Sleep Period Optimization Model For Layered Video Service Delivery Over eMBMS Networks

Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) and the evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast System (eMBMS) are the most promising technologies for the delivery of highly bandwidth demanding applications. In this paper we propose a green resource allocation strategy for the delivery of layered video streams to users with different propagation conditions. The goal of the proposed model is to minimize the user energy consumption. That goal is achieved by minimizing the time required by each user to receive the broadcast data via an efficient power transmission allocation model. A key point in our system model is that the reliability of layered video communications is ensured by means of the Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC) approach. Analytical results show that the proposed resource allocation model ensures the desired quality of service constraints, while the user energy footprint is significantly reduced.Comment: Proc. of IEEE ICC 2015, Selected Areas in Communications Symposium - Green Communications Track, to appea

Italian Wikipedia and epilepsy: an infodemiological study of online information-seeking behavior

Wikipedia is the most commonly accessed source of health information by both healthcare professionals and the lay public worldwide. We aimed to evaluate information-seeking behavior of Internet users searching the Italian Wikipedia for articles related to epilepsy and its treatment. Using Pageviews Analysis, we assessed the total and mean monthly views of articles from the Italian Wikipedia devoted to epilepsy, epileptic syndromes, seizure type, and antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) from January 1, 2015 to October 31, 2017. We compared the views of the article on epilepsy with those of articles focusing on Alzheimer's disease, migraine, multiple sclerosis, syncope, and stroke and adjusted all results for crude disease prevalence. With the only exception of the article on multiple sclerosis, the adjusted views for the Italian Wikipedia article on epilepsy were higher than those for the other neurological disorders. The most viewed articles on seizure type were devoted to tonic-clonic seizure, typical absence seizure, tonic convulsive seizures, and clonic convulsive seizures. The most frequently accessed articles on epilepsy syndromes were about temporal lobe epilepsy and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The most frequently viewed articles on AEDs were devoted to valproic acid, carbamazepine, and levetiracetam. Wikipedia searches seem to mirror patients' fears and worries about epilepsy more than its actual epidemiology. The ultimate reasons for searching online remain unknown. Epileptologists and epilepsy scientific societies should make greater efforts to work jointly with Wikipedia to convey more accurate and up-to-date information about epilepsy

Etna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets Practice

Also this year, the “Etna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets practice” took place at Mt. Etna, now in its fourth edition. The school was hosted in the historical Volcanological Observatory “Pizzi Deneri”, one of the most important sites of the INGV - Osservatorio Etneo for geochemical and geophysical monitoring. Mount Etna, located in eastern Sicily, is the largest active volcano in Europe and one of the most intensely degassing volcanoes of the world [Allard et al., 1991; Gerlach, 1991]. Mt Etna emits about 1.6 % of global H2O fluxes from arc volcanism [Aiuppa et al., 2008] and 10 % of global average volcanic emission of CO2 and SO2 [D’Alessandro et al., 1997; Caltabiano et al., 2004; Aiuppa et al., 2008; Carn et al., 2017]. Furthermore, Gauthier and Le Cloarec, [1998] underscored that Mt. Etna is an important source of volcanic particles, having a mass flux of particle passively released from the volcano during non-eruptive period estimated between 7 to 23 tons/day [Martin et al., 2008; Calabrese et al., 2011]. In general, Etna is considered to be still under evolution and rather ‘friendly’, which, along with the above, makes it a favorable natural laboratory to study volcanic geochemistry. The Observatory Pizzi Deneri was sponsored by Haroun Tazieff, and it was built in 1978 by the CNR - International Institute of Volcanology under the direction of Prof. Letterio Villari. It is located at the base of the North-East crater (2,850 m a.s.l.), near the Valle del Leone and it was built on the rim of the Ellittico caldera. A picturesque building, consisting of two characteristics domes in front of the breath-taking panorama of the summit craters. Even though it is quite spartan as an accommodation facility, the dormitories, kitchen, seminar room and laboratory are well equipped. In other words, the Pizzi Deneri observatory is a unique place close to the top of the most active volcano of Europe. The observatory lies in a strategic location making it one of the most important sites for monitoring, research and dissemination of the scientific culture. After six field multidisciplinary campaigns (2010-2015) organized by a group of researchers of several institutions (INGV of Palermo, Catania, Naples, Bologna; Universities of Palermo, Florence, Mainz, Heidelberg), the idea of sharing and passing on the experience to the new generation of students has materialized, and the “Etna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets practice” was born in 2016. The four editions of the school were partially funded by INGV of Palermo and Catania, European Geoscience Union (EGU), Società Geochimica Italiana (SoGeI) and Associazione Naturalistica Geode. The conceptual idea of the school is to share scientific knowledge and experiences in the geochemical community, using local resources with a low-cost organization in order to allow as many students as possible access to the school. The “Etna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets practice” is addressed to senior graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, fellows, and newly appointed assistant professors, aiming to bring together the next generation of researchers active in studies concerning the geochemistry and the budget of volcanic gases. Introduce the participants with innovative direct sampling and remote sensing techniques. Furthermore, it gives young scientists an opportunity to experiment and evaluate new protocols and techniques to be used on volcanic fluid emissions covering a broad variety of methods. The teaching approach includes theoretical sessions (lectures), practical demonstrations and field applications, conducted by international recognized geochemists. We thank all the teachers who helped to make the school possible, among these: Tobias Fischer (University of New Mexico Albuquerque), Jens Fiebig (Institut für Geowissenschaften Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main), Andri Stefansson (University of Iceland, Institute of Earth Sciences), Mike Burton (University of Manchester), Nicole Bobrowski (Universität Heidelberg Institute of Environmental Physics and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry), Alessandro Aiuppa (Università di Palermo), Franco Tassi (Università di Firenze), Walter D’Alessandro (INGV of Palermo), Fatima Viveiros (University of the Azores). Direct sampling of high-to-low temperature fumaroles, plume measurement techniques (using CO2/SO2 sensors such as Multi-GAS instruments, MAX-DOAS instruments and UV SO2 cameras, alkaline traps and particle filters), measurement of diffuse soil gas fluxes of endogenous gases (CO2, Hg0, CH4 and light hydrocarbons), sampling of mud volcanoes, groundwaters and bubbling gases. Sampling sites include the active summit craters, eruptive fractures and peripheral areas. The students have shown an active participation both to the lessons and the fieldworks. Most of them describe the school as formative and useful experience for their future researches. Their enthusiasm is the real engine of this school

Hierarchical control for optimal human-robot collaboration

DOTTORATOIl focus di questa tesi è legato all'impiego di robot ridondanti nel campo della Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC), dato il loro grande potenziale nel portare a termine compiti complessi e articolati. L'obiettivo è di progredire in termini di dispiegabilità dei robot collaborativi (Cobot) in ambienti di vita reale, in cui sia l'HRC che l'interazione autonoma risultano fondamentali. Infatti, uno dei maggiori limiti in termini di una più ampia diffusione dei robot nelle applicazioni pratiche è legato al loro limitato adattamento ad ambienti non strutturati e alle numerose tipologie di interazioni attraverso le quali è possibile interfacciarsi con gli esseri umani. Analogamente ad un essere umano, il robot dovrebbe essere autonomo in ogni compito richiesto, considerando al tempo stesso l'ambiente circostante e adattando di conseguenza il proprio comportamento. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, tuttavia, un efficace controllore di basso livello deve essere in grado di garantire elevata autonomia e robustezza rispetto a disturbi esterni, insieme alla possibilità di definire comportamenti complessi e capacità di multitasking. A tale scopo, ci si concentra sullo studio di tecniche di controllo gerarchico, essenziali affinché i robot ridondanti sfruttino appieno il loro potenziale. Queste tecniche, infatti, consentono di formulare molteplici comportamenti e obiettivi, che vengono svolti dal Cobot in modo gerarchico, assegnando priorità diverse a ciascun sotto-task. Pertanto, è possibile tenere conto di un gran numero di obiettivi e altrettanti vincoli, quali ad esempio la meccanica del robot e i vincoli esterni, tramite una struttura di controllo ottimo. L'obiettivo ultimo è quello di migliorare l'autonomia del robot rispetto a eventi imprevisti e ambienti non strutturati, attraverso la formulazione di un controllore basato sulle tecniche di Hierarchical Quadratic Programming (HQP) per una collaborazione uomo-robot ottimale, in grado di considerare le interazioni con l'uomo. In particolare, viene proposto il controllore Augmented HQP (AHQP) che risolve il problema di cinematica inversa del robot, e non richiede in input una traiettoria di riferimento nello spazio Cartesiano derivante da una fase antecedente di pianificazione del movimento, ma risolve invece sia i problemi di pianificazione che di controllo in tempo reale. Ciò astrae dalla necessità di traiettorie predefinite, consentendone la generazione online, in base ai vincoli imposti. Questo è utile nella maggior parte delle applicazioni di HRC poiché una traiettoria predefinita è (per definizione) deleteria per l'autonomia del robot. Inoltre, ciò fornisce i vantaggi aggiuntivi di un comportamento a rigidezza adattiva durante l'interazione sia nello spazio di lavoro che individualmente sui giunti del robot. Questo consente di tenere in considerazione tutte quelle interazioni non pianificate o accidentali con l'uomo (ad esempio, l'intervento umano nel task, il riposizionamento online del robot in base alle preferenze, i disturbi durante task di co-manipolazione, ecc.). Per migliorare poi la qualità dell'interazione, viene conferita maggiore enfasi all'essere umano, formulando e aggiungendo, per la prima volta, l'ergonomia umana all'interno della gerarchia di compiti da soddisfare. In particolare, l'ottimizzazione dell'ergonomia umana è inizialmente identificata e poi formulata come una funzione obiettivo, da aggiungere infine al controllore AHQP gerarchico proposto. In aggiunta, grazie alla compliance adattiva del controllore, viene studiato il compromesso tra ergonomia umana e preferenza, valutando gli effetti sia fisici che mentali sull'essere umano durante il compito svolto. Infine, il framework gerarchico basato sull'ergonomia viene ulteriormente esteso integrando la percezione delle azioni e delle intenzioni umane attraverso tecniche di visione. L'obiettivo è di consentire al robot di percepire l'ambiente circostante e le azioni compiute dall'essere umano, per fornire una risposta più rapida e tempestiva, migliorando la collaborazione. I risultati ottenuti attraverso una serie di esperimenti eseguiti da più soggetti su un manipolatore mobile a 10 gradi di libertà, mostrano una riduzione in termini di richieste mentali e soprattutto fisiche percepite dall'essere umano durante l'interazione e una migliore efficienza in termini dei parametri analizzati.The focus of this thesis is related to the employment of redundant robots in the field of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC), given their great potential in accomplishing complex and articulated tasks. The objective is to provide advancements in terms of Collaborative robots (Cobots) deployability in real-life environments, in which both HRC and autonomous interaction are fundamental. Indeed, one of the greatest limitations in terms of a wider spread of robots in practical applications is related to their limited adaptation to unstructured environments and to the numerous types of interactions through which it is possible to interface with humans. Similarly to a human, the robot should be autonomous in each task it is trying to accomplish, while at the same time it must consider its surrounding environment and adjust its behaviour accordingly. To achieve this, however, a strong lower-level control framework should guarantee high autonomy and robustness against external disturbances, together with the possibility of defining complex behaviours, to achieve articulated and multiple tasks simultaneously. To this purpose, we focus on the study of hierarchical optimal control techniques, that are essential for redundant robots to fully exploit their potential. These techniques allow to formulate multiple tasks and constraints, that are accomplished by the Cobot in a hierarchical manner, by assigning different priorities to each sub-task. Therefore, it is possible to account for a large number of objectives and limitations such as robot mechanics and external constraints via an optimization-based control structure. The goal is to improve the robot’s autonomy to unforeseen events and unstructured environments through the formulation of a Hierarchical Quadratic Programming (HQP) based controller for optimal HRC, capable of considering human interactions. In particular, we propose a solution to the robot's inverse kinematics problem via an Augmented HQP (AHQP) controller, that does not require the input Cartesian reference trajectory defined from motion planning, but solves instead both planning and control problems in real time. This provides both Cartesian and joint spaces optimal trajectories based on the constraints defined and is useful in most HRC applications since a predefined trajectory is (by definition) detrimental to robot autonomy. Furthermore, this provides the added benefits of an adaptive compliance behaviour during the interaction, which is added to the lower level joint impedance behaviour and allows to handle all the unplanned interactions with the human, that are random and unexpected, but must be accommodated accordingly (e.g., human intervention in the task, online repositioning of the robot by hand based on preference, disturbances during co-manipulation tasks). To further improve the interaction quality, we then provide greater emphasis to the human, by formulating and adding, for the first time, human ergonomics to the hierarchical stack of tasks at control level. In particular, we introduce the optimization of human ergonomics as an objective function that is employed in the hierarchical framework. Eventually, thanks to the controller's adaptive compliance, the trade-off between human ergonomics and preference is studied, by evaluating both physical and mental effects on the human during the performed task. Finally, this ergonomics-aware hierarchical framework is further extended by integrating the perception of human actions and intentions through vision techniques. The goal is to enable the robot to perceive the surrounding environment and the actions performed by the human, to provide a quicker and more prompt response and improve the collaboration. The results obtained through a series of experiments performed by multiple subjects on a 10 degrees of freedom mobile manipulator, show a reduction in terms of both mental and physical demands perceived by the human during the interaction and an improved efficiency in terms of the studied parameters.DIPARTIMENTO DI ELETTRONICA, INFORMAZIONE E BIOINGEGNERIA35DELLACA', RAFFAELEDUBINI, GABRIELE ANGEL

Etna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets Practice

Also this year, the \u201cEtna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets practice\u201d took place at Mt. Etna, now in its fourth edition. The school was hosted in the historical Volcanological Observatory \u201cPizzi Deneri\u201d, one of the most important sites of the INGV - Osservatorio Etneo for geochemical and geophysical monitoring. Mount Etna, located in eastern Sicily, is the largest active volcano in Europe and one of the most intensely degassing volcanoes of the world [Allard et al., 1991; Gerlach, 1991]. Mt Etna emits about 1.6 % of global H2O fluxes from arc volcanism [Aiuppa et al., 2008] and 10 % of global average volcanic emission of CO2 and SO2 [D\u2019Alessandro et al., 1997; Caltabiano et al., 2004; Aiuppa et al., 2008; Carn et al., 2017]. Furthermore, Gauthier and Le Cloarec, [1998] underscored that Mt. Etna is an important source of volcanic particles, having a mass flux of particle passively released from the volcano during non-eruptive period estimated between 7 to 23 tons/day [Martin et al., 2008; Calabrese et al., 2011]. In general, Etna is considered to be still under evolution and rather \u2018friendly\u2019, which, along with the above, makes it a favorable natural laboratory to study volcanic geochemistry. The Observatory Pizzi Deneri was sponsored by Haroun Tazieff, and it was built in 1978 by the CNR - International Institute of Volcanology under the direction of Prof. Letterio Villari. It is located at the base of the North-East crater (2,850 m a.s.l.), near the Valle del Leone and it was built on the rim of the Ellittico caldera. A picturesque building, consisting of two characteristics domes in front of the breath-taking panorama of the summit craters. Even though it is quite spartan as an accommodation facility, the dormitories, kitchen, seminar room and laboratory are well equipped. In other words, the Pizzi Deneri observatory is a unique place close to the top of the most active volcano of Europe. The observatory lies in a strategic location making it one of the most important sites for monitoring, research and dissemination of the scientific culture. After six field multidisciplinary campaigns (2010-2015) organized by a group of researchers of several institutions (INGV of Palermo, Catania, Naples, Bologna; Universities of Palermo, Florence, Mainz, Heidelberg), the idea of sharing and passing on the experience to the new generation of students has materialized, and the \u201cEtna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets practice\u201d was born in 2016. The four editions of the school were partially funded by INGV of Palermo and Catania, European Geoscience Union (EGU), Societ\ue0 Geochimica Italiana (SoGeI) and Associazione Naturalistica Geode. The conceptual idea of the school is to share scientific knowledge and experiences in the geochemical community, using local resources with a low-cost organization in order to allow as many students as possible access to the school. The \u201cEtna International Training School of Geochemistry. Science meets practice\u201d is addressed to senior graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, fellows, and newly appointed assistant professors, aiming to bring together the next generation of researchers active in studies concerning the geochemistry and the budget of volcanic gases. Introduce the participants with innovative direct sampling and remote sensing techniques. Furthermore, it gives young scientists an opportunity to experiment and evaluate new protocols and techniques to be used on volcanic fluid emissions covering a broad variety of methods. The teaching approach includes theoretical sessions (lectures), practical demonstrations and field applications, conducted by international recognized geochemists. We thank all the teachers who helped to make the school possible, among these: Tobias Fischer (University of New Mexico Albuquerque), Jens Fiebig (Institut f\ufcr Geowissenschaften Goethe-Universit\ue4t Frankfurt am Main), Andri Stefansson (University of Iceland, Institute of Earth Sciences), Mike Burton (University of Manchester), Nicole Bobrowski (Universit\ue4t Heidelberg Institute of Environmental Physics and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry), Alessandro Aiuppa (Universit\ue0 di Palermo), Franco Tassi (Universit\ue0 di Firenze), Walter D\u2019Alessandro (INGV of Palermo), Fatima Viveiros (University of the Azores). Direct sampling of high-to-low temperature fumaroles, plume measurement techniques (using CO2/SO2 sensors such as Multi-GAS instruments, MAX-DOAS instruments and UV SO2 cameras, alkaline traps and particle filters), measurement of diffuse soil gas fluxes of endogenous gases (CO2, Hg0, CH4 and light hydrocarbons), sampling of mud volcanoes, groundwaters and bubbling gases. Sampling sites include the active summit craters, eruptive fractures and peripheral areas. The students have shown an active participation both to the lessons and the fieldworks. Most of them describe the school as formative and useful experience for their future researches. Their enthusiasm is the real engine of this school

An adaptive compliance Hierarchical Quadratic Programming controller for ergonomic human–robot collaboration

This paper proposes a novel Augmented Hierarchical Quadratic Programming (AHQP) framework for multi-tasking control in Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) which integrates human-related parameters to optimize ergonomics. The aim is to combine parameters that are typical of both industrial applications (e.g. cycle times, productivity) and human comfort (e.g. ergonomics, preference), to identify an optimal trade-off. The augmentation aspect avoids the dependency from a fixed end-effector reference trajectory, which becomes part of the optimization variables and can be used to define a feasible workspace region in which physical interaction can occur. We then demonstrate that the integration of the proposed AHQP in HRC permits the addition of human ergonomics and preference. To achieve this, we develop a human ergonomics function based on the mapping of an ergonomics score, compatible with AHQP formulation. This allows to identify at control level the optimal Cartesian pose that satisfies the active objectives and constraints, that are now linked to human ergonomics. In addition, we build an adaptive compliance framework that integrates both aspects of human preferences and intentions, which are finally tested in several collaborative experiments using the redundant MOCA robot. Overall, we achieve improved human ergonomics and health conditions, aiming at the potential reduction of work-related musculoskeletal disorders

Sex-related differences in risk factors, type of treatment received and outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation and acute stroke: Results from the RAF-study (Early Recurrence and Cerebral Bleeding in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation)

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation is an independent risk factor of thromboembolism. Women with atrial fibrillation are at a higher overall risk for stroke compared to men with atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study was to evaluate for sex differences in patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation, regarding risk factors, treatments received and outcomes. Methods Data were analyzed from the “Recurrence and Cerebral Bleeding in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation” (RAF-study), a prospective, multicenter, international study including only patients with acute stroke and atrial fibrillation. Patients were followed up for 90 days. Disability was measured by the modified Rankin Scale (0–2 favorable outcome, 3–6 unfavorable outcome). Results: Of the 1029 patients enrolled, 561 were women (54.5%) (p < 0.001) and younger (p < 0.001) compared to men. In patients with known atrial fibrillation, women were less likely to receive oral anticoagulants before index stroke (p = 0.026) and were less likely to receive anticoagulants after stroke (71.3% versus 78.4%, p = 0.01). There was no observed sex difference regarding the time of starting anticoagulant therapy between the two groups (6.4 ± 11.7 days for men versus 6.5 ± 12.4 days for women, p = 0.902). Men presented with more severe strokes at onset (mean NIHSS 9.2 ± 6.9 versus 8.1 ± 7.5, p < 0.001). Within 90 days, 46 (8.2%) recurrent ischemic events (stroke/TIA/systemic embolism) and 19 (3.4%) symptomatic cerebral bleedings were found in women compared to 30 (6.4%) and 18 (3.8%) in men (p = 0.28 and p = 0.74). At 90 days, 57.7% of women were disabled or deceased, compared to 41.1% of the men (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis did not confirm this significance. Conclusions: Women with atrial fibrillation were less likely to receive oral anticoagulants prior to and after stroke compared to men with atrial fibrillation, and when stroke occurred, regardless of the fact that in our study women were younger and with less severe stroke, outcomes did not differ between the sexes