Cause, conseguenze e strategie di mitigazione Proponiamo il primo di una serie di articoli in cui affronteremo l’attuale problema dei mutamenti climatici. Presentiamo il documento redatto, votato e pubblicato dall’Ipcc - Comitato intergovernativo sui cambiamenti climatici - che illustra la sintesi delle ricerche svolte su questo tema rilevante.

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Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.

From the Publisher: 
The accessible presentation of this book gives both a general view of the entire computer vision enterprise and also offers sufficient detail to be able to build useful applications. Users learn techniques that have proven to be useful by first-hand experience and a wide range of mathematical methods. A CD-ROM with every copy of the text contains source code for programming practice, color images, and illustrative movies. Comprehensive and up-to-date, this book includes essential topics that either reflect practical significance or are of theoretical importance. Topics are discussed in substantial and increasing depth. Application surveys describe numerous important application areas such as image based rendering and digital libraries. Many important algorithms broken down and illustrated in pseudo code. Appropriate for use by engineers as a comprehensive reference to the computer vision enterprise.

Computer vision : a modern approach = 计算机视觉 : 一种现代的方法

Arsenic removal from water/wastewater using adsorbents—A critical review

Improvements to a MODIS global terrestrial evapotranspiration algorithm

A scheme is developed for classifying the types of motion perceived by a humanlike robot. It is assumed that the robot receives visual images of the scene using a perspective system model. Equations, theorems, concepts, clues, etc., relating the objects, their positions, and their motion to their images on the focal plane are presented. >

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/815/3148/00100651.pdf

Robot vision

Cholera, one of the oldest known waterborne diseases, is examined as a wicked water problem in this study. The ongoing seventh pandemic of this infectious disease started in the 1960s and has been reported in over 50 countries, affecting over 7 million people (Gleick, 2008). The pattern and magnitude of the global pandemics suggest that cholera outbreaks primarily originate in coastal regions and spread inland via secondary means. Cholera bacteria survive and revive in two distinctly different environments: the micro-environment of the human intestine and the macro-environment of plankton-laden coastal and estuarine water. We recognize the importance of the micro-environmental understanding of cholera to develop effective vaccines or treatment protocols. However, it is the macro-environment that provides the natural ecological niche for the endemicity of Vibrio cholerae; with powerful evidence of new biotypes emerging, it is thus highly unlikely that cholera will be eradicated (Jutla et al., 2010). Therefore, we need to develop alternative mechanisms for cholera prediction for effective intervention and mitigation of this disease. Cholera bacteria are autochthonous to brackish, estuarine and coastal waters, and exhibit coherence with coastal phytoplankton; thus, a strong relationship between plankton abundance and cholera incidence is expected (Colwell, 1996). Satellite remote sensing is the most cost-effective and efficient way to monitor coastal plankton signatures over a range of temporal and spatial scales. With the availability of longer data sets from satellites, it is now possible to envision prediction schemes for cholera outbreaks. Very few studies have attempted to develop a forecast model for cholera outbreaks using satellite-derived chlorophyll, a surrogate for plankton abundance. Such studies have had limited success due to the fact that cholera outbreaks in the Bengal Delta show a double seasonal outbreak peak, whereas all the environmental variables (such as phytoplankton, air temperature, river discharge) show a single seasonal peak, and the role of hydrological and coastal processes were underrepresented. Our previous studies have established that cholera in the Bengal Delta is governed by two asymmetric hydrological conditions where floods and droughts are responsible for autumn and spring cholera outbreaks, respectively (Akanda et al., 2009). Our goal in this study is to build upon the existing understanding and to develop a forecasting modelling framework for cholera outbreaks in the Bengal Delta using satellite remote sensing data with a prediction lead time of 2 to 3 months. The objective of this study is to demonstrate how prediction of spring cholera (defined as average cholera incidence in March– April–May: MAM) is possible by using understanding gained from large-scale hydro-coastal processes combined with the latest advances in remote sensing.

Satellite remote sensing-based forecasting of cholera outbreaks in the Bengal Delta

The optoacoustic process can solve the longstanding challenge of wireless information transmission from an airborne unit to an underwater node (UWN). The nonlinear optoacoustic signal generated by proper laser parameters can propagate long distances in water. However, forming such a signal requires a high-power laser, and the buildup of a vapor cloud precludes the subsequent acoustic signal generation. Therefore, pursuing the traditional on-off keying (OOK) modulation technique will limit the data rate and power efficiency. In this paper, we analyze different modulation techniques and propose a vapor cloud delayed-differential pulse position modulation (VCD-DPPM) technique to improve the data rate and achieve high power efficiency for a single stationary laser transmitter. The symbol rate of VCD-DPPM is approximately 6.9 times and 1.69 times higher than OOK in our text communication simulation using a laser repetition rate of 10 kHz and 40 Hz, respectively. Furthermore, VCD-DPPM is 137% more power efficient than the OOK technique for both cases. We have generated different acoustic signal levels in laboratory conditions and simulated the bit error rate (BER) for different depths and positions of the UWN, while considering ambient underwater noises. Our results indicate that VCD-DPPM enables efficient data transmission.

Vapor Cloud Delayed-DPPM Modulation Technique for Nonlinear Optoacoustic Communication

Improvement of modified maximum force criterion for forming limit diagram prediction of sheet metal

In this chapter, we provide a physical understanding based on the regional large-scale environmental and hydroclimatic processes of how the first outbreaks of cholera may be related to low flow discharge of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers and subsequent and salinity intrusion during spring. Cholera incidence values in this season are inversely related to streamflow volumes, that is, bigger spring cholera peaks are seen in strong drought years. On the other hand, autumn cholera outbreaks are positively correlated to peak streamflow volumes, that is, bigger autumn peaks are seen in high flood years. Evidence points to large-scale population vulnerability to biannual cholera transmission mechanisms that provide ecological and environmental “conditions” for cholera outbreaks in the Bengal Delta floodplains.

Hydroclimatology and Large-Scale Population Vulnerability to Cholera Outbreaks in the Bengal Delta

In this work, we propose internet-based remote measurement, protection, command and control system for future smart transmission grid applications. Algorithm proposed here comprises local and remote measurement signals to damp out local and interarea oscillation mode in order to ensure desired dynamic performance of the large scale power transmission grid. Using Lyapunov like energy functional, stability property of the interconnected power grid network under communication delay is developed with the help of linear matrix inequality (LMI) condition.

Shafiqul Islam

Papers

Satellite remote sensing-based forecasting of cholera outbreaks in the Bengal Delta

Vapor Cloud Delayed-DPPM Modulation Technique for Nonlinear Optoacoustic Communication

Improvement of modified maximum force criterion for forming limit diagram prediction of sheet metal

Hydroclimatology and Large-Scale Population Vulnerability to Cholera Outbreaks in the Bengal Delta

Internet-based remote measurement, command and control system for smart transmission grid