Industry 4.0 paradigm: The viewpoint of the small and medium enterprises

International audienceThe pervasive diffusion of Information and Communication technologies (ICT) and automation technologies are the prerequisite for the preconized fourth industrial revolution: the Industry 4.0 (I4.0). Despite the economical efforts of several governments all over the world, still there are few companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), that adopt or intend to adopt in the near future I4.0 solutions. This work focus on key issues for implementing the I4.0 solutions in SMEs by using a specific case example as a test bench of an Italian small manufacturing company. Requirements and constraints derived from the field experience are generalised to provide a clear view of the profound potentialities and difficulties of the first industrial revolution announced instead of being historically recognised. A preliminary classification is then provided in view to start conceiving a library of Industry 4.0 formal patterns to identify the maturity of a SME for deploying Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies

An Integrated Multi-Sensor Approach for the Remote Monitoring of Parkinson’s Disease

The increment of the prevalence of neurological diseases due to the trend in population aging demands for new strategies in disease management. In Parkinson's disease (PD), these strategies should aim at improving diagnosis accuracy and frequency of the clinical follow-up by means of decentralized cost-effective solutions. In this context, a system suitable for the remote monitoring of PD subjects is presented. It consists of the integration of two approaches investigated in our previous works, each one appropriate for the movement analysis of specific parts of the body: low-cost optical devices for the upper limbs and wearable sensors for the lower ones. The system performs the automated assessments of six motor tasks of the unified Parkinson's disease rating scale, and it is equipped with a gesture-based human machine interface designed to facilitate the user interaction and the system management. The usability of the system has been evaluated by means of standard questionnaires, and the accuracy of the automated assessment has been verified experimentally. The results demonstrate that the proposed solution represents a substantial improvement in PD assessment respect to the former two approaches treated separately, and a new example of an accurate, feasible and cost-effective mean for the decentralized management of PD

A Self-Managed System for Automated Assessment of UPDRS Upper Limb Tasks in Parkinson’s Disease

A home-based, reliable, objective and automated assessment of motor performance of patients affected by Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is important in disease management, both to monitor therapy efficacy and to reduce costs and discomforts. In this context, we have developed a self-managed system for the automated assessment of the PD upper limb motor tasks as specified by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The system is built around a Human Computer Interface (HCI) based on an optical RGB-Depth device and a replicable software. The HCI accuracy and reliability of the hand tracking compares favorably against consumer hand tracking devices as verified by an optoelectronic system as reference. The interface allows gestural interactions with visual feedback, providing a system management suitable for motor impaired users. The system software characterizes hand movements by kinematic parameters of their trajectories. The correlation between selected parameters and clinical UPDRS scores of patient performance is used to assess new task instances by a machine learning approach based on supervised classifiers. The classifiers have been trained by an experimental campaign on cohorts of PD patients. Experimental results show that automated assessments of the system replicate clinical ones, demonstrating its effectiveness in home monitoring of PD

Allo Beta Cell transplantation: specific features, unanswered questions, and immunological challenge

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) presents a persistent medical challenge, demanding innovative strategies for sustained glycemic control and enhanced patient well-being. Beta cells are specialized cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. When beta cells are damaged or destroyed, insulin production decreases, which leads to T1D. Allo Beta Cell Transplantation has emerged as a promising therapeutic avenue, with the goal of reinstating glucose regulation and insulin production in T1D patients. However, the path to success in this approach is fraught with complex immunological hurdles that demand rigorous exploration and resolution for enduring therapeutic efficacy. This exploration focuses on the distinct immunological characteristics inherent to Allo Beta Cell Transplantation. An understanding of these unique challenges is pivotal for the development of effective therapeutic interventions. The critical role of glucose regulation and insulin in immune activation is emphasized, with an emphasis on the intricate interplay between beta cells and immune cells. The transplantation site, particularly the liver, is examined in depth, highlighting its relevance in the context of complex immunological issues. Scrutiny extends to recipient and donor matching, including the utilization of multiple islet donors, while also considering the potential risk of autoimmune recurrence. Moreover, unanswered questions and persistent gaps in knowledge within the field are identified. These include the absence of robust evidence supporting immunosuppression treatments, the need for reliable methods to assess rejection and treatment protocols, the lack of validated biomarkers for monitoring beta cell loss, and the imperative need for improved beta cell imaging techniques. In addition, attention is drawn to emerging directions and transformative strategies in the field. This encompasses alternative immunosuppressive regimens and calcineurin-free immunoprotocols, as well as a reevaluation of induction therapy and recipient preconditioning methods. Innovative approaches targeting autoimmune recurrence, such as CAR Tregs and TCR Tregs, are explored, along with the potential of stem stealth cells, tissue engineering, and encapsulation to overcome the risk of graft rejection. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the inherent immunological obstacles associated with Allo Beta Cell Transplantation. It offers valuable insights into emerging strategies and directions that hold great promise for advancing the field and ultimately improving outcomes for individuals living with diabetes

Nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin combination regimen in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and cardiac comorbidity. Results of the HEART01 phase II trial conducted by the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi

The purpose of this phase 2, multicenter study was to determine the activity and safety of nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin as part of "R-COMP" combination in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and coexisting cardiac disorders. The study was conducted using a Bayesian continuing assessment method using complete remission rate and rate of cardiac events as study endpoints. Between November 2009 and October 2011, 50 evaluable patients were enrolled (median age, 76\ua0years). Median baseline left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was 60%. Ischemic cardiopathy was the most frequent preexisting cardiac disorder (35%), followed by atrial fibrillation (15%), left ventricular hypertrophy (13%), and baseline LVEF <50% (12%). Based on the intent to treat analysis, overall response rate was 72%, including 28 patients in complete remission (complete remission rate, 56%), and 8 in partial remission (16%). At the end of treatment, grades 3 to 4 cardiac events were observed in 6 patients. No significant modifications from baseline values of LVEF were observed during treatment and follow-up. Nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin instead of doxorubicin in the R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) regimen is a feasible option for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma presenting with concomitant cardiac disorders

Monete dal monastero di Nonantola

Il contributo cataloga ed esami i reperti numismatici provenienti dallo scavo del monastero di Nonantola, proponendo anche una ricostruzione della circolazione monetaria nel sito

ROBUST LOW-DELAY VIDEO TRANSMISSION USING H.264/AVC REDUNDANT SLICES AND FLEXIBLE MACROBLOCK ORDERING

This paper proposes a scheme for low-delay robust transmission of video signals over packet erasure channels. In applications such as video conferencing, the permissible delay between encoding and playback may be too low to allow retransmission or channel coding approaches which require buffering several video packets. For such a scenario, we present a scheme that provides error robustness using redundant video descriptions applied to pertinent portions of the video signal. In the H.264/AVC specification, this can be efficiently implemented using redundant slices and Flexible Macroblock Ordering (FMO). We describe a model that determines the bit rate of the redundant descriptions such that the expected distortion at the decoder is minimized. Across all the video test sequences used, the average video quality delivered by the proposed scheme is 3.7 dB higher than decoder-based error concealment, and 1.2 dB higher than encoderbased loss-aware rate-distortion optimization. Index Terms — Error-resilient video coding, H.264/AVC, flexible macroblock ordering, redundant slice

Le monete nell'arca di San Procolo a Bologna

In 1987, in order to classify the coins of Bologna, Michele Chimienti had partially described the hoard discovered in the tomb of Saint Proculus, located in the eponymous church in Bologna. The coins have been placed there between 1389, when the sarcophagus was opened and the remains of the saint, protected by a simple iron grate, were exposed to the faithful, and 1437, when it was closed for good, until the next inspection in 1943. On this last occasion, 36 coins were recovered from the mints of Bologna (24), Ancona (5), Ferrara (2), Florence (2), Siena (2) and Aquileia (1). The present study aims to re-contextualize those coins, using the most recent studies on the saints’ tombs finds