Exploitation of distributed solar radiation databases through a smart network: the project SoDa

The project SoDa answers the needs of industry and research for information on solar radiation parameters with a satisfactory quality. The methodology is user-driven with a large involvement of users in the project, who will gauge the progresses and achievements. A prototype service will be developed, using Internet technology, that will integrate and efficiently exploit diverse networked information sources to supply value-added information. A multi-disciplinary consortium has been assembled, which gathers companies and researchers with the necessary expertise in solar radiation and information and communication technologies. Customers and potential users are also represented as partners in the consortium via the involvement of commercial private vendors of solar radiation databases and of representatives of large research and development programs. A call is launched to recruit customers to assess the prototype. The project SoDa builds on the expertise gained in previous projects, such as the digital atlases MeteoNorm and European Solar Radiation Atlas, the Web servers Satel-Light and Helioserve, and the Guide of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers of United Kingdom. Access to data and applications will be improved; efforts will be made on interpolation methods and satellite data processing to achieve better quality; emphasis will be put on applications to supply information actually needed by customers, instead of raw data

SoDa: a Web service on solar radiation

ISBN 3-9809656-4-3International audienceA Web service has been developed for answering the needs of industry and research for information on solar radiation parameters with a satisfactory quality. It intends to solve the three major problems identified by customers: i) improving access to information, ii) improving knowledge on space and time structure and iii) improving matching of delivered information to actual needs of customers. This service (http://www.soda-is.com) is also innovative with respect to the Internet technologies: it is performing a smart networking of information sources of different natures: databases (radiation, meteorology, elevation, geography...) and algorithms (computation of radiation on slopes, sizing of systems...). These sources were available separately and are geographically dispersed. The service SoDa makes them cooperating and combines them in order to answer to requests, ranging from a series of irradiation values to the sizing of a system

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

A simple and efficient procedure for the numerical simulation of wind fields in complex terrain

In spite of recent progress in the prognostic numerical simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer, the explicit simulation of turbulent flows in actual complex terrain is generally still very complicated and time consuming for many environmental applications. In an attempt to develop simpler and more efficient application oriented techniques, although less refined, we propose a multi-step procedure for simulating wind fields. Once obtained the necessary meteorological input, the mass-consistent modelling technique is used to perform high-resolution mean wind flow simulations taking into account recent developments in the atmospheric boundary-layer theory. Besides, a procedure based on a generalisation of the local logarithmic law-of-the-wall over complex terrain is used to estimate the effective parameters characterising the simulated wind profiles. Turbulence intensities and spectral properties are then calculated through the estimated effective parameters, in particular through the effective friction velocity parameter. Finally, time series of the instantaneous velocity field are simulated by the Monte Carlo technique. Two applications of the proposed approach are discussed briefly: the first one is related to a coastal area in southern Italy (the Messina Straits), where the construction of the world's longest central span bridge is being planned; the second one corresponds to the flow in a mountainous area in northern Italy (the Albenga Airport)