Oil spill detection using optical sensors: a multi-temporal approach

Oil pollution is one of the most destructive consequences due to human activities in the marine environment. Oil wastes come from many sources and take decades to be disposed of. Satellite based remote sensing systems can be implemented into a surveillance and monitoring network. In this study, a multi-temporal approach to the oil spill detection problem is investigated. Change Detection (CD) analysis was applied to MODIS/Terra and Aqua and OLI/Landsat 8 images of several reported oil spill events, characterized by different geographic location, sea conditions, source and extension of the spill. Toward the development of an automatic detection algorithm, a Change Vector Analysis (CVA) technique was implemented to carry out the comparison between the current image of the area of interest and a dataset of reference image, statistically analyzed to reduce the sea spectral variability between different dates. The proposed approach highlights the optical sensors’ capabilities in detecting oil spills at sea. The effectiveness of different sensors’ resolution towards the detection of spills of different size, and the relevance of the sensors’ revisiting time to track and monitor the evolution of the event is also investigated

Tecniche di classificazione e monitoraggio delle aree agricole nei paesi dell’Africa Centro-Orientale da immagini satellitari

Il progetto Africover per l’Africa Orientale fu attivo fra gli anni 1995 e 2002, ed ebbe come obiettivo la produzione di un archivio digitale georeferenziato volto alla classificazione delle tipologie di copertura del suolo, nonché alla determinazione della loro destinazione di utilizzo; venne inoltre introdotto un riferimento geodetico omogeneo e stabilita una chiara ed univoca toponimia di strade e bacini idrici presenti nell’area. La FAO e la Cooperazione Italiana supportarono, in risposta a numerose richieste di assistenza a livello sia nazionale che locale, la creazione dell’archivio e la realizzazione delle mappe tematiche di land cover poste a fondazione dei criteri decisionali per la gestione e lo sfruttamento delle risorse naturali delle regioni africane. A partire dal 2002 l’archivio realizzato non è mai più stato aggiornato; da questo punto parte il nostro lavoro, con l’obiettivo di realizzare mappe aggiornate delle aree agricole del Kenya impiegando sensori della classe del Thematic Mapper, sviluppare una metodologia di stima dello stato delle culture per un accurata previsione dei raccolti, sviluppare ed implementare un sistema software che renda agevole la creazione di mappe di uso del suolo da immagini satellitari. Il progetto SBAM (Satellite Based Agricultural Monitoring), risponde alle esigenze di ottenere delle mappe aggiornante ed accurate delle aree dedicate all'agricoltura nei paesi dell'Africa Centrale, fornire alle istituzioni di ricerca locali il know how per perseguire l’attività di aggiornamento del land cover ed attivare un sistema di monitoraggio dello stato di salute delle colture e previsione dei raccolti ed infine potenziare la stazione di telerilevamento del BSC (Broglio Space Center) di Malindi. La procedura di classificazione MDT (Multi-variate Decision Tree) del dato satellitare segue un approccio fenologico multi-temporale, supportato dall’impiego della zonazione agro-ecologica; un sistema automatico di modellizzazione climatico-ambientale interviene a calibrare i parametri di simulazione in ambiente FAO AquaCrop per l’individuazione dei parametri di stress attivi sulle coltivazioni e l’effetto da essi determinato sul livello di produzione atteso. L'area di studio comprende i paesi dell'Africa Centrale ed in particolare i paesi che cadono nel cerchio di acquisizione della stazione di telerilevamento del BSC di Malindi.We investigated the use of phenological information extracted from satellite imagery combined with crop calendar and supported by agro-ecological zoning (AEZ) in accurate crop classification and monitoring. Vegetation indices extracted from Landsat 8 imagery are capable to track the vegetation development through the year and from them the phenological profile can be extrapolated and implemented into a multi-temporal automatic classification process to detect agricultural vegetated areas and to discriminate among different crop species.The classification procedure is supported by the agro-ecological zoning which, based on crop modeling and environmental matching procedures, identifies crop-specific environmental limitations under assumed levels of inputs and management conditions. The Fao AquaCrop simulation model was implemented to estimate the site specific crop yield response to different stress factors. Accurate crop classification and monitoring is the main objective of the SBAM (Satellite Based Agricultural Monitoring) project funded by the Italian Space Agency and focused on Kenya

Feeling for the other with ease:prospective actors show high levels of emotion recognition and report above average empathic concern, but do not experience strong distress

Differences in empathic abilities between acting, dance, and psychology students were explored, in addition to the appropriateness of existing empathy measures in the context of these cohorts. Students ( N = 176) across Higher Education Institutions in the United Kingdom and Europe were included in the online survey analysis, consisting of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RME) test, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Empathy Quotient (EQ), and the E-drawing test (EDT), each measuring particular facets of empathy. Based on existing evidence and our understanding of the discipline practices, we predicted that acting students would perform the best at identifying people's emotional expressions but might lack other cognitive or affective empathy skills, particularly those related to emotional reactions. This cohort thus provides an opportunity to evaluate different empathy measures. While actors showed significantly higher RME scores than dancers, the difference between actors and psychologists was marginal. Moreover, actors' scores did not differ significantly on other empathy measures, such as their concern for others' emotional wellbeing or fantasy, both measured by IRI subscales. Psychology students scored highest in the IRI perspective taking subscale and the data supported anecdotal evidence that psychologists were more concerned for others' emotional wellbeing than dancers or actors. Dancers seemed the least concerned with others' perspectives and emotional states, which we explained through a somatosensory 'inward' focus required by their art form. Nevertheless, compared to the general population, our groups reported higher empathic abilities on all IRI subscales except for personal distress. Altogether, our study shows that the RME, the IRI, and the EDT vary in their susceptibility to different facets of empathic abilities in acting, dance, and psychology students whereas the EQ does not. Emotions can be expressed and perceived through language, facial expressions, or behavior. As many empathy tests focus on one type of signal they might miss other strategies. Where empathy tests are applied to individuals that have a predominance to read or respond to others in a particular way, as we showed through these three disciplines, they might not capture these empathic strategies. We thus propose that empathy tests must evolve by means of integrating varied forms of communication. </p

Microcirculatory changes and skeletal muscle oxygenation measured at rest by non-infrared spectroscopy in patients with and without diabetes undergoing haemodialysis

Introduction: Haemodialysis has direct and indirect effects on skin and muscle microcirculatory regulation that are severe enough to worsen tolerance to physical exercise and muscle asthenia in patients undergoing dialysis, thus compromising patients' quality of life and increasing the risk of mortality. In diabetes these circumstances are further complicated, leading to an approximately sixfold increase in the incidence of critical limb ischaemia and amputation. Our aim in this study was to investigate in vivo whether haemodialysis induces major changes in skeletal muscle oxygenation and blood flow, microvascular compliance and tissue metabolic rate in patients with and without diabetes. Methods: The study included 20 consecutive patients with and without diabetes undergoing haemodialysis at Sant Andrea University Hospital, Rome from March to April 2007. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) quantitative measurements of tissue haemoglobin concentrations in oxygenated [HbO(2)] and deoxygenated forms [HHb] were obtained in the calf once hourly for 4 hours during dialysis. Consecutive venous occlusions allowed one to obtain muscular blood flow (mBF), microvascular compliance and muscle oxygen consumption (mVO(2)). The tissue oxygen saturation (StO(2)) and content (CtO(2)) as well as the microvascular bed volume were derived from the haemoglobin concentration. Nonparametric tests were used to compare data within each group and among the groups and with a group of 22 matched healthy controls. Results: The total haemoglobin concentration and [HHb] increased significantly during dialysis in patients without and with diabetes. Only in patients with diabetes, dialysis involved a [HbO(2)], CtO(2) and mVO(2) increase but left StO(2) unchanged. Multiple regression analysis disclosed a significant direct correlation of StO(2) with HbO(2) and an inverse correlation with mVO(2). Dialysis increased mBF only in diabetic patients. Microvascular compliance decreased rapidly and significantly during the first hour of dialysis in both groups. Conclusions: Our NIRS findings suggest that haemodialysis in subjects at rest brings about major changes in skeletal muscle oxygenation, blood flow, microvascular compliance and tissue metabolic rate. These changes differ in patients with and without diabetes. In all patients haemodialysis induces changes in tissue haemoglobin concentrations and microvascular compliance, whereas in patients with diabetes it alters tissue blood flow, tissue oxygenation (CtO(2), [HbO(2)]) and the metabolic rate (mVO(2)). In these patients the mVO(2) is correlated to the blood supply. The effects of haemodialysis on cell damage remain to be clarified. The absence of StO(2) changes is probably linked to an opposite [HbO(2)] and mVO(2) pattern

Spotted fever from Rickettsia typhi in an older woman: a case report from a geographic area where it would not be expected

Summary We describe the case of a 75-year-old woman presenting with spotted fever followed by acute renal failure and septic shock. The infection was caused by Rickettsia typhi , not reported in Calabria district (southern Italy) since World War II. The diagnosis of murine typhus was made 3 days after admission and was based solely on clinical criteria when her worsening condition required a prompt move to the intensive care unit. Therapy with tigecycline was then started immediately and the patient improved dramatically. The diagnosis of murine typhus was confirmed 10 days after admission by immunofluorescence assay. Our case is an example of how the diagnosis of murine typhus is challenging. However, in the case of a disease lacking specific symptoms, clinicians should never forget that, even in geographic areas considered free of flea-borne diseases, the components of the enzootic cycle are present and the diagnosis should never be underestimated

Resilience and response of the congenital cardiac network in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic

: The worldwide response to the current COVID-19 pandemic has been focused on how to prevent the disease and to protect the high-risk patient from a potentially lethal infection. Several consensus and guidelines articles have been published dealing with the cardiac patient with systemic hypertension, heart transplant or heart failure. Very little is known about the patients, both in the pediatric as well as in the adult age, with congenital heart disease. The peculiar physiology of the heart with a native, repaired or palliated congenital heart defect deserves a specialized care. Hereby we describe the early recommendations issued by the Italian Society of Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease and how the network of the congenital cardiac institutions in Italy reacted to the threat of potential wide spread of the infection among this fragile kind of patient

SATURN: A Technological Demonstration Mission for Distributed SAR Imaging

The OHB-Italia S.p.A-led consortium is in the midst of Phase B of SATURN (Synthetic AperTure radar cUbesat foRmation flyiNg), part of ALCOR, an Italian Space Agency (ASI) programme promoting the development of the next generation Italian CubeSats. SATURN is a demonstration mission that features Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology applied to a Swarm of CubeSats equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for Earth Observation. MIMO is based on cooperative active sensors, where each one transmits signals and receives the illuminated common area backscatter related to the entire swarm, increasing measurement performances with a trend approximatively equal to the square of the number of sensors. The complete SATURN constellation features 16 mini-swarms, each of 3 CubeSats, spread over 4 SSOs equally spaced by 3 hours of local time. The constellation is designed to provide an average revisit time of 1.5 h and an interferometric revisit time of 1 day worldwide. The aim of this demonstration mission is to verify MIMO technology applied to SAR on a mini-swarm of 3 CubeSats in close formation on a Low Earth Down-Dusk Sun Synchronous Orbit. Using OHB-I’s M3Multi Mission Modular platform equipped with a miniaturized SAR Instrument, developed by ARESYS S.r.l. and Airbus Italia S.p.A., our mission is able to achieve a resolution of 5x5 m over a 30 km swath. Thus, SATURN enables low-cost, scalable SAR missions for affordable access to space for public and private entities, overcoming the single point of failure of one large and complex satellite. Subsequent swarms, deploying from 3 to 48 CubeSats, are expected to bring technological innovations and improve Italy’s competitiveness in the European and global Earth Observation scenario

Immunohistochemical investigations on Brucella ceti-infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba)

Bacteria of the genus Brucella cause brucellosis, an infectious disease common to humans as well as to terrestrial and aquatic mammals. Since 1994 several cases of Brucella spp. infection have been reported in marine mammals worldwide. Indeed, since human brucellosis ranks as one of the most common bacterial zoonotic infections on a global scale, it is necessary to increase our knowledge about it also in the marine environment. Brucella ceti, which is phenotypically similar to other smooth brucellae as B. abortus and B. melitensis, shares with the latter two the same surface antigens that are routinely used for the serological diagnosis of Brucella spp. infection. Marine mammal Brucella spp. infections are characterized by a pathogenicity similar to their terrestrial counterparts, with the occurrence of abortion, stillbirth and orchitis and an involvement of the host’s central nervous system (CNS), similarly to what happens in mankind. While sero-epidemiological data suggest that Brucella spp. infection is widespread globally, detecting Brucella spp.-associated antigens by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tissues from infected animals is often troublesome. The present study was aimed at investigating, by means of IHC based upon the utilization of an anti-Brucella LPS monoclonal antibody (MAb), the CNS immunoreactivity (IR) shown by B. ceti-infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins

Radial Artery as a Coronary Artery Bypass Conduit:20-Year Results

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence for the choice of the second conduit in coronary surgery. The radial artery (RA) is a possible option, but few data on very-long-term outcomes exist. OBJECTIVES: This study describes 20-year results of RA grafts used for coronary artery bypass grafting and the effects of RA removal on forearm circulation. METHODS: We report the results of the prospective 20-year follow-up of the first 100 consecutive patients who received the RA as a coronary bypass conduit at our institution. RESULTS: Follow-up was 100% complete. There were 64 deaths, 23 (35.9%) from cardiovascular causes. Kaplan-Meier 20-year survival was 31%. Of the 36 survivors, 33 (91.6%) underwent RA graft control at a mean of 19.0 \ub1 2.5 years after surgery. The RA was found to be patent in 24 cases (84.8% patency). In the overall population, probability of graft failure at 20 years was 19.0 \ub1 0.2% for the left internal thoracic artery (ITA), 25.0 \ub1 0.2% for the RA, and 55.0 \ub1 0.2% for the saphenous vein (p = 0.002 for RA vs. saphenous vein, 0.11 for RA vs. ITA, and p 90%, but not location of distal anastomosis, significantly influenced long-term RA graft patency. No patients reported hand or forearm symptoms. The ulnar artery diameter was increased in the operated arm (2.44 \ub1 0.43 mm vs. 2.01 \ub1 0.47 mm; p < 0.05) and correlated with the peak systolic velocity of the second palmar digital artery (Pearson coefficient: 0.621; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The 20-year patency rate of RA grafts is good, and not inferior to the ITA, especially when the conduit is used to graft a vessel with >90% stenosis. RA harvesting does not lead to hand or forearm symptoms, even at a very-long-term follow-up