3D MODELING AND VIRTUAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE VALORIZATION OF HISTORICAL HERITAGE

[EN] A large amount of 3D digital models, acquired with reality-based techniques or modelled with CAAD methods, are today part of archaeological studies. This new form of heritage documentation has deeply changed the traditional way of representing, studying and visualizing the remains of the past. At the same time, 3D digital documentation is rarely shared and easily accessible, so as the historical iconographic sources, text documents and other information used forinterpreting remains and for validating 3D reconstructions. This paper describes the first results of an interdisciplinary project of 3D documentation and valorization of historical heritage, carried out in the archaeological site of Pausilypon (Naples, Italy). The final aim is to realize an integrated virtual tour of the site, developed in Unity 3D, based on 3D surveying products. This tour proposes a new way of presenting and visualizing results of archaeological studies and 3D documentation, collecting and overlapping different types of data in a unique and interactive virtual environment. Besides 360° equi-rectangular panoramic image and 3D models, heterogeneous material will help users to understand the interpretative process followed for the hypothetical CAAD reconstruction. These results will be mainly shared via web, for a larger dissemination of the work and for supporting future research on the site. In addition, for promoting the knowledge of the archaeological remains, a simplified and immersive tour will be developed for Virtual Reality devices.Farella, E.; Menna, F.; Remondino, F.; Campi, M. (2016). 3D MODELING AND VIRTUAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE VALORIZATION OF HISTORICAL HERITAGE. En 8th International congress on archaeology, computer graphics, cultural heritage and innovation. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 456-459. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/85988OCS45645

A pipelined configurable gate array for embedded processors

In recent years the challenge of high performance, low power retargettable embedded system has been faced with different technological and architectural solutions. In this paper we present a new configurable unit explicitly designed to imple-ment additional reconfigurable pipelined datapaths, suitable for the design of reconfigurable processors. A VLIW recon-figurable processor has been implemented on silicon in a standard 0.18 µm CMOS technology to prove the effective-ness of the proposed unit. Testing on a signal processing algorithms benchmark showed speedups from 4.3x to 13.5x and energy consumption reduction up to 92%

Tri-Mode Capacitive Proximity Detection Towards Improved Safety in Industrial Robotics

This paper presents a multi-functional capacitive sensor that is developed to improve the worker safety during the industrial human-robot interactions. The sensor is to be mounted on the worker and used to maintain a safe distance between the workers and robots or automotive parts moved by the robots. The response of a capacitive proximity sensor is a function of the distance to an object as well as the dielectric/conductance and geometry properties of the object. This uncertainty can lead to a wrong distance estimation or possibly a missed detection. The presented approach alleviates this issue by implementing three sensing capabilities including distance measurement, motion tracking, and profile recognition in a single platform. The presented sensor employs a capacitive sensing element coupled to reprogrammable interface electronics. The sensing element features a matrix of electrodes that can be reconfigured to various arrangements at run-time by controlling the interface electronics to obtain a more detailed perception of the ambient environment. Quantitative regression models are built to seek out distances while an adaptive classification tool based on support vector machines is employed to recognize the surface profiles. The performance of the sensing modalities has been experimentally assessed. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate that the system is able to detect a metallic object at distances of up to 18 cm with high resolutions, track its motion, and provide an estimate for its shape

Anisotropic tunneling in {InGaAsP}/{InP} multi-quantum barrier structure

We present magneto-photoluminescence experiments on a multi-quantum-barrier structure consisting of 31 period of wide (58 nm) quaternary wells of InGaAsP with the same lattice parameter as InP separated by thin (8 nm) InP barriers. The anomalous diamagnetic shift and the asymmetric broadening of the luminescence spectra evidence strong band filling in the tail of the density of states of the quaternary alloy, suggesting that tunneling transport through the InP barrier is anisotropic along the growth axis, due to different band lineups for the direct (InGaAsP-on-InP) and inverse (InP-on-InGaAsP) interfaces. This finding is supported by high resolution X-ray patterns, yielding evidence that the direct and inverse interfaces are smooth and display different chemical compositions

The Differential Diagnosis of Discrepant Thyroid Function Tests: Insistent Pitfalls and Updated Flow-Chart Based on a Long-Standing Experience.

Background: Discrepant thyroid function tests (TFTs) are typical of inappropriate secretion of TSH (IST), a rare entity encompassing TSH-secreting adenomas (TSHoma) and Resistance to Thyroid Hormone (RTHβ) due to THRB mutations. The differential diagnosis remains a clinical challenge in most of the cases. The objective of this study was to share our experience with patients presenting with discrepant TFTs outlining the main pitfalls in the differential diagnosis. Methods: medical records of 100 subjects with discrepant TFTs referred to Thyroid Endocrine Centers at the University of Milan were analyzed, retrospectively. Patients were studied by dynamic testing (TRH test, T3-suppression test, or a short course of long-acting somatostatin analog, when appropriate), THRB sequencing, and pituitary imaging. Results: 88 patients were correctly diagnosed as RTHβ with (n = 59; 16 men, 43 women) or without THRB variants (n = 6; 2 men, 4 female) or TSHoma (n = 23; 9 men, 14 women). We identified 14 representative subjects with an atypical presentation or who were misdiagnosed. Seven patients, with spurious hyperthyroxinemia due to assays interference were erroneously classified as RTHβ (n = 4) or TSHoma (n = 3). Three patients with genuine TSHomas were classified as laboratory artifact (n = 2) or RTHβ (n = 1). Two TSHomas presented atypically due to coexistent primary thyroid diseases. In one RTHβ a drug-induced thyroid dysfunction was primarily assumed. These patients experienced a mean diagnostic delay of 26 ± 14 months. Analysis of the investigations which can differentiate between TSHoma and RTHβ showed highest accuracy for the T3-suppression test (100% specificity with a cut-off of TSH <0.11 μUI/ml). Pituitary MRI was negative in 6/26 TSHomas, while 11/45 RTHβ patients had small pituitary lesions, leading to unnecessary surgery in one case. Conclusions: Diagnostic delay and inappropriate treatments still occur in too many cases with discrepant TFTs suggestive of central hyperthyroidism. The insistent pitfalls lead to a significant waste of resources. We propose a revised flow-chart for the differential diagnosis

Is There a Crucial Link Between Vitamin D Status and Inflammatory Response in Patients With COVID-19?

Background: Hypovitaminosis D has been suggested to play a possible role in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Methods: The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between vitamin D status and a biochemical panel of inflammatory markers in a cohort of patients with COVID-19. A secondary endpoint was to evaluate the correlation between 25OHD levels and the severity of the disease. Ninety-three consecutive patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia were evaluated from March to May 2020 in two hospital units in Pisa, in whom biochemical inflammatory markers, 25OHD levels, P/F ratio at nadir during hospitalization, and complete clinical data were available. Results: Sixty-five percent of patients presented hypovitaminosis D (25OHD ≤ 20 ng/ml) and showed significantly higher IL-6 [20.8 (10.9–45.6) vs. 12.9 (8.7–21.1) pg/ml, p = 0.02], CRP [10.7 (4.2–19.2) vs. 5.9 (1.6–8.1) mg/dl, p = 0.003], TNF-a [8.9 (6.0–14.8) vs. 4.4 (1.5–10.6) pg/ml, p = 0.01], D-dimer [0.53 (0.25–0.72) vs. 0.22 (0.17–0.35) mg/l, p = 0.002], and IL-10 [3.7 (1.8–6.9) vs. 2.3 (0.5–5.8) pg/ml, p = 0.03]. A significant inverse correlation was found between 25OHD and all these markers, even adjusted for age and sex. Hypovitaminosis D was prevalent in patients with severe ARDS, compared with the other groups (75% vs. 68% vs. 55%, p &lt; 0.001), and 25OHD levels were lower in nonsurvivor patients. Conclusions: The relationship between 25OHD levels and inflammatory markers suggests that vitamin D status needs to be taken into account in the management of these patients. If vitamin D is a marker of poor prognosis or a possible risk factor with beneficial effects from supplementation, this still needs to be elucidated

Increase of Parkin and ATG5 plasmatic levels following perinatal hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy

Brain injury at birth is an important cause of neurological and behavioral disorders. Hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a critical cerebral event occurring acutely or chronically at birth with high mortality and morbidity in newborns. Therapeutic strategies for the prevention of brain damage are still unknown, and the only medical intervention for newborns with moderate‐to‐severe HIE is therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Although the neurological outcome depends on the severity of the initial insult, emerging evidence suggests that infants with mild HIE who are not treated with TH have an increased risk for neurodevelopmental impairment; in the current clinical setting, there are no specific or validated biomarkers that can be used to both correlate the severity of the hypoxic insult at birth and monitor the trend in the insult over time. The aim of this work was to examine the presence of autophagic and mitophagic proteins in bodily fluids, to increase knowledge of what, early at birth, can inform therapeutic strategies in the first hours of life. This is a prospective multicentric study carried out from April 2019 to April 2020 in eight third‐level neonatal intensive care units. All participants have been subjected to the plasma levels quantification of both Parkin (a protein involved in mitophagy) and ATG5 (involved in autophagy). These findings show that Parkin and ATG5 levels are related to hypoxic‐ischemic insult and are reliable also at birth. These observations suggest a great potential diagnostic value for Parkin evaluation in the first 6 h of life

Patients' perceptions of quality of care delivery by urology residents: A nationwide study

Objective To present the results of a nationwide survey among urological patients to evaluate their perception of the quality of care provided by residents. Methods An anonymous survey was distributed to patients who were referred to 22 Italian academic institutions. The survey aimed to investigate the professional figure of the urology resident as perceived by the patient. Results A total of 2587 patients were enrolled in this study. In all, 51.6% of patients were able to correctly identify a urology resident; however, almost 40% of respondents discriminated residents from fully trained urologists based exclusively on their young age. Overall, 98.2% patients rated the service provided by the resident as at least sufficient. Urology trainees were considered by more than 50% of the patients interviewed to have good communication skills, expertise and willingness. Overall, patients showed an excellent willingness to be managed by urology residents. The percentage of patients not available for this purpose showed an increasing trend that directly correlated with the difficulty of the procedure. Approximately 5-10% of patients were not willing to be managed by residents for simple procedures such as clinical visits, cystoscopy or sonography, and up to a third of patients were not prepared to undergo any surgical procedure performed by residents during steps in major surgery, even if the residents were adequately tutored. Conclusions Our data showed that patients have a good willingness to be managed by residents during their training, especially for medium- to low-difficulty procedures. Furthermore, the majority of patients interviewed rated the residents' care delivery as sufficient. Urology trainees were considered to have good communication skills, expertise and willingness

Reconfigurable hardware: The holy grail of matching performance with programming productivity

International audienceMany reconfigurable hardware architectures have been proposed so far, ranging from FPGAs to coarse grained architectures. Reconfigurability can be intended in several ways, and a number of diverse solutions have been proposed. One of the most relevant issues that have emerged is that the performance gain offered by reconfigurable hardware is balanced by relevant difficulties in their programming, which often inhibit its utilization in many appealing fields and ultimately jeopardize its diffusion. The solution for enabling higher productivity in application mapping likely do not reside only in the development of better tools, but also of more usable designs. This paper gives an overview of different reconfigurable architectures and related design flows proposed over the last years, including commercial offers and efforts coming from academia, analyzes the challenges they pose to the application developer and focuses on the latest alternatives to mitigate the design productivity issue