected at different scale (from micrometer to nanometer). In this prospective, the assessment of laboratory practices able to integrate multiscale methods and give back a complete overview on interaction between new conservative formulates and natural stones is of high interest. In this paper, we propose a methodological routine for efficacy assessment of conservative products, incorporating classical and innovative nondestructive techniques. Validation of the workflow has been verified on a high porous natural stone treated with new hybrid formulates appropriately customized for conservation issues. • The study intends to add new insights on problems related to consolidation of high porous carbonate stone, application methods in consolidating natural stones and methods to evaluate efficacy of new products.• A multi-scale laboratory investigation procedure is proposed by integrating standard and innovative nondestructive methods. Merits and limits of each applied method are discussed during validation.• The possibility to incorporate standard routines and/or substitute destructive testing with non-destructive ones seem to be a valid alternative to evaluate efficiency and monitor behavior of stones treated with consolidating products

Structural and vibrational study of pseudocubic CdIn2Se4 under compression

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Journal of Physical Chemistry C, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp5077565We report a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the structural and vibrational properties of a-CdIn2Se4 under compression. Angle-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy evidence that this ordered-vacancy compound with pseudocubic structure undergoes a phase transition (7 GPa) toward a disordered rocksalt structure as observed in many other ordered-vacancy compounds. The equation of state and the pressure dependence of the Raman-active modes of this semiconductor have been determined and compared both to ab initio total energy and lattice dynamics calculations and to related compounds. Interestingly, on decreasing pressure, at similar to 2 GPa, CdIn2Se4 transforms into a spinel structure which, according to calculations, is energetically competitive with the initial pseudocubic phase. The phase behavior of this compound under compression and the structural and compressibility trends in AB(2)Se(4) selenides are discussed.This study was supported by the Spanish government MEC under Grant Nos: MAT2013-46649-C4-3-P, MAT2013-46649-C4-2-P, MAT2010-21270-C04-03/04, and CTQ2009-14596-C02-01, by MALTA Consolider Ingenio 2010 Project (CSD2007-00045) and by Generalitat Valenciana (GVA-ACOMP-2013-1012). A.M. and P.R-H. acknowledge computing time provided by Red Espanola de Supercomputacion (RES) and MALTA-Cluster, and also to S. Munoz-Rodriguez for providing a data-parsing application. J.A.S. acknowledges Juan de la Cierva fellowship program for financial support.Santamaría Pérez, D.; Gomis, O.; Pereira, ALJ.; Vilaplana Cerda, RI.; Popescu, C.; Sans Tresserras, JÁ.; Manjón Herrera, FJ.... (2014). Structural and vibrational study of pseudocubic CdIn2Se4 under compression. Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 118(46):26987-26999. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp5077565S26987269991184