A novel concept for a fully digital particle detector

Silicon sensors are the most diffuse position sensitive device in particle physics 8 experiments and in countless applications in science and technology. They had a spectacular progress in performance over almost 40 years since their first introduction, but their evolution is now slowing down. The position resolution for single particle hits is larger than a few microns in the most advanced sensors. This value was reached already over 30 years ago [1]. The minimum ionising path length a sensor can detect is several tens of microns. There are fundamental reasons why these limits will not be substantially improved by further refinements of the current technology. This makes silicon sensors unsuitable to applications where the physics signature is the short path of a recoiling atom and constrains the layout of physics experiments where they represent by far the best option like high energy physics collider experiments. In perspective, the availability of sensors with sub-micron spatial resolution, in the order of a few tens of nanometres, would be a disruptive change for the sensor technology with a foreseeable huge impact on experiment layout and various applications of these devices. For providing such a leap in resolution, we propose a novel design based on a purely digital circuit. This disruptive concept potentially enables pixel sizes much smaller than 1{\mu}m2 and a number of advantages in terms of power consumption, readout speed and reduced thickness (for low mass sensors).Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, 10 reference

Emergence of Venice during the Pleistocene

The Pleistocene history of sea-level change for the Venice region was reconstructed using an integrated magneto-bio-cyclo-stratigraphy of lithofacies and a published palynofloral analysis of continuously cored sediments in a 950-meter-deep drill core. The basin in which the Venice region is located collapsed at ∼1.8 Ma with slow sediment accumulation in the deeper-water starved basin during most of the Matuyama polarity chron but shoaled rapidly in the early and middle Brunhes in response to a major phase of deltaic progradation. The initial transition to continental sediments occurred during a prominent glacioeustatic low-stand that is likely to be MIS 12 (∼0.43 Ma) but could be as young as MIS 8 (∼0.25 Ma). The Venice area oscillated from below sea level during subsequent major glacioeustatic high-stands to becoming increasingly emergent during major low-stands as the basin continued to fill with marine and continental sediments. Some parts of the Venice area are now emergent for the first time during a glacioeustatic high-stand (i.e., MIS 1 or the Holocene). The total long-term subsidence rate estimated from the VENICE-1 record is less than 0.5 mm/yr, considerably slower than estimates for the Holocene and especially the modern anthropogenic period

Emergence of Venice during the Pleistocene

The Pleistocene history of sea-level change for the Venice region was reconstructed using an integrated magneto-bio-cyclo-stratigraphy of lithofacies and a published palynofloral analysis of continuously cored sediments in a 950-meter-deep drill core. The basin in which the Venice region is located collapsed at ∼1.8 Ma with slow sediment accumulation in the deeper-water starved basin during most of the Matuyama polarity chron but shoaled rapidly in the early and middle Brunhes in response to a major phase of deltaic progradation. The initial transition to continental sediments occurred during a prominent glacioeustatic low-stand that is likely to be MIS 12 (∼0.43 Ma) but could be as young as MIS 8 (∼0.25 Ma). The Venice area oscillated from below sea level during subsequent major glacioeustatic high-stands to becoming increasingly emergent during major low-stands as the basin continued to fill with marine and continental sediments. Some parts of the Venice area are now emergent for the first time during a glacioeustatic high-stand (i.e., MIS 1 or the Holocene). The total long-term subsidence rate estimated from the VENICE-1 record is less than 0.5 mm/yr, considerably slower than estimates for the Holocene and especially the modern anthropogenic period

Emergence of Venice during the Pleistocene

The Pleistocene history of sea-level change for the Venice region was reconstructed using an integrated magneto-bio-cyclo-stratigraphy of lithofacies and a published palynofloral analysis of continuously cored sediments in a 950-meter-deep drill core. The basin in which the Venice region is located collapsed at ∼1.8 Ma with slow sediment accumulation in the deeper-water starved basin during most of the Matuyama polarity chron but shoaled rapidly in the early and middle Brunhes in response to a major phase of deltaic progradation. The initial transition to continental sediments occurred during a prominent glacioeustatic low-stand that is likely to be MIS 12 (∼0.43 Ma) but could be as young as MIS 8 (∼0.25 Ma). The Venice area oscillated from below sea level during subsequent major glacioeustatic high-stands to becoming increasingly emergent during major low-stands as the basin continued to fill with marine and continental sediments. Some parts of the Venice area are now emergent for the first time during a glacioeustatic high-stand (i.e., MIS 1 or the Holocene). The total long-term subsidence rate estimated from the VENICE-1 record is less than 0.5 mm/yr, considerably slower than estimates for the Holocene and especially the modern anthropogenic period

Integration of Satellite Soil Moisture and Rainfall Observations over the Italian Territory

Abstract State-of-the-art rainfall products obtained by satellites are often the only way of measuring rainfall in remote areas of the world. However, it is well known that they may fail in properly reproducing the amount of precipitation reaching the ground, which is of paramount importance for hydrological applications. To address this issue, an integration between satellite rainfall and soil moisture SM products is proposed here by using an algorithm, SM2RAIN, which estimates rainfall from SM observations. A nudging scheme is used for integrating SM-derived and state-of-the-art rainfall products. Two satellite rainfall products are considered: H05 provided by EUMESAT and the real-time (3B42-RT) TMPA product provided by NASA. The rainfall dataset obtained through SM2RAIN, SM2RASC, considers SM retrievals from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT). The rainfall datasets are compared with quality-checked daily rainfall observations throughout the Italian territory in the period 2010–13. In the validation period 2012–13, the integrated products show improved performances in terms of correlation with an increase in median values, for 5-day rainfall accumulations, of 26% (18%) when SM2RASC is integrated with the H05 (3B42-RT) product. Also, the median root-mean-square error of the integrated products is reduced by 18% and 17% with respect to H05 and 3B42-RT, respectively. The integration of the products is found to improve the threat score for medium–high rainfall accumulations. Since SM2RASC, H05, and 3B42-RT datasets are provided in near–real time, their integration might provide more reliable rainfall products for operational applications, for example, for flood and landslide early warning systems

Tactile Sensing and Control of Robotic Manipulator Integrating Fiber Bragg Grating Strain-Sensor

Tactile sensing is an instrumental modality of robotic manipulation, as it provides information that is not accessible via remote sensors such as cameras or lidars. Touch is particularly crucial in unstructured environments, where the robot's internal representation of manipulated objects is uncertain. In this study we present the sensorization of an existing artificial hand, with the aim to achieve fine control of robotic limbs and perception of object's physical properties. Tactile feedback is conveyed by means of a soft sensor integrated at the fingertip of a robotic hand. The sensor consists of an optical fiber, housing Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) transducers, embedded into a soft polymeric material integrated on a rigid hand. Through several tasks involving grasps of different objects in various conditions, the ability of the system to acquire information is assessed. Results show that a classifier based on the sensor outputs of the robotic hand is capable of accurately detecting both size and rigidity of the operated objects (99.36 and 100% accuracy, respectively). Furthermore, the outputs provide evidence of the ability to grab fragile objects without breakage or slippage e and to perform dynamic manipulative tasks, that involve the adaptation of fingers position based on the grasped objects' condition

Gene expression in mdx mouse muscle in relation to age and exercise: aberrant mechanical-metabolic coupling and implications for pre-clinical studies in duchenne muscular dystrophy

Weakness and fatigability are typical features of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and are aggravated in dystrophic mdx mice by chronic treadmill exercise. Mechanical activity modulates gene expression and muscle plasticity. Here, we investigated the outcome of 4 (T4, 8 weeks of age) and 12 (T12, 16 weeks of age) weeks of either exercise or cage-based activity on a large set of genes in the gastrocnemius muscle of mdx and wild-type (WT) mice using quantitative real-time PCR. Basal expression of the exercise-sensitive genes peroxisome-proliferator receptor γ coactivator 1α (Pgc-1α) and Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) was higher in mdx versus WT mice at both ages. Exercise increased Pgc-1α expression in WT mice; Pgc-1α was downregulated by T12 exercise in mdx muscles, along with Sirt1, Pparγ and the autophagy marker Bnip3. Sixteen weeks old mdx mice showed a basal overexpression of the slow Mhc1 isoform and Serca2; T12 exercise fully contrasted this basal adaptation as well as the high expression of follistatin and myogenin. Conversely, T12 exercise was ineffective in WT mice. Damage-related genes such as gp91-phox (NADPH-oxidase2), Tgfβ, Tnfα and c-Src tyrosine kinase were overexpressed in mdx muscles and not affected by exercise. Likewise, the anti-inflammatory adiponectin was lower in T12-exercised mdx muscles. Chronic exercise with minor adaptive effects in WT muscles leads to maladaptation in mdx muscles with a disequilibrium between protective and damaging signals. Increased understanding of the pathways involved in the altered mechanical-metabolic coupling may help guide appropriate physical therapies while better addressing pharmacological interventions in translational researchWeakness and fatigability are typical features of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients and are aggravated in dystrophic mdx mice by chronic treadmill exercise. Mechanical activity modulates gene expression and muscle plasticity. Here, we investigated the outcome of 4 (T4, 8 weeks of age) and 12 (T12, 16 weeks of age) weeks of either exercise or cage-based activity on a large set of genes in the gastrocnemius muscle of mdx and wildtype (WT) mice using quantitative real-time PCR. Basal expression of the exercise-sensitive genes peroxisome-proliferator receptor g coactivator 1α (Pgc-1α) and Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) was higher in mdx versus WT mice at both ages. Exercise increased Pgc-1α expression in WT mice; Pgc-1α was downregulted by T12 exercise in mdx muscles, along with Sirt1, Pparγ and the autophagy marker Bnip3. Sixteen weeks old mdx mice showed a basal over expression of the slowMhc1 isoform and Serca2; T12 exercise fully contrasted this basal adaptation as well as the high expression of follistatin and myogenin. Conversely, T12 exercise was ineffective in WT mice. Damage-related genes such as gp91-phox (NADPH-oxidase2), Tgfβ, Tnfα and c-Src tyrosine kinase were overexpressed in mdx muscles and not affected by exercise. Likewise, the anti-inflammatory adiponectin was lower in T12-exercised mdx muscles. Chronic exercise with minor adaptive effects in WT muscles leads to maladaptation in mdx muscles with a disequilibrium between protective and damaging signals. Increased understanding of the pathways involved in the altered mechanical-metabolic coupling may help guide appropriate physical therapies while better addressing pharmacological interventions in translational research

SM2RAIN–ASCAT (2007–2018): global daily satellite rainfall data from ASCAT soil moisture observations

Abstract. Long-term gridded precipitation products are crucial for several applications in hydrology, agriculture and climate sciences. Currently available precipitation products suffer from space and time inconsistency due to the non-uniform density of ground networks and the difficulties in merging multiple satellite sensors. The recent "bottom-up" approach that exploits satellite soil moisture observations for estimating rainfall through the SM2RAIN (Soil Moisture to Rain) algorithm is suited to build a consistent rainfall data record as a single polar orbiting satellite sensor is used. Here we exploit the Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) on board three Meteorological Operational (MetOp) satellites, launched in 2006, 2012, and 2018, as part of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Polar System programme. The continuity of the scatterometer sensor is ensured until the mid-2040s through the MetOp Second Generation Programme. Therefore, by applying the SM2RAIN algorithm to ASCAT soil moisture observations, a long-term rainfall data record will be obtained, starting in 2007 and lasting until the mid-2040s. The paper describes the recent improvements in data pre-processing, SM2RAIN algorithm formulation, and data post-processing for obtaining the SM2RAIN–ASCAT quasi-global (only over land) daily rainfall data record at a 12.5 km spatial sampling from 2007 to 2018. The quality of the SM2RAIN–ASCAT data record is assessed on a regional scale through comparison with high-quality ground networks in Europe, the United States, India, and Australia. Moreover, an assessment on a global scale is provided by using the triple-collocation (TC) technique allowing us also to compare these data with the latest, fifth-generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis (ERA5), the Early Run version of the Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG), and the gauge-based Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) products. Results show that the SM2RAIN–ASCAT rainfall data record performs relatively well at both a regional and global scale, mainly in terms of root mean square error (RMSE) when compared to other products. Specifically, the SM2RAIN–ASCAT data record provides performance better than IMERG and GPCC in data-scarce regions of the world, such as Africa and South America. In these areas, we expect larger benefits in using SM2RAIN–ASCAT for hydrological and agricultural applications. The limitations of the SM2RAIN–ASCAT data record consist of the underestimation of peak rainfall events and the presence of spurious rainfall events due to high-frequency soil moisture fluctuations that might be corrected in the future with more advanced bias correction techniques. The SM2RAIN–ASCAT data record is freely available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3405563 (Brocca et al., 2019) (recently extended to the end of August 2019)