A Networking Framework for Multi-Robot Coordination

Autonomous robots operating in real environments need to be able to interact with a dynamic world populated with objects, people, and, in general, other agents. The current generation of autonomous robots, such as the ASIMO robot by Honda or the QRIO by Sony, has showed impressive performances in mechanics and control of movements; moreover, recent literature reports encouraging results about the capability of such robots of representing themselves with respect to a dynamic external world, of planning future actions and of evaluating resulting situations in order to make new plans. However, when multiple robots are supposed to operate together, coordination and communication issues arise; while noteworthy results have been achieved with respect to the control of a single robot, novel issues arise when the actions of a robot influence another''s behavior. The increase in computational power available to systems nowadays makes it feasible, and even convenient, to organize them into a single distributed computing environment in order to exploit the synergy among different entities. This is especially true for robot teams, where cooperation is supposed to be the most natural scheme of operation, especially when robots are required to operate in highly constrained scenarios, such as inhospitable sites, remote sites, or indoor environments where strict constraints on intrusiveness must be respected. In this case, computations will be inherently network-centric, and to solve the need for communication inside robot collectives, an efficient network infrastructure must be put into place; once a proper communication channel is established, multiple robots may benefit from the interaction with each other in order to achieve a common goal. The framework presented in this paper adopts a composite networking architecture, in which a hybrid wireless network, composed by commonly available WiFi devices, and the more recently developed wireless sensor networks, operates as a whole in order both to provide a communication backbone for the robots and to extract useful information from the environment. The ad-hoc WiFi backbone allows robots to exchange coordination information among themselves, while also carrying data measurements collected from surrounding environment, and useful for localization or mere data gathering purposes. The proposed framework is called RoboNet, and extends a previously developed robotic tour guide application (Chella et al., 2007) in the context of a multi-robot application; our system allows a team of robots to enhance their perceptive capabilities through coordination obtained via a hybrid communication network; moreover, the same infrastructure allows robots to exchange information so as to coordinate their actions in order to achieve a global common goal. The working scenario considered in this paper consists of a museum setting, where guided tours are to be automatically managed. The museum is arranged both chronologically and topographically, but the sequence of findings to be visited can be rearranged depending on user queries, making a sort of dynamic virtual labyrinth with various itineraries. Therefore, the robots are able to guide visitors both in prearranged tours and in interactive tours, built in itinere depending on the interaction with the visitor: robots are able to rebuild the virtual connection between findings and, consequently, the path to be followed. This paper is organized as follows. Section 2 contains some background on multi-robot coordination, and Section 3 describes the underlying ideas and the motivation behind the proposed architecture, whose details are presented in Sections 4, 5, and 6. A realistic application scenario is described in Section 7, and finally our conclusions are drawn in Section 8

Out-of-equilibrium collective oscillation as phonon condensation in a model protein

In the first part of the present paper (theoretical), the activation of out-of-equilibrium collective oscillations of a macromolecule is described as a classical phonon condensation phenomenon. If a macromolecule is modeled as an open system, that is, it is subjected to an external energy supply and is in contact with a thermal bath to dissipate the excess energy, the internal nonlinear couplings among the normal modes make the system undergo a non-equilibrium phase transition when the energy input rate exceeds a threshold value. This transition takes place between a state where the energy is incoherently distributed among the normal modes, to a state where the input energy is channeled into the lowest frequency mode entailing a coherent oscillation of the entire molecule. The model put forward in the present work is derived as the classical counterpart of a quantum model proposed long time ago by H. Fr\"ohlich in the attempt to explain the huge speed of enzymatic reactions. In the second part of the present paper (experimental), we show that such a phenomenon is actually possible. Two different and complementary THz near-field spectroscopic techniques, a plasmonic rectenna, and a micro-wire near-field probe, have been used in two different labs to get rid of artefacts. By considering a aqueous solution of a model protein, the BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin), we found that this protein displays a remarkable absorption feature around 0.314 THz, when driven in a stationary out-of-thermal equilibrium state by means of optical pumping. The experimental outcomes are in very good qualitative agreement with the theory developed in the first part, and in excellent quantitative agreement with a theoretical result allowing to identify the observed spectral feature with a collective oscillation of the entire molecule.Comment: 49 pages, 10 figures; Physical Review X, (2018) in pres

The Silent Epidemic of Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in Italy During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020

To compare the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with the frequency of DKA during 2017-2019

The effect of breakwaters on the structure of marine soft-bottom assemblages: A case study from a North-Western Mediterranean basin

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. This two-year study is the first attempt to analyse the ecological effects of breakwater systems on soft-bottom assemblages along the North Tyrrhenian coast. Differently from previous studies focusing on infauna of on-shore and off-shore sides, we compared the assemblages inhabiting the surrounding soft-bottoms not directly protected by the breakwaters, defining our sampling stations at varying distances from the breakwaters and at constant distance from the coast. Data collected revealed that abundance, species richness and M-AMBI ecological quality differed between northern and southern sides, and were related to distance from structures. Multivariate analyses of relationships between assemblages and abiotic characteristics support this hypothesis. The extension of these effects, that resulted to be weak and limited to a restricted area, could be a consequence of coastal current on local hydrodynamics. This study provides novel and critical information for the management of the coastal defence infrastructure spreading along the western coast of Italy.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Facial markings in the social cuckoo wasp Polistes sulcifer: no support for the visual deception and the assessment hypothesis

Insect social parasites have to conquer a host colony by overcoming its defensive barriers. In additionto increased fighting abilities, many social parasites evolved sophisticated sensory deception mecha-nisms to elude host colonies defenses by exploiting host communication channels. Recently, it has beenshown that the conspicuous facial markings of a paper wasp social parasite, Polistes sulcifer, decrease theaggressiveness of host foundresses. Two main hypotheses stand as explanations of this phenomenon:visual sensory deception (i.e. the black patterning reduces host aggression by exploiting the host visualcommunication system) and visual quality assessment (i.e. facial markings reduce aggressiveness as theysignal the increased fighting ability of parasites). Through behavioral assays and morphological measure-ments we tested three predictions resulting from these hypotheses and found no support either for thevisual sensory deception or for the quality assessment to explain the reduction in host aggressivenesstowards the parasite. Our results suggest that other discrimination processes may explain the observedphenomenon

Multi-robot Interacting Through Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper addresses the issue of coordinating the operations of multiple robots in an indoor environment. The framework presented here uses a composite networking architecture, in which a hybrid wireless network, composed by commonly available WiFi devices, and the more recently developed wireless sensor networks. Such architecture grants robots to enhance their perceptive capabilities and to exchange information so as to coordinate actions in order to achieve a global common goal. The proposed framework is described with reference to an experimental setup that extends a previously developed robotic tour guide application in the context of a multi-robot application

Cardiac differentiation promotes mitochondria development and ameliorates oxidative capacity in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts

8H9c2 undergoing cardiac differentiation induced by all-trans-retinoic acid were investigated for mitochondria structural features together with the implied functional changes, as a model for the study of mitochondrial development in cardiogenic progenitor cells. As the expression of cardiac markers became detectable, mitochondrial mass increased and mitochondrial morphology and ultrastructure changed. Reticular network organization developed and more bulky mitochondria with greater numbers of closely packed cristae and more electron-dense matrix were detected. Increased expression of PGC-1α proved the occurrence of mitochondrial biogenesis. Improvements in mitochondrial energetic competence were also documented, linked to better assembly between F(0) and F(1) sectors of the F(0)F(1)ATPsynthase enzyme complex.reservedmixedCOMELLI Marina; DOMENIS Rossana; BISETTO Elena; CONTIN Magali; MARCHINI Maurizio; ORTOLANI Fulvia; TOMASETIG Lara; MAVELLI IreneComelli, Marina; Domenis, Rossana; Bisetto, Elena; Contin, Magali; Marchini, Maurizio; Ortolani, Fulvia; Tomasetig, Lara; Mavelli, Iren

Valorization Strategies in CO2 Capture: A New Life for Exhausted Silica-Polyethylenimine

The search for alternative ways to give a second life to materials paved the way for detailed investigation into three silica-polyethylenimine (Si-PEI) materials for the purpose of CO2 adsorption in carbon capture and storage. A solvent extraction procedure was investigated to recover degraded PEIs and silica, and concomitantly, pyrolysis was evaluated to obtain valuable chemicals such as alkylated pyrazines. An array of thermal (TGA, Py-GC-MS), mechanical (rheology), and spectroscopical (ATR-FTIR, 1H-13C-NMR) methods were applied to PEIs extracted with methanol to determine the relevant physico-chemical features of these polymers when subjected to degradation after use in CO2 capture. Proxies of degradation associated with the plausible formation of urea/carbamate moieties were revealed by Py-GC-MS, NMR, and ATR-FTIR. The yield of alkylpyrazines estimated by Py-GC-MS highlighted the potential of exhausted PEIs as possibly valuable materials in other applications

Politiche professionali: studio qualitativo sulle percezioni e le opinioni dei professionisti infermieri/ostetriche e degli studenti della Laurea magistrale in Scienze infermieristiche e ostetriche.

Introduzione. La politica, ovvero la scienza e l'arte di amministrare la cosa pubblica, è un ambito di grande importanza e occuparsi di politica professionale significa dedicarsi al bene della professione. Le politiche professionali sono parte integrante del prendersi cura e la famiglia professionale ha bisogno di punti chiari di riferimento: formazione, tutela, promozione, rappresentanza istituzionale.Obiettivo. Esplorare percezioni, idealití , immaginario condiviso e desideri circa le politiche professionali di infermieri/ostetriche e studenti della laurea magistrale per riuscire ad avere una rappresentazione della realtí  e avviare una riflessione critica sul tema. Metodo. È stato effettuato uno studio qualitativo su un campione propositivo di 22 professionisti infermieri/ostetriche quali testimoni qualificati della situazione nazionale. I dati sono stati raccolti attraverso un questionario costruito ad hoc.Risultati. Dall'analisi delle risposte sono emersi 10 temi principali, tra i quali spiccano: per la formazione l'importanza delle nuove conoscenze ma anche la scarsa differenziazione dei ruoli; per l'ambito lavorativo l'assenza di meritocrazia e di nuove opportunití ; per la ricerca il divario tra teoria e pratica. In sintesi, i risultati evidenziano come la partecipazione ai processi di formazione delle politiche sia saltuaria e di poca intensití  e come pochi infermieri/ostetriche siano coinvolti attivamente per la promozione e sviluppo di progetti nel settore delle politiche per i sistemi sanitari e per la salute.Conclusioni. L'indagine rileva che vi è una coscienza forte delle problematicití  esistenti, ma questa coscienza non sembra relazionarsi adeguatamente ai contesti lavorativi, istituzionali e culturali. Di conseguenza non si verifica quella necessaria crescita delle politiche professionali, la sola capace di generare percorsi politici atti a risolvere le questioni di fondo. Parole chiave: politica sanitaria, partecipazione politica, infermieri/ostetriche, leadership politica.Professional policies: a qualitative study of perceptions and opinions of professionals nurses/midwives and students attending the Master of Science in NursingABSTRACTIntroduction. Politics, the science and the art of administering public affairs, is a very important field. Dealing with professional policy means to dedicate ourselves to the good of the profession. Professional policies are an integral part of taking care; the professional family needs clear reference points: training, tutoring, promotion and institutional representation.Aim. Exploring perceptions, ideals, shared imagination and desires about the professional policies of nurses/midwives and of master's students in order to be able to have a representation of the reality and to start a critical reflection on the subject. Method. A qualitative study was conducted on a proactive sample of 22 nurses / midwives as qualified witnesses of the national situation. The data was collected through a questionnaire built ad hoc.Results.  From the analysis of the answers given to the questionnaire, we identified 10 main themes. In the training sector two of the themes that were selected are the importance of the new knowledges and inadequate differentiation of the positions; Regarding the working sector two of the themes that came out are the lack of meritocracy and of new opportunities; meanwhile, in the research field one of the main theme identified is the gap between the theory and the practice.Conclusions.  The present study finds out that participation in policy-making processes is occasional and of little intensity: just few nurses/midwives are actively involved in the promotion and development of projects in the health sector and of healthcare policies. Keywords: health policy, political participation, nurses/midwiferies, political leadership