Common-mode rejection in Martin-Puplett spectrometers for astronomical observations at mm-wavelengths

The Martin-Puplett interferometer (MPI) is a differential Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS), measuring the difference between spectral brightness at two input ports. This unique feature makes the MPI an optimal zero instrument, able to detect small brightness gradients embeddend in a large common background. In this paper we investigate experimentally the common-mode rejection achievable in the MPI at mm wavelengths, and discuss the use of the instrument to measure the spectrum of cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy

Image Segmentation in a Remote Sensing Perspective

Image segmentation is generally defined as the process of partitioning an image into suitable groups of pixels such that each region is homogeneous but the union of two adjacent regions is not, according to a homogeneity criterion that is application specific. In most automatic image processing tasks, efficient image segmentation is one of the most critical steps and, in general, no unique solution can be provided for all possible applications. My thesis is mainly focused on Remote Sensing (RS) images, a domain in which a growing attention has been devoted to image segmentation in the last decades, as a fundamental step for various application such as land cover/land use classification and change detection. In particular, several different aspects have been addressed, which span from the design of novel low-level image segmentation techniques to the de?nition of new application scenarios leveraging Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA). More specifically, this summary will cover the three main activities carried out during my PhD: first, the development of two segmentation techniques for object layer extraction from multi/hyper-spectral and multi-resolution images is presented, based on respectively morphological image analysis and graph clustering. Finally, a new paradigm for the interactive segmentation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) multi-temporal series is introduced

The Impact of Early Basal Leaf Removal at Different Sides of the Canopy on Aglianico Grape Quality

It is known that early removal of basal leaves improves the exposure of cluster to direct sunlight and UV radiation, which positively influence the phenolic compounds and anthocyanin concentration of berries. This study was carried out to evaluate the eect of leaf removal applied before flowering to the basal zone of the canopy at dierent sides (fruit-zone north canopy side, south canopy side and north–south canopy side, respectively) of Aglianico vines trained to vertical shoot position system and row oriented to east–west (EW). The study was conducted in the controlled and guaranteed designation of origin (CGDO) Castel del Monte area (Apulia region, Italy). The treatment did not aect yield per vine, and nor sugar, pH, and total acidity of grapes. When it was applied to the basal south canopy side, the concentration of proanthocyanidins and total polyphenols of grapes increased, as well as antioxidant activity. In particular, anthocyanins content, determined by HPLC, increased by 20% with respect to control when treatment was applied to south and north–south canopy sides. Interaction between season period and treatment was found for all anthocyanins except for petunidin-3-coumaroyl-glucoside. Basal leaf removal applied to the north canopy side caused an increase in malvidin-3-O-glucoside content in grapes in 2016 and 2018, but not in 2017. Our results indicate that basal leaf removal (six basal leaves removed from the base of the shoots) before flowering (BBCH 57) can be used as an eective strategy to improve grape total polyphenols, anthocyanins concentration and antioxidant activity in vineyards cultivated under warm climate conditions. The treatment could represent a sustainable alternative to manual cluster thinning since it does not reduce yield per vine and can be performed mechanically

Low-cost smartphone-based speed surveying methods in proximity to traffic calming devices.

Abstract The study is aimed at investigating the effectiveness of two smartphone applications for surveying speeds of moving objects. These applications are used for urban speed measurements. Once the most reliable application was selected among the available ones, its outputs were calibrated by using the speed from the GPS system mounted on the test vehicle as a benchmark. Thereafter, an experimental test was conducted for monitoring the influence of a raised crossing on the vehicle speeds in the urban environment, by using the selected smartphone application

GMH-D: Combining Google MediaPipe and RGB-Depth Cameras for Hand Motor Skills Remote Assessment

Impairment in the execution of simple motor tasks involving hands and fingers could hint at a general worsening of health conditions, particularly in the elderly and in people affected by neurological diseases. The deterioration of hand motor function strongly impacts autonomy in daily activities and, consequently, the perceived quality of life. The early detection of alterations in hand motor skills would allow, for example, to promptly activate treatments and mitigate this discomfort. This preliminary study examines an innovative pipeline based on a single RGB-Depth camera and Google MediaPipe Hands, that is suitable for the remote assessment of hand motor skills through simple tasks commonly used in clinical practice. The study includes several phases. First, the quality of hand tracking is evaluated by comparing reconstructed and real hand 3D trajectories. The proposed solution is then tested on a cohort of healthy volunteers to estimate specific kinematic features for each task. Finally, these features are used to train supervised classifiers and distinguish between “normal” and “altered” performance by simulating typical motor behaviour of real impaired subjects. The preliminary results show the ability of the proposed solution to automatically highlight alterations in hand performance, providing an easy-to-use and non-invasive tool suitable for remote monitoring of hand motor skills

"Media in China": la storia e i modelli di produzione e diffusione dell’animazione in Cina

During the last decade China has experienced a moment of great commercial expansion into international markets. In this context of constant growth there are also the creative industries and in particular the animation sector that has significantly evolved over the years. The Chinese animation industry is able to produce contents for both the domestic and abroad market for job orders coming from Japanese, American and European big companies. Today China has become the first producer of animation in the world because it considers this industry as one of its most important productive sectors and thus it has promoted policy actions supporting both training schools for employees of the sector and the world production and distribution. According to many scholars, the government implements these policies to secure not only economic but also cultural benefits. In fact it encourages the ideological education of young people in order to strengthen their national identity (Qing 2006, Tan 2006, Lu Bin 2013). This research starts from the beginning of the Chinese animation industry until the current situation which marks its major presence in foreign markets. The aim of this work is to identify the main variables and the contradictions that characterize the current state of the Chinese animation as well as the problems related to the domestic and international market and the relationship between domestic and imported products.Durante l'ultimo decennio la Cina ha vissuto un momento di grande espansione commerciale nei mercati internazionali. In questo contesto di costante crescita si inseriscono anche le industrie creative e in particolare il settore dell’animazione che ha subito una profonda evoluzione col passare degli anni. Il settore dell’animazione cinese riesce a produrre dei contenuti destinati sia al mercato interno sia estero su commessa dei grandi produttori giapponesi, americani ed europei. Oggi la Cina è diventata il primo produttore al mondo di animazione perché considera questo tipo di industria come uno dei suoi più importanti settori produttivi e perciò ha promosso delle azioni politiche volte a sostenere le scuole di formazione per gli addetti al settore e il mondo della produzione e distribuzione. Secondo molti studiosi il governo attua queste politiche per garantirsi non solo profitti economici ma anche culturali. Di fatto incentiva la formazione ideologica dei giovani al fine di rafforzare la propria identità nazionale (Qing 2006, Tan 2006, Lu Bin 2013). Il presente lavoro di ricerca parte dalle origini dell’industria dell’animazione cinese per arrivare alla situazione attuale che vede la sua importante presenza nei mercati esteri. L’obiettivo della tesi è quello di individuare le variabili principali e le contraddizioni che caratterizzano la situazione attuale dell’animazione cinese nonché i problemi relativi al mercato interno e internazionale e al rapporto tra i prodotti nazionali e prodotti di importazione