Comparison of the GPM DPR Single- and Double-Frequency Products Over the Mediterranean Area

The NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory (CO) carries, for the first time, a dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) designed to provide insights into the 3-D structure of precipitating clouds and rain intensity by using its Ka- and Ku-band frequencies. Single-frequency (SF) (both Ku- and Ka-only) and double-frequency (DF) based products provide particle-size distribution (PSD) parameters, as well as precipitation rates. Background surface type, precipitation type and phase, and vertical extension of the storm are also provided. In this paper, an intercomparison between the SF and DF DPR outputs over the Mediterranean area during rainfall events in the first four years of GPM-CO mission is carried out. The goal is to investigate the reliability of SF-based products by assessing their quality compared to the DF-based ones, treated as a reference. The vertical profiles and the near-surface values of the corrected reflectivity of the PSD parameters (mean mass-weighted diameter and normalized intercept) and of the rainfall rate have been analyzed. The data have been categorized for surface type (land and sea) and precipitation type (stratiform and convective). The results show a more marked difference between the DF and SF Ka-only based products than between DF and SF Ku-only based products. The feature is confirmed by the analysis of vertical profiles of the SF- and DF-based retrieved parameters. The statistical scores do not differ significantly between land and sea while they differ noticeably between stratiform and convective precipitation

Analysis of long-\uad\u2010term precipitation pattern over Antarctica derived from satellite-\uad\u2010borne radar

Mass accumulation is a key geophysical parameter in understanding the Antarctic climate and its role in the global system. The local mass variation is driven by a number of different mechanisms: the deposition of snow and ice crystals on the surface from the atmosphere is generally modified by strong surface winds and variations in temperature and humidity at the ground, making it difficult to measure directly the accumulation by a sparse network of ground based instruments. Moreover, the low cloud total water/ice content and the varying radiative properties of the ground pose problems in the retrieval of precipitation from passive space-borne sensors at all frequencies. Finally, numerical models, despite their high spatial and temporal resolution, show discordant results and are difficult to be validated using ground-based measurements. A significant improvement in the knowledge of the atmospheric contribution to the mass balance over Antarctica is possible by using active space-borne instruments, such as the Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) on board the low earth orbit CloudSat satellite, launched in 2006 and still operating. The radar measures the vertical profile of reflectivity at 94 GHz (sensitive to small ice particles) providing narrow vertical crosssections of clouds along the satellite track. The aim of this work is to show that, after accounting for the characteristics of precipitation and the eect of surface on reflectivity in Antarctica, the CPR can retrieve snowfall rates on a single event temporal scale. Furthermore, the CPR, despite its limited temporal and spatial sampling capabilities, also effectively observes the annual snowfall cycle in this region. Two years of CloudSat data over Antarctica are analyzed and converted in water equivalent snowfall rate. Two different approaches for precipitation estimates are considered in this work. The results are analyzed in terms of annual and monthly averages, as well as in terms of instantaneous values. The derived snowfall maps are compared with ERA-Interim reanalysis and with in situ measurements, showing overall agreement. The effects of coastlines in enhancing precipitation rates and cloud precipitation efficiency are recognized. A significant seasonal signal also affects the averaged spatial extent of snowfall patterns. A comparison with snow accumulation ground measurements of single snowfall events shows consistency with the CPR retrievals: all the retrieved snowfall episodes correspond to an increase of snow accumulation at the ground, while several episodes of increase of snow stack height are not related to significant retrieved snowfall rate, likely indicating the local contribution of blowing snow. The results show that CPR can be a valuable source of snowfall rate data in Antarctica that can be used at dierent temporal scales, providing support to the sparse network of ground-based instruments both for numerical model validation and climatological studies

How to get the best from low-cost particulate matter sensors: Guidelines and practical recommendations

Low-cost sensors based on the optical particle counter (OPC) are increasingly being used to collect particulate matter (PM) data at high space and time resolution. In spite of their huge explorative potential, practical guidelines and recommendations for their use are still limited. In this work, we outline a few best practices for the optimal use of PM low-cost sensors based on the results of an intensive field campaign performed in Bologna (44\u25e6 30\u2032 N, 11\u25e6 21\u2032 E; Italy) under different weather conditions. Briefly, the performances of a series of sensors were evaluated against a calibrated mainstream OPC with a heated inlet, using a robust approach based on a suite of statistical indexes capable of evaluating both correlations and biases in respect to the reference sensor. Our results show that the sensor performance is sensibly affected by both time resolution and weather with biases maximized at high time resolution and high relative humidity. Optimization of PM data obtained is therefore achievable by lowering time resolution and applying suitable correction factors for hygroscopic growth based on the inherent particle size distribution

Stopshock Project

Il Progetto si propone di indentificare e validare principi attivi salvavita di pronto impiego per uso civile (medicina delle catastrofi) e militare (missioni peace keeping) - Il Progetto \ue8 promosso dal Ministero della Difesa e prevede la partecipazione di esperti di altri paesi

Observational analysis of an exceptionally intense hailstorm over the Mediterranean area: Role of the GPM Core Observatory

On 5 September 2015 a violent hailstorm hit the Gulf and the city of Naples in Italy. The storm originated over the Tyrrhenian Sea dropping 7-10 cm diameter hailstones along its path. During its mature phase, at 08:47 UTC, the hailstorm was captured by one overpass of the Global Precipitation Measurement mission Core Observatory (GPM-CO) embarking the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) and the Ka/Ku-band Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). In this paper, observations by both GMI and DPR are thoroughly analysed in conjunction with other spaceborne and ground-based measurements, to show how the GPM-CO integrates established observational tools in monitoring, understanding, and characterizing severe weather. Rapid-scan MSG SEVIRI images show an extremely rapid development, with 10.8 \u3bcm cloud-top temperatures dropping by 65 K in 40 minutes down to 198 K. The LIghtning NETwork registered over 37000 strokes in 5 hours, with intracloud positive strokes fraction increasing during the regeneration phases, when ground-based polarimetric radar and DPR support the presence of large graupel/hail particles. DPR Ku 40 dBZ and 20 dBZ echo top heights at 14 km and 16 km, respectively, indicate strong updraft and deep overshooting. GMI extremely low brightness temperatures (TBs) in correspondence of the convective core (158,16 97, 67, and 87 K at 19, 37, 89 and 166 GHz) are compatible with the presence of massive ice particles. In two years of GPM global observations the storm ranks as fourth and first in terms of minimum 37 and 19 GHz (V-pol) TBs, respectively. This study illustrates GPM-CO sensing capabilities for characterizing the structure of such severe hailstorm, while providing observational evidence of its intensity and rarity, globally, and, in particular, in the Mediterranean area

Synthesis and biological evaluation of imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines as new inhibitors of the Wnt/\u3b2-catenin signaling.

Wnt/\u3b2-catenin signaling plays an important role in the regulation of embryonic development and tumorigenesis. Since its deregulation results in severe human diseases, especially cancer, the Wnt signaling pathway constitutes a promising platform for pharmacological targeting of cancer. In this study we synthesized a series of imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and identified some derivatives that were able to inhibit the Wnt/\u3b2-catenin signaling pathway in a luciferase reporter assay and cell proliferation in selected cancer cell lines, endowed with APC or \u3b2-catenin gene mutations. The most active compounds significantly downregulate the expression of Wnt target genes such as c-myc and cyclin D1. Further studies indicated that these compounds function independently of GSK-3\u3b2 activity. More importantly, in vivo experiments, carried out on a Wnt-reporter zebrafish model indicate, in particular for compounds 4c and 4i as the most active compounds, an activity comparable to that of the reference compound IWR1, suggesting their potential use not only as small molecule inhibitors of the Wnt/\u3b2-catenin signal in Wnt driven cancers, but also in other Wnt-related diseases