DOES: A Deep Learning-based approach to estimate roll and pitch at sea

The use of Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) for orientation estimation is now common practice in a wide range of applications, e.g., robotics and human motion tracking, aerial vehicles and aerospace, gaming and virtual reality, indoor pedestrian navigation and maritime navigation. The integration of the high-rate measurements can provide very accurate estimates, but these can suffer from errors accumulation due to the sensors drift over longer time scales. To overcome this issue, inertial sensors are typically combined with additional sensors and techniques. As an example, camera-based solutions have drawn a large attention by the community, thanks to their low-costs and easy hardware setup; moreover, impressive results have been demonstrated in the context of Deep Learning. This work presents the preliminary results obtained by DOES, a supportive Deep Learning method specifically designed for maritime navigation, which aims at improving the roll and pitch estimations obtained by common AHRS. DOES recovers these estimations through the analysis of the frames acquired by a low-cost camera pointing the horizon at sea. The training has been performed on the novel ROPIS dataset, presented in the context of this work, acquired using the FrameWO application developed for the scope. Promising results encourage to test other network backbones and to further expand the dataset, improving the accuracy of the results and the range of applications of the method as a valid support to visual-based odometry techniques

Danae++: A smart approach for denoising underwater attitude estimation

One of the main issues for the navigation of underwater robots consists in accurate vehicle positioning, which heavily depends on the orientation estimation phase. The systems employed to this end are affected by different noise typologies, mainly related to the sensors and to the irregular noise of the underwater environment. Filtering algorithms can reduce their effect if opportunely con-figured, but this process usually requires fine techniques and time. This paper presents DANAE++, an improved denoising autoencoder based on DANAE (deep Denoising AutoeNcoder for Attitude Estimation), which is able to recover Kalman Filter (KF) IMU/AHRS orientation estimations from any kind of noise, independently of its nature. This deep learning-based architecture already proved to be robust and reliable, but in its enhanced implementation significant improvements are obtained in terms of both results and performance. In fact, DANAE++ is able to denoise the three angles describing the attitude at the same time, and that is verified also using the estimations provided by an extended KF. Further tests could make this method suitable for real-time applications in navigation tasks

The twisted open string partition function and Yukawa couplings

We use the operator formalism to derive the bosonic contribution to the twisted open string partition function in toroidal compactifications. This amplitude describes, for instance, the planar interaction between g+1 magnetized or intersecting D-branes. We write the result both in the closed and in the open string channel in terms of Prym differentials on the appropriate Riemann surface. Then we focus on the g=2 case for a 2-torus. By factorizing the twisted partition function in the open string channel we obtain an explicit expression for the 3-twist field correlator, which is the main ingredient in the computation of Yukawa couplings in D-brane phenomenological models. This provides an alternative method for computing these couplings that does not rely on the stress-energy tensor technique.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figures, Latex; v2: typos correcte

Splenomegaly impacts prognosis in essential thrombocythemia and polycythemia vera: A single center study

Splenomegaly is one of the major clinical manifestations of primary myelofibrosis and is common also in other chronic Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms, causing symptoms and signs and affecting quality of life of patients diagnosed with these diseases. We aimed to study the impact that such alteration has on thrombotic risk and on the survival of patients with essential thrombocythemia and patients with Polycythemia Vera (PV). We studied the relationship between splenomegaly (and its grade), thrombosis and survival in 238 patients with et and 165 patients with PV followed at our center between January 1997 and May 2019

Promozione del sistema dei poli di innovazione nello spazio web: analisi dei contenuti e delle reti di relazioni virtuali

Nel progetto di analisi e modellizzazione del sistema regionale dei poli di innovazione in Toscana (www.poliinnovazione.unimore.it), abbiamo esaminato in modo sistematico le informazioni disponibili nei siti web dei poli con due obiettivi: (i) analizzare la varietà di linguaggio e di contenuti che caratterizzano i poli nella loro attività on line; (ii) verificare in che misura i poli facciano riferimento agli stessi enti, imprese, organizzazioni, progetti e, tra questi, alle organizzazioni/o attività direttamente collegate al polo (come ad esempio i soggetti gestori dei poli laboratori, gli incubatori, gli aderenti). Questo articolo presenta nella prima parte l'analisi linguistica dei siti web prodotti dai poli di innovazione ed ha lo scopo di fornire un insieme di variabili per la valutazione delle loro strategie di promozione. Il metro di valutazione principale è l'individuazione della fonte dei materiali pubblicati online dai singoli poli (materiali originali vs. materiali prodotti da terzi), che è stato usato come indicatore del livello di partecipazione di ogni singolo polo nelle strategie di promozione delle proprie attività. Si è quindi cercato di quantificare il livello di coinvolgimento che ogni polo ha espresso – nel proprio sito web – attraverso la pubblicazione di testi. L'analisi è stata condotta utilizzando la metodologia di linguistica dei corpora al fine di svolgere un'indagine sia quantitativa sia qualitativa (simile alla metodologia nota come CADS), ed è stata effettuata prendendo in esame 24 termini relativi ai concetti di innovazione e sviluppo, all'interno dei contenuti web pubblicati dai poli di innovazione (azienda, aziende, centri, collaborazione, conoscenze, finanziamenti, gestione, gestore, impresa, imprese, industriale, innovazione, poli, polo, processi, progetti, progetto, ricerca, servizi, servizio, sviluppo, tecnologia, tecnologie, territorio). Attraverso la valutazione dell'utilizzo dei 24 termini all'interno dei testi web, l'analisi ha evidenziato come le nozioni di innovazione e sviluppo vengano costruite dai singoli poli in termini sia di significato, sia di connotazione. Oltre all'analisi linguistica, l'analisi dei testi web ha consentito anche di individuare in maniera puntuale i domini principali e i link completi citati nei siti web dei poli. Adottando una prospettiva di analisi delle reti di relazioni, con queste informazioni sulle reti virtuali abbiamo analizzato due questioni rilevanti per la modellizzazione del sistema dei poli di innovazione: attraverso le citazioni dei domini principali mettiamo in evidenza in che misura i siti web i poli hanno comunicato le connessioni tra di loro e con i soggetti attivi nel trasferimento tecnologico; attraverso l'analisi dei link completi presenti nei siti web dei singoli poli possiamo individuare in che misura i poli fanno riferimento allo stesso spazio di informazioni. La presentazione è strutturata come segue: nella sezione 1 vengono presentati i dati, gli strumenti e la metodologia utilizzata nell'analisi linguistica; nella sezione 2 viene presentata l'analisi linguistica dei 24 termini selezionati ; nella sezione 3 sono analizzate le reti di relazioni virtuali, la sezione 4 conclude. L'appendice 1 presenta i dettagli tecnici sulla raccolta e successiva pulizia dei dati; l'appendice 2 contiene la lista dei principali link completi presenti all'interno dei siti dei poli presi in esame

The Lorentz force between D0 and D6 branes in string and M(atrix) theory

We use different techniques to analyze the system formed by a D0 brane and a D6 brane (with background gauge fields) in relative motion. In particular, using the closed string formalism of boosted boundary states, we show the presence of a term linear in the velocity, corresponding to the Lorentz force experienced by the D0 brane moving in the magnetic background produced by the D6 brane. This term, that was missed in previous analyses of this system, comes entirely from the R-R odd spin structure and is also reproduced by a M(atrix) theory calculation.Comment: 13 pages, plain LaTeX; some clarifying comments and a reference adde

Early impairment of endothelial structure and function in young normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of early vascular damage in young normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Thirty young normal-weight women with PCOS, who had no additional metabolic or cardiovascular diseases, and 30 healthy women (controls) matched for age and body mass index were studied. A complete hormonal assay was performed in each subject. Serum insulin and glucose levels were measured at baseline and after the oral glucose tolerance test. Plasma endothelin-1 levels and serum lipid profile were also assessed. The endothelial function was studied by flow-mediated dilation on the brachial artery, and arterial structure was evaluated by intima-media thickness measurement using Doppler ultrasound of both common carotid arteries.A significant (P < 0.05) difference in flow-mediated dilation (14.3 +/- 1.9% vs. 18.1 +/- 2.0% for PCOS patients and controls, respectively) and in intima-media thickness (0.53 +/- 0.09 mm vs. 0.39 +/- 0.08 mm for PCOS patients and controls, respectively) was found between PCOS and control subjects. Serum endothelin-1 levels were also significantly (P < 0.05) higher in PCOS patients compared with controls (1.1 +/- 0.4 pmol/liter vs. 0.5 +/- 0.2 pmol/liter for PCOS patients and controls, respectively).In conclusion, our data show that young, normal-weight, nondyslipidemic, nonhypertensive women with PCOS have an early impairment of endothelial structure and function