Search

This paper focuses on the detection, from a stack of repeated-pass interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, of such changes causing a target to completely lose the correlation between one epoch and another. This can be the consequence of human activities, such as construction, destruction, and agricultural activities, and also be the consequence of hazards, such as earthquake, landslides, or flooding, to buildings or terrains. The millimetric sensitivity of SAR makes it valuable for detecting such changes. This paper approaches two coherent change detection methods: a space coherent, time incoherent one and a full space and time coherent one, both based on the generalized likelihood ratiob (LR) test. A preliminary validation of the method is provided by processing two Sentinel-1 data stacks of 2016 Central Italy earthquake and by comparing the results with the map of damaged buildings in Amatrice and Accumoli made by Copernicus Emergency Management Service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DC urban light railway systems are used for public transportation in many towns worldwide. In these systems, short-circuit currents are often similar, both in steady-state magnitude and in rate-of-rise, to normal operation currents. In order to properly set the protection relays, to obtain short-circuit discrimination and to avoid nuisance trippings, it is important to analyze short circuit and normal operation current patterns. It is also important to highlight that normal operation current patterns are not only those related to rolling stock acceleration, but also to zone commutation. This paper presents the results of several measurement campaigns, performed for this purpose, on the tram network of Turin, Italy. The measurements results are then used to propose optimized settings for the installed overcurrent protections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results obtained by the application of an innovative environmental monitoring technique able to estimate rainfall intensity in real time by processing the attenuation of microwave satellite link signal measured by low cost sensors. The satellite that has been used during our work, Turksat 42° E, belongs to the plethora of satellites operating for television and radio channel broadcasting. Each sensor exploits off the shelf components, is equipped with a radio frequency power-measuring unit, and provides connectivity to the server over a wide area network. A validation of the approach with a field comparison experiment at the urban scale, comprising three measurement sites equipped with such sensors, was established since autumn 2016 in the municipality of Genoa, Italy. Point-scale rainfall intensity measurements made by two calibrated tipping-bucket rain gauges constitute the reference for the comparative analysis of the microwave sensors performance. The dynamic calibration of the rain gauges was carried out by using an automatic calibration rig and the measurements have been processed with advanced algorithms to reduce counting errors. The experimental setup allowed a full characterization of the microwave signal trends as a function of different precipitation. The results showed a strong correlation between the microwave signal attenuation and the reference rainfall observations and demonstrated the possibility to retrieve ten-minute rain accumulations from the microwave links by adopting a proper electromagnetic model. The comparison between the different measuring systems is performed by computing the time series statistics and the frequency of the rain conditions for each precipitation event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As dynamic inductive power transfer for electric vehicles is growing in relevance, it is important to analyze solutions towards its deployment and integration in the cloud-based services for electric mobility. In this paper we present an Internet-enabling platform for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, which features a high-level Charging Station Control Unit and a Power Electronics Controller. The platform is a middleware that controls the charging process taking into account outside world information. Tests were performed in a safe driving track, in Italy, to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the installation, for one year, for a total of 120 drive hours, under various weather conditions. Tests showed the suitability of the platform in terms of ability to authenticate and authorize a vehicle even through a remote service, sequentially control each coil in a lane, monitor the charging process, assist the driver in keeping the vehicle aligned so as to maximize the energy exchange and deliver charging session information to the cloud (e.g. for billing). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at relating the stickiness parameter ($\tau$) of the dense media radiative transfer theory in quasi-crystalline approximation of Mie scattering of densely packed sticky spheres (DMRT-QMS), to the physical parameters of the layered snowpack. A relationship has been derived to express $\tau $ , which modulates the attractive contact force between ice spheres, as a function of ice volume fraction ($\phi $) and coordination number ($n_{c}$). Since $\tau $ is not a measurable parameter, this is a step forward with respect to what is commonly made in the literature, where $\tau $ is assumed as an arbitrary parameter, generally ranging between 0.1 and 0.3, to fit simulated backscattering data with those measured. As a first validation, DMRT-QMS was integrated with the SNOWPACK model to simulate backscattering at X-band (9.6 GHz) driven by nivo-meteorological data acquired on a test area located in Monti Alti di Ornella, Italy. The simulations were compared with Synthetic Aperture Radar COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) satellite observations. The results show a significant agreement ($R^{2} =0.68$), although for a limited dataset of eight points in a unique winter season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a high-frequency (HF) coastal radar network is described, which is established and maintained by the Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) for the measurement of surface current velocities in the Gulf of Manfredonia, located in the semienclosed Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea), during 2013–2015. The network consisted of four HF radars (HFRs) that provided hourly sea surface velocity data in real-time mode in a netCDF format compliant to the Climate and Forecast Metadata Conventions CF-1.6 and the INSPIRE directive. The hourly netCDF files are disseminated via a Thematic Real-time Environmental Distributed Data Services catalog supporting OGC compliant distributions and protocols for data visualization, metadata interrogation, and data download. HFR velocity data were compared with in situ velocity measurements by Global Positioning System tracked surface drifters deployed within the radar footprint. The results show a good agreement, with the root mean square (rms) of the difference between radial velocities from HFR and drifters ranging between $20\%$ and $50\%$ of the drifter velocity rms. The HFR data have also been compared with subsurface velocity profiles from an upward looking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) during winter 2015, to gain information on the correlation between surface and water column velocities. This information is especially relevant for fishery and coastal management applications, where transport of larvae, sediments, and pollutants in the water column are considered. Results show that, at least in the considered period, the velocity in the water column is well correlated, and there is a good agreement between surface HFR and ADCP data (correlations between 0.95 and 0.75). The Gulf of Manfredonia network has been instrumental to the set up of a core of quality control practices and interoperable data and metadata formats that have been subsequently adopted within the Italian RITMARE network and that are presently discussed and refined at the European level through the projects Jerico-NEXT and INCREASE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching computer graphics in an effective way is a challenging task. Different approaches are proposed in the literature, some focusing on traditional teacher-led lectures, others on interactive teaching methods. This paper describes an experiential learning approach applied in a university-level course in computer engineering. Students were involved in the realization of a digital humanities project, the 3-D modeling of the city of Pavia, Italy, as it was in the 16th century. Traditional lectures introduced key theoretical elements, but students were subsequently given specific assignments and retrieved additional content when completing the tasks assigned to them under the overall guidance of their supervisors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-year research project, called DRYSMES 4GRID, was recently funded by the Italian Minister of Economic Development, Italy. The project, which involves five Italian partners (companies, universities, and research institutes), is aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of cost-competitive SMES based on magnesium diboride (MgB2 ) with a cryogen-free cooling bymeans of the manufacturing and the testing of a demonstrator with an objective rating of 500 kJ/200 kW. This rating is deemed suitable for disclosing the critical technological aspects of all components in view of practical applications. A further goal of the project is the assessment of the technical and economic benefits that the SMES can bring to real-world electric grids. The general outline and technical objectives of the project are presented in this paper. Preliminary design assumptions and results concerning the MgB2 coil and the power condition system are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deepening penetration of distributed energy resources into distribution networks (DNs) is causing relevant issues to be addressed by distribution system operators (DSOs), such as quality of service, security and safety, both at medium-voltage and low-voltage distribution levels. This paper presents how Unareti SpA, an Italian DSO, has addressed those challenges launching a set of research activities in different areas of distribution automation. Results collected during field experiences have been used to design the reference model of the next generation of DN secondary substations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Alpine ski-resorts are conventionally powered by the electrical distribution network to perform the snow-making operations throughout the ski slopes. On one hand, these grids can present a low capacity, and on the other, the line lengths are not negligible due to natural obstacles and altitude changes. As a consequence, the voltage drops are remarkable when several power loads are fed by the low voltage section. Based on this aspect, a novel evolution of ski-resorts power grids toward microgrids is pursued to improve the power system quality of service and to foster the implementation of distributed energy resources (DERs). The article examines the ac electrical distribution system installed in the ski-resort of San Vito di Cadore, Italy. A preliminary power flow analysis identifies bottlenecks on voltage profiles and weights effective solutions to evolve the power grid. Four system configurations are contrasted in terms of voltage drop in order to establish the most convenient redesign. A proper voltage profile along the entire ski-resort is ensured by the last solution, which redistributes the loads powering among the five resort's substations. Finally, a techno-economical-environmental analysis explores the possibility of installing DER and storage to feed the resort loads. The study demonstrates the capability of hydropower plant in enhancing microgrid sustainability and environmental friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of the development of High Temperature Superconducting (HTS)-based solutions for modern power grids, Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico - RSE S.p.A. has gained a significant experience in design, testing, and installation of superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs). After having successfully demonstrated the techno-economic feasibility of the first Italian three-phase BSCCO-based SFCL (9 kV/3.4 MVA) inside the distribution grid of A2A Reti Elettriche S.p.A. in the Milano area, RSE has initiated the development of a new upgraded three-phase SFCL, whose rated power has been enhanced in order to meet the utility's needs. Unlike the first prototype, the new SFCL device (9 kV/15.6 MVA) is YBCO-based: this choice allows reducing the needed tape length and cooling power, saving at the same time a significant amount of operational costs. The first phase was already assembled and tested in 2015, whereas the second phase was tested in February 2016. This paper will show the last outcomes from characterizations and short-circuit tests. Along with the SFCL project, RSE has also been focusing on superconducting cables and, in the framework of the European Project Best Paths, it has been involved in DEMO5, that is dedicated to the development of a HTS DC cable in MgB2 (10 kA/3.2GW). Taking the cue from the DEMO5 requirements, RSE has initiated a parallel research activity that is focused on studying the thermo-fluid dynamic behavior of cryogenic coolants flowing in forced convection regime inside the flexible cryostat. This paper will present the first simulation results and will give some anticipation on next steps. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

People's opinion around social and political issues is currently witnessed by messages ordinarily posted on social media. With reference to a specific case study, namely the vaccination topic in Italy, this article discusses a crucial aspect in structuring the data processing pipeline in intelligent systems aimed at monitoring the public opinion through Twitter messages: A plain analysis of tweet contents is not sufficient to grasp the diversity of behavior across users. To get a sharper picture of the public opinion as expressed on social media, user-related information must be incorporated in the analysis. Relying on a dataset of tweets about vaccination and on an established text classification system, we present the results of a stance monitoring campaign with advanced analysis on temporal and spatial scales. The overall methodological workflow provides a sound solution for public opinion assessment from Twitter data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes a number of strategies that are devoted to improving the generalization capabilities of neural- network-based soft sensors when only small data sets are available. The aim of this paper is to search for a strategy that is able to cope with the problem of scarcity of experimental data, which often arises in industrial applications. The strategies that are considered are based on the manipulation of experimental training data sets to increase their diversity either by injecting noise into the available data or by using the bootstrap resampling approach. A new method, which is based on an aggregation of neural models, trained on different training data sets, which are obtained by noise injection and bootstrap resampling, is proposed in this paper. The methods considered were compared in an industrial case study regarding the design of a backup soft sensor for a thermal cracking unit, working in a refinery in Sicily, Italy. The results of the case study show that all the methods considered produced an improvement in the estimation capability of the models. The best performance was obtained by using the method proposed by the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE International Symposium on Medical Measurement and Applications—MeMeA 2018, which took place in Rome, Italy, on June 11–13, 2018, was a real and concrete opportunity for presenting recent developments in measurement and instrumentation related to medicine. The 13th edition of the Symposium concretely promoted discussion on electrical, chemical, and physiological sensors and measurement systems, which delivers trustable measurement data for prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of different diseases. Other aspects related to the measurement sciences were also presented during the event, such as biosignal processing, quality control of medical devices, medical instrumentation uncertainty/calibration, e-health technologies, wearable devices, and biomechanics/rehabilitation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we provide an overview of the early developments of theoretical computer science research in Italy in the Sixties and early Seventies. In the same years, the community of researchers working in this domain were organizing to gain an identity among the more traditional disciplines and to obtain a recognition for the "new science" that was taking its first steps. This led in Italy to the creation of Group of Researchers in Theoretical Informatics, in parallel to the institution of European Association for Theoretical Computer Science at European level. In this article, we characterize the Italian contribution to theoretical computer science research in those early years by describing the landscape of activities developed in Italian Universities and research centers in the late sixties and early seventies, on the basis of a census run in 1971 by the newly born GRIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recombination dipoles D2 (MBRD) for the luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are double aperture magnets to be placed on each side of ATLAS and CMS experiments, generating 4.5 T along a magnetic length of 7.78 m and a bore diameter of 105 mm. Its development plan foresees the construction of a short model 1.6 m long, followed by a prototype and by the series of 6 magnets. The magnet design was carried out at INFN Genova in a collaboration framework with CERN and the construction is ongoing in the industry (ASG Superconductors, Italy). The short model activities have just been accomplished after a successful power test performed at CERN, while the prototype is in its construction phase. In this contribution, the main features of the D2 magnet will be described, underlining the improvements implemented in the prototype with respect to the short model design. Then, the main results of the power test will be presented, focusing on training performance, protection scheme effectiveness and magnetic measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work deals with an Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) model specifically designed to describe the COVID-19 evolution in Italy. The model is particularised on the basis of National data about the infection status of the Italian population to obtain numerical solutions that effectively reproduce the real data. Our epidemic model is a classical SEIR model that incorporates two compartments of infected subpopulations, representing diagnosed and undiagnosed individuals respectively, and an additional quarantine compartment. Possible control actions representing social, political, and medical interventions are also included. The numerical results of the proposed model identification by least square fitting are analysed and commented with special emphasis on the estimation of the number of asymptomatic infective individuals. Our fitting results are in good agreement with the epidemiological data. Short and long-term predictions on the evolution of the disease are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education in the field of distributed process control and intelligent actuation and measurement (IAM) systems can be greatly enhanced through the use of tools that simulate the behavior of real systems, thus allowing students to test and compare different configurations. In this paper, we present an educational virtual laboratory, called the IAM-Pilot Virtual Laboratory (IPVL), which simulates a physical process consisting of a closed circuit of treated water implementing four regulation loops for pressure, level, flow, and temperature, respectively. This tool is the virtual implementation of a real research laboratory (IAM-Pilot), which was developed a few years ago in the framework of several projects funded by the European Commission, in order to test concepts regarding distributed systems, technologies, and components. The tool allows students to set several different system configurations, both in the control and communication parts, and then assess the resulting behavior. They can also install on the plant different virtual devices, with different features, and monitor their effect on the system. The tool produces graphs that allow students to evaluate the performance offered by the control system. This paper describes the architecture and implementation of the IPVL and reports on its usage in the context of the distributed process control network course at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Catania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the 10th Specialist Meeting on Microwave Radiometry and Remote Sensing of the Environment (MicroRad'08) held in Florence, Italy from March 11 to 14, 2008. The opening speech by organizer Paolo Pampaloni was dedicated in memory of Professor Giovanni d'Auria of the University of Rome in Italy. A session on the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) for Earth Observing System (EOS) was conducted. The meeting ended with a wine and cheese reception.

This paper presents the problem of power penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in urban networks. After a qualitative problem description, two different environments for PV systems have been analyzed: rural and urban networks. Concerning the rural network, a single line has been simulated in order to evaluate the relation between the number of PV systems installed along the line and the maximum PV power installable. In the second part of this paper, possible problems due to power penetration have been examined concerning a clustered PV system that will be installed in the city of Torino (Italy) within the ambit of the EU project called POLYCITY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with power system restoration and discusses the connection of pumped storage loads to restoration paths. This new strategy allows avoiding any disturbance to customers during field tests of restoration paths and improves as well the reliability of restoration plans. The first application of the new strategy concerned the field test of a new path in central Italy. This paper reports the test and analyzes the main novel features of the considered path: complete separation from subtransmission and distribution networks and use of pumped storage loads during its energization. These aspects and their consequences are discussed with reference to both field testing of restoration paths and effectiveness of system restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the possibility of installing a double-circuit gas insulated transmission line (GIL) in the pilot tunnel of the planned new railway galleries Bolzano (Italy)- Innsbruck (Austria). This EHV transmission line could represent a new fundamental step in reconstructing the transnational networks. The high GIL power ratings together with very low power losses would be a strong and highly efficient transmission tie between Italy and Austria particularly useful for the future European Market. The steady-state regime of the line and the electro-magnetic field impact are analyzed. Moreover, the paper discusses the necessary studies to be carried out and the problems that have to be faced. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Real laboratory experiments can help students to gain a better understanding of theoretical problems. Great efforts are needed, however, to improve the quality of laboratory sessions, and a large number of tutors are usually required. Moreover, students may lose time because of hardware failure or an inefficient experimental setup. Several educational tools (based on virtual instruments) have been developed allowing for optimized time scheduling and remote access to laboratory sessions. Drawbacks related to hardware failure have not, however, been seriously addressed. This paper proposes an educational tool made up of a user-friendly interface controlling experimental boards. It basically consists of an array of optical sensing devices connected to suitable conditioning circuits, which are interfaced to a virtual instrument by means of a data acquisition system. To solve the previously mentioned drawbacks, a solution based on both pre-cabled hardware and PC-based measurement stations has been adopted. Moreover, the ability to configure self-educational tasks optimizes time scheduling for students during laboratory activities. The proposed system allows students to improve their knowledge in the field of optical sensing devices, virtual instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and signal processing. The paper describes an application of the tool as a simple system for surface recognition. This application is one of the laboratory tasks performed in measurement classes during this engineering course at the University of Catania, Catania, Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventive maintenance is a core function of clinical engineering, and it is essential to guarantee the correct functioning of the equipment. The management and control of maintenance activities are equally important to perform maintenance. As the variety of medical equipment increases, accordingly the size of maintenance activities increases, the need for better management and control become essential. This paper aims to develop a new model for preventive maintenance priority of medical equipment using quality function deployment as a new concept in maintenance of medical equipment. We developed a three-domain framework model consisting of requirement, function, and concept. The requirement domain is the house of quality matrix. The second domain is the design matrix. Finally, the concept domain generates a prioritization index for preventive maintenance considering the weights of critical criteria. According to the final scores of those criteria, the prioritization action of medical equipment is carried out. Our model proposes five levels of priority for preventive maintenance. The model was tested on 200 pieces of medical equipment belonging to 17 different departments of two hospitals in Piedmont province, Italy. The dataset includes 70 different types of equipment. The results show a high correlation between risk-based criteria and the prioritization list. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The European Space Agency Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission was launched on November 2, 2009. Providing accurate soil moisture (SM) estimation is one of its main scientific objectives. Since the end of the commissioning phase, preliminary global SMOS SM data [Level 2 (L2) product] are distributed to users. In this paper, we carried out a first assessment of the reliability of this product through a comparison with in situ observed and modeled SM over three different sites: One is located in Luxemburg, and two are located in Italy. The period from August 1, 2010, to July 1, 2011, has been analyzed, giving us the opportunity to evaluate the satellite response to different SM states. The selected period is important for hydrological predictions as it is typically characterized by a sequence of transitions from dry to wet and from wet to dry conditions. In order to compare SMOS and ground SM measurements, a two-step approach has been applied. First, an exponential filter has been applied to approximate root-zone SM, and second, a cumulative distribution function matching has been employed to remove systematic differences between satellite and in situ observations and model simulations of SM. Our results indicate rather good reliability of the filtered and bias-corrected SM estimates derived from the first SMOS L2 products. Bearing in mind that an updated/advanced version of the SMOS SM product has been recently produced, our preliminary results already seem to confirm the potential of SMOS for monitoring of water in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River discharge is an important variable to measure in order to predict droughts and flood occurrences. Once the cross-sectional geometry of the river is known, discharge can be inferred from water level and surface flow velocity measurements. Since river discharges are of particular interest during extreme weather events, when river sites cannot be safely accessed, noncontact sensing technologies are particularly appealing. To this purpose, this work proposes a prototype of a low-cost continuous wave (CW) Doppler radar sensor, which is able to monitor the surface flow velocity of rivers. The prototype is tested at two gauged sites in central Italy, along the Tiber River. The surface flow velocity distribution across the river is monitored by means of the analysis of received Doppler signal. The surface velocity statistics are then extracted using a novel algorithm that is optimized to run on a microprocessor platform with minimal computing power (ArduinoUNO). In particular, the radar measurements are used to initialize a 2-D entropy-based velocity model (EVM) that is able to estimate river discharges in any flow condition. Finally, the results concerning the observed discharge provided by the EVM prove to be comparable with those obtained with more expensive commercial solutions. The results are important since the described methodology can be extended to small-size Doppler radar sensors onboard unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the latter providing a method for mapping surface velocity of rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few years, firms have increasingly tapped into external sources of knowledge through research and development (R&D) collaborations and partnerships to sustain innovation. By doing so, managers are challenged to deal efficiently with the diversity of external sources of knowledge to allow their firms to reap the benefits of innovative activities. By investigating a large-scale sample of R&D-intensive Italian manufacturing firms, this paper examines the extent to which the heterogeneity and the intensity of R&D partnership influence a firm's innovative performance. The findings suggest that firms with a greater number of heterogeneous types of partners have greater benefits in terms of innovative performance, particularly when they draw deeply from a limited number of preferred partnership types. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The connection between illuminance and luminance measurements is considered to create a traceability link among a highly accurate illuminance meter, which is considered as an internal standard of the Photometric Laboratory, University of Padova, Padova, Italy, and other illuminance meters or photometric heads and luminance meters. After an introduction on themain involved definitions and equations linking the illuminance and the luminance measurements, this paper presents the instruments to which the procedures are applied and, at the end, results regarding the absolute calibration of the instruments under test, the check of their linearity, and the analysis of their spectral responsivity within the visible range. Following this way, this paper shows the main results in the connection among instruments devoted specifically to illuminance and luminance measurements. Then, it also introduces a comparison to other photometric heads, e.g., sensors that are part of more complex systems, like an integrating sphere for luminous flux measurement. In this last case, it has no significance to evaluate the difference between the absolute outputs, but it is interesting to compare the response of the two devices considering their linearity and their relative spectral response. A special section devoted to the evaluation of the spectral response presents a new simple but effective method. The application of a detector-based method allows a significant reduction of the uncertainty in the internal calibration of the photometric instruments, granting the continuity of the Photometric Laboratory operation contemporarily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Italian regulatory authority is working toward the introduction of voltage-quality regulation. To this end, it initiated a power-quality measuring campaign and a study of customer costs. This paper summarizes the main results of these activities and provides evidence that economic losses due to very short interruptions and voltage dips can be very relevant for several sensitive industrial sectors in Italy. Despite the fact that these losses present an uneven distribution over the national economy, their magnitude justifies the intervention of a regulatory authority to limit the number of the most severe events. Nonetheless, the identification of severe events (those that fall under the responsibility of the network operator) is a difficult task. Using the available data, we test the classification table proposed in the latest version of the European Standard EN 50160 and confirm, albeit preliminarily, the usefulness of this classification for regulatory purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a sensitivity analysis and procedure development for volcanic-plume sulfur dioxide and ash retrievals using ground thermal infrared camera have been carried out. The semiconductor device camera, considered as a reference, has a spectral range of 8-14 μm with noise equivalent temperature difference that is better than 100 mK at 300 K. The camera will be used to monitor and assess the hazards of Mt. Etna volcano to mitigate the risk and impact of volcanic eruptions on the civil society and transports. A minimum number of filters have been selected for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volcanic ash retrievals. The sensitivity study has been carried out to determine the SO2 and volcanic ash minimum concentration detectable by the system varying the camera geometry and the atmospheric profiles. Results show a meaningful sensitivity increase considering high instrument altitudes and low camera-elevation angles. For all geometry configurations and monthly profiles, the sensitivity limit varies between 0.5 and 2 g · m-2 for SO2 columnar abundance and between 0.02 and 1 for ash optical depth. Two procedures to detect SO2 and ash, based on the least square fit method and on the brightness temperature difference (BTD) algorithm, respectively, have also been proposed. Results show that high concentration of atmospheric water vapor columnar content significantly reduces the ash-plume effect on the BTD. A water vapor-correction procedure introduced improves the ash retrievals and the cloud discrimination in every season, considering all the camera geometries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a sensitivity analysis and procedure development for volcanic-plume sulfur dioxide and ash retrievals using ground thermal infrared camera have been carried out. The semiconductor device camera, considered as a reference, has a spectral range of 8-14 µm with noise equivalent temperature difference that is better than 100 mK at 300 K. The camera will be used to monitor and assess the hazards of Mt. Etna volcano to mitigate the risk and impact of volcanic eruptions on the civil society and transports. A minimum number of filters have been selected for sulfur dioxide (SO2) and volcanic ash retrievals. The sensitivity study has been carried out to determine the SO2 and volcanic ash minimum concentration detectable by the system varying the camera geometry and the atmospheric profiles. Results show a meaningful sensitivity increase considering high instrument altitudes and low camera-elevation angles. For all geometry configurations and monthly profiles, the sensitivity limit varies between 0.5 and 2 g ⋅ m-2 for SO2 columnar abundance and between 0.02 and 1 for ash optical depth. Two procedures to detect SO2 and ash, based on the least square fit method and on the brightness temperature difference (BTD) algorithm, respectively, have also been proposed. Results show that high concentration of atmospheric water vapor columnar content significantly reduces the ash-plume effect on the BTD. A water vapor-correction procedure introduced improves the ash retrievals and the cloud discrimination in every season, considering all the camera geometries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows a model study about the emissivity of forests. Model outputs are compared with multifrequency airborne measurements carried out over five broadleaf forests in Italy. Two flights took place, in summer 1999 and winter 2002. Available ground truth included important variables, such as biomass, tree density, and average trunk diameter. This data set, in conjunction with allometric equations and information taken from the literature, is used to give inputs to the model. A general agreement between simulated and measured data is observed L-, C-, and X-bands. The same model is used to investigate the sensitivity of forest emissivity to soil moisture, woody volume, and average diameter. As expected, a moderate effect of soil moisture is observed only at L-band and for forests with a lower woody volume. At L-band, the model predicts a general increase emissivity with woody volume but indicates that also the trunk diameter exerts an important influence, since it is a variable which controls several geometrical properties. These results allow us to single out the influence of soil moisture, woody volume, and geometrical properties at L-band. The increase of emissivity with frequency, observed in experimental data, is interpreted by means of electromagnetic considerations about branch scattering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the results of an experimental study aimed toward investigating microwave emission from forests. The experiment was carried out in 2006 on two forest stands of poplar (Populus alba) and pine (Pinus italica), using ground-based microwave radiometers at the L-, C-, X-, Ku-, and Ka-bands, in H and V polarizations. Measurements on poplar were performed on different dates and at different incidence and azimuth angles, looking downward (from the top of trees and from below the crown) and upward (from the soil level). Only one downward-looking measurement was carried out over a pine plot with dry soil in April. All the remote sensing measurements were complemented with "ground-truth" data. The collected experimental data made it possible to quantify the spectral signatures of poplar, as well as the variation of angular trends of brightness temperature in different seasons of the year. The sensitivity of L-band emission to soil properties and leaf biomass was also investigated. Moreover, the measurements on poplar, combined with a simple radiative transfer model (the so-called omega-tau equation), allowed estimating the transmissivity of the canopy with and without leaves. The analysis of data has shown that for the observed forest type, the sensitivity to soil moisture under defoliated trees can be noted at both the L- and C-bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of electromagnetic transients in overhead power lines due to nearby lightning return strokes requires accurate models for the calculation of both the incident lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP) and the effects of coupling of this field to the line conductors. Considering also the complexity of distribution networks in terms of their topology and the presence of power system components and protection devices, the implementation of the LEMP-to-transmission-line coupling models into software tools used to represent the transient behavior of the entire network is of crucial importance. This paper reviews the most significant results obtained by the authors concerning the calculation of lightning-induced voltages. First, the theoretical basis of advanced models for the calculation of LEMP-originated transients in overhead power lines is illustrated; then, the relevant experimental validation using: 1) reduced-scale setups with LEMP and nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP) simulators and 2) full-scale setups illuminated by artificially initiated lightning are reported. Finally, the paper presents comparisons between simulations and new experimental data consisting of measured natural lightning- induced voltages on a real distribution network in northern Italy, correlated with data from lightning location systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deregulation of the electricity industry has caused for the generation company (Genco) the need of tools for measuring and managing the risk, beyond the classical problem of generating unit scheduling. In this paper, a probabilistic framework for the problem of managing risk faced by Gencos trading in day-ahead energy market is proposed. In particular, a stochastic forecast of electricity price and the technical features of hydrothermal units are considered. The approach is based on an optimization procedure for maximizing expected profits in the presence of risk constraints. Conditional value at risk for the distribution of daily profit is used as risk measure. The effectiveness of the proposed model is tested for the case of one producer of the Italian electricity system with a fleet of hydrothermal generating units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the problem of combining automatic lane-keeping and driver's steering for either obstacle avoidance or lane-change maneuvers for passing purposes or any other desired maneuvers, through a closed-loop control strategy. The automatic lane-keeping control loop is never opened, and no on/off switching strategy is used. During the driver's maneuver, the vehicle lateral dynamics are controlled by the driver himself through the vehicle steering system. When there is no driver's steering action, the vehicle center of gravity tracks the center of the traveling lane thanks to the automatic lane-keeping system. At the beginning (end) of the maneuver, the lane-keeping task is released (resumed) safely and smoothly. The performance of the proposed closed-loop structure is shown both by means of simulations and through experimental results obtained along Italian highways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INFN (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy) has started in 2006 the DISCORAP project, which foresees the design, manufacture and test of a dipole prototype for the SIS-300 synchrotron of the FAIR facility at GSI. In order to minimize the losses produced by the fast ramp rate (1 T/s) at which the magnet is operated, we are developing with European industries, a Rutherford cable which incorporates several technologies to reduce the losses, and namely a NbTi filament diameter on the order of 2.5-3.5 μm, Cu 0.5 wt%Mn interfilamentary matrix and stainless steel core. In this paper we present the design principles and the first experimental results; we also analyze the impact of the CuMn paramagnetism on the field distortion at the different operating magnetic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upgrade of JT-60U to JT-60 Super Advanced (JT-60SA), a fully superconducting tokamak, will be performed in the framework of the Broader Approach (BA) agreement between Europe (EU) and Japan. In particular, the Toroidal Field (TF) system, which includes 18 coils, is foreseen to be procured by France, Italy and Germany. This work covers activities from design and manufacturing to shipping to Japan. The present paper is mainly devoted to the analyses that lead to the conductor design and to the technical specifications of the joints for the JT-60SA TF coils. The conductor geometry is described, which is derived from Cable-In-Conduit concept and adapted to the actual JT-60SA tokamak operating conditions, principally the ITER-like scenario. The reported simulations and calculations are particularly dealing with the stability analysis and the power deposition during normal and off-normal conditions (AC losses, nuclear heating). The final conductor solution was selected through a trade-off between scientific approach and industrial technical orientation. Besides, the TF system connections layout is shown, derived from the industrially assessed twin-box concept, together with the associated thermo-hydraulic calculations ensuring a proper temperature margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an analysis on the joint effect of hyperspectral and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data for the classification of complex forest areas. In greater detail, we present: 1) an advanced system for the joint use of hyperspectral and LIDAR data in complex classification problems; 2) an investigation on the effectiveness of the very promising support vector machines (SVMs) and Gaussian maximum likelihood with leave-one-out-covariance algorithm classifiers for the analysis of complex forest scenarios characterized from a high number of species in a multisource framework; and 3) an analysis on the effectiveness of different LIDAR returns and channels (elevation and intensity) for increasing the classification accuracy obtained with hyperspectral images, particularly in relation to the discrimination of very similar classes. Several experiments carried out on a complex forest area in Italy provide interesting conclusions on the effectiveness and potentialities of the joint use of hyperspectral and LIDAR data and on the accuracy of the different classification techniques analyzed in the proposed system. In particular, the elevation channel of the first LIDAR return was very effective for the separation of species with similar spectral signatures but different mean heights, and the SVM classifier proved to be very robust and accurate in the exploitation of the considered multisource data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on James Clerk Maxwell and his color theory during his journey in Italy which led to the invention of color photograph. Maxwell formed his color theory through studying the works of Boyle, Newton, and Berkley. He started developing the theory through considering that the science of colors is a science of the mind. He associated it to optics and physiology. He demonstrated that color sensation can be produced by mixing different regions of the light spectrum. Maxwell also believed that his color theory is linked with mental processes.

Remote laboratories are laboratories where the hardware devices are accessible through the Internet 24 h a day for running experiments on physical processes. These laboratories are commonly used as complementary tools in engineering education, allowing students to integrate theoretical notions with practical experiments without the necessity of being physically present inside a laboratory. The increased availability of experiments in a remote laboratory is certainly an advantage for students, but it implies an increase of the probability of hardware and software failures. Thus, maintaining physical processes in a remote laboratory may become a heavy task for laboratory administrators. Remote lab- oratory inefficiency due to hardware and software maintenance can be certainly reduced if the time that is required for software reinstallation and/or upgrade is kept as short as possible. In this paper, a technique based on the use of a bootable (live) device on the server side of a remote laboratory is reported. This solution, which, in principle, can be used in almost any remote laboratory, allows an administrator to greatly reduce the time that is needed to fix a hardware/software failure, as well as to add a new process to the laboratory in a faster way. Moreover, the use of such a tool will also increase the reliability of the entire laboratory. The application of the proposed method to the "Automatic Control Telelab," which is a remote laboratory that was developed at the University of Siena, is also described in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factorization method (FM) has been applied to measurement data from a multistatic ground-penetrating radar operating in close proximity to the ground, which was used in a measurement campaign on the Joint Research Centre mine test lane in Ispra, Italy. This paper is targeted toward a future hand-held demining system. The according space limits restrict an independent positioning of transmit and receive antennas. Hence, very small multistatic datasets are obtained, representing a difficult case for the reconstruction with the FM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuity of the European Remote Sensing Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (ERS SAR) archive by means of Envisat Advanced SAR (ASAR) data acquired from March 2002 has introduced the problem of the coherent combination of images coming from sensors with slightly different frequencies. The spectral shift principle states that in case of extended distributed targets, the frequency shift is equivalent to a change of looking angle. In this paper, the same principle is exploited to analyze the behavior of permanent scatterers (PSs) with an extension that is smaller than the ground resolution cell. The conditions under which the PSs identified by ERS can be continued by Envisat are then theoretically determined and experimentally validated. Moreover, this analysis shows that acquisitions characterized by different frequencies can be used to identify the slant-range position of scatterers with high subcell accuracy (tens of centimeters). From the processing side, a very precise images coregistration step is required to get the results described in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alpine village of Lamosano, Belluno, Italy, located near a wide and active landslide, has been seriously threatened by ground instabilities since 1960. In this paper, the results obtained by two different remote-monitoring techniques, synthetic aperature radar interferometry and three-dimensional laser-scanner imaging, planned for Lamosano hazard assessment, are presented. Both techniques compare images taken at different times to map and classify changes that occurred on the imaged scenario. The radar and laser data are gathered at the same dates with about ten-month temporal separation. The displacements measured separately by each of the two techniques highlight a similar sliding motion on the Lamosano village area, providing a good validation to each other and contributing to the definition of the village instability hazard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract-In the framework of the ITALSAT campaign various European institutions carried out propagation measurements at V band. In this frequency band, signal reception in a satellite-to- Earth or Earth-to-satellite path may suffer severely from signal attenuation due to meteorological effects such as rain, snow, hail, fog, clouds, etc., where rain provides the most significant contribution. In this paper, a joint analysis of the ITALSAT propagation measurement campaigns at 39.6 GHz (precisely 39.592 GHz) carried out at both Oberpfaffenhofen, close to Munich, Germany, and Spino d'Adda, close to Milan, Italy, is presented. For both stations long-term attenuation statistics are available and reveal that signal attenuation due to meteorological effects depends very much on the season and on the time of the day. Signal attenuation can be compensated by an appropriate fade margin. In this paper, we show that the required fade margin to guarantee a target link availability has to be chosen very carefully, since it depends very much on the time interval upon which availability is defined. We consider complete years, ITU-R recommendations, all single months of the year, worst months, and spring, summer, fall, and winter. Furthermore, we evaluate diurnal variations for four time intervals: 00:00-06:00, 06:00-12:00, 12:00-18:00, and 18:00-24:00. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation (TAP) introduced an Associate Editor for Communications and Membership in December 2020. Prof. Marco Salucci, University of Trento, Italy, became the first to fulfill this role. The purpose of this new position is twofold. One purpose is to communicate to readers, external and internal to IEEE, the value of our contributions to the technologies that are used daily by billions of people around the world. Another purpose is to increase membership by introducing creative strategies to: 1) attract people that exploit the devices and methodologies developed by our authors; 2) to educate and inform people about our society; and 3) reach out to people traditionally affiliated with other societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors discuss the legal liabilities of the professional engineer as both the engineer of record of a project and the construction site manager. In particular, this article analyzes the case of a fire at the end-user medium voltage–low-voltage (MV–LV) substation of a shopping center in Italy, which occurred a few years after the maintenance works on the electrical installation. The professional engineer who had designed and overseen the construction of the substation was accused of professional negligence. The authors through the examination of applicable technical standards, as well as of safety regulations, demonstrate that the professional engineer had acted diligently and that there was no ground for the negligence charges. The analysis of the substation fire is provided, and the importance of the chain of custody, the chronological documentation, and the secure storing of all the artifacts and fire-damaged evidence is discussed. The authors believe that this article can be a useful reference for electrical forensics engineers, investigating similar accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decade and a half have seen a renewed interest in the development of the IT industry in Italy and the role of the 1950s pioneers. The aim of the article is to retrace key stages of the first Italian project aimed at creating an electronic calculator, carried out by the University of Pisa in collaboration with Olivetti. The re-evaluation of the documents kept in the University's archives, including the technical projects, has proved fruitful and has shed light on lesser-known aspects of a project that opened the way to the birth of computer science in the country as a business and as a scientific discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new challenge in power systems design and operation is to organize and control smart micro grids supplying aggregation of users and special loads as electric vehicles charging stations. The presence of renewable and storage can help the optimal operation only if a good control manages all the elements of the grid. New models of green buildings and energy communities are proposed. For a real application they need an appropriate and advanced power system equipped with a building automation control system. This article presents an economic model predictive control approach to the problem of managing the electric and heating resources in a smart building in a coordinated way, for the purpose of achieving in real time nearly zero energy consumption and automated participation to demand response programs. The proposed control, leveraging a mixed integer quadratic programming problem, allows to meet manifold thermal and electric users’ requirements and react to inbound demand response signals, while still guaranteeing stable operation of the building's electric and thermal storage equipment. The simulation results, performed for a real case study in Italy, highlight the peculiarities of the proposed approach in the joint handling of electric and thermal building flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]