A sub-mW IoT-endnode for always-on visual monitoring and smart triggering

This work presents a fully-programmable Internet of Things (IoT) visual sensing node that targets sub-mW power consumption in always-on monitoring scenarios. The system features a spatial-contrast $128\mathrm{x}64$ binary pixel imager with focal-plane processing. The sensor, when working at its lowest power mode ($10\mu W$ at 10 fps), provides as output the number of changed pixels. Based on this information, a dedicated camera interface, implemented on a low-power FPGA, wakes up an ultra-low-power parallel processing unit to extract context-aware visual information. We evaluate the smart sensor on three always-on visual triggering application scenarios. Triggering accuracy comparable to RGB image sensors is achieved at nominal lighting conditions, while consuming an average power between $193\mu W$ and $277\mu W$, depending on context activity. The digital sub-system is extremely flexible, thanks to a fully-programmable digital signal processing engine, but still achieves 19x lower power consumption compared to MCU-based cameras with significantly lower on-board computing capabilities.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, submitteted to IEEE IoT Journa

Interazioni tra la calcispongia aliena Paraleucilla magna e bivalvi eduli di interesse commerciale nei mari di Taranto

Il genere Paraleucilla Dendy, 1892 (fam. Amphoriscidae, ord. Leucosolenida, subcl. Calcaronea, cl. Calcarea) comprende sette specie di calcisponge distribuite nella regione Indo-Pacifica, in prevalenza lungo le coste australiane, in Oceano Atlantico e in Mar Rosso. Paraleucilla magna (Klautau et al., 2004) una calcispongia moderatamente sciafila, in grado di colonizzare acque eutrofiche, caratterizzata da una forte stagionalità e da un’elevata resistenza all’inquinamento. La segnalazione di P. magna in diversi siti lungo coste italiane (Taranto, Porto Cesareo, Brindisi, Napoli) indica una sua ampia diffusione in Mediterraneo. La capacità di colonizzare differenti ambienti con un elevato numero di esemplari insieme ad elevati valori di abbondanza permette di designare P. magna come una specie alloctona invasiva. Attualmente è molto diffusa a Taranto, in particolar modo nel Mar Piccolo, un bacino semichiuso soggetto ad una elevata pressione antropica. In questo ambiente P. magna colonizza substrati duri, sia naturali che artificiali, ad una profondità compresa tra 2 e 7 metri e presenta elevati valori di abbondanza, in particolare sulle valve dei mitili, tanto da richiedere frequenti interventi di pulizia delle ventie poste in allevamento. Il lavoro di tesi sperimentale, svolto presso il Dipartimento di Zoologia dell’Università di Bari, si inserisce nell’ambito della ricerca di specie aliene presenti nei mari di Taranto e dello studio dei possibili impatti sulla comunità autoctona e sulle attività produttive legate all’acquicoltura. Obiettivo dell’indagine è stata la valutazione delle modalità d’infestazione da parte della spugna e l’effetto della sua presenza sulle performance di allevamento dei bivalvi. E’ stato condotto, inoltre, lo studio della biologia riproduttiva della spugna, nell’ottica di una migliore comprensione dei meccanismi che le consentono di colonizzare rapidamente e diffusamente gli ambienti in cui viene introdotta

3D mapping of underground environments with a hand-held laser scanner

The development of several instruments and techniques for reality-based 3D survey provides for new effective and affordable solutions for mapping underground environments. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques demonstrated to be suitable for recording complex surfaces in high resolution even in low ambient lightning conditions. TLS approaches allow to obtain millions of 3D points and very detailed representations of complex environments, but these normally required a very high number of stations. This paper presents the investigation and deployment of a hand-held laser scanning system, the GeoSlam Zeb1, for the fast 3D digitization of underground tunnels. This active hand-held device was employed in two different typologies of underground structures: the Grotta di Seiano (Fig.1 a-b), a 800 m long monumental passage used as entrance of a roman villa in Posillipo (Naples), and some military fortifications (Fig.1 c-d) built during the First World War (WWI) on the hills around Trento. In the first case study, owing to the length of the gallery and the lack of well-defined geometric features on its wall, errors in the alignment were expected. Consequently, the final alignment of the numerous acquired scans was verified. In the second part, the research is focused on suitable procedures for the final three-dimensional representation and visualization of complex underground passages, i.e. the military tunnels. Using an automatic classification procedure on the point-clouds, vegetation was removed and, through a manual segmentation approach, the rooms were classified according to their specific functions. In the paper, the results are critical presented and discussed

Time-frequency analysis of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity

The aim of this study was to develop and validate under laboratory conditions an algorithm for a time-frequency analysis of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA). The algorithm baseband demodulated the electromyographic (EMG) signal to provide a frequency versus time representation. Using appropriate thresholds for frequency and power parameters, it was possible to automatically assess the features of RMMA without examiner interaction. The algorithm was first tested using synthetic EMG signals and then using real EMG signals obtained from the masticatory muscles of 11 human subjects who underwent well-defined rhythmic, static, and possible confounding oral tasks. The accuracy of detection was quantified by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Sensitivity and specificity values were >/=90% and >/=96%, respectively. The areas under the ROC curves were >/=95% (standard error +/-0.1%). The proposed approach represents a promising tool to effectively investigate rhythmical contractions of the masticatory muscles. Muscle Nerve, 2009

The difficult alliance between vegan parents and pediatrician: A case report

The number of children on a vegetarian or vegan diet is gradually increasing. If not balanced and adequately supplemented, these dietary regimes can seriously impact the growth of children. Often the pediatrician is not perceived as a figure to rely on in the event of parents’ willingness to follow an alternative diet for their child. The feeling of distrust of parents towards the pediatrician can be dangerous for the health of the child. We present a 22-month-old boy with failure to thrive probably induced by an unbalanced vegetarian diet. The acquisition of the anamnestic data concerning the child’s diet was difficult because initially omitted by the parents. The poor compliance and the difficult follow-up highlights the difficulty in establishing a therapeutic alliance between parents who follow alternative regimens and the pediatrician

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

Immersive Virtual Reality for Cultural Heritage Exploration

Virtual Reality can provide an immersive experience that allows cultural heritage to be experienced in a more realistic and immersive way than traditional showcasing techniques. The objective of this paper is to provide a software pipeline that can be adopted for the realization of immersive experiences in cultural heritage sites. This work has been realized within the 3DLab-Sicilia project, which includes the realization of immersive virtual tours of UNESCO World Heritage sites located in the Sicily area (Italy)

MOVIMENTO BANCARIO E ASSICURATIVO A NAPOLI E PROVINCIA (1815-1889)

L’obiettivo della presente ricerca è stata la ricostruzione capillare del sistema assicurativo e bancario a Napoli e provincia tra il 1815 e il 1889. Per questo periodo la raccolta dei dati storici in Italia, e maggiormente per il Mezzogiorno, è decisamente carente, e questo spesso crea i presupposti per interpretazioni discordanti sui percorsi di crescita, sui tempi di apertura del divario Nord-Sud e sui fattori di ritardo o di accelerazione. Il lavoro è stato svolto costruendo una banca dati delle società bancarie e/o assicurative mediante la raccolta dei dati societari, analizzando i loro atti presso il fondo del Tribunale di Commercio e del Tribunale Civile dell’Archivio di Stato di Napoli. L’analisi dei dati di banche e società di assicurazione, integrata con l’attinente letteratura, ha consentito di studiare in profondità una branca importante del tessuto economico-imprenditoriale della città di Napoli e provincia e di verificare come fenomeni locali, nazionali e internazionali abbiano influito sulla sua economia