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Physical space anisotropy and the associated new interaction are investigated. These new physical characteristics of space are observed over a broad range of scales and are based on analyses of fluctuations in the β-decay (10 cm) and α-decay (10 cm) of radioactive elements, the motion of pulsars (the size of our Galaxy is 10 cm) and the anisotropy of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (the size of our visible Universe is 10 cm). Experiments on using the new interaction as a source of propulsion for a model space vehicle are considered (Italy, 2012-2014). The coordinate of global anisotropy is determined: right ascension α ≈ 316° ± 5°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of experimental investigations on the use of an assumed new force of nature as thrust of an engine model placed in a bathyscaphe and in a spherical ship model are presented. The new force was detected earlier when acting on the process of formation of masses of elementary particles by means of potentials of physical fields in experiments with high-current magnets, during measurements of the β-decay rate of radioactive elements, asf. The observed movements of the bathyscaphe and the ship model in water can't be explained in the framework of traditional physics. An explanation is given for the movement of objects through the action of the new force and the new principle of motion. It is shown the feasibility for an effective use of the new force of nature in the form of thrust for spacecrafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of experimental investigation of plasma vacuum bubbles in water using the degree of its heating are presented. The excess degree of water heating in closed circuit is shown to be due to a new force of nature. The analysis of the experiments shows that the surge of heating rate correlates with the changes of Bz (southward) component polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field "frozen" in the solar wind. The maximum value of this effect reaches about 200% during 15 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damages from climatic extremes have dramatically increased in the last decades in Europe, as likely outcomes of climate change: floods, droughts, heat waves and hailstorms have brought local as well as widespread damages to farmers, industry, infrastructures and society, to insurance and reinsurance companies; in this work we deal with the hailstorm hazard. The NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis (2.5 by 2.5° lat-lon) over the Italian area and the hailstorm reports at several sites are used to identify few forcings for hailstorms; statistical relationships linking forcings and hailstorm frequencies are derived. Such relationships are applied to the same forcings derived from the CGCM2-A2 climate scenario provided by the Canadian Centre for Climate modeling and analysis (CCCma; resolution approximately 3.75 by 3.75° lat-lon), to evaluate the expected changes of the frequency of hailstorms. The time series of the forcings from the NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis and the CCCma climate scenario in the past decades are compared in order to assess the reliability and accuracy of the predictions of the future hailstorm hazard. It is shown that the climate scenario provides a fairly faithful representation of the past trends of the forcings relevant to the hailstorms frequency and that such quantity, hence the hailstorm hazard, is growing and will likely grow in the future over the limited area taken into consideration in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on extreme rainfalls in Tuscany, Italy. How estimation of the design storms is important for a sound basin management at urban or larger scales; Historical extreme rainfall series of durations; How the generalized extreme value distribution is employed to compute design storms; Results suggesting the hydrological consequences of this kind of climate variability are demonstrated to have a major impact on the design of hydraulic works in a basin.

Sound basin management at urban or greater scale needs reliable design storm definition. A statistical analysis is carried out on extremeannual rainfall series for durations of 1, 3, 6, and 12 hours occurring at two gauges in Tuscany, Italy. Kendall's test is applied to theexternal series to detect a definite increasing (or decreasing) trend. A special form of an ARIMA model is also fitted to the series to quantify possible linear trends and their respective significance. Results show a clearly increasing trend at shortest duration at both gauges, no trend at longer ones. Time evolution of design storms for alldurations and return periods up to 25 years is derived and analysed based on Gumbel distribution. Applications are presented concerning impacts of uncertainties for the design of urban drainage networks. (c) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]