Sentinel-2 Data Analysis and Comparison with UAV Multispectral Images for Precision Viticulture

Precision viticulture (PV) requires the use of technologies that can detect the spatial and temporal variability of vineyards and, at the same time, allow useful information to be obtained at sustainable costs. In order to develop a cheap and easy-to-handle operational monitoring scheme for PV, the aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility of using Sentinel-2 multispectral images for long-term vineyard monitoring through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Vigour maps of two vineyards located in northeastern Italy were computed from satellite imagery and compared with those derived from UAV multispectral images; their correspondence was evaluated from qualitative and statistical points of view. To achieve this, the UAV images were roughly resampled to 10 m pixel size in order to match the spatial resolution of the satellite imagery. Preliminary results show the potential use of open source Sentinel-2 platforms for monitoring vineyards, highlighting links with the information given in the agronomic bulletins and identifying critical areas for crop production. Despite the large differences in spatial resolution, the results of the comparison between the UAV and Sentinel-2 data were promising. However, for long-term vineyard monitoring at territory scale, further studies using multispectral sensor calibration and groundtruth data are required

Towards a more Liveable and Accessible Cycle Path Network in Padova: a Participatory Mapping Process

With the advent of climate-related issues and low-carbon economy, networks of cycle paths and tracks are becoming a more and more relevant mobility infrastructure for cities. However, mapping their critical points in order to fix them to improve liveability and accessibility can be difficult. One solution may be to combine digital technologies and users' knowledge, using the methods of participatory mapping. The first experiences in participatory GIS, in which geo-information technologies are used in support of collection, creation and sharing of spatial information by non-skilled social actors, date back to the nineteen- eighties. This bottom-up approach saw a strong evolution in recent years, even in the European urban context, thanks to the constant development of digital technologies and to the increasing opportunities for citizens to access the web. Free and open geographic data, by means of Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS) and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), facilitate the citizens' involvement and participation in urban planning and management. This is the framework behind PISTE riCICLABILI, an innovative project by the University of Padova started in autumn 2016 and aiming at the following goals: a participatory mapping of critical issues of the urban cycle path network and the implementation of an open source geo-portal for collecting and sharing geo-referenced reports. Within the workflow developed for this project, spatial information has been collected in two different ways: on the one hand, using printed city maps during public events, where involved citizens marked the cycle paths issues with pins; on the other hand, through a mobile geo-app. In the second case, Open Data Kit (ODK) was used. It is a combination of free and open source tools enabling everyone to create a form to be filled in with a smartphone in the field, and to send geo-referenced reports to a server. Mobile data were collected using the GeoODK Collect Android app, then aggregated and periodically exported, reprocessed and released through the open source webGIS platform Lizmap. First results of the process, which experienced a growing participation by citizens, consist of over 300 collected critical points. Through the analysis of these data it is possible to have a first overview on the main problems of bicycle mobility in Padova, their spatial implications and citizens' suggestions to improve human-oriented places. This contribution presents the mapping and data spreading workflow, together with results achieved and possible future development, with the aim to share a promising tool to improve urban sustainable mobility

Mapping from below: mappatura partecipata della rete ciclabile e delle sue criticit\ue0 nella citt\ue0 di Padova

In numerose citt\ue0 europee si stanno sperimentando progetti \u201cdal basso\u201d che vedono il coinvolgimento di studenti e cittadini, rendendoli attori in grado di creare e condividere informazione geografica, mediante gli approcci del Public Participatory GIS (PPGIS) e della Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI). In questo contesto si inserisce la ricerca \u201cPISTE riCICLABILI\u201d, progetto innovativo dell\u2019Universit\ue0 di Padova che, esplorando la dimensione spaziale della ciclabilit\ue0 a livello cittadino, ha i seguenti obiettivi: la mappatura partecipata delle criticit\ue0 della rete ciclabile cittadina e l\u2019implementazione di un geoportale opensource dove raccogliere e condividere le segnalazioni georeferenziate. La raccolta delle informazioni spaziali si \ue8 basata su mappe cartacee e mediante l\u2019uso di geo-app per smartphone. Quest\u2019ultima prevede l\u2019utilizzo di Geographical Open Data Kit (GeoODK), che permette di inviare le segnalazioni, corredate di informazione geografica, ad un server. I dati raccolti vengono cos\uec aggregati, esportati, rielaborati e resi consultabili mediante un sistema WebGIS realizzato tramite piattaforma opensource Lizmap. I risultati preliminari, prodotto di una partecipazione in costante aumento, vedono 329 punti raccolti. Elaborando tali dati \ue8 stato possibile avere un primo quadro sulle problematiche pi\uf9 sentite riguardo la ciclabilit\ue0 e la loro dimensione spaziale

Sentinel-2 come supporto per il monitoraggio e la gestione di agroecosistemi vinicoli

L\u2019utilizzo di satelliti commerciali o sensori prossimali ad alta risoluzione, incontra ancora grosse difficolt\ue0 di utilizzo al di fuori degli ambiti della ricerca. In ambito commerciale le analisi effettuate con tali strumenti, a causa dei costi e della poca conoscenza degli stessi, si riducono spesso ad utilizzi sporadici, diminuendone drasticamente le potenzialit\ue0 informative. Ecco che a loro supporto pu\uf2 venire in aiuto l\u2019utilizzo e l\u2019analisi di supporti satellitari liberi che possono offrire un prodotto \u201clow cost\u201d, con larghe possibilit\ue0 di automatizzazione dal lato dell\u2019acquisizione e dell\u2019elaborazione del dato spaziale. In questo contributo si presentano i risultati preliminari di un progetto di ricerca in itinere relativo all\u2019analisi delle potenzialit\ue0 e dei limiti dei dati multispettrali liberi derivanti da satellite Sentinel-2 come supporto al monitoraggio e alla gestione dei vigneti. I principali indici vegetazionali ricavati dal satellite (NDVI e sue varianti) sono stati analizzati e valutati relazionandoli con indici prodotti da sensori prossimali e correlandoli con i dati raccolti durante i rilievi sul campo. In particolare sono stati utilizzati come dati di confronto quelli raccolti dalla piattaforma webgis Enogis prodotta e gestita dalla ditta MPA Solutions di Trento e utilizzata per vigneti distribuiti eterogeneamente in tutta Italia. La prima serie di analisi ha permesso di valutare positivamente l\u2019affidabilit\ue0 degli indici vegetazionali derivanti dal Sentinel-2, alcuni potenziali utilizzi legati alla sua variabilit\ue0 nel tempo e nello spazio e i suoi limiti principali. Sicuramente l\u2019alta definizione temporale di questi dati liberi ha introdotto un nuovo sistema di monitoraggio continuo delle colture in grado di supportare la programmazione e la progettazione di indagini prossimali e controlli sul campo mirati, quindi potenzialmente pi\uf9 precisi e meno costosi

Droni in viticoltura e frutticoltura: geoinformazione per agroecosistemi 4.0 in Veneto e Trentino

Il progetto qui presentato \ue8 stato sviluppato a partire da giugno 2017 dall\u2019Universit\ue0 degli Studi di Padova, attraverso il sostegno della Regione Veneto nell\u2019ambito di un bando POR-FSE, con l\u2018obiettivo di mettere a disposizione delle aziende agricole venete competenze e conoscenze avanzate nell\u2019impiego di Sistemi a Pilotaggio Remoto (SPR), di dati satellitari e degli sviluppi delle tecnologie dell'informazione geografica per l\u2019agricoltura. Si tratta di un progetto complesso, che coinvolge 4 dipartimenti, la Fondazione Bruno Kessler di Trento, 4 imprese del settore GIS e droni, 10 aziende agricole e un'associazione. Nel paper vengono presentate le ragioni della logica di progetto e lo stato di avanzamento dopo i primi mesi di lavoro. Le attivit\ue0 hanno preso avvio da una domanda di fondo "perch\ue9 le tecnologie dell'informazione geografica, disponibili ed a basso costo, non entrano nelle aziende agricole?\u201d Per sviluppare delle risposte efficaci, \ue8 emersa come centrale la figura dei giovani ricercatori e professionisti formati nell\u2019ambito del progetto, che dovranno fornire gli strumenti tecnologici e di rete per superare queste limitazioni e contribuire alla diffusione della geo-informazione in agricoltura

Low diaphragm muscle mass predicts adverse outcome in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia: An exploratory pilot study

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether measurement of diaphragm thickness (DT) by ultrasonography may be a clinically useful noninvasive method for identifying patients at risk of adverse outcomes defined as need of invasive mechanical ventilation or death. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 77 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection admitted to our intermediate care unit in Pisa between March 5 and March 30, 2020, with follow-up until hospital discharge or death. Logistic regression was used identify variables potentially associated with adverse outcomes and those P<0.10 were entered into a multivariate logistic regression model. cumulative probability for lack of adverse outcomes in patients with or without low baseline diaphragm muscle mass was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimator. RESULTS: The main findings of this study are that: 1) patients who developed adverse outcomes had thinner diaphragm than those who did not (2.0 vs. 2.2 mm, P=0.001); and 2) DT and lymphocyte count were independent significant predictors of adverse outcomes, with end-expiratory DT being the strongest (8=-708; oR=0.492; P=0.018). coNcLUSioNS: Diaphragmatic ultrasound may be a valid tool to evaluate the risk of respiratory failure. Evaluating the need of mechanical ventilation treatment should be based not only on Pao2/Fio2, but on a more comprehensive assess¬ ment including DT because if the lungs become less compliant a thinner diaphragm, albeit free of intrinsic abnormality, may become exhausted, thus contributing to severe respiratory failure

A high quality draft consensus sequence of the genome of a heterozygous grapevine variety

Worldwide, grapes and their derived products have a large market. The cultivated grape species Vitis vinifera has potential to become a model for fruit trees genetics. Like many plant species, it is highly heterozygous, which is an additional challenge to modern whole genome shotgun sequencing. In this paper a high quality draft genome sequence of a cultivated clone of V. vinifera Pinot Noir is presented. We estimate the genome size of V. vinifera to be 504.6 Mb. Genomic sequences corresponding to 477.1 Mb were assembled in 2,093 metacontigs and 435.1 Mb were anchored to the 19 linkage groups (LGs). The number of predicted genes is 29,585, of which 96.1% were assigned to LGs. This assembly of the grape genome provides candidate genes implicated in traits relevant to grapevine cultivation, such as those influencing wine quality, via secondary metabolites, and those connected with the extreme susceptibility of grape to pathogens. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distribution was consistent with a diffuse haplotype structure across the genome. Of around 2,000,000 SNPs, 1,751,176 were mapped to chromosomes and one or more of them were identified in 86.7% of anchored genes. The relative age of grape duplicated genes was estimated and this made possible to reveal a relatively recent Vitis-specific large scale duplication event concerning at least 10 chromosomes (duplication not reported before). Sanger shotgun sequencing and highly efficient sequencing by synthesis (SBS), together with dedicated assembly programs, resolved a complex heterozygous genome. A consensus sequence of the genome and a set of mapped marker loci were generated. Homologous chromosomes of Pinot Noir differ by 11.2% of their DNA (hemizygous DNA plus chromosomal gaps). SNP markers are offered as a tool with the potential of introducing a new era in the molecular breeding of grape