A Constraint Programming Approach to Automatic Layout Definition for Search Results

In this paper we describe a general framework based on constraint programming techniques to address the automatic layout definition problem for Web search result pages, considering heterogeneous result items types (e.g., web links, images, videos, maps, etc.). Starting from the entity type(s) specified in the search query and the result types deemed more relevant for the given entity type, we define an optimization problem and a set of constraints that grant the optimal positioning of results in the page, modeled as a grid with assigned weights depending on the visibility

A Multi-Resident Number Estimation Method for Smart Homes

Population aging requires innovative solutions to increase the quality of life and preserve autonomous and independent living at home. A need of particular significance is the identification of behavioral drifts. A relevant behavioral drift concerns sociality: older people tend to isolate themselves. There is therefore the need to find methodologies to identify if, when, and how long the person is in the company of other people (possibly, also considering the number). The challenge is to address this task in poorly sensorized apartments, with non-intrusive sensors that are typically wireless and can only provide local and simple information. The proposed method addresses technological issues, such as PIR (Passive InfraRed) blind times, topological issues, such as sensor interference due to the inability to separate detection areas, and algorithmic issues. The house is modeled as a graph to constrain transitions between adjacent rooms. Each room is associated with a set of values, for each identified person. These values decay over time and represent the probability that each person is still in the room. Because the used sensors cannot determine the number of people, the approach is based on a multi-branch inference that, over time, differentiates the movements in the apartment and estimates the number of people. The proposed algorithm has been validated with real data obtaining an accuracy of 86.8%

haptic and visual rendering for multi modal exploration of molecular information

The paper presents a system for the multi-modal rendering of molecules. Chemists typically deal with phenomena that are not directly experienceable and usually described by huge amount of data awkward to understand directly. Software tools have been introduced to support data interpretation, without a high degree of interactivity and explorability of the data. This work goes beyond the classical visual representations of molecules and introduces some new ways of exploration and navigation of information on which inter-molecular interactions are based. Target users are researchers and teachers, as integration to their activities. Two different modalities are used: haptical and visual. The former modality consists in the addition of a haptic interface that enables users to feel the interaction forces exerted by the electric field around a molecule. The latter modality shows the features of the same electric field by allowing the user to navigate the information about the values of the field using a visual color-based rendering and adding other visual cues. Implementation details, case studies, and results on the two modalities are described. Eye-tracking, awareness tools, machine learning, coordination, expertis

Integrated GeoBIM Requirements Definition for Digital Building Permit

The development of methods for building permit issuing supported by digital tools could improve the current mostly manual procedures for processing regulatory information and related compliance processes. Several studies are currently addressing the challenge of building permit digitalisation, mostly considering building information models as the source data for automating the regulations checks. However, many of the main checks, that usually represent the major bottlenecks of the compliance checking process, need a joint representation of the new proposed construction and its context, which could be effectively represented in a (3D) geographical information system. This study aims at supporting the automation of building permitting by addressing the rule interpretation as an input to model preparation and code checking. In particular, the regulations interpretation in this case is functional to the definition of data requirements and checking rules referring to a joint GIS and BIM (GeoBIM) framework. The approach is developed and tested in the case of an Italian municipality of 45.000 inhabitants. This paper describes the interpretation of distance-related regulations by adopting a semantic mark-up and sentence-centric approach. The resulting level of information need has been represented in conceptual models (object, attributes, relationships) as an essential input to city and building model preparation. While the case study is specific in location and regulations, the type of issues encountered are a generally applicable example for the building permit use case. Future works will extend the methodology to additional three European municipalities between 45.000 and 1.000.000 inhabitants, in three European countries, to address the need for a flexible and scalable approach

Age-related effects of exogenous melatonin on anxiety-like behavior in C57/B6J mice

The synthesis of melatonin (MLT) physiologically decreases during aging. Treatment with MLT has shown anxiolytic, hypnotic, and analgesic effects, but little is known about possible age-dependent differences in its efficacy. Therefore, we studied the effects of MLT (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) on anxiety-like behavior (open field (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPMT), three-chamber sociability, and marble-burying (MBT) tests), and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)-dorsal hippocampus (dHippo) circuit in adolescent (35-40 days old) and adult (three-five months old) C57BL/6 male mice. MLT did not show any effect in adolescents in the OFT and EPMT. In adults, compared to vehicles, it decreased locomotor activity and time spent in the center of the arena in the OFT and time spent in the open arms in the EPMT. In the MBT, no MLT effects were observed in both age groups. In the three-chamber sociability test, MLT decreased sociability and social novelty in adults, while it increased sociability in adolescents. Using local field potential recordings, we found higher mPFC-dHippo synchronization in the delta and low-theta frequency ranges in adults but not in adolescents after MLT treatment. Here, we show age-dependent differences in the effects of MLT in anxiety paradigms and in the modulation of the mPFC-dHippo circuit, indicating that when investigating the pharmacology of the MLT system, age can significantly impact the study outcomes

A Constraint Programming Approach to Automatic Layout Definition for Search Results

In this paper we describe a general framework based on constraint programming techniques to address the automatic layout definition problem for Web search result pages, considering heterogeneous result items types (e.g., web links, images, videos, maps, etc.). Starting from the entity type(s) specified in the search query and the result types deemed more relevant for the given entity type, we define an optimization problem and a set of constraints that grant the optimal positioning of results in the page, modeled as a grid with assigned weights depending on the visibility

Supporting Alzheimer’s Residential Care - A Novel Indoor Localization System

This work illustrates a localization system specifically designed to be applied in “Il Paese Ritrovato”, a highly innovative health-care facility for people affected by Alzheimer’s disease in Monza, Italy. Patients are provided with an iBeacon bracelet broadcasting data packets that are collected through the use of a dense network of devices acting as receiving antennas. The system evaluates the path-loss of the received signal and corrects the computed position with a probabilistic approach to avoid wall-crossing. Localization data are merged with information from other IoT devices such as smart sensors, appliances and expert annotations; the resulting dataset will be extremely important to analyze behaviors, habits and social interactions among patients

Integration Between Enterprise Resource Planning and Building Information Modelling

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an integrated business management system aimed at monitoring and maximizing resources and efficiency; on the other hand, Building Information Modelling (BIM) represents a broad series of approaches to design, based on the development of virtual models that cover the building’s whole lifecycle. The integration of ERP systems within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry, while promising, has yet to reach the same results that its use has achieved in other fields. Although BIM and ERP are traditionally systems employed in different disciplines, they both deal with data integration and customization, and are designed to reconcile varied and scattered information. A mutual incorporation could allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the project starting from the initial phases, while also granting a more streamlined construction process and a reduction in errors and complications later on. The aim of this paper is to identify the possible connections between the two systems examining a case study, starting from an analysis of the current state of the art regarding this implementation, and by evaluating both the existing limits and the future possibilities of this implementation, for both small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the industry at larg