Fault Injection for Synthetic Data Generation in Aircraft: A Simulation-Based Approach

The safety of aircraft heavily depends on the in-tegrity of the Landing Gear System (LGS). However, gathering real-world fault data to support effective Prognostic and Health Management (PHM) practices presents significant challenges. This work proposes a novel methodology for generating synthetic fault data using a multi-physics Simscape model of a landing gear deployment/retraction mechanism. The model incorporates specialized fault blocks designed to replicate various hydraulic failure modes, aiming to broaden the pool of fault data covering the most common failures. This approach promises to enhance maintenance strategies and facilitate the development of hybrid Model-Based and Data-Driven solutions. Ultimately, the results of this study will be used to understand the physics within the landing gear better and gather the necessary data to create an effective Digital Twin for predictive maintenance

Human-Centered Digital Twin for Industry 5.0

Moving beyond the automation-driven paradigm of Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 emphasizes human-centric industrial systems where human creativity and instincts complement precise and advanced machines. With this new paradigm, there is a growing need for resource-efficient and user-preferred manufac-turing solutions that integrate humans into industrial processes. Unfortunately, methodologies for incorporating human elements into industrial processes remain underdeveloped. In this work, we present the first pipeline for the creation of a human-centered Digital Twin (DT), leveraging Unreal Engine's MetaHuman technology to track worker alertness in real-time. Our findings demonstrate the potential of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human-centered design within Industry 5.0 to enhance both worker safety and industrial efficiency

Special Session: D-MATE: A Design Methodology for Connecting Automatic Test Equipment in Industry 4.0

With the growing presence of semiconductor devices in healthcare, automotive, and consumer electronics, Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) systems play an increasingly vital role in ensuring quality and reliability during validation. Despite their importance, ATE systems often operate in isolation from other manufacturing processes, limiting interoperability and integration potential. Consequently, fully incorporating ATE systems within the Industry 4.0 framework remains a largely unaddressed challenge. To bridge this gap, we propose adopting Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA), the industry de-facto standard communication protocol for machines, with an accompanying specification tailored to ATE systems. We developed and validated our information model on an advanced ATE system, demonstrating its practical application. The results showcase the successful integration of the ATE system into a fully-fledged Industrial Computer Engineering (ICE) laboratory demonstrator. This study validates the effectiveness of our model in a real-world scenario and highlights the significance of our integration approach within the context of Industry 4.0

Preliminary Evidence for Cell Membrane Amelioration in Children with Cystic Fibrosis by 5-MTHF and Vitamin B12 Supplementation: A Single Arm Trial

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common fatal autosomal recessive disorders in the Caucasian population caused by mutations of gene for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). New experimental therapeutic strategies for CF propose a diet supplementation to affect the plasma membrane fluidity and to modulate amplified inflammatory response. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) and vitamin B12 supplementation for ameliorating cell plasma membrane features in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis.A single arm trial was conducted from April 2004 to March 2006 in an Italian CF care centre. 31 children with CF aged from 3 to 8 years old were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were diabetes, chronic infections of the airways and regular antibiotics intake. Children with CF were supplemented for 24 weeks with 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF, 7.5 mg /day) and vitamin B12 (0.5 mg/day). Red blood cells (RBCs) were used to investigate plasma membrane, since RBCs share lipid, protein composition and organization with other cell types. We evaluated RBCs membrane lipid composition, membrane protein oxidative damage, cation content, cation transport pathways, plasma and RBCs folate levels and plasma homocysteine levels at baseline and after 24 weeks of 5-MTHF and vitamin B12 supplementation. In CF children, 5-MTHF and vitamin B12 supplementation (i) increased plasma and RBC folate levels; (ii) decreased plasma homocysteine levels; (iii) modified RBC membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition; (iv) increased RBC K(+) content; (v) reduced RBC membrane oxidative damage and HSP70 membrane association.5-MTHF and vitamin B12 supplementation might ameliorate RBC membrane features of children with CF.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00730509

Development and Implementation of Functional Microstructured Surfaces on Bladder Pacemaker Components

Differenti metodi per implementare superfici porose e superfici nano strutturate sono stati testati su componenti di un pacemaker. Trattamenti laser e sacrificial filler sono stati utilizzati per produrre superfici porose. Tecniche di elettroforming sono invece state utilizzate per produrre una nano texture sulla superficie di un inserto per uno stampo per injection mouldin

Adopting OPC UA for Efficient and Secure Firmware Transmission in Industry 4.0 Scenarios

In the realm of Industry 4.0, the Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) enables secure and efficient communication among diverse industrial machines. This paper explores the potential of OPC UA, specifically its File Transfer mechanism, for secure inter-company firmware transmission: in particular, we implement a design that authorizes an Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) to download a firmware from a remote server for On-Board Programming (OBP). Our approach harnesses the inherent strengths of the protocol - robust data integrity, encryption, and authentication - to achieve a "secure by design" solution. This enhances firmware transmission and introduces a valuable use case for the OPC UA community, particularly those exploring File Transfer capabilities. We implemented our solution with the open-source OPC UA-.NETStandard library and evaluated it with the OPC UA Exploitation Framework to identify and address potential vulnerabilities. This paper showcases the real-world effectiveness and scalability of the OPC UA File Transfer mechanism, paving the way for secure and efficient collaboration in Industry 4.0