Optimal Design and Control of 4-IWD Electric Vehicles based on a 14-DOF Vehicle Model

A 4-independent wheel driving (4-IWD) electric vehicle has distinctive advantages with both enhanced dynamic and energy efficiency performances since this configuration provides more flexibilities from both the design and control aspects. However, it is difficult to achieve the optimal performances of a 4-IWD electric vehicle with conventional design and control approaches. This work is dedicated to investigating the vehicular optimal design and control approaches, with a 4-IWD electric race car aiming at minimizing the lap time on a given circuit as a case study. A 14-DOF vehicle model that can fully evaluate the influences of the unsprung mass is developed based on Lagrangian dynamics. The 14-DOF vehicle model implemented with the reprogrammed Magic Formula tire model and a time-efficient suspension model supports metric operations and parallel computing, which can dramatically improve the computational efficiency. The optimal design and control problems with design parameters of the motor, transmission, mass center, anti-roll bar and the suspension of the race car are successively formulated. The formulated problems are subsequently solved by directly transcribing the original problems into large scale nonlinear optimization problems based on trapezoidal approach. The influences of the mounting positions of the propulsion system, the mass and inertia of the unsprung masses, the anti-roll bars and suspensions on the lap time are analyzed and compared quantitatively. Some interesting findings that are different from the `already known facts' are presented

Il Granduca, i filosofi e il Codice degli Irochesi. Il principio ‘contumax pro confesso habetur’ e la riforma leopoldina

Nella prassi penalistica di età bassomedievale la regola contumax pro confesso habetur emerge con chiarezza in gran parte del continente europeo. In Italia essa si impone con particolare forza in età comunale, in connessione con due fenomeni che hanno l’effetto di connotare in senso fortemente negativo la contumacia: il processo di pubblicizzazione della giustizia e l’affermazione dei moduli inquisitori. Operando in stretto contato con due altri istituti-chiave, la confessione e il bando, la regola contumax pro confesso habetur – in quanto espressione della presunzione di colpevolezza – gioca dunque un ruolo non secondario nel definire i contorni della giustizia criminale nell’età del diritto comune e costituisce anzi una vera e propria architrave del sistema penale, specie quando si consideri che il fenomeno della contumacia – qualificata dai giuristi come confessio ficta – interessa una parte rilevante del totale delle cause penali. Nel XVIII secolo le risalenti regole romanistiche secondo le quali nessuno può essere condannato senza essere sentito (D. 48.17.1.pr.; 48.19.5.pr.; C. 9.2.6) ricevono nuova linfa, in prospettiva garantista e accusatoria, dalle prese di posizione in tema di contumacia penale assunte da numerosi esponenti dell’illuminismo, tra i quali spiccano i nomi di Voltaire e di Filangieri, che stigmatizzano a più riprese la barbarie del vigente sistema, degno di un «codice da Irochesi» . Nel vivace e stimolante ambiente toscano le nuove sensibilità in tema di contumacia si manifestano in un anonimo contributo apparso nel 1780 sul «Giornale de’ Letterati» e ben presto coinvolgono lo stesso granduca Pietro Leopoldo, che si occupa ex professo dell’istituto in occasione dei lavori preparatori della Leopoldina. In tale contesto, il tema della riforma del regime della contumacia occupa una posizione di particolare rilievo, ed innesca un articolato dibattito tra i fautori di riforme di ampia portata e di ispirazione illuminista (Cercignani) e coloro che si mostrano invece propensi più a una mitigazione degli aspetti più crudi della tradizionale procedura che a radicali innovazioni (Tosi, Giusti). Il contrastato processo di riforma culmina nella redazione di una nuova disciplina dell’istituto della contumacia penale (artt. 37-44 della Leopoldina) che, al pari dei più noti interventi sulla pena capitale e sulla tortura, costituisce una pietra miliare nella storia del riformismo penale settecentesco. Tale disciplina si incentra sulla definitiva abolizione del principio contumax pro confesso habetur e sull’equiparazione tra imputato assente e imputato presente, pur mantenendo una connotazione negativa in ordine alla contumacia, che si trasforma da confessio ficta in semplice indizio sottoposto alla valutazione del giudice

La prescrizione penale in un caso giudiziario nella Francia della Renaissance

Nel 1518 il Parlement di Bordeaux decise un caso penale che aveva per oggetto un reato di incendio applicando il principio della prescrizione ventennale. La sentenza fu commentata in modo approfondito da Nicolas Bohier – che aveva presieduto la corte – nella sua raccolta di Decisiones burdegalenses del 1547. Essa comparve altresì nella collezione di arrêts realizzata nel 1556 da Jean Papon. Prendendo spunto da questa vicenda, il presente contributo illustra le linee generali dell’istituto della prescrizione penale nell’età del diritto comune, con particolare riguardo ai fondamenti testuali dello stesso e alle numerose controversie dottrinali di cui fu oggetto. Tra queste ultime, di particolare rilevanza sono quelle che riguardano la durata della prescrizione, il problema del termine a quo, l’applicabilità dell’istituto anche nei procedimenti di natura inquisitoria, la rilevanza della confessione, il rapporto con i reati occulti, la sussistenza di reati imprescrittibili o dotati di una propria specifica prescrizione, la diversa disciplina stabilita dalle legislazioni statutarie. Da ultimo, viene presa in esame la limpida sintesi che dell’istituto offrì Giulio Claro nel Liber Quintus del 1568.In 1518 the Parlement of Bordeaux decided a criminal case involving a fire crime by applying the principle of the 20-year prescription. The ruling was commented on in depth by Nicolas Bohier – who had presided over the Court – in his collection of Decisiones burdegalenses (1547). It also appeared in the collection of arrêts compiled by Jean Papon (1556). Taking this as a starting point, the present contribution illustrates the general outlines of the criminal prescription in the age of ius commune, with particular regard to its textual foundations and the numerous doctrinal controversies to which it was subjected. Of particular relevance among the latter are those concerning the duration of the prescription, the problem of the term a quo, the applicability of the institute even in proceedings of an inquisitorial nature, the relevance of the confession, the relationship with occult crimes, the existence of crimes that are imprescriptible or endowed with their own specific prescription, and the different rules established by municipal legislations. Finally, reference is made to the limpid summary that Giulio Claro offered on the subject in the Liber Quintus of 1568. Parole chiave / Keywords: Prescrizione penale, Parlement di Bordeaux, Bohier Nicolas, dottrina penale, ius commune / Criminal prescription, Parlement of Bordeaux, Bohier Nicolas, criminal doctrine, ius commune

Should we control? The interplay between cognitive control and information integration in the resolution of the exploration-exploitation dilemma

In their daily decisions, humans and animals are often confronted with the conflicting choice of opting either for a rewarding familiar option (i.e., exploitation) or for a novel, uncertain option that may, however, yield a better reward in the near future (i.e., exploration). Despite extensive research, the cognitive mechanisms that subtend the manner in which humans solve this exploration-exploitation dilemma are still poorly understood. In this study, we challenge the popular assumption that exploitation is a global default strategy that must be suppressed by means of cognitive control mechanisms so as to enable exploratory strategies. To do so, we asked participants to engage in a challenging working memory task while performing repeated choices in a gambling task. Results showed that manipulating cognitive control resources exclusively hindered participants’ ability to explore the environment in a directed, intentional manner. Moreover, under certain scenarios, adopting exploitative strategies was also dependent on the availability of cognitive control resources. Additional analyses using a recent computational model of information integration suggests that increasing cognitive load specifically interferes with the ability to combine reward and information in order to inform choices. Our results shed light on the cognitive mechanisms that underpin the resolution of the dilemma and provide a formal foundation through which to explore pathologies of goal-directed behavior

Le stimmate di Francesco come <i>locus philosophicus</i>

L'esperienza cristiana di Francesco d'Assisi ha ispirato non solo la letteratura religiosa del suo tempo, ma ha costituito un punto di riferimento anche per l'elaborazione filosofica e teologica dei maestri francescani, come si evince dall'analisi di una questione quodlibetale di Pietro Tommaso relativa al fenomeno delle stimmate del Poverello. Il testo del maestro catalano, in confronto anche con testi simili precedenti o coevi, si presenta come un testimone interessante della temperie culturale dei primi decenni del Trecento, dal momento che analizza la stimmatizzazione di Francesco non tanto per uno scopo apologetico, quanto piuttosto come come locus philosophicus grazie al quale elaborare alcune riflessioni sul rapporto tra natura e soprannatura e in merito alla potentia Dei absoluta.   The Christian experience of Francis of Assisi not only inspired the religious literature of his time but also constituted a reference point for the philosophical and theological elaboration of the Franciscan masters, as it can be deduced from the analysis of a quodlibetal question of Petrus Thomae about the phenomenon of the Poverello's stigmata. The text of the Catalan master, in comparison also with similar previous or coeval texts, arises as an interesting witness of the cultural age of the fourteenth century early decades, since it analyzes the stigmatization of Francis not so much for an apologetic purpose, but rather as locus philosophicus thanks to which it is possible to elaborate some reflections on the relationship between nature and supernature and on the potentia Dei absoluta

Distinct motivations to seek out information in healthy individuals and problem gamblers

As massive amounts of information are becoming available to people, understanding the mechanisms underlying information-seeking is more pertinent today than ever. In this study, we investigate the underlying motivations to seek out information in healthy and addicted individuals. We developed a novel decision-making task and a novel computational model which allows dissociating the relative contribution of two motivating factors to seek out information: a desire for novelty and a general desire for knowledge. To investigate whether/how the motivations to seek out information vary between healthy and addicted individuals, in addition to healthy controls we included a sample of individuals with gambling disorder—a form of addiction without the confound of substance consumption and characterized by compulsive gambling. Our results indicate that healthy subjects and problem gamblers adopt distinct information-seeking “modes”. Healthy information-seeking behavior was mostly motivated by a desire for novelty. Problem gamblers, on the contrary, displayed reduced novelty-seeking and an increased desire for accumulating knowledge compared to healthy controls. Our findings not only shed new light on the motivations driving healthy and addicted individuals to seek out information, but they also have important implications for the treatment and diagnosis of behavioral addiction

«Sanctius est impunitum relinqui facinus nocentis quam innocentem damnare». I dubbi del giudice e le risposte del giurista nel consilium I, 133 di Giasone del Maino

In un consilium iudiciale redatto nel 1487 Giasone del Maino risponde agli interrogativi rivoltigli dal podestà di Treviso sul tema dell’impunità riconosciuta all’uccisore di un bandito. In questa occasione il giurista affronta una serie di snodi cruciali della giustizia penale, tra i quali figurano, oltre all’omicidio e al bando, la confessione, la legittima difesa e la contumacia. Il consilium si segnala per l’accurata ricerca da parte del giurista dei principi generali sui quali basare la concreta amministrazione della giustizia, e si colloca lungo un itinerario dottrinale di ampio respiro culturale inteso a mitigare gli aspetti di maggiore arbitrarietà e violenza che caratterizzano il sistema penale nell’età del diritto comune.In a consilium iudiciale drawn up in 1487 Giasone del Maino answers the questions raised by the podestà of Treviso on the issue of impunity granted for those who kill a bannitus. On this occasion, the jurist faces a series of crucial points of criminal justice, which include, in addition to the murder and the ban, confession, self-defense and trial in absentia. On one side, this consilium must be noted for the careful research by the jurist of the general principles on which to base the concrete administration of justice. On the other side, it is located along a doctrinal itinerary of broad cultural scope intended to mitigate the aspects of greater arbitrariness and violence that characterize the criminal law system in the age of ius commune.Parole chiave / Keywords: Giasone del Maino, consilia, bando, omicidio, confessione, legittima difesa, contumacia / Giasone del Maino, consilia, ban, murder, confession, self-defense, trial in absentia

Continuous Monitoring of Transmission Lines Sag through Angular Measurements Performed with Wireless Sensors

High voltage transmission lines are crucial infrastructure that are demanded to supply an increasing request of electric energy. In the design and operations stages, sag represents a key parameter which must respect specific constraints. Therefore, sag continuous monitoring is becoming essential to guarantee the correct functioning of the line and to optimize the current flow. Different solutions have been proposed in literature, but they are still lacking efficiency and reliability to be used during operations. In this work, a simple and efficient method, based on conductor parabolic approximation, is developed and used to compute the sag through the measurement of the conductor slope in proximity of the span extremities. The angular measurements are obtained using wireless sensors equipped with MEMS accelerometers developed by authors and employed for HVTL conductor vibration monitoring. The proposed method and its implementation in the monitoring system was tested in a laboratory environment on a real conductor. The values of sag at different tensile loads have been obtained and compared to the measured ones, with satisfactory results according to the accelerometer resolution. The solution developed therefore represents a complete and innovative tool to be adopted in the field to monitor, in real time, both the sag and the level of vibration due to the wind action, allowing to increase the performance reliability of HVTL