Multi-Temporal InSAR Structural Damage Assessment: The London Crossrail Case Study

Spaceborne multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (MT-InSAR) is a monitoring technique capable of extracting line of sight (LOS) cumulative surface displacement measurements with millimeter accuracy. Several improvements in the techniques and datasets quality lead to more effective, near real time assessment and response, and a greater ability of constraining dynamically changing physical processes. Using examples of the COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) system, we present a methodology that bridges the gaps between MT-InSAR and the relative stiffness method for tunnel-induced subsidence damage assessment. The results allow quantification of the effect of the building on the settlement profile. As expected the greenfield deformation assessment tends to provide a conservative estimate in the majority of cases (~ 71% of the analyzed buildings), overestimating tensile strains up to 50%. With this work we show how these two techniques in the field of remote sensing and structural engineering can be synergistically used to complement and replace the traditional ground based analysis by providing an extended coverage and a temporally dense set of data

Neural Network Pattern Recognition Experiments Toward a Fully Automatic Detection of Anomalies in InSAR Time Series of Surface Deformation

We present a neural network-based method to detect anomalies in time-dependent surface deformation fields given a set of geodetic images of displacements collected from multiple viewing geometries. The presented methodology is based on a supervised classification approach using combinations of line of sight multitemporal, multi-geometry interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series of displacements. We demonstrate this method with a set of 170 million time series of surface deformation generated for the entire Italian territory and derived from ERS, ENVISAT, and COSMO-SkyMed Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite constellations. We create a training dataset that has been compared with independently validated data and current state-of-the-art classification techniques. Compared to state-of-the-art algorithms, the presented framework provides increased detection accuracy, precision, recall, and reduced processing times for critical infrastructure and landslide monitoring. This study highlights how the proposed approach can accelerate the anomalous points identification step by up to 147 times compared to analytical and other artificial intelligence methods and can be theoretically extended to other geodetic measurements such as GPS, leveling data, or extensometers. Our results indicate that the proposed approach would make the anomaly identification post-processing times negligible when compared to the InSAR time-series processing

The collapse of Bárðarbunga Caldera, Iceland

Lying below Vatnajökull ice cap in Iceland, Bárðarbunga stratovolcano began experiencing wholesale caldera collapse in 2014 August 16, one of the largest such events recorded in the modern instrumental era. Simultaneous with this collapse is the initiation of a plate boundary rifting episode north of the caldera. Observations using the international constellation of radar satellites indicate rapid 50 cm d^(−1) subsidence of the glacier surface overlying the collapsing caldera and metre-scale crustal deformation in the active rift zone. Anomalous earthquakes around the rim of the caldera with highly nondouble-couple focal mechanisms provide a mechanical link to the dynamics of the collapsing magma chamber. A model of the collapse consistent with available geodetic and seismic observations suggests that the majority of the observed subsidence occurs aseismically via a deflating sill-like magma chamber

Geodetic Constraints on the 2014 M 6.0 South Napa Earthquake

On 24 August 2014, the M 6.0 South Napa earthquake shook much of the San Francisco Bay area, leading to significant damage in the Napa Valley. The earthquake occurred in the vicinity of the West Napa fault (122.313° W, 38.22° N, 11.3 km), a mapped structure located between the Rodger’s Creek and Green Valley faults, with nearly pure right‐lateral strike‐slip motion (strike 157°, dip 77°, rake –169°; http://comcat.cr.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc72282711#summary, last accessed December 2014) (Fig. 1). The West Napa fault previously experienced an M 5 strike‐slip event in 2000 but otherwise exhibited no previous definitive evidence of historic earthquake rupture (Rodgers et al., 2008; Wesling and Hanson, 2008). Evans et al. (2012) found slip rates of ∼9.5  mm/yr along the West Napa fault, with most slip rate models for the Bay area placing higher slip rates and greater earthquake potential on the Rodger’s Creek and Green Valley faults, respectively (e.g., Savage et al., 1999; d’Alessio et al., 2005; Funning et al., 2007)

Low energy high angular resolution neutral atom detection by means of micro-shuttering techniques: the BepiColombo SERENA/ELENA sensor

The neutral sensor ELENA (Emitted Low-Energy Neutral Atoms) for the ESA cornerstone BepiColombo mission to Mercury (in the SERENA instrument package) is a new kind of low energetic neutral atoms instrument, mostly devoted to sputtering emission from planetary surfaces, from E ~20 eV up to E~5 keV, within 1-D (2x76 deg). ELENA is a Time-of-Flight (TOF) system, based on oscillating shutter (operated at frequencies up to a 100 kHz) and mechanical gratings: the incoming neutral particles directly impinge upon the entrance with a definite timing (START) and arrive to a STOP detector after a flight path. After a brief dissertation on the achievable scientific objectives, this paper describes the instrument, with the new design techniques approached for the neutral particles identification and the nano-techniques used for designing and manufacturing the nano-structure shuttering core of the ELENA sensor. The expected count-rates, based on the Hermean environment features, are shortly presented and discussed. Such design technologies could be fruitfully exported to different applications for planetary exploration.Comment: 11 page

Bioptic prostatic inflammation correlates with false positive rates of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer

ntroduction: The aim of this article was to determine the impact of bioptic prostatic inflammation (PI) on the false positive rate of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) in detecting clinically significant prostate ancer (csPCa). Material and methods: Our prostate biopsy database was queried to identify patients who underwent mp-MRI before PB at our institution. A dedicated uropathologist prospectively assessed bioptic PI using the Irani scores. We evaluated the association between mp-MRI findings, bioptic Gleason grade (GG) and aggressiveness of PI, and PCa detection. Results: In total, 366 men were included. In patients with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PIRADS) 4-5 lesions, the csPCa (GG ≥2) rate was significantly higher in those with low-grade than in those with high-grade PI (36% vs 29.7%; p = 0.002), and in those with low-aggressive than in those with high-aggressive PI (37.7% vs 30.1%; p = 0.0003). The false positive rates of PIRADS 4-5 lesions for any PCa were 34.2% and 57.8% for low- and high-grade PI, respectively (p = 0.002); similarly, they were 29.5% and 59.4% for mildly and highly-aggressive PI (p = 0.0003). Potential study limitations include its retrospective analysis and single-center study and lack of assessment of the type of PI. Conclusions: Bioptic PI directly correlates with false positive rates of mp-MRI in detecting csPCa. Clinicians should be aware that PI remains the most common pitfall of mp-MRI

Bacterial Peritonitis Due to \u3ci\u3eAcinetobacter baumannii\u3c/i\u3e Sequence Type 25 with Plasmid-Borne New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase in Honduras

A carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain was isolated from the peritoneal fluid of a patient with complicated intra-abdominal infection and evaluated at the Multidrug-resistant Organism Repository and Surveillance Network by wholegenome sequencing and real-time PCR. The isolate was sequence type 25 and susceptible to colistin and minocycline, with low MICs of tigecycline. blaNDM-1 was located on a plasmid with \u3e99% homology to pNDM-BJ02. The isolate carried numerous other antibiotic resistance genes, including the 16S methylase gene, armA

Participation of women scientists in ESA solar system missions: A historical trend

We analyzed the participation of women scientists in 10 ESA (European Space Agency) Solar System missions over a period of 38 years. Being part of a spacecraft mission science team can be considered a proxy to measure the "success"in the field. Participation of women in PI (Principal Investigators) teams varied between 4% and 25 %, with several missions with no women as PI. The percentage of female scientists as Co-I (Co-Investigators) is always less than 16 %. This number is lower than the percentage of women in the International Astronomical Union from all ESA's Member State (24 %), which can give us an indication of the percentage of women in the field. We encountered many difficulties to gather the data for this study. The list of team members were not always easily accessible. An additional difficulty was to determine the percentage of female scientists in planetary science in Europe. We would like to encourage the planetary community as a whole, as well as international organizations, universities and societies to continuously gather statistics over many years. Detailed statistics are only the first step to closely monitor the development of achievement gaps and initiate measures to tackle potential causes of inequity, leading to gender inequalities in STEM careers

Faecal Cyathostomin Egg Count distribution and efficacy of anthelmintics against cyathostomins in Italy: a matter of geography?

Background: In the framework of a trial carried out in 2008 in Europe to evaluate the efficacy of major parasiticides against horse cyathostomins, pre- and/or post- treatment Faecal Egg Counts (FEC) were evaluated in a total of 84 yards and 2105 horses from nine different regions from the South, the Center, the North-Center and North-East of Italy. Specifically, on the basis of FECs of the horses present in each property, 60 out of the 84 yards were enrolled for a Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) using fenbendazole, pyrantel, ivermectin and moxidectin. Results: Of the 1646 horses bred in the 60 recruited yards, 416 animals had a FEC between 50 and 150 Eggs Per Gram (EPG) of faeces and 694 a FEC >150 EPG (i.e. with total of 1110 positive animals). Of the 1110 positive animals, those with the highest FECs (i.e. 988) were included in the FECRT.The FECRT for four anthelmintic compounds showed remarkable differences in terms of prevalence of reduced and equivocal efficacy against cyathostomins in the different areas of Italy. Administration of fenbendazole and pyrantel resulted in resistance present or suspected in about half of the yards examined while resistance to ivermectin was found in one yard from central Italy and suspected resistance was detected in three more yards, one in each the North, the Center and the South.Treatment with moxidectin was 100% effective in all yards examined. Conclusions: Cyathostomin populations in the South and the Center of Italy were more susceptible to fenbendazole and pyrantel than the populations present in the Center-North and North-Eastern areas of Italy. Fenbendazole and/or pyrantel were ineffective in almost all properties from the North of Italy. The reasons for such a difference among the Italian regions in terms of FECs and efficacy of antiparasitic drugs are discussed, together with the role that veterinarians, and horse owners and managers should have for effective worm control programs in this country