A Novel Transformer-Based IMU Self-Calibration Approach through On-Board RGB Camera for UAV Flight Stabilization

During flight, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) need several sensors to follow a predefined path and reach a specific destination. To this aim, they generally exploit an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for pose estimation. Usually, in the UAV context, an IMU entails a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope. However, as happens for many physical devices, they can present some misalignment between the real value and the registered one. These systematic or occasional errors can derive from different sources and could be related to the sensor itself or to external noise due to the place where it is located. Hardware calibration requires special equipment, which is not always available. In any case, even if possible, it can be used to solve the physical problem and sometimes requires removing the sensor from its location, which is not always feasible. At the same time, solving the problem of external noise usually requires software procedures. Moreover, as reported in the literature, even two IMUs from the same brand and the same production chain could produce different measurements under identical conditions. This paper proposes a soft calibration procedure to reduce the misalignment created by systematic errors and noise based on the grayscale or RGB camera built-in on the drone. Based on the transformer neural network architecture trained in a supervised learning fashion on pairs of short videos shot by the UAV’s camera and the correspondent UAV measurements, the strategy does not require any special equipment. It is easily reproducible and could be used to increase the trajectory accuracy of the UAV during the flight

Role of heme oxygenase-1 (HSP32) and HSP90 in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and malignant primary brain tumor in adults. The current treatment regimes for glioblastoma demonstrated a low efficiency and offer a poor prognosis. Advancements in conventional treatment strategies have only yielded modest improvements in overall survival. The heat shockproteins, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and Hsp90, serve these pivotal roles in tumor cells and have been identified as effective targets for developing therapeutics. This topic review summarizes the current preclinical and clinical evidences and rationale to define the potential of HO-1 and Hsp90 in GBM progression and chemoresistance

Physiological responses of Arundo donax ecotypes to drought: a common garden study

Genetic analyses have suggested that the clonal reproduction of Arundo donax has resulted in low genetic diversity. However, an earlier common garden phenotyping experiment identified specimens of A. donax with contrasting biomass yields (ecotypes 6 and 20). We utilized the same well-established stands to investigate the photosynthetic and stress physiology of the A. donax ecotypes under irrigated and drought conditions. Ecotype 6 produced the largest yields in both treatments. The A. donax ecotypes exhibited identical high leaf-level rates of photosynthesis (PN) and stomatal conductance (Gs) in the well-watered treatment. Soil drying induced reductions in PN and Gs, decreased use of light energy for photochemistry, impaired function of photosystem II and increased heat dissipation similarly in the two ecotypes. Levels of biologically active free-abscisic acid (ABA) and fixed glycosylated-ABA increased earlier in response to the onset of water deficit in ecotype 6; however, as drought progressed, the ecotypes showed similar increases in both forms of ABA. This may suggest that because of the low genetic variability in A. donax the genes responding to drought might have been activated similarly in the two ecotypes, resulting in identical physiological responses to water deficit. Despite the lack of physiological ecotypic differences that could be associated with yield, A. donax retained a high degree of PN and biomass gain under water deficit stress conditions. This may enable utilization of A. donax as a fast growing biomass crop in rain-fed marginal lands in hot drought prone climates

Guideline Application in Real world: multi-Institutional Based survey of Adjuvant and first-Line pancreatic Ductal adenocarcinoma treatment in Italy. Primary analysis of the GARIBALDI survey

Background: Information about the adherence to scientific societies guidelines in the ‘real-world’ therapeutic management of oncological patients are lacking. This multicenter, prospective survey was aimed to improve the knowledge relative to 2017-2018 recommendations of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM). Patients and methods: Treatment-naive adult patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were enrolled. Group A received adjuvant therapy, group B received primary chemotherapy, and group C had metastatic disease. The results on patients accrued until 31 October 2019 with a mature follow-up were presented. Results: Since July 2017, 833 eligible patients of 923 (90%) were enrolled in 44 Italian centers. The median age was 69 years (range 36-89 years; 24% >75 years); 48% were female; 93% had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) score of 0 or 1; group A: 16%, group B: 30%; group C: 54%; 72% Nord, 13% Center, 15% South. In group A, guidelines adherence was 68% [95% confidence interval (CI) 59% to 76%]; 53% of patients received gemcitabine and 15% gemcitabine + capecitabine; median CA19.9 was 29 (range 0-7300; not reported 15%); median survival was 36.4 months (95% CI 27.5-47.3 months). In group B, guidelines adherence was 96% (95% CI 92% to 98%); 55% of patients received nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine, 27% FOLFIRINOX, 12% gemcitabine, and 3% clinical trial; median CA19.9 was 337 (range 0-20220; not reported 9%); median survival was 18.1 months (95% CI 15.6-19.9 months). In group C, guidelines adherence was 96% (95% CI 94% to 98%); 71% of patients received nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine, 16% gemcitabine, 8% FOLFIRINOX, and 4% clinical trial; liver and lung metastases were reported in 76% and 23% of patients, respectively; median CA19.9 value was 760 (range 0-1374500; not reported 9%); median survival was 10.0 months (95% CI 9.1-11.1 months). Conclusions: The GARIBALDI survey shows a very high rate of adherence to guidelines and survival outcome in line with the literature. CA19.9 testing should be enhanced; nutritional and psychological counseling represent an unmet need. Enrollment to assess adherence to updated AIOM guidelines is ongoing

Rare variants in the genetic background modulate cognitive and developmental phenotypes in individuals carrying disease-associated variants.

To assess the contribution of rare variants in the genetic background toward variability of neurodevelopmental phenotypes in individuals with rare copy-number variants (CNVs) and gene-disruptive variants. We analyzed quantitative clinical information, exome sequencing, and microarray data from 757 probands and 233 parents and siblings who carry disease-associated variants. The number of rare likely deleterious variants in functionally intolerant genes ("other hits") correlated with expression of neurodevelopmental phenotypes in probands with 16p12.1 deletion (n=23, p=0.004) and in autism probands carrying gene-disruptive variants (n=184, p=0.03) compared with their carrier family members. Probands with 16p12.1 deletion and a strong family history presented more severe clinical features (p=0.04) and higher burden of other hits compared with those with mild/no family history (p=0.001). The number of other hits also correlated with severity of cognitive impairment in probands carrying pathogenic CNVs (n=53) or de novo pathogenic variants in disease genes (n=290), and negatively correlated with head size among 80 probands with 16p11.2 deletion. These co-occurring hits involved known disease-associated genes such as SETD5, AUTS2, and NRXN1, and were enriched for cellular and developmental processes. Accurate genetic diagnosis of complex disorders will require complete evaluation of the genetic background even after a candidate disease-associated variant is identified

Rural World, Migration, and Agriculture in Mediterranean EU: An Introduction

AbstractThis book investigates the dynamics that are reshaping human and natural landscapes in the European agrarian world, with a specific focus on Mediterranean Europe. We focus here on more marginal rural settings, where the potential for agricultural intensification is structurally limited. These areas in particular have suffered from the geographical and socio-economic polarization of development patterns and have paid a relevant burden to the recent crisis

Produzione e caratterizzazione di confetture e gelatine da carrube

Il carrubo (Ceratonia siliqua L.) \ue8 una pianta tipica dell\u2019area mediterranea ed \ue8 estesamente coltivato in Sicilia. L\u2019utilizzo ai fini alimentari dei frutti, se si esclude l\u2019impiego dei semi per ricavare la farina di semi di carrube utilizzata come addensante, \ue8 molto limitato e la polpa di carrube trova impiego quasi esclusivamente in ambito zootecnico. Tuttavia le peculiari caratteristiche nutrizionali delle carrube quali lo scarso contenuto in grassi, l\u2019elevato contenuto in zuccheri, in fibre e in polifenoli e l\u2019alto potere antiossidante ne suggeriscono un maggiore impiego nell\u2019ambito dell\u2019alimentazione umana. Scopo della ricerca \ue8 la messa a punto del processo di produzione e la caratterizzazione nutrizionale di un prodotto alimentare trasformato quale confettura o gelatina. Sono stati cos\uec ottenuti preparati utilizzando come componenti principali un estratto acquoso del frutto con e senza l\u2019addizione di farina di polpa

Geographical origin assessment of orange juices by comparison of free aminoacids distribution

Scientific research nowadays makes considerable efforts for the setting of methods for the assessment of the geographical origin of food products. Very few studies have focused on orange juices, aiming at differentiating the origin of samples coming from very far areas of the world, while no research has attempted to find suitable markers able to ascertain the geographical origin of orange juices produced in neighbouring regions, such as those of south Italy, where more than 90% of the entire Italian production is concentrated. Past studies showed that the distribution of hydroxycinnamic acids in juices is effective for the origin assessment of blood orange varieties, but unsuitable for blonde ones. In the present, we have assessed and discussed the distribution of free aminoacids in orange juices. Seventy samples of the blood and blonde varieties were collected from different citrus farms located in Sicily and Calabria throughout the season 2007-2008. Nineteen aminoacids were determined, subject to prior derivatization, by HPLC with fluorimetric detector. Aminoacids were quantified by external calibration and expressed as mmol L-1 and experimental data were elaborated by statistical analysis. The total free aminoacid content, as well as the level of proline, arginine, aspartic acid, asparagine, serine and glycine can be considered as a markers of geographic origin, contributing to sharply discriminate blonde Sicilian orange varieties from Calabrian ones