DInSAR deformation time series for monitoring urban areas: The impact of the second generation SAR systems

We investigate the capability improvement of the DInSAR techniques to map deformation phenomena affecting urban areas, by performing a comparative analysis of the deformation time series retrieved by applying the full resolution Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) DInSAR technique to selected sequences of SAR data acquired by the ENVISAT, RADARSAT-1 and COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) SAR data. The presented study, focused on the city of Napoli (Italy), allows us to quantify the dramatic increase of the DInSAR coherent pixel density achieved by exploiting the high resolution X-Band CSK SAR images with respect to the RADARSAT-1 and ENVISAT products, respectively; this permits us to analyze nearly all the structures located within the investigated urbanized area and, in many cases, also portions of a same building. © 2012 IEEE

Pameran Cinemagraph “Turun Sintren”

Kebudayaan merupakan identitas dari sebuah masyarakat. Kesenian Sintren merupakan bagian dari kebudayaan Cirebon di daerah pesisir utara Jawa, Indonesia. Penari Sintren berkacamata hitam dan wewangian dari asap kemenyan merupakan salah satu bentuk hiburan rakyat Cirebon. Terkait dengan pengaruh Sunan Gunung Jati, masyarakat Cirebon masih terikat pada hal hal yang berbau mistis. Kurangnya wawasan masyarakat umum akan kesenian ini membuat Sintren Cirebon membutuhkan sebuah sarana untuk kembali dikenal. Perancangan pameran cinemagraph “Turun Sintren” ditujukan kepada remaja akhir dan dewasa muda yang senang mengunjungi mall. Mall merupakan sebuah ruang publik dimana terjadi interaksi didalamnya. Perancangan pameran “Turun Sintren” terbagi dalam dua tahap; perancangan cinemagraph dan pameran. Pameran ditata sedemikian rupa untuk mendukung pensuasanaan dari seri cinemagraph yang dibuat. Dalam bentuk pameran cinemagraph di kawasan mall, dengan otomatis akan terjadi interaksi antara audience dan Sintren

The effect of monitoring and crowds on crime and law enforcement: A natural experiment from European football

Technological advancements like the presence of smart phones and body cameras have led to increased monitoring of police, but little evidence exists on their impact. We address these problems using data on fouls from football matches in five European football leagues over six seasons. This period contains exogenous changes in monitoring rule enforcers through introduction of Video Assistant Referee review and limited bystanders from Covid-19 restrictions. Results from difference-in-differences models estimated separately for each league indicate that both events influenced the number of fouls called with substantial heterogeneity across leagues and home/away teams

The Evolution of Polymer Bearing Processing for Scroll Compressor Performance and Life Enhancement

Polymer bearings with a PTFE-based running surface were first introduced as a breakthrough in scroll compressor performance over 30 years ago. These bearings consisted of the polymer surface, porous bronze interlayer and steel supporting layer. That bearing construction has become widespread in compressor applications, while the bearing composition and performance have advanced, with improved environmental impact. Since that introduction, polymer application to the bronze bearing interlayer has relied on the deposition of a composite slurry to produce the low-friction, wear resistant surface. While that deposition method has served the compressor application well, bearing life was basically limited by the polymer integrity and layer thickness that were determined by the inherent nature of the slurry-based process.  A new material technology has been applied to scroll compressor bearing manufacture to provide notably improved performance both in durability and seizure resistance in comparison to the historical slurry-based deposition method. This comparison has been documented through the utilization of  wide-ranging laboratory-scale tribological testing to measure both the durability and starved-lubrication properties in conditions relevant to scroll compressor conditions as well as general tribological testing.  A comparison of the bearing materials manufactured by the two process technologies will be provided as well as tribological results documenting the performance enhancement. Test data presented will include results from the bearing development and manufacture and qualification tests by a prominent compressor manufacturer, documenting the improvement in both durability and seizure resistance

Application of Digital Terrain Model to volcanology

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the ground surface (Digital Terrain Model, DTM), derived by airborne GPS photogrammetric surveys, is a powerful tool for implementing morphological analysis in remote areas. High accurate 3D models, with submeter elevation accuracy, can be obtained by images acquired at photo scales between 1:5000-1:20000. Multitemporal DTMs acquired periodically over volcanic area allow the monitoring of areas interested by crustal deformations and the evaluation of mass balance when large instability phenomena or lava flows have occurred. The work described the results obtained from the analysis of photogrammetric data collected over the Vulcano Island from 1971 to 2001. The data, processed by means of the Digital Photogrammetry Workstation DPW 770, provided DTM with accuracy ranging between few centimeters to few decimeters depending on the geometric image resolution, terrain configuration and quality of photographs

π-Conjugated Macrocycles Bearing Angle-Strained Alkynes

Angle‐strained alkyne‐containing π‐conjugated macrocycles are attractive compounds both in functional materials chemistry and biochemistry. Their interesting reactivity as well as photophysical and supramolecular properties have been revealed in the past three decades. This review highlights the recent advances in angle‐strained alkyne‐containing π‐conjugated macrocycles, especially their synthetic methods, the bond angles of alkynes (∠sp at C≡C−C), and their functions. The theoretical and experimental research on cyclo[n]carbons and para‐cyclophynes consisting of ethynylenes and para‐phenylenes are mainly summarized. Related macrocycles bearing other linkers, such as ortho‐phenylenes, meta‐phenylenes, heteroaromatics, biphenyls, extended aromatics, are also overviewed. Bond angles of strained alkynes in π‐conjugated macrocycles, which are generable, detectable, and isolable, are summarized at the end of this review

Frontal brain asymmetries as effective parameters to assess the quality of audiovisual stimuli perception in adult and young cochlear implant users

How is music perceived by cochlear implant (CI) users? This question arises as "the next step" given the impressive performance obtained by these patients in language perception. Furthermore, how can music perception be evaluated beyond self-report rating, in order to obtain measurable data? To address this question, estimation of the frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha activity imbalance, acquired through a 19-channel EEG cap, appears to be a suitable instrument to measure the approach/withdrawal (AW index) reaction to external stimuli. Specifically, a greater value of AW indicates an increased propensity to stimulus approach, and vice versa a lower one a tendency to withdraw from the stimulus. Additionally, due to prelingually and postlingually deafened pathology acquisition, children and adults, respectively, would probably differ in music perception. The aim of the present study was to investigate children and adult CI users, in unilateral (UCI) and bilateral (BCI) implantation conditions, during three experimental situations of music exposure (normal, distorted and mute). Additionally, a study of functional connectivity patterns within cerebral networks was performed to investigate functioning patterns in different experimental populations. As a general result, congruency among patterns between BCI patients and control (CTRL) subjects was seen, characterised by lowest values for the distorted condition (vs. normal and mute conditions) in the AW index and in the connectivity analysis. Additionally, the normal and distorted conditions were significantly different in CI and CTRL adults, and in CTRL children, but not in CI children. These results suggest a higher capacity of discrimination and approach motivation towards normal music in CTRL and BCI subjects, but not for UCI patients. Therefore, for perception of music CTRL and BCI participants appear more similar than UCI subjects, as estimated by measurable and not self-reported parameters