Key technologies for safe and autonomous drones

Drones/UAVs are able to perform air operations that are very difficult to be performed by manned aircrafts. In addition, drones' usage brings significant economic savings and environmental benefits, while reducing risks to human life. In this paper, we present key technologies that enable development of drone systems. The technologies are identified based on the usages of drones (driven by COMP4DRONES project use cases). These technologies are grouped into four categories: U-space capabilities, system functions, payloads, and tools. Also, we present the contributions of the COMP4DRONES project to improve existing technologies. These contributions aim to ease drones’ customization, and enable their safe operation.This project has received funding from the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 826610. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and Spain, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands. The total project budget is 28,590,748.75 EUR (excluding ESIF partners), while the requested grant is 7,983,731.61 EUR to ECSEL JU, and 8,874,523.84 EUR of National and ESIF Funding. The project has been started on 1st October 2019

Framework of Key Enabling Technologies for Safe and Autonomous Drones'Applications

International audienc

Key Enabling Technologies for Drones

International audienc

Interferon-related genetic markers of necroinflammatory activity in chronic hepatitis C.

INTRODUCTION:Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide which often leads to progressive liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CHC displays heterogeneous progression depending on a broad set of factors, some of them intrinsic to each individual such as the patient's genetic profile. This study aims to evaluate the contribution of certain genetic variants of crucial interferon alpha and lambda signaling pathways to the hepatic necroinflammatory activity (NIA) grade of CHC patients. METHODS:NIA was evaluated in 119 CHC patients by METAVIR scale and classified as low (NIA = 0-2, n = 80) or high grade (NIA = 3, n = 39). In a candidate gene approach, 64 SNPs located in 30 different genes related to interferon pathways (IL-28B, IFNAR1-2, JAK-STAT and OAS1-3, among others) were genotyped using the Illumina GoldenGate® Genotyping Assay. Statistical association was determined by logistic regression and expressed as OR and 95% CI. Those SNPs significantly associated were further adjusted by other covariates. RESULTS:Seven SNPs located in IL-28B (rs12979860), JAK1 (rs11576173 and rs1497056), TYK2 (rs280519), OAS1 (rs2057778), SOCS1 (rs33932899) and RNASEL (rs3738579) genes were significantly related to severe NIA grade (p40 IU/L (p40 IU/L), TYK2 rs280519 (G allele) and RNASEL rs3738579 (G allele) were factors independently associated with elevated NIA (p<0.05). AST concentration showed a moderate AUC value (AUC = 0.63), similar to TYK2 (rs280519) and RNASEL (rs3738579) SNPs (AUC = 0.61, both) in the ROC_AUC analysis. Interestingly, the model including all significant variables reached a considerable predictive value (AUC = 0.74). CONCLUSION:The identified genetic variants in interferon signaling pathways may constitute useful prognostic markers of CHC progression. Further validation in larger cohorts of patients is needed

Clinical and genetic factors associated with NIA grade in the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

<p>Clinical and genetic factors associated with NIA grade in the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.</p

Genetic variants associated with severe necroinflammatory activity in chronic hepatitis C patients.

<p>Genetic variants associated with severe necroinflammatory activity in chronic hepatitis C patients.</p

Clinical characteristic of the patients included in this study.

<p>Clinical characteristic of the patients included in this study.</p

ROC curve analyses of independently associated factors with necroinflammatory activity in chronic hepatitis C patients.

<p>AUC of the variables associated with NIA grade: AST serum levels >40IU/mL (AUC = 0.63), risk allele of <i>RNASEL</i> rs3738579 and <i>TYK2</i> rs280519 (AUC = 0.61, both); and the multivariate regression model including all the above variables (AUC = 0.74).</p