Novel Methods and Algorithms for Presenting 3D Scenes

In recent years, improvements in the acquisition and creation of 3D models gave rise to an increasing availability of 3D content and to a widening of the audience such content is created for, which brought into focus the need for effective ways to visualize and interact with it. Until recently, the task of virtual inspection of a 3D object or navigation inside a 3D scene was carried out by using human machine interaction (HMI) metaphors controlled through mouse and keyboard events. However, this interaction approach may be cumbersome for the general audience. Furthermore, the inception and spread of touch-based mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, redefined the interaction problem entirely, since neither mouse nor keyboards are available anymore. The problem is made even worse by the fact that these devices are typically lower power if compared to desktop machines, while high-quality rendering is a computationally intensive task. In this thesis, we present a series of novel methods for the easy presentation of 3D content both when it is already available in a digitized form and when it must be acquired from the real world by image-based techniques. In the first case, we propose a method which takes as input the 3D scene of interest and an example video, and it automatically produces a video of the input scene that resembles the given video example. In other words, our algorithm allows the user to replicate an existing video, for example, a video created by a professional animator, on a different 3D scene. In the context of image-based techniques, exploiting the inherent spatial organization of photographs taken for the 3D reconstruction of a scene, we propose an intuitive interface for the smooth stereoscopic navigation of the acquired scene providing an immersive experience without the need of a complete 3D reconstruction. Finally, we propose an interactive framework for improving low-quality 3D reconstructions obtained through image-based reconstruction algorithms. Using few strokes on the input images, the user can specify high-level geometric hints to improve incomplete or noisy reconstructions which are caused by various quite common conditions often arising for objects such as buildings, streets and numerous other human-made functional elements

Ricerca di marketing per la valorizzazione di un prodotto tipico: il caso della confettura extra di ciliegie di Lari

Costruzione del piano di marketing per il progetto confettura attraverso indagini di mercato e applicazione del marketing mix ad un caso di prodotto tipico locale come la confettura extra di ciliegie di Lari

Thermal noise and optomechanical features in the emission of a membrane-coupled compound cavity laser diode

We demonstrate the use of a compound optical cavity as linear displacement detector, by measuring the thermal motion of a silicon nitride suspended membrane acting as the external mirror of a near-infrared Littrow laser diode. Fluctuations in the laser optical power induced by the membrane vibrations are collected by a photodiode integrated within the laser, and then measured with a spectrum analyzer. The dynamics of the membrane driven by a piezoelectric actuator is investigated as a function of air pressure and actuator displacement in a homodyne configuration. The high Q-factor ($\sim 3.4\cdot 10^4$ at $8.3 \cdot 10^{-3}$ mbar) of the fundamental mechanical mode at $\sim 73$ kHz guarantees a detection sensitivity high enough for direct measurement of thermal motion at room temperature ($\sim 87$ pm RMS). The compound cavity system here introduced can be employed as a table-top, cost-effective linear displacement detector for cavity optomechanics. Furthermore, thanks to the strong optical nonlinearities of the laser compound cavity, these systems open new perspectives in the study of non-Markovian quantum properties at the mesoscale

What do central counterparty default funds really cover? A network-based stress test answer

In recent years, an increased effort has been made to further the development of effective stress tests that can be used to quantify the resilience of financial institutions. Here, we propose a stress test methodology for central counterparties (CCPs) based on a network characterization of clearing members (CMs) that takes into account the propagation and amplification of financial distress through the network of bilateral exposures between CMs. We apply the proposed framework to the fixed-income asset class of Cassa di Compensazione e Garanzia (CC&G), the CCP operating in Italy, whose cleared securities are mainly Italian government bonds. We consider two different scenarios where exogenous losses may be incurred: a distributed initial shock and a shock corresponding with the cover 2 regulatory requirement (entailing the simultaneous default of the two most exposed CMs). Network effects turn out to substantially increase the vulnerability of the CMs in both scenarios, though distress propagation is much more rapid in the latter case, where we note a large number of early triggered additional defaults. This shows that setting a default fund to cover insolvencies on a cover 2 basis alone may not be adequate for the taming of systemic events. Overall, our network-based stress test methodology represents a refined tool for calibrating conservative default fund amounts

GUCH POPULATION: CARDIOLOGIC AND SURGICAL DEMANDS

To evaluate the cardiologic and surgical demands of the GUCH population followed up in our Department, a retrospective analysis of 709 hospital admissions (HA) of 536 pts (mean age 34?16, range 16-79 years), carried out from 1997 to 2002, has been performed. In 293 pts the basic cardiopathy was simple (SC), in 158 of moderate complexity (MCC) and in 85 of great complexity (GCC). The reason for 169 HA was cardiac surgery and for 537 HA cardiologic issues. The overall HA/pt was 1.3 (1.1 in SC,1.3 in MCC, 2.1 in GCC). In 166 surgical pts, 171 operations were performed. First operations (n=105, 62%) were most commonly for atrial septal defect (n=50, 48%), aortic valve replacement(n=11,10%), ventricular septal defect (n=8, 8%). Reoperations (n=64, 38%) were divided among reintervention after corrective repair (n=45, 70%), further palliation (n=17, 26%), first palliation (n=2, 4%) and the most frequent were: Fontan operation (n=11, 17%), RV-PA conduit replacement (n=8, 12%), aortic valve replacement (n=6, 9%). The mean hospital stay was 19?17 days. Pleuro-pericardial effusion (n=32,18%), bleeding (n=11, 6%) and arrhythmias(n=11, 6%) were the most prevalent complications. Early mortality (n=7/171, 4%) was influenced by cyanosis (6 of 33,18% in cyanotic pts; 1 of 136, 2% in acyanotic, p<0,001) and by complexity of cardiopathy (n=6 of 43 GCC, 14%; n=1 of 72 MCC, 1%; 0 of 54 SC,0%, p<0.001) that was a risk factor also for more serious complications (20% in GCC, with respect of 9% in MCC, p<0,05 and 4% in SC, p<0.001). The principal reasons for 537 cardiologic HA in 432 pts, were: interventional procedures (n=209, 39%), diagnostic catheterisation (n=155, 29%), non invasive evaluation (n=95, 18%), arrhythmias (n=46, 10%). Closure of atrial septal discontinuity (n=167, 80%), patent ductus arteriosus (n=21, 10%), pulmonary valvuloplasty (n=8, 4%) and angioplasty of Coarctation (n=6, 3%), were more prevalent interventional procedures. In pts with GCC, heart failure and cyanosis were more commonly cause of HA than in MGC and SC (p<0.001). Despite the progress of pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery, medical demands of GUCH remain numerous and complex throughout their lives. Therefore, it is extremely important to provide specialized surgical and cardiologic care for this complicated population

Increase in Mitochondrial D-Loop Region Methylation Levels in Mild Cognitive Impairment Individuals

Methylation levels of the mitochondrial displacement loop (D-loop) region have been reported to be altered in the brain and blood of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Moreover, a dynamic D-loop methylation pattern was observed in the brain of transgenic AD mice along with disease progression. However, investigations on the blood cells of AD patients in the prodromal phases of the disease have not been performed so far. The aim of this study was to analyze D-loop methylation levels by means of the MS-HRM technique in the peripheral blood cells of 14 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, 18 early stage AD patients, 70 advanced stage AD patients, and 105 healthy control subjects. We found higher D-loop methylation levels in MCI patients than in control subjects and AD patients. Moreover, higher D-loop methylation levels were observed in control subjects than in AD patients in advanced stages of the disease, but not in those at early stages. The present pilot study shows that peripheral D-loop methylation levels differ in patients at different stages of AD pathology, suggesting that further studies deserve to be performed in order to validate the usefulness of D-loop methylation analysis as a peripheral biomarker for the early detection of AD

Age and sex impact plasma NFL and t-Tau trajectories in individuals with subjective memory complaints : a 3-year follow-up study

Background Plasma neurofilament light (NFL) and total Tau (t-Tau) proteins are candidate biomarkers for early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The impact of biological factors on their plasma concentrations in individuals with subjective memory complaints (SMC) has been poorly explored. We longitudinally investigate the effect of sex, age, APOE epsilon 4 allele, comorbidities, brain amyloid-beta (A beta) burden, and cognitive scores on plasma NFL and t-Tau concentrations in cognitively healthy individuals with SMC, a condition associated with AD development. Methods Three hundred sixteen and 79 individuals, respectively, have baseline and three-time point assessments (at baseline, 1-year, and 3-year follow-up) of the two biomarkers. Plasma biomarkers were measured with an ultrasensitive assay in a mono-center cohort (INSIGHT-preAD study). Results We show an effect of age on plasma NFL, with women having a higher increase of plasma t-Tau concentrations compared to men, over time. The APOE epsilon 4 allele does not affect the biomarker concentrations while plasma vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with higher plasma t-Tau concentrations. Both biomarkers are correlated and increase over time. Baseline NFL is related to the rate of A beta deposition at 2-year follow-up in the left-posterior cingulate and the inferior parietal gyri. Baseline plasma NFL and the rate of change of plasma t-Tau are inversely associated with cognitive score. Conclusion We find that plasma NFL and t-Tau longitudinal trajectories are affected by age and female sex, respectively, in SMC individuals. Exploring the influence of biological variables on AD biomarkers is crucial for their clinical validation in blood

Integrating the care of the complex COPD patient

The European Seminars in Respiratory Medicine has represented an outstanding series updating new science in respiratory disease from the 1990\u2019s up to the early beginning of this 21st century [1,2]. Its aim is to update issues and current science, focusing on the multidisciplinary approach to patients with respiratory disease. As such, it represents a unique opportunity for specialists in Respiratory Medicine involved in Basic and Clinical Research to discuss topical and debated problems in medical care, at a top level forum guided by an expert panel of authors. The structure of the seminar is based on the following pillars: \u2022 Attendance at the Seminars is strictly limited: selection of participants is based, in order of priority, on scientific curriculum, age (younger specialists are privileged), and early receipt of the application form. \u2022 Each topic is allotted considerable time for presentation and discussion. The first section is devoted to a series of presentations (with adequate time allocated for discussion) by an expert panel of researchers and clinicians. In the second section involves discussions of controversial issues, in a smaller audience format encouraging interaction between the panel and audience. \u2022 \u201cMeet the expert\u201d seminars discuss topical subjects in more depth, utilizing an interactive tutorial

Loss of ap4s1 in zebrafish leads to neurodevelopmental defects resembling spastic paraplegia 52.

Autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia 52 is caused by biallelic mutations in AP4S1 which encodes a subunit of the adaptor protein complex 4 (AP-4). Using next-generation sequencing, we identified three novel unrelated SPG52 patients from a cohort of patients with cerebral palsy. The discovered variants in AP4S1 lead to reduced AP-4 complex formation in patient-derived fibroblasts. To further understand the role of AP4S1 in neuronal development and homeostasis, we engineered the first zebrafish model of AP-4 deficiency using morpholino-mediated knockdown of ap4s1. In this model, we discovered several phenotypes mimicking SPG52, including altered CNS development, locomotor deficits, and abnormal neuronal excitability

Optomechanical response with nanometer resolution in the self-mixing signal of a terahertz quantum cascade laser

Owing to their intrinsic stability against optical feedback (OF), quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) represent a uniquely versatile source to further improve self-mixing interferometry at mid-infrared and terahertz (THz) frequencies. Here, we show the feasibility of detecting with nanometer precision, the deeply subwavelength ($\lt \lambda /6000$<λ/6000) mechanical vibrations of a suspended ${{\rm Si}_3}{{\rm N}_4}$Si3N4 membrane used as the external element of a THz QCL feedback interferometer. Besides representing an extension of the applicability of vibrometric characterization at THz frequencies, our system can be exploited for the realization of optomechanical applications, such as dynamical switching between different OF regimes and a still-lacking THz master-slave configuration