Andrea Manzoni

The cardiovascular system: Mathematical modelling, numerical algorithms and clinical applications

Mathematical and numerical modelling of the cardiovascular system is a research topic that has attracted remarkable interest from the mathematical community because of its intrinsic mathematical difficulty and the increasing impact of cardiovascular diseases worldwide. In this review article we will address the two principal components of the cardiovascular system: arterial circulation and heart function. We will systematically describe all aspects of the problem, ranging from data imaging acquisition, stating the basic physical principles, analysing the associated mathematical models that comprise PDE and ODE systems, proposing sound and efficient numerical methods for their approximation, and simulating both benchmark problems and clinically inspired problems. Mathematical modelling itself imposes tremendous challenges, due to the amazing complexity of the cardiocirculatory system, the multiscale nature of the physiological processes involved, and the need to devise computational methods that are stable, reliable and efficient. Critical issues involve filtering the data, identifying the parameters of mathematical models, devising optimal treatments and accounting for uncertainties. For this reason, we will devote the last part of the paper to control and inverse problems, including parameter estimation, uncertainty quantification and the development of reduced-order models that are of paramount importance when solving problems with high complexity, which would otherwise be out of reach.

Use of Operational Microwave Link Measurements for the Tomographic Reconstruction of 2-D Maps of Accumulated Rainfall

In this letter, we show how an operational microwave link network can be used to reconstruct 2-D fields of accumulated rainfall over a limited area at ground level. To this purpose, we use a tomographic technique that exploits the relation between rainfall rate and the attenuation experienced by the microwave links of the network. The links located in Italy operate at K-band and are managed by an Internet service provider. The results are validated by comparing the reconstructed rainfall maps with those derived from a network of conventional rain gauges. Finally, we assess by simulation the impact of the networks density and topology on the accuracy of the reconstruction algorithm.

Measuring rain with microwave links: A pilot experiment in Ecuador

This paper investigates the possibility of estimating the path averaged rainfall by means of single frequency microwave links. Microwave link attenuation measurements can supplement data gathered in the air (e.g. radars) or on the ground (e.g. raingauges), providing useful information about the rainfall on a virtually continuous time scale. We present here the results of a theoretical analysis conducted to derive the main operational parameters for the implementation of a system, currently under deployment, in the equatorial City of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The system performance is tested out by applying the Synthetic Storm Technique on rainfall time series, collected by raingauges located over the link area.

The X-WALD project: First measurements in Europe with an avionic polarimetric weather radar

The X-WALD project was launched to run ad hoc airborne measurements finalized to investigate the potentials of polarimetry in weather radars for civil aircrafts. In this contribution, the outcome of the project will be presented, and in particular the results of two measurements campaigns, carried out in The Netherlands and in Italy, using a low-power X-band fully polarimetric radar mounted in the nose of two different aircraft.