Stopping rules for the estimation of the parameters of bivariate and trivariate binomial distributions

In this work one step look-ahead rules for the estimation of the parameters of the bivariate and trivariate distributions are given. They turn out to be asymptotically optimal and may be useful in many statistical contexts, for example, in statistical quality control and customer satisfaction analyses.binominal distribution, estimation, success categorization

Technological change and industry competitiveness through the evolution of localised comparative advantages - The case of Italy

The influence of technological change on industry performances is nowadays being increasingly investigated under the broad category of "national systemic competitiveness". Moreover theoretical works have shown that the relationship between technology and economic performance not only takes different forms in different socio-economic contexts, but is also powerfully influenced by the way that innovation processes evolve over time along strongly localised patterns. The present study is focused on the evolution of trade competitiveness of the manufacturing sector in Italy over the past ten years and addresses to the role played by localised comparative advantages in shaping the model of national competitiveness. The data used in the analysis, drawn by the Enea Observatory on high tech industries, are based on trade statistics at the SITC five digit level and are spatially referenced to the Italy NUT3 regional partition. The effects of localised trade specialisation on manufacturing competitiveness are first assessed through spatial econometric tecniques. Spatial variation in the relationships found is further explored in order to give additional hints on the specific contribution of localised comparative advantages. According to major trends which have recently characterised manufacturing trade competitiveness in Italy, the analysis is expected to bring into evidence significant changes in the contribution of industrial localities to national competitiveness.

Industria 4.0: analisi del fenomeno e progettazione di un sistema per un ambiente di produzione industriale

Nel corso della storia, ed in particolare quella recente, si sono succeduti nel tempo alcuni periodi di evoluzione economica e tecnologica particolarmente importanti, comunemente noti come rivoluzioni industriali. Il progresso e l'avanzamento tecnologico introdotto da tali rivoluzioni hanno portato una profonda trasformazione all'interno della società, a partire dal sistema produttivo fino al coinvolgimento del sistema economico e dell'intero sistema sociale: il termine stesso `rivoluzione' indica infatti un cambiamento profondo e radicale delle strutture sociali ed organizzative che porta con sé un'innovazione culturale di vasta portata. Il presente documento descrive in maniera dettagliata il fenomeno dell'Industria 4.0, le sue caratteristiche e le tecnologie abilitanti, in modo tale da fornire una panoramica chiara, precisa e completa dello scenario introdotto con questo nuovo paradigma. Nella seconda parte viene invece descritto in dettaglio il caso di studio industriale che ha originato questo lavoro, per poi passare all'esposizione dell'architettura e dei principali dettagli implementativi del sistema realizzato

QR-VEY: Una piattaforma software per la creazione di sondaggi basata sulla tecnologia del QR-Code

Le metodologie per la raccolta delle idee e delle opinioni si sono evolute a pari passo con il progresso tecnologico: dalla semplice comunicazione orale si è passati alla diffusione cartacea, fino a che l'introduzione e l'evoluzione di internet non hanno portato alla digitalizzazione e informatizzazione del processo. Tale progresso ha reso possibile l'abbattimento di ogni barriera fisica: se in precedenza la diffusione di un sondaggio era limitata dall'effettiva possibilità di distribuzione del sondaggio stesso, lo sviluppo della rete globale ha esteso tale possibilità (virtualmente) a tutto il mondo. Nonostante sia un miglioramento non indifferente, è importante notare come la valorizzazione della diffusione di un sondaggio abbia inevitabilmente portato a trascurarne le proprietà e i vantaggi intrinsechi legati alla sua diffusione prettamente locale. Ad esempio, un sondaggio che mira a valutare la soddisfazione degli utenti riguardo alla recente introduzione di una nuova linea di laptop ottiene un guadagno enorme dall'informatizzazione, e dunque delocalizzazione, del processo di raccolta dati; dall'altro lato, un sondaggio che ha come scopo la valutazione dell'impatto sui cittadini di un recente rinnovamento degli impianti di illuminazione stradale ha un guadagno pressoché nullo. L'idea alla base di QR-VEY è la ricerca di un ponte tra le metodologie classiche e quelle moderne, in modo da poter sfruttare le proprietà di entrambe le soluzioni. Tale ponte è stato identificato nella tecnologia del QR-Code: è possibile utilizzare un generico supporto che presenti proprietà di localizzazione, come un foglio cartaceo, ma anche un proiettore di una conferenza, come base per la visualizzazione di tale codice, ed associare alla scansione dello stesso funzionalità automatizzate di raccolta di dati e opinioni

A technology evaluation method for assessing the potential contribution of energy technologies to decarbonisation of the Italian production system

A methodology focused on technology evaluation is proposed to give a footprint of the development potential of energy technologies in Italy. The approach focuses on the impact on climate, the potential in terms of R&D, the competitiveness of Italian companies and their diffusion on the territory. A reference Catalogue was realised in the framework  of the ‘Technical Board on Decarbonisation of the Economy’, established by the Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers. 36 datasheets, containing quantitative and qualitative information on Technology Readiness Level (TRL), efficiency, environmental and economic impacts and policy aspects were filled by 70 experts for each technology. Some data were extracted from the Catalogue - TRL, CO2 emissions, developers, and centres of excellence - and further analysed with other information relating to the Italian production and innovation system collected from the National Enterprise Registry (ASIA). Companies and research centres  are involved in development of technologies based on Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Energy Storage (ES) with different levels of TRL and high potential for mitigating effects on climate. However, their distribution shows a rather inhomogeneous presence at territorial level. This evaluation provided useful elements to elaborate policy measures to support the diffusion of energy technologies

Genomic expression during human myelopoiesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human myelopoiesis is an exciting biological model for cellular differentiation since it represents a plastic process where multipotent stem cells gradually limit their differentiation potential, generating different precursor cells which finally evolve into distinct terminally differentiated cells. This study aimed at investigating the genomic expression during myeloid differentiation through a computational approach that integrates gene expression profiles with functional information and genome organization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Gene expression data from 24 experiments for 8 different cell types of the human myelopoietic lineage were used to generate an integrated myelopoiesis dataset of 9,425 genes, each reliably associated to a unique genomic position and chromosomal coordinate. Lists of genes constitutively expressed or silent during myelopoiesis and of genes differentially expressed in commitment phase of myelopoiesis were first identified using a classical data analysis procedure. Then, the genomic distribution of myelopoiesis genes was investigated integrating transcriptional and functional characteristics of genes. This approach allowed identifying specific chromosomal regions significantly highly or weakly expressed, and clusters of differentially expressed genes and of transcripts related to specific functional modules.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The analysis of genomic expression during human myelopoiesis using an integrative computational approach allowed discovering important relationships between genomic position, biological function and expression patterns and highlighting chromatin domains, including genes with coordinated expression and lineage-specific functions.</p

Role of miR-34a-5p in Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Proliferation and Fate Decision: Novel Insights into the Pathogenesis of Primary Myelofibrosis

Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF) is a chronic Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by a skewed megakaryopoiesis and an overproduction of proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators that lead to the development of bone marrow (BM) fibrosis. Since we recently uncovered the upregulation of miR-34a-5p in PMF CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), in order to elucidate its role in PMF pathogenesis here we unravelled the effects of miR-34a-5p overexpression in HPCs. We showed that enforced expression of miR-34a-5p partially constrains proliferation and favours the megakaryocyte and monocyte/macrophage commitment of HPCs. Interestingly, we identified lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) and nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 2 (NR4A2) transcripts as miR-34a-5p-targets downregulated after miR-34a-5p overexpression in HPCs as well as in PMF CD34+ cells. Remarkably, the knockdown of NR4A2 in HPCs mimicked the antiproliferative effects of miR-34a-5p overexpression, while the silencing of LEF1 phenocopied the effects of miR-34a-5p overexpression on HPCs lineage choice, by favouring the megakaryocyte and monocyte/macrophage commitment. Collectively our data unravel the role of miR-34a-5p in HPCs fate decision and suggest that the increased expression of miR-34a-5p in PMF HPCs could be important for the skewing of megakaryopoiesis and the production of monocytes, that are key players in BM fibrosis in PMF patients

Small Extracellular Vesicles from Inflamed Adipose Derived Stromal Cells Enhance the NF-κB-Dependent Inflammatory/Catabolic Environment of Osteoarthritis

The last decade has seen exponentially growing efforts to exploit the effects of adipose derived stromal cells (ADSC) in the treatment of a wide range of chronic degenerative diseases, including osteoarthritis (OA), the most prevalent joint disorder. In the perspective of developing a cell-free advanced therapy medicinal product, a focus has been recently addressed to the ADSC secretome that lends itself to an allogeneic use and can be further dissected for the selective purification of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). sEVs can act as "biological drug carriers" to transfer information that mirror the pathophysiology of the providing cells. This is important in the clinical perspective where many OA patients are also affected by the metabolic syndrome (MetS). ADSC from MetS OA patients are dysfunctional and "inflammatory" primed within the adipose tissue. To mimic this condition, we exposed ADSC to IL-1 beta, and then we investigated the effects of the isolated sEVs on chondrocytes and synoviocytes, either cultured separately or in co-culture, to tease out the effects of these "IL-1 beta primed sEVs" on gene and protein expression of major inflammatory and catabolic OA markers. In comparison with sEVs isolated from unstimulated ADSC, the IL-1 beta primed sEVs were able to propagate NF-kappa B activation in bystander joint cells. The effects were more prominent on synoviocytes, possibly because of a higher expression of binding molecules such as CD44. These findings call upon a careful characterization of the "inflammatory fingerprint" of ADSC to avoid the transfer of an unwanted message as well as the development of in vitro "preconditioning" strategies able to rescue the antiinflammatory/anticatabolic potential of ADSC-derived sEVs

Differentiated karst spring behavior under changing hydrological conditions in the Cansiglio-Cavallo area (italian Alps)

Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, karst aquifer, water budget

Differentiated spring behavior under changing hydrological conditions in an alpine karst aquifer

Limestone massifs with a high density of dolines form important karst aquifers in most of the Alps, often with groundwater circulating through deep karst conduits and water coming out of closely spaced springs with flow rates of over some cubic meters per second. Although several hydrogeological studies and tracing experiments were carried out in many of these carbonate mountains in the past, the hydrogeology of most of these karst aquifers is still poorly known. Geological, hydrodynamic and hydrochemical investigations have been carried out in one of the most representative of these areas (Cansiglio-Monte Cavallo, NE Italy) since spring 2015, in order to enhance the knowledge on this important type of aquifer system. Additionally, a cave-to-spring multitracer test was carried out in late spring 2016 by using three different fluorescent tracers. This hydrogeological study allowed: 1) gathering new detailed information on the geological and tectonic structure of such alpine karst plateau; 2) defining discharge rates of the three main springs (Gorgazzo, Santissima, and Molinetto) by constructing rating curves; 3) understanding the discharging behavior of the system with respect to different recharge conditions; 4) better defining the recharge areas of the three springs. The three nearby springs (the spring front stretches over 5 km), that drain the investigated karst aquifer system, show different behaviors with respect to changing discharge conditions, demonstrating this aquifer to be divided in partially independent drainage systems under low-flow conditions, when their chemistry is clearly differentiated. Under high-flow conditions, waters discharging at all springs show more similar geochemical characteristics. The combination of geochemistry, hydrodynamic monitoring and dye tracing tests has shown that the three springs have different recharge areas. The study points out that even closely spaced karst springs, that apparently drain the same karst mountain, can have different behaviors, and thus distinctive reactions toward polluting events, a characteristic to be taken into account for their management