L-Convex Polyominoes are Recognizable in Real Time by 2D Cellular Automata

A polyomino is said to be L-convex if any two of its cells are connected by a 4-connected inner path that changes direction at most once. The 2-dimensional language representing such polyominoes has been recently proved to be recognizable by tiling systems by S. Brocchi, A. Frosini, R. Pinzani and S. Rinaldi. In an attempt to compare recognition power of tiling systems and cellular automata, we have proved that this language can be recognized by 2-dimensional cellular automata working on the von Neumann neighborhood in real time. Although the construction uses a characterization of L-convex polyominoes that is similar to the one used for tiling systems, the real time constraint which has no equivalent in terms of tilings requires the use of techniques that are specific to cellular automata

Monitoraggio delle deformazioni della cupola del Teatro Massimo di Palermo con l\u2019impiego di tecniche topografiche e fotogrammetriche integrate.

L\u2019articolo riporta i primi risultati di uno studio finalizzato al monitoraggio delle deformazioni della cupola del Teatro Massimo di Palermo provocate dalle dilatazioni termiche, con l\u2019impiego di tecniche topografiche e fotogrammetriche integrate. In particolare, sono state utilizzate due stazioni totali robotizzate e sistemi di fotogrammetria digitale di elevata precisione. Per correlare gli spostamenti dei carrelli sui quali poggia la struttura in acciaio della cupola con i gradienti termici, sono state acquisite immagini termiche diversificate. L\u2019obiettivo principale del lavoro consisteva nel confronto delle due tecniche di rilievo in relazione a misure di deformazione di entit\ue0 molto ridotta (submillimetrica). I risultati ottenuti dimostrano che i carrelli funzionano ancora correttamente. Infatti, per un gradiente termico di 6\ub0 C misurato dalla termo camera, entrambe le tecniche topografiche e fotogrammetriche hanno evidenziato spostamenti dell\u2019ordine di 0.8 mm, in accordo con le previsioni del modello teorico.This paper shows the first results of a study aimed at monitoring the deformations of the dome of the Massimo Theatre in Palermo caused by thermal dilatations, with the use of topographic and photogrammetric integrated techniques. Particularly, two robotic total stations and high precision digital photogrammetric systems were employed. In order to correlate the displacements of the rollers on which the steel structure of the dome rest with the thermal gradients, different thermal images were acquired. The main goal of the work was to compare the two techniques with reference to very small (sub-millimeter) deformation measurements. The obtained results show that the rollers are still working correctly. In fact, for a thermal gradient of 6 \ub0C surveyed by thermographic camera, both topographic and photogrammetric techniques determined displacements of the order of 0.8 mm, according with the expected deformations of the theoretic model

Geomatic applications tourban park in palermo

Over the last few years topographical techniques have developed an exponential trend towards simplifying and speeding, both survey operations and analysis of data collected reaching at the same time ever higher levels of accuracy. Among the technologies that are increasingly taking the field in this context is part of the Mobile Mapping System (MMS) that, on any mobile platform, combines sensors and measurement systems designed to provide a 3D position of the platform and, at the same time, capable to acquire geographic data without the aid of control points on the ground. The study reported concerns the verification of the reliability metrics and a qualitative MMS in order to evaluate its behavior in a particularly insidious as it can be an urban park; in particular, we report a series of experiments carried out from 2012 to the present in which we tried to test the potential of the system, comparing it with data from systems more “traditional”, and to exploit all the products in an integrated survey carried out in dynamic mode

GEOMATIC METHODOLOGIES FOR THE STUDY OF TEATRO MASSIMO IN PALERMO (ITALY)

This work illustrates the use of geomatics techniques for the documentation of Teatro Massimo in Palermo (Italy), one of the most important and big in Italy and in Europe. The theatre is characterized by a very complex structure and is realized also using innovative solution, studied at the time of the project specifically for this building; for example, an original system was realized for a natural air-conditioning system of the auditorium. Due to his complexity, the documentation of the Teatro Massimo requires studying specific survey solutions for the different parts of the building. In this paper, some studies on two of the most representative parts of the building were described. In particular, a 3D survey of the auditorium was carried out to obtain a first 3D model of the most important internal part; a very accurate monitoring of structure inside the dome of the theatre was also carried out. The survey of the auditorium was realized by a Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), that has allowed the creation of a digital archive of point clouds, showing, however, the some level of criticality due to the complex shapes of building and of architectural details. The work has highlighted that specific strategy to optimize the number of acquisitions needed for the complete documentation of the auditorium. The monitoring of the structure inside the dome was carried out by topographic and photogrammetric techniques. The monitoring was aimed at measuring the displacements of the support devices connecting the iron structure of the dome. The monitoring has allowed to understand and to test the proper functionality of this complex system. Some tests were carried out also by a thermal camera to correlate the displacements of the support devices with the dilatations produced by steel thermal gradients

Determinants of enhanced thromboxane biosynthesis in renal transplantation

Background. Despite great improvement in patient and graft survival, the long-term morbidity and mortality in renal transplant recipients (RTRs) are still significant, with a high incidence of cardiovascular disease-related deaths. Methods. We investigated thromboxane (TXA2) biosynthesis and endothelial and coagulative activation in 65 patients who received a renal transplant. Results. The rate of TXA2 biosynthesis (urinary 11-dehydro-TXB2 excretion largely reflects platelet TXA2 production in vivo) was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher in RTRs than in healthy subjects. Plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) and thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in RTRs compared with controls. Urinary 11-dehydro-TXB2 directly correlated with plasma vWF and cholesterol. We next examined the relative influence of cyclosporine A (CsA) on TXA2 biosynthesis and endothelial activation, comparing a group of RTRs not receiving CsA with an age- and sex-matched group of patients treated with CsA. Urinary excretion of 11-dehydro-TXB2 and plasma levels of vWF were significantly increased in RTRs who received CsA compared with those who did not. After an overall follow-up of 120 months, RTRs who experienced cardiovascular events had a higher frequency of abnormal plasma levels of vWF than patients who remained event free. Conclusion. Renal transplantation is associated with in vivo platelet activation highly related to endothelial activation. This is particularly evident in CsA-treated patients. Administration of drugs that are able to reduce or eliminate thromboxane-dependent platelet activation in vivo may be beneficial to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in RTRs

La Chapelle des Dames : un splendide exemple du baroque italien

R\ue9sum\ue9 Un des sujets les plus br\ufblants de la g\ue9omatique de ce d\ue9but du XXIe si\ue8cle est la recherche des techniques les plus efficaces pour num\ue9riser et restituer les \ue9difices modernes et historiques. Les premiers font l\u2019objets de relev\ue9s pour constituer une maquette de type BIM, les seconds plus dans le cadre d\u2019\ue9tudes acad\ue9miques ou de documents de base pour des travaux de restoration. Le principal sujet de d\ue9bat actuel peut se r\ue9sumer en une phrase : \uab quelle technique pour quel relev\ue9 ? \ubb. En effet, si d\u2019un c\uf4t\ue9 les relev\ue9s laser permettent de constituer des nuages de points extr\ueamement riches et d\ue9taill\ue9s (Costantino, 2013), il est ensuite souvent d\ue9licat de g\ue9rer correctement une telle somme de donn\ue9es, m\ueame \ue0 l\u2019aide d\u2019ordinateurs de derni\ue8re g\ue9n\ue9ration (Balletti, 2015). Un probl\ue8me analogue se pose avec le recours \u2014 de plus en plus fr\ue9quent \u2013 \ue0 des cam\ue9ras photogramm\ue9triques embarqu\ue9es \ue0 bord de drones, suivis de traitements fond\ue9s sur des algorithmes de type Structure from Motion (SFM), qui, \ue0 partir d\u2019images multiples, reconstituent eux aussi un nuage de points. Il faut donc bien r\ue9fl\ue9chir, avant de se lancer, au type de mat\ue9riel et de logiciel qui serviront \ue0 constituer la maquette (Dominici, 2013). Nous d\ue9taillerons ici l\u2019exemple d\u2019un site particuli\ue8rement remarquable, pour lequel trois organismes publics et une entreprise priv\ue9e ont d\ue9cid\ue9 de collaborer \ue0 titre gracieux, au nom de la conservation du patrimoine artistique et culturel, et du rayonnement de la ville de Palerme

Two-dimensional Rational Automata: A Bridge Unifying One- and Two-dimensional Language Theory

We define two-dimensional rational automata for pictures as an extension of classical finite automata for strings. They are obtained replacing the finite relation computed by the transition function with a rational relation computed by a transducer. The model provides a uniform setting for the most important notions, techniques and results presented in the last decades for recognizable two-dimensional languages, and establishes new connections between one- and two- dimensional language theory

Picture recognizability with automata based on Wang tiles.

We introduce a model of automaton for picture language recognition which is based on tiles and is called Wang automaton, since its description relies on the notation of Wang systems. Wang automata combine features of both online tessellation acceptors and 4-ways automata: as in online tessellation acceptors, computation assigns states to each picture position; as in 4-way automata, the input head visits the picture moving from one pixel to an adjacent one, according to some scanning strategy. We prove that Wang automata recognize the class REC, i.e. they are equivalent to tiling systems or online tessellation acceptors, and hence strictly more powerful than 4-way automata. We also consider a very natural notion of determinism for Wang automata, and study the resulting class, comparing it with other deterministic classes considered in the literature, like DREC and Snake-DREC

Are laboratory tests useful for monitoring the activity of lupus nephritis? : A 6-year prospective study in a cohort of 228 patients with lupus nephritis

Objectives: To evaluate the role of immunological tests for monitoring lupus nephritis (LN) activity. Methods: C3, C4, anti-dsDNA and anti-C1q antibodies were prospectively performed over 6 years in 228 patients with LN. Results: In membranous LN only anti-C1q antibodies differentiated proteinuric flares from quiescent disease (p = 0.02). However, in this group 46% of flares occurred with a normal value of anti-C1q antibodies versus 20% in proliferative LN (p = 0.02). In patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (APL), 33% of flares occurred with normal levels of anti-C1q antibodies versus 14.5% in patients that were APL-negative (p = 0.02). In proliferative LN, anti-C1q antibodies showed a slightly better sensitivity and specificity (80.5 and 71% respectively) than other tests for the diagnosis of renal flares. All four tests had good negative predictive value (NPV). At univariate analysis anti-C1q was the best renal flare predictor (p < 0.0005). At multivariate analysis, the association of anti-C1q with C3 and C4 provided the best performance (p < 0.0005, p < 0.005, p < 0.005 respectively). Conclusions: Anti-C1q is slightly better than the other tests to confirm the clinical activity of LN, particularly in patients with proliferative LN and in the absence of APL. All four "specific'' tests had a good NPV, suggesting that, in the presence of normal values of each, active LN is unlikely