A Smart Home Network for Proactive Users

According to the European Strategy Energy Technology (SET) Plan, the resident-user engagement into thenational energy strategy is pivotal, as reported by the Challenge 1st: “Active consumer is at the centre of the energy system”. The Italian Ministry of Economic Development and ENEA have entered into a Program Agreement for the execution of the research and development lines of General Interest for the NationalElectricity System. In particular, as part of the “Development of an integrated model of the Urban Smart District” project. An experimental demonstration of a Smart Home network is being carried out in the Centocelle district of Rome and called “Smart Home Centocelle”. The project was developed in an informal settlement, which shares a common background with likewise urban settings, such as a lack of public transportation convenience or enjoyable public spaces and average quality housing, whereas people who adhered to the project have a medium-high education level and proved to be sensitive to alternative and more sustainable energy sources. Our research has examined the deployment progress made so far, gathering and analysing all the information to assess how the project applications could affect various quality-of-life dimensions: safety, health, environmental quality and personal comfort perception, social connectedness and the cost of living, above all

Drug resistance of BRAF-mutant melanoma: Review of up-to-date mechanisms of action and promising targeted agents

Abstract Melanoma onset and progression are associated with a high variety of activating mutations in the MAPK-pathway, most frequently involving BRAF (35–45%) and NRAS (15–25%) genes, but also c-KIT and PTEN. Targeted therapies with BRAF and MEK inhibitors showed promising results over the past years, but it is known that most responses are temporary, and almost all of patients develop a tumor relapse within one year. Different drug-resistance mechanisms underlie the progression of disease and activation of both MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. Therefore, in this article we reviewed the main studies about clinical effects of several target inhibitors, describing properly the most prominent mechanisms of both intrinsic and acquired resistance. Furthermore, suggestive strategies for overcoming drug resistance and the most recent alternative combination therapies to optimize the use of MAPK pathway inhibitors were also discussed

Analisi e sviluppo di metodologie di diagnosi, telecontrollo e gestione energetica di Smart Building Networks, in ambito residenziale e terziario

Il Dottorato svolto è di tipo applicativo sperimentale e nasce dall’esigenza di risolvere problemi reali. In linea con il Strategy Energy Technology Plan, il coinvolgimento dell’utente nelle politiche energetiche è diventata la prima priorità. Questo lavoro si inerisce nelle attività svolte congiuntamente da ENEA, l’Università Politecnica Delle Marche e l’azienda Apio. Le attività del mio dottorato, hanno riguardato principalmente due ambiti applicativi: “Smart Buildings” e “Smart Homes Network”. Dopo uno studio preliminare dello stato dell’arte, si procederà alla configurazione, implementazione, gestione e controllo di un dimostrativo sperimentale di una rete di Smart Homes in un quartiere di Roma. All'utente e alla comunità verranno forniti una serie di feedback costruttivi. L’obiettivo sarà quello di incentivare la consapevolezza energetica e trasformare ogni utente da semplice consumatore in un attore attivo nel mercato dell'energia. L’analisi dei dati di tali edifici residenziali pilota, evidenzierà una media di -8% dei consumi elettrici ottenuti. Al fine di incentivare il risparmio energetico, migliorare l’accettabilità del sistema e la qualità della vita degli utenti finali, si introdurranno una serie di servizi aggiuntivi, in particolare in ambito Assisted Living per la misurazione dei parametri vitali e la condivisione direttamente con l’esterno tramite lo sviluppo di un’interfaccia adattiva; in ambito sicurezza domestica, gestendo situazioni di potenziale rischio; ed infine, introduzione dei comandi vocali. Sarà poi condotto uno studio e progettazione di sevizi sulla flessibilità elettrica dell'utente per modellare la propria richiesta di energia in base alla domanda del mercato elettrico. Sarà effettuato uno studio di Diagnostica Low Level per il riconoscimento di malfunzionamenti. Sarà implementato anche l’interfacciamento con una “Smart City Platform” di livello superiore, definendo anche i casi d’uso per gli scambi di dati per l’interoperabilità. Sarà, inoltre sviluppata una proposta brevettuale su un Idro Smart meter che si prefiggerà vari obiettivi innovativi,trai quali quello di disaggregare sia i consumi idrici che quelli delle altre utenze. Infine, sarà condotto uno studio e implementazione di prediction sulla domanda elettrica al fine di prevedere la domanda elettrica trioraria delle abitazioni, partendo da dati reali di energia generale trioraria. I migliori risultati si otterranno utilizzando reti di deep learning con memoria a lungo termine LSTM. In ambito “Smart Buildings”,si lavorerà dapprima su un edificio terziario reale simulato, studiando scenari futuri di demand/response. In particolare sarà studiata l’ottimizzazione della climatizzazione dell’edificio, riscontrando un risparmio medio “teorico” di 16% rispetto al caso di riferimento. Successivamente, lo stesso edificio simulato, sarà equipaggiato con vari sensori sia a livello di quadro che di singola stanza, che renderanno possibile l’introduzione di regole di controllo. Si proseguirà con la definizione di una procedura di Fault Detection per verificare la corretta implementazione dei comandi sequenziali impartiti dal sistema di controllo. Saranno esaminati i casi più innovativi in ambito Blockchain e DLT (Distributed Ledger Technologies), riassunti da una swot analysis. Inoltre, sarà realizzato un “Proof of Concept” basato su tecnologia Blockchain per la certificazione della flessibilità energetica degli utenti elettrici. Sarà inoltre sviluppata un’interfaccia interattiva per controllare real time, tramite la visualizzazione su planimetria, i dispositivi installati nell’edificio. Si implementerà inoltre l’interfacciamento tra il sistema FV e il sistema di gestione dello smart building. Infine sarà realizzata un’applicazione di smart Windows nell’edificio F40,ottenendo livelli termici complessivi circa 2°C inferiori. The doctorate carried out is of an experimental application type and arises from the need to solve real problems. In line with the Strategy Energy Technology Plan, user involvement in energy policies has become the first priority. This work is inherent in the activities carried out jointly by ENEA, the Polytechnic University of Marche and the Apio company. My PhD activities mainly concerned two application areas: “Smart Buildings” and “Smart Homes Network”. After a preliminary study of the state of the art, we will proceed with the configuration, implementation, management and control of an experimental demonstration of a network of Smart Homes in a neighborhood of Rome. Constructive feedback will be provided to the user and community. The goal will be to encourage energy awareness and transform every user from a simple consumer into an active player in the energy market. The analysis of the data of these pilot residential buildings will show an average of -8% of the electricity consumption obtained. In order to incentivize energy saving, improve the acceptability of the system and the quality of life of end users, a series of additional services will be introduced, in particular in the Assisted Living area for the measurement of vital parameters and the sharing directly with the external by developing an adaptive interface; in the field of home security, managing situations of potential risk; and finally, introduction of voice commands. A study and design of services will then be conducted on the electrical flexibility of the user to model their energy demand based on the demand of the electricity market. A Low Level Diagnostic study will be carried out for the recognition of malfunctions. Interfacing with a higher level "Smart City Platform" will also be implemented, also defining use cases for data exchanges for interoperability. A patent proposal will also be developed on a Hydro Smart meter that will set various innovative objectives, including that of disaggregating both water consumption and that of other users. Finally, a study and implementation of prediction on electricity demand will be carried out in order to predict the three-hour electricity demand of homes, starting from real three-hour general energy data. The best results will be obtained using deep learning networks with LSTM long-term memory. In the field of “Smart Buildings”, we will first work on a simulated real tertiary building, studying future demand / response scenarios. In particular, the optimization of building air conditioning will be studied, finding an average "theoretical" saving of 16% compared to the reference case. Subsequently, the same simulated building will be equipped with various sensors both at the switchboard and single room level, which will make it possible to introduce control rules. We will continue with the definition of a Fault Detection procedure to verify the correct implementation of the sequential commands given by the control system. The most innovative cases in Blockchain and DLT (Distributed Ledger Technologies) will be examined, summarized by a swot analysis. Furthermore, a “Proof of Concept” based on Blockchain technology will be created to certify the energy flexibility of electricity users. An interactive interface will also be developed to control the devices installed in the building in real time, through the visualization on the floor plan. The interface between the PV system and the smart building management system will also be implemented. Finally, a smart Windows application will be implemented in the F40 building, obtaining overall thermal levels about 2 ° C lower.&nbsp

Comparing the thermal performance of Living Lab monitoring and simulation with different level of input detail

Dynamic envelope solutions are critical to achieve comfort conditions minimizing the need of active air conditioning systems, emphasizing the potential of thermal adaption of the building occupants. Dynamic systems are, however, difficult to be implemented in European building energy certification schemes, based on semi-stationary calculation method, standard uses and reference boundary conditions. In the attempt to develop a flexible and dynamic method able to reduce the performance gap between real and expected performance, this paper presents the comparison between measurements and simulations of a Living Lab office operated in thermal free floating, with different strategies for the solar protection and the night ventilative cooling. Simulations were performed using the dynamic platform PREDYCE, which allows for manipulating monitored and simulated data. The first phase was dedicated to the model calibration using the indoor air temperature as relevant indicator against monitored data. The coefficient of variation of the root mean squared error is in the 8-9% range. Building simulations of the calibrated model demonstrated a large variation of the results as a function of the input data, with increase of discomfort hour up to a factor 20 and a reduction of discomfort hours up to 95%

'Smart Street' Pilot Site: A RAMS Analysys for a Scale-Upconfiguration

This paper develops the scale-up of the 'Smart Street' pilot site under the RAMS point of view: The combination of Reliability Analysis and FMECA allows to identify the exact configuration to scale up systems without incurring in marginally reliable configurations

Materiality of two vessels in Southern Turkmenian style from Shahr-i Sokhta (Sistan, Iran,nc. 3100-2900 BC)

We present the results of an experimental conservation project on selected samples of Buff Ware ceramics from the early urban site of Shahr-i Sokhta (Sistan, Iran, 3rd millennium BC), kept in the Museo delle Civiltà (MUCIV) - former Museo Nazionale d’Arte Orientale in Rome (or MNAO). The conservation project included an in-depth investigation of the composition of the ceramics, through petrographic study of thin sections, XRD, SEM-EDX, TGA and FTIR, and X-ray radiography. The comparison between the raw materials of two vessels made in the style of the contemporary early Bronze age sites of Kopet Dag piedmont in southern Turkmenistan (Shahr-i Sokhta period I = Namazga III period in Turkmenistan) and the pots made according to the local styles confirms that the former are undoubtedly local products. The evidence thus suggests the abandonment of explanatory models based upon long-distance trade or transport of pots, and the search for different historical explanations

Materiality of two vessels in Southern Turkmenian style from Shahr-i Sokhta (Sistan, Iran, c. 3100-2900 BC)

We present the results of an experimental conservation project on selected samples of Buff Ware ceramics from the early urban site of Shahr-i Sokhta (Sistan, Iran, 3rd millennium BC), kept in the Museo delle Civilt\ue0 (MUCIV) - former Museo Nazionale d\u2019Arte Orientale in Rome (or MNAO). The conservation project included an in-depth investigation of the composition of the ceramics, through petrographic study of thin sections, XRD, SEM-EDX, TGA and FTIR, and X-ray radiography. The comparison between the raw materials of two vessels made in the style of the contemporary early Bronze age sites of Kopet Dag piedmont in southern Turkmenistan (Shahr-i Sokhta period I = Namazga III period in Turkmenistan) and the pots made according to the local styles confirms that the former are undoubtedly local products. The evidence thus requires the abandonment of explanatory models based upon long-distance trade or transport of pots, and the search for different historical explanations

A smart home services demonstration: Monitoring, control and security services offered to the user

The Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) have entered into a Program Agreement for the execution of the research and development lines of General Interest for the national electricity system. In particular, as part of the "Development of an integrated model of the Urban Smart District" project, an experimental demonstration of a Smart Home network has been carried out in the Centocelle district of Rome, called "Centocelle Smart Home". This project aims to develop a replicable model of Smart Home able to monitor energy consumption, the degree of comfort and safety in residential buildings, transmitting them to a higher level technological platform where data are analyzed and aggregated to provide a series of feedbacks to the user and to the community. The objective is to reduce the final consumption of energy (electric and thermal) of domestic consumers through a path of growth of energy awareness, also providing additional services on security. This paper presents the architecture proposed in the ENEA project for monitoring the energy consumption and increasing the degrees of comfort and safety of domestic users. The proposed security service is presented here together with the developed "Out of Home" App

Healing at the interface between recipient sites and autologous block bone grafts affixed by either position or lag screw methods: a histomorphometric study in rabbits

OBJECTIVE: To compare the sequential healing at the interface gap occurring between autologous bone grafts and recipient sites using two types of fixation techniques. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-four adult male New Zealand white rabbits were used. Two bone grafts were collected from the calvaria and secured to the lateral aspect of the angle of mandible in each animal. Cortical perforations at the recipient sites were performed. However, no modifications were applied to the graft for its adaptation to the recipient site. Two types of fixation techniques by position or lag screws were applied. This was done by preparing osteotomy holes smaller or larger than the screw diameter, respectively. The animals were sacrificed after 3, 7, 20, and 40 days. RESULTS: After 3 days, the distance between the graft and the recipient site was similar between the two different fixations. Due to the anatomical shapes of the recipient sites and grafts, the distance between the two parts was lower in the central region (<0.1 mm) compared to the external regions of the graft (0.5-0.6 mm). The first evidence of small amounts of new (woven) bone was seen after 7 days, forming from the parent bone. The percentage increased after 20 and 40 days. After 40 days, the grafts were well incorporated within the recipient sites in both groups without any statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: The present study did not show superiority of one method over another. A fixation to a recipient site with perforations may be sufficient for incorporating an autologous bone graft even if its adaptation is not perfect and irrespectively of the fixation method. Distances of approximately half millimeter were bridged with newly formed bone

Sinus mucosa elevation using Bio-Oss(®) or Gingistat(®) collagen sponge: an experimental study in rabbits

OBJECTIVE: To describe the sequential healing in augmented sinus cavities with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) granules or collagen sponges. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty albino New Zealand rabbits were included in the study. An incision was performed along the midline of the nasal dorsum, and the nasal bone was exposed. Circular bony windows with a diameter of 5 mm were prepared bilaterally. After elevation of the mucosa, the two sites were randomly filled with either DBBM or a collagen sponge. Five animals each were randomly sacrificed after 7, 14, 21 and 40 days, respectively. RESULTS: At both sides, new bone was found forming from the resident pristine bone. During the first stage of healing, DBBM granules were surrounded by a denser connective tissue that was attached to the biomaterial surface and that was progressively mineralized. At the collagen sponge side, the biomaterial was almost completely resorbed and the space was reduced by to two-thirds already after 21 days. At both sides, after 40 days, mineralized bone and marrow spaces were occupying large areas of the elevated space. CONCLUSIONS: New bone was found forming from the pristine bony walls of the sinus and extending toward the most peripheral regions in both sites. While DBBM particles yielded osteoconductivity and were able to preserve over time the space within the elevated mucosa, the collagen sponge failed the goal of maintaining the space