Preliminary study for the measurement of Biosignals in Driving Simulators

openThis preliminary study focuses on the goal of developing and testing a setup and method for non-invasive monitoring of individuals using biosensors in a professional driving simulator (VI-grade Compact Simulator). This involves the synchronization and integration of hardware and software components. To detect the emotional and cognitive state of the driver, it is crucial to identify which signals provide reliable information about their condition. The objective of this study is to observe individuals in a controlled and repeatable environment designed to stimulate cognitive workload. This was achieved using a multimodal assessment method (iMotions), which includes eye tracking, galvanic skin response (GSR), electromyography (EMG), and respiration measurements, all conducted during two distinct controlled driving simulation scenarios. Four healthy subjects (average age = 24, standard deviation = ±2) were monitored during the first scenario, a highway with repeated emergency maneuvers (slalom through cones and double lane change), and the second, five laps of the Paul Ricard circuit. All of this for a total duration of approximately 20 minutes. The participants were not aware that the scenarios were designed to provoke different reactions. This experimental thesis aims to be the continuation and evolution of a testing phase previously conducted during an internship at iMotions, a company that develops multimodal streaming software and distributes commercial hardware. The hardware was supplied to the NAVLAB at the University of Padua, where the simulator is located. The results obtained, at first analysis, appear to be consistent with the literature, suggesting that a multimodal approach to physiological signals may characterize emotional and cognitive states in driving scenarios.This preliminary study focuses on the goal of developing and testing a setup and method for non-invasive monitoring of individuals using biosensors in a professional driving simulator (VI-grade Compact Simulator). This involves the synchronization and integration of hardware and software components. To detect the emotional and cognitive state of the driver, it is crucial to identify which signals provide reliable information about their condition. The objective of this study is to observe individuals in a controlled and repeatable environment designed to stimulate cognitive workload. This was achieved using a multimodal assessment method (iMotions), which includes eye tracking, galvanic skin response (GSR), electromyography (EMG), and respiration measurements, all conducted during two distinct controlled driving simulation scenarios. Four healthy subjects (average age = 24, standard deviation = ±2) were monitored during the first scenario, a highway with repeated emergency maneuvers (slalom through cones and double lane change), and the second, five laps of the Paul Ricard circuit. All of this for a total duration of approximately 20 minutes. The participants were not aware that the scenarios were designed to provoke different reactions. This experimental thesis aims to be the continuation and evolution of a testing phase previously conducted during an internship at iMotions, a company that develops multimodal streaming software and distributes commercial hardware. The hardware was supplied to the NAVLAB at the University of Padua, where the simulator is located. The results obtained, at first analysis, appear to be consistent with the literature, suggesting that a multimodal approach to physiological signals may characterize emotional and cognitive states in driving scenarios

Mesopotamian medical information in the divination series Šumma ālu

The proposed communication aims at presenting the preliminary results of my pilot research project “Mesopotamian medical notions in the divination series Šumma ālu”. Thanks to the endowment of a Henri Frankfort Short-Term Fellowship, I have conducted this study at the Warburg Institute, School of Advanced Study, University of London (January-April 2019). The aim of this research was to conduct a first survey of all medical-related information comprised in the terrestrial omens of the series Šumma ālu. Medical sources provide useful information to the reconstruction of Babylonian scientific and intellectual history; however, if considered alone, they do not allow us to understand various aspects of medical rationale. For this reason, scholars have been interested also in sources outside the medical corpus. I decided to follow their footsteps by focusing on Šumma ālu, which has been labelled as an encyclopaedia for every aspect of ancient Mesopotamian everyday life. This line of enquiry has never been attempted before, as the medical corpus has been compared usually with magic, not divination. Moreover, the difficulties embodied by the processes of the textual edition of the divination series have slowed its accessibility. However, the edition of the first half of Šumma ālu has been completed recently, and two ongoing projects (Geneva, Vienna) are aimed at completing this task. The communication will present the general context of this pilot project, its preliminary results and its possible future developments

Expression of Zinc Fingers and Homeoboxes 2 (Zhx2) and Zhx2 Target Genes in Multiple Tissues of Wild-Type and Zhx2 Knockout Mice

The Spear lab has had a long-standing interest in gene regulation in the liver during development and disease. Several years ago, these studies identified a novel transcriptional regulator called Zinc fingers and homeoboxes 2 (Zhx2), which is a member of a small family that includes Zhx1 and Zhx3. All Zhx proteins contain two amino-terminal C2-H2 zinc fingers and four or five carboxy-terminal homeodomains. Previous studies indicate that Zhx proteins can form homodimers and heterodimers with each other. Zhx2 regulates numerous hepatic genes, including alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and H19. Genes controlling lipid and cholesterol homeostasis are also regulated by Zhx2. More recently, our lab has found that a number of Cytochrome P450 (Cyp) genes and Major urinary protein (Mup) genes are also targets of Zhx2. The BALB/cJ mouse substrain contains a natural hypomorphic mutation in Zhx2, and the aforementioned targets are dysregulated in the livers of adult BALB/cJ mice. Recently, our lab developed mice that contain a floxed allele of Zhx2. By crossing these mice with transgenic mice that express the Cre recombinase in all tissues or in hepatocytes, we can knock-out Zhx2 expression in all tissues or solely in the liver, respectively. Much of the research in the Spear lab has focused on the role of Zhx2 in liver gene expression during development and several models of liver disease. However, we have found that Zhx2 is ubiquitously expressed in all adult mouse tissues. The first part of my project has utilized whole-body Zhx2 knock-out mice to investigate the role of Zhx2 in various tissues, including kidney, brain, small intestine, liver, salivary and lacrimal glands. These studies indicate that some, but not all, previously identified Zhx2 targets are also regulated by Zhx2 in non-liver tissues. I have also carefully evaluated whether the absence of Zhx2 results in increased perinatal lethality and/or altered postnatal growth. These studies suggest that postnatal growth of male Zhx2 knock-out mice is delayed compared to wild-type Zhx2 littermates. My second project examined subcellular localization of Zhx proteins. To accomplish this, GFP-Zhx fusion proteins were expressed in transfected cells. Zhx1 and Zhx2 localized to the nucleus whereas transfected Zhx3-GFP proteins were found in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Moreover, when Zhx3-GFP was co-transfected with Zhx2, Zhx3-GFP was found strictly in the nucleus. This data suggests that interactions between Zhx proteins could alter protein localization. I employed bioinformatics tools to predict the 3D structures of Zhx1, Zhx2, and Zhx3 monomers, homodimers, and heterodimers

Medico-dermatological notions in Mesopotamian cuneiform sources

In the last decades the study of ancient Mesopotamian medicine has enjoyed a considerable popularity among Assyriological studies. The recent publications of both primary sources and secondary literature have shed new light on a field previously unknown to the general public. Among such activities, also contributions on dermatology have been provided. However, the theme is still lacking a comprehensive study offering, on the one hand, updated references on dermatological technical terms and considering, on the other, dermatological information from both scientific texts and sources outside the medical corpora. From this rich gamut of references, it is possible to reconstruct not only medical information concerning dermatological diagnosis, but also Mesopotamian common beliefs on skin ailments and diseases. The wide variety of genres displaying such data provides good arguments for the cultural-historical importance of skin appearance among ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. By comparing both medical and non-medical content, it will be shown how common beliefs on skin ailments and diseases were spread and shared among scholars and laymen.En las últimas décadas el estudio de la antigua medicina mesopotámica ha gozado de una considerable popularidad entre los estudios asiriológicos. Las recientes publicaciones de fuentes primarias y literatura secundaria han arrojado nueva luz sobre un campo previamente desconocido para el público en general. En estas actividades se han proporcionado contribuciones también sobre dermatología. Sin embargo, el tema sigue careciendo de un amplio estudio que ofrezca, por un lado, referencias actualizadas sobre términos técnicos dermatológicos y, por otro, considerando la información dermatológica tanto de textos científicos como de fuentes fuera de los corpus médicos. De esta rica gama de referencias es posible reconstruir no sólo la información médica relativa al diagnóstico dermatológico, sino también las creencias comunes mesopotámicas sobre las anomalías y las enfermedades de la piel. La gran variedad de géneros que muestran tales referencias proporciona buenos argumentos para la importancia histórico-cultural de la apariencia de la piel en las antiguas civilizaciones mesopotámicas; además, al comparar tanto el contenido médico como el no médico, quedará claro cómo las creencias comúnmente diferentes sobre anomalías y enfermedades cutáneas fueron difundidas y compartidas entre eruditos y laicos

Comparative assessment of drivers' stress induced by autonomous and manual driving with heart rate variability parameters and machine learning analysis of electrodermal activity

12openopenZontone, P; Affanni, A; Bernardini, R; Brisinda, D; Del Linz, L; Formaggia, F; Minen, D; Minen, M; Savorgnan, C; Piras, A; Rinaldo, R; Fenici, RZontone, P; Affanni, A; Bernardini, R; Brisinda, D; Del Linz, L; Formaggia, F; Minen, D; Minen, M; Savorgnan, C; Piras, A; Rinaldo, R; Fenici,

Field Evaluation of Low-E Storm Windows

A field evaluation comparing the performance of low emittance (low-e) storm windows with both standard clear storm windows and no storm windows was performed in a cold climate. Six homes with single-pane windows were monitored over the period of one heating season. The homes were monitored with no storm windows and with new storm windows. The storm windows installed on four of the six homes included a hard coat, pyrolitic, low-e coating while the storm windows for the other two homeshad traditional clear glass. Overall heating load reduction due to the storm windows was 13percent with the clear glass and 21percent with the low-e windows. Simple paybacks for the addition of the storm windows were 10 years for the clear glass and 4.5 years forthe low-e storm windows

Design and Verification of a Novel Triphibian Robot

Multi-modal robots expand their operations from one working medium to another, land to air for example. The majorities of multi-modal robots mainly refer to platforms that operate in two different media. However, for all-terrain tasks, there are seldom research to date in the literature. Generally, locomotions in different working media, i.e. land, water and air, require different propelling actuators, and thus the triphibian system becomes bulky. To overcome this challenge, we proposed a triphibian robot and provide the robot with driving forces to perform all-terrain operations in an efficient way. A morphable mechanism is designed to enable the transition between different motion modes, and specifically a cylindrical body is implemented as the rolling mechanism in land mode. Detailed design principles of different mechanisms and the transition between various locomotion modes are analyzed. Finally, a triphibian robot prototype is fabricated and tested in various working media with both mono-modal and multi-modal functionalities. Experiments have verified our platform, and the results show promising adaptions in future exploration tasks in various working scenarios.Comment: IEEE ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION LETTERS. PREPRINT VERSION,8 page

Carbohydrate Metabolism in Bacteria: Alternative Specificities in ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylases Open Novel Metabolic Scenarios and Biotechnological Tools

We explored the ability of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) from different bacteria to use glucosamine (GlcN) metabolites as a substrate or allosteric effectors. The enzyme from the actinobacteria Kocuria rhizophila exhibited marked and distinctive sensitivity to allosteric activation by GlcN-6P when producing ADP-Glc from glucose-1-phosphate (Glc-1P) and ATP. This behavior is also seen in the enzyme from Rhodococcus spp., the only one known so far to portray this activation. GlcN-6P had a more modest effect on the enzyme from other Actinobacteria (Streptomyces coelicolor), Firmicutes (Ruminococcus albus), and Proteobacteria (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) groups. In addition, we studied the catalytic capacity of ADP-Glc PPases from the different sources using GlcN-1P as a substrate when assayed in the presence of their respective allosteric activators. In all cases, the catalytic efficiency of Glc-1P was 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than GlcN-1P, except for the unregulated heterotetrameric protein (GlgC/GgD) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus. The Glc-1P substrate preference is explained using a model of ADP-Glc PPase from A. tumefaciens based on the crystallographic structure of the enzyme from potato tuber. The substrate-binding domain localizes near the N-terminal of an α-helix, which has a partial positive charge, thus favoring the interaction with a hydroxyl rather than a charged primary amine group. Results support the scenario where the ability of ADP-Glc PPases to use GlcN-1P as an alternative occurred during evolution despite the enzyme being selected to use Glc-1P and ATP for α-glucans synthesis. As an associated consequence in such a process, certain bacteria could have improved their ability to metabolize GlcN. The work also provides insights in designing molecular tools for producing oligo and polysaccharides with amino moieties

The progression of hemophilic arthropathy: The role of biomarkers

Background: Hemophilia A and B are X-linked congenital bleeding disorders characterized by recurrent hemarthroses leading to specific changes in the synovium and cartilage, which finally result in the destruction of the joint: this process is called hemophilic arthropathy (HA). This review highlights the most prominent molecular biomarkers found in the literature to discuss their potential use in the clinical practice to monitor bleeding, to assess the progression of the HA and the effectiveness of treatments. Methods: A review of the literature was performed on PubMed and Embase, from 3 to 7 August 2020. Study selection and data extraction were achieved independently by two authors and the following inclusion criteria were determined a priori: English language, available full text and articles published in peer-reviewed journal. In addition, further articles were identified by checking the bibliography of relevant articles and searching for the studies cited in all the articles examined. Results: Eligible studies obtained at the end of the search and screen process were seventy-three (73). Conclusions: Despite the surge of interest in the clinical use of biomarkers, current literature underlines the lack of their standardization and their potential use in the clinical practice preserving the role of physical examination and imaging in early diagnosis