A drone-based image processing system for car detection in a smart transport infrastructure

In this paper we present a car detection system prototyped within an experimental project. It analyzes video streams recorded by drones flying over an urban environment. The intended final goal is the automatic provision of helpful information, such as the available parking spaces and the level of congestion of the streets. The system has been tested both in a desktop PC and on an embedded system. The experimental results show a significant accuracy and prove the feasibility of novel on-board services

[18F](2S,4R)-4-Fluoroglutamine as a New Positron Emission Tomography Tracer in Myeloma

The high glycolytic activity of multiple myeloma (MM) cells is the rationale for use of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) to detect both bone marrow (BM) and extramedullary disease. However, new tracers are actively searched because [18F]FDG-PET has some limitations and there is a portion of MM patients who are negative. Glutamine (Gln) addiction has been recently described as a typical metabolic feature of MM cells. Yet, the possible exploitation of Gln as a PET tracer in MM has never been assessed so far and is investigated in this study in preclinical models. Firstly, we have synthesized enantiopure (2S,4R)-4-fluoroglutamine (4-FGln) and validated it as a Gln transport analogue in human MM cell lines, comparing its uptake with that of 3H-labelled Gln. We then radiosynthesized [18F]4-FGln, tested its uptake in two different in vivo murine MM models, and checked the effect of Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor currently used in the treatment of MM. Both [18F]4-FGln and [18F]FDG clearly identified the spleen as site of MM cell colonization in C57BL/6 mice, challenged with syngeneic Vk12598 cells and assessed by PET. NOD.SCID mice, subcutaneously injected with human MM JJN3 cells, showed high values of both [18F]4-FGln and [18F]FDG uptake. Bortezomib significantly reduced the uptake of both radiopharmaceuticals in comparison with vehicle at post treatment PET. However, a reduction of glutaminolytic, but not of glycolytic, tumor volume was evident in mice showing the highest response to Bortezomib. Our data indicate that [18F](2S,4R)-4-FGln is a new PET tracer in preclinical MM models, yielding a rationale to design studies in MM patients

Comparison of anticoagulation quality between acenocoumarol and warfarin in patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves: Insights from the nationwide PLECTRUM study

Vitamin K antagonists are indicated for the thromboprophylaxis in patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valves (MPHV). However, it is unclear whether some differences between acenocoumarol and warfarin in terms of anticoagulation quality do exist. We included 2111 MPHV patients included in the nationwide PLECTRUM registry. We evaluated anticoagulation quality by the time in therapeutic range (TiTR). Factors associated with acenocoumarol use and with low TiTR were investigated by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Mean age was 56.8 ± 12.3 years; 44.6% of patients were women and 395 patients were on acenocoumarol. A multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that patients on acenocoumarol had more comorbidities (i.e., ≥3, odds ratio (OR) 1.443, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.081-1.927, p = 0.013). The mean TiTR was lower in the acenocoumarol than in the warfarin group (56.1 ± 19.2% vs. 61.6 ± 19.4%, p < 0.001). A higher prevalence of TiTR (<60%, <65%, or <70%) was found in acenocoumarol users than in warfarin ones (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Acenocoumarol use was associated with low TiTR regardless of the cutoff used at multivariable analysis. A lower TiTR on acenocoumarol was found in all subgroups of patients analyzed according to sex, hypertension, diabetes, age, valve site, atrial fibrillation, and INR range. In conclusion, anticoagulation quality was consistently lower in MPHV patients on acenocoumarol compared to those on warfarin

Dynamic Landscapes, Emerging Territories

As a result of the pressing environmental and technological conditions dominant today, new frontiers for architectural production are emerging. Fueled by accelerated change and increased connectivity, these trajectories operate across multiple scales and domains. The evolving relationship between place, technology, and occupancy formulates a complex active structure that tends to have fluctuating levels of activity and impact. These conditions are giving way to hybridized settings where the interdependence of digital and analog is altering the very politics of place and identity. In response to the prevalence of amalgamated settings, the paradigm of “Dynamic Landscapes, Emerging Territories” is presented. Dynamic Landscapes have definitions and presence in multiple locations simultaneously, requiring new methods of documentation and assessment in order to conceive appropriate design responses. The paper uses the Syrian Refugee Crisis as a case study for deciphering the implications inherent in displacement in the context of dynamic landscapes. Furthermore, it presents an opportunity to think of new architectural trajectories rooted and driven by the animation of such sites. Inherently dynamic, forced displacement presents rich emerging territories where design carries significant impact and facilitates a tangible reassessment of a refugee’s narrative. Supported by robust information networks and active feedback loops, displaced landscapes as such can learn from their residents and inform their imminent futures specifically, as well as our collective human occupancy at large. Within constantly changing milieus, architecture’s premises and processes are being challenged to respond to fluctuating contexts and provide for transient occupancies. While some may see this as a loss of spatial agency when it comes to design, these conditions present an opportunity to think of new architectural trajectories that are rooted and driven by the dynamism of multilayered landscapes and new approaches towards practice

Integrating Side Channel Security in the FPGA Hardware Design Flow

The design of digital systems has its mainstay in the electronic design automation flows which act as crucial instruments to reduce the effort to realize complex computing platforms. In this work, we investigate the possibility of integrating side channel security analyses within the existing FPGA design flow, to provide a feedback to the hardware designer in a prompt and effective way. To this end, we realize an analysis framework which detects side channel leakage on the power consumption side channel at two well established checkpoints in hardware design, i.e., post synthesis and post implementation. We report the results of the proposed framework when integrated within the commercial Xilinx Vivado design toolchain. As a case study, we employ an open source SoC running a software version of the AES block cipher and provide a taxonomy of the side channel information leakage. The reported results highlight how our approach is able to provide precise insights on the sources of information leakage in the hardware design at hand. In particular, we show that the results of the simulations at post synthesis and post implementation stages provide complementary sets of insights on the information leakage, which, thanks to our methodology, can be traced back to architectural components which are the culprits of the said leakage

An unusual case of acute periorbital swelling.

Periorbital swelling is frequently encountered in ear, nose, and throat practices and, as it may be secondary to acute sinusitis, delayed diagnosis may lead to significant morbidity. We describe the case of a 24-year-old man with acute ethmoid-maxillary sinusitis and ipsilateral facial swelling particularly involving the periorbital area. We also discuss the workup that led to the formulation of an unusual diagnosi

Driving Safety & Awareness Cooperative Business Model exploiting the 5GMETA platform

The introduction of the 5G in the automotive sector paves the way to new business opportunities and stakeholders collaboration, thanks to the availability of new connected vehicles technologies. To emphasise the opportunities of improved data sharing, different business modelling approaches exist, depending on the phase of the data value chain that technologies are able to cover. The 5GMETA open platform aims to leverage CCAM-based captured data to stimulate, facilitate and feed innovative products and services exploring the possibilities enabled by collaborative business models. This paper describes a new business model which focuses on a Use Case (UC) on "Driving Safety and Awareness" that exploit the 5GMETA platform, and highlight its business innovation. In this context, the value proposition relies in the ability to increase road safety thanks to a better driving-misbehaviour detection, thus providing benefits to a wide range of potential stakeholders. The UC has its foundation in the real-time data collected, in a scalable and reliable way, by the platform. The main innovation that the adoption of such business model will bring is the creation of new partnerships that may be enforced by a clear definition of the profit-sharing strategy between the actors involved

Video processing for V2V communications: A case study with traffic lights and plate recognition

In recent years there have been changes in the way cars are designed. Car manufactures put a lot of effort on safety and systems that provide information to the driver with the long-term objective of achieve a complete self-driving car. Nowadays the most effective approach relies on data fusion of information, coming from a plethora of different sensors like RADARs and videocameras. While some of these sensors are already available on commercial cars, others will be introduced step-by-step. Therefore, data fusion algorithms should address the possibility to manage duplicated information and using this redundant information to validate the received data. In this work we describe two near-real time algorithms which exploit the video stream acquired by on-board camera. One allows for the identification of traffic light status and the second one addresses vehicles tracking and plate recognition