Validating a method for the estimate of gait spatio-temporal parameters with IMUs data on healthy and impaired people from two clinical centers

Instrumented gait analysis offers objective clinical outcome assessment. To this purpose, inertial measurement units (IMUs) represent nowadays a very effective solution due to their limited cost, ease of use and improved wearability. The aim of this study was to apply a well-documented IMU-based method to measure gait spatio-temporal parameters in a large number of healthy and gait-impaired subjects, and evaluate its robustness and validity across two clinical centers. Overall, the results of this work represent a robust and reliable foundation for the clinical use of the proposed IMU based method for gait parameters estimation

Altered deoxyribonucleotide pools in T-lymphoblastoid cells expressing the multisubstrate nucleoside kinase of Drosophila melanogaster

The multisubstrate nucleoside kinase of Drosophila melanogaster (Dm-dNK) can be expressed in human solid tumor cells and its unique enzymatic properties makes this enzyme a suicide gene candidate. In the present study, Dm-dNK was stably expressed in the CCRF-CEM and H9 T-lymphoblastoid cell lines. The expressed enzyme was localized to the cell nucleus and the enzyme retained its activity. The Dm-dNK overexpressing cells showed approximately 200-fold increased sensitivity to the cytostatic activity of several nucleoside analogs, such as the pyrimidine nucleoside analogs (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU) and 1-beta-d-arabinofuranosylthymine (araT), but not to the antiherpetic purine nucleoside analogs ganciclovir, acyclovir and penciclovir, which may allow this technology to be applied in donor T cells and/or rescue graft vs. host disease to permit modulation of alloreactivity after transplantation. The most pronounced effect on the steady-state dNTP levels was a two- to 10-fold increased dTTP pool in Dm-dNK expressing cells that were grown in the presence of 1 microm of each natural deoxyribonucleoside. Although the Dm-dNK expressing cells demonstrated dNTP pool imbalances, no mitochondrial DNA deletions or altered mitochondrial DNA levels were detected in the H9 Dm-dNK expressing cells

Automated synthesis of executable web service compositions from BPEL4WS processes

We propose a technique for the automated synthesis of new com-posite web services. Given a set of abstract BPEL4WS descriptions of component services, and a composition requirement, we auto-matically generate a concrete BPEL4WS process that, when exe-cuted, interacts with the components and satisfies the requirement. We implement the proposed approach exploiting efficient repre-sentation techniques, and we show its scalability over case stud-ies taken from a real world application and over a parameterized domain

In Medio Stat Virtus: Effective Communication and Preferences for Redistribution in Hard Times

This paper evaluates the effects of statistical information on preferences for redistribution of scarce public resources. We refer to scarce resource with reference to the COVID-19 emergency: allocation of the first round of vaccine and the allocation of financial resources provided by the Italian national government to fight the economic emergency triggered by the pandemic. Randomly allocating the information through an online experiment, we show that treated respondents tend to prioritize the group targeted by the information, and they are more likely to do so if they are "in the middle", in terms of age, political preferences, religiosity and education

ПІДХІД ДЛЯ АВТОМАТИЗОВАНОЇ КОМПОЗИЦІЇ BPEL ПРОЦЕСІВ / ПЕРЕКЛАД СТАТТІ «AN APPROACH FOR THE AUTOMATED COMPOSITION OF BPEL PROCESSES» (ПЕРЕКЛАД РЕМАРОВИЧ С.)

Ми описуємо метод для автоматизованого синтезу нових композитних Веб-сервісів. Враховуючи набір компонентних сервісів, які описані як абстрактні BPEL4WS процеси, збагачені семантичними анотаціями, а також враховуючи вимогу композиції, ми автоматично генеруємо виконуваний BPEL4WS процес, який після розгортання здатний взаємодіяти з компонентами, щоб задовольнити вимогу. Ми орієнтуємося, зокрема, на опис анотацій, які ми повинні додати до \ud абстрактних BPEL4WS процесів для того, щоб охопити «семантичні» аспекти їх виконання, і на роль, яку ці семантичні анотації грають в завданні автоматизованої композиції

D-SPACE4Cloud: A Design Tool for Big Data Applications

The last years have seen a steep rise in data generation worldwide, with the development and widespread adoption of several software projects targeting the Big Data paradigm. Many companies currently engage in Big Data analytics as part of their core business activities, nonetheless there are no tools and techniques to support the design of the underlying hardware configuration backing such systems. In particular, the focus in this report is set on Cloud deployed clusters, which represent a cost-effective alternative to on premises installations. We propose a novel tool implementing a battery of optimization and prediction techniques integrated so as to efficiently assess several alternative resource configurations, in order to determine the minimum cost cluster deployment satisfying QoS constraints. Further, the experimental campaign conducted on real systems shows the validity and relevance of the proposed method

АВТОМАТИЗОВАНИЙ СИНТЕЗ КОМПОЗИТНИХ BPEL4WS ВЕБ-СЕРВІСІВ. ПЕРЕКЛАД СТАТТІ «AUTOMATED SYNTHESIS OF COMPOSITE BPEL4WS WEB SERVICES» (ПЕРЕКЛАД РЕМАРОВИЧ С.)

У цій статті ми пропонуємо метод для автоматизованого синтезу нових композитних Веб-сервісів. Враховуючи набір абстрактних BPEL4WS описів компонентних сервісів, а також вимогу композиції, ми автоматично генеруємо виконуваний BPEL4WS процес, який, після розгортання, здатний взаємодіяти з компонентами, щоб задовольнити вимогу. Ми реалізували запропонований підхід, використовуючи ефективні засоби синтезу, і експеримент з деякими тематичними дослідженнями, взятими з реальних застосувань і з параметризованим доменом. Ми показали, що метод може масштабуватися до випадків, в яких ручна розробка BPEL4WS композитних сервісів не є тривіальною і вимагає багато часу

The effect of a secondary task on kinematics during turning in Parkinson's disease with mild to moderate impairment

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) show typical gait asymmetries. These peculiar motor impairments are exacerbated by added cognitive and/or mechanical loading. However, there is scarce literature that chains these two stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of a dual task (cognitive task) and turning (mechanical task) on the spatiotemporal parameters in mild to moderate PD. Participants (nine patients with PD and nine controls (CRs)) were evaluated while walking at their self-selected pace without a secondary task (single task), and while repeating the days of the week backwards (dual task) along a straight direction and a 60 degrees and 120 degrees turn. As speculated, in single tasking, PD patients preferred to walk with a shorter stride length (p< 0.05) but similar timing parameters, compared to the CR group; in dual tasking, both groups walked slower with shorter strides. As the turn angle increased, the speed will be reduced (p< 0.001), whereas the ground-foot contact will become greater (p< 0.001) in all the participants. We showed that the combination of a simple cognitive task and a mechanical task (especially at larger angles) could represent an important training stimulus in PD at the early stages of the pathology

Determinants of obesity in Italian adults : the role of taste sensitivity, food liking, and food neophobia

Recent evidence has suggested that factors related to sensory perception may explain excess weight. The objective of this study was to consider multiple aspects while investigating the phenomenon of obesity. One goal was to compare taste acuity (taste threshold and density of fungiform papillae) in both normal weight and obese subjects. Thresholds for 4 basic tastes and the fat stimulus were investigated. A second research goal was to study the relationship between food neophobia and food liking according to the body mass index and taste sensitivity. The results showed that obese subjects seem to have higher threshold values and a reduced number of fungiform papillae than do normal weight subjects. Food neophobia did not vary with nutritional status, whereas differences were found for food liking, with obese subjects showing significantly higher liking ratings for high energy dense products compared with normal weight subjects

The old and the new on threats to high-mountain lakes in the Alps: A comprehensive examination with future research directions

The high-mountain lakes of the Alps, perched like glistening gems in the cradle of Europe’s most formidable mountain range, have for generations epitomized nature’s majesty. These remote and pristine bodies of water have served as invaluable sentinels of global change, repositories of geological history, and sources of freshwater for the surrounding regions. Yet, despite their seemingly imperturbable beauty and seclusion, these highmountain lakes are not immune to the evolving forces of our changing world. Re-emerging threats, exacerbated by the relentless march of climate change and intensified human activities, cast a shadow over their future, posing profound challenges that demand our attention. The aim of this perspective is to shed light on the main emerging threats, raise awareness, and advocate for proactive actions aimed at preserving and protecting highmountain lakes. These threats include climate change, retreat of glaciers, UV radiation, long-range transport of contaminants, impact of alien species and water usage for Alpine storage power stations. Additionally, increased tourism and recreational activities in these pristine environments can cause habitat disturbance, further endangering these unique ecosystems. The present perspective article also offers valuable perspectives on the necessity of monitoring and research efforts in high-mountain lakes. Such actions are crucial for comprehending the ecological well-being of these ecosystems, evaluating the consequences of environmental shifts, and devising successful conservation strategies