Overview of ESA’s Earth Observation upcoming small satellites missions

The “New Space” paradigm, has enabled the creation of many new opportunities in the space sector like the development of a large number of missions based on small and nano-satellites. The European Space Agency (ESA) is supporting these new development approaches and technology advancements, including use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components to enable missions based on small and nano satellites. ESA’s Earth Observation Programmes Directorate (ESA-EOP) is already involved not only in the implementation of technologies exploiting the capabilities offered by small and nano-satellites as a complement to the EOP scientific and application-driven flagship satellites, but also in the quick validation of new approaches like A.I, super resolution or more in general in orbit data processing. ESA-EOP developments in the area of small and nano satellites are spread in three different programmatic lines, each with its own objectives: Scout and F-sat Missions and the InCubed Programme. This paper presents the overall ESA-EOP small missions strategy providing a brief insight on the genesis of each programmatic line and their selection processes including an update of the status of the first initiatives and missions under development or study

Effectiveness of a home-based telerehabilitation system in patients after total hip arthroplasty: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Background: The demand for total hip arthroplasty (THA) is quickly rising given the escalating global incidence of hip osteoarthritis, and it is widely accepted that the post-surgery rehabilitation is key to optimize outcomes. The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a new telerehabilitation solution, ReHub, for the physical function and clinical outcome improvement following THA. The specific aims of this manuscript are to describe the study design, protocol, content of interventions, and primary and secondary outcomes and to discuss the clinical rehabilitation impact of the expected experimental results. Methods/design: This prospective, randomized, controlled, parallel-group trial will include 56 patients who had undergone primary THA. Patients are randomized to a control group (standard rehabilitation during the 2-week stay in the rehabilitation clinic followed by 3 weeks of unsupervised home-based rehabilitation) or an experimental group (standard rehabilitation during the 2-week stay in the rehabilitation clinic followed by 3 weeks of home-based ReHub-assisted telerehabilitation). The primary outcome is physical performance assessed through the Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test. Secondary outcomes include independence level, pain intensity, hip disability, hip range of motion, muscle strength, and patient's perception of clinical improvement. Discussion: Proving the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a home-based telerehabilitation program for physical and muscle function following THA could support its systematic incorporation in post-surgical rehabilitation protocols, which should be tailored to the individual and collective needs

Paradossi della fragilità. Critica della normalizzazione sociale tra neuroscienze e filosofia politica

Le recenti scoperte delle neuroscienze hanno fatto emergere la consapevolezza che ogni azione ed espressione umana sia localizzata in una specifica area cerebrale. Dal punto di vista filosofico e sociale, ciò implica una profonda necessità: intraprendere un percorso teorico capace di contro-interrogare la sfera dei paradigmi e dei concetti relativi all'anthropos, alla sua produzione culturale e simbolica, nonché alla sua strutturazione ed organizzazione inter-individuale e politica. Entro tale cornice di ricerca i contributi del presente volume articolano un percorso critico, intrecciando tematiche di ambito neuroscientifico e socio-filosofico, nel modus operandi che Michel Foucault definisce "genealogico": analizzare le condizioni di possibilità di un discorso, non solo attraverso continuità ed isomorfismi, ma anche lungo le discontinuità e le paradossalità. Individuando ciò che è stato pensato, condiviso e legittimato come vero: veridificato

Nello spazio pubblico tra criticità e opportunità

Quanti sono gli imam in Italia? Come si preparano? Come vivono le diverse chiese cristiane in una nostra metropoli? Quali sono le attività e le azioni portate avanti dalla chiesa ortodossa rumena, che in Italia conta su un bacino di oltre un milione di persone? Il volume presenta tre indagini inedite sugli imam delle moschee italiane, sugli ortodossi rumeni e sui diversi volti del cristianesimo tra gli immigrati milanesi. Tre percorsi fino a oggi inesplorati, che mostrano come l’immigrazione costituisca uno dei più incisivi vettori di un processo di post secolarizzazione e un nuovo movimento di fermento religioso

Learning Upright Standing on a Multiaxial Balance Board.

Upright stance on a balance board is a skill requiring complex rearrangement of the postural control. Despite the large use of these boards in training the standing posture, a comprehensive analysis of the learning process underlying the control of these devices is lacking. In this paper learning to maintain a stable stance on a multiaxial oscillating board was studied by analyzing performance changes over short and long periods. Healthy participants were asked to keep the board orientation as horizontal as possible for 20 sec, performing two sessions of 8 trials separated by 15-min pause. Memory consolidation was tested one week later. Amplitude and variability of the oscillations around horizontal plane and area and sway path of the board displacement decreased rapidly over the first session. The performance was stable during the second session, and retained after 1 week. A similar behavior was observed in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions for amplitude and variability parameters, with less stable balance in the anterior-posterior direction. Approximate entropy and mean power frequency, assessing temporal dynamics and frequency content of oscillations, changed only in the anterior-posterior direction during the retention test. Overall, the ability to stand on a balance board is rapidly acquired, and retained for long time. The asymmetric stability between anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions replicates a structure observed in other standing stances, suggesting a possible transfer from previous postural experiences. Conversely, changes in the temporal dynamics and the frequency content could be associated with new postural strategies developed later during memory consolidation

Coffee and metabolic impairment: An updated review of epidemiological studies

Background: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide. In the last years, coffee consumption has been associated with a number of beneficial effects against metabolic impairment. The aim of this narrative review was to report the most updated and comprehensive evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies as well as mechanisms of action of coffee on metabolic impairment. Methods: A search in electronic databases (PUBMED and EMBASE) was performed to retrieve systematic and pooled analyses on coffee and diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Furthermore, the most accredited hypotheses and mechanisms of action of coffee have been described. Results: Coffee consumption has been associated with reduced risk of diabetes in observational studies. However, the effect seems not to be mediated by caffeine. Contrasting results have been found in pooled analyses of observational studies on hypertension, despite short- and long-term follow-ups that have been demonstrated to influence the outcome. Poor or little effect on plasma lipids has been reported in studies on acute administration of coffee, yet depending on the type of coffee preparation. The main beneficial effects of coffee consumption seem to rely on the content of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds (i.e., polyphenols). Among the most important, chlorogenic acids have demonstrated direct anti-hypertensive action through beneficial effect on endothelial function, and significant improvement in glucose and insulin metabolism. Also, diterpenes and melanoidins are major candidates as antioxidant compounds showing the capacity to inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators. However, caffeine and diterpenes may also exert negative effects, such as acute rise in blood pressure and serum lipids. Conclusion: In light of the most recent evidence, coffee consumption seems to be favorably related with health and to protect by metabolic impairment

Experimental set up.

<p>Balance board (A) used in the experimental procedure and the frame of reference (B) to compute the normal vector for the horizontal (<math><msub><mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><mo>→</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>h</mi></mrow></msub></math>) and the board (<math><msub><mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><mo>→</mo></mrow><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow></msub></math>) plane. The angle α indicates the discrepancy between the two planes. The origin of the reference system is determined by the calibration of the motion capture system. See text for further details.</p