Optimal Trajectory Tracking for an Autonomous UAV

The aim of the present project is the design of optimal flight trajectories for an automomous aerial vehicle which is expected to reach the desired locations in the operational environment expressed in terms of planned waypoints. The navigation must be performed with the vehicle's best effort, i.e. with the lowest cost. Hence, we want to minimize the input energy, a function of the inputs for the mathematical model which describes the dynamics of the vehicle. The trajectory must satisfy all the constraints and pass through all the planned waypoints. Assuming the vehicle as a point mass model, the best solution has been investigated through a genetic algorithm search procedure. The optimisation problem has been solved by modifying a micro-genetic algorithm software which was initially developed by D.L. Carroll. Between all the possible trajectories we select the more "realistic" connections among the waypoints. First of all, we have left out the trajectories with discontinuity in the derivatives as these are not feasible by the real aircraft. The polynomial spline is a suitable candidate to solve our problem. The algorithm splits the trajectory in sub-trajectories which join a sequence of three waypoints. Starting from the first three waypoints, the following sub-trajectories are superimposed keeping the first waypoint coincident with the last of the previous sub-trajectory. The sequence of polynomials is initialized assuming that jumps in the direction of flight are avoided pointing the heading angle in the presumed direction of flight. The optimal trajectory is a trade-off amongst three factors: the required energy cost, the minimum distance from the required waypoint and the feasibility of the trajectory. Results obtained with this optimization procedure are presente

Association between obstructive apnea syndrome during sleep and damages to anterior labyrinth: Our experience

The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a chronic condition characterized by frequent episodes of collapse of the upper airways during sleep. It can be considered a multisystem disease. Among the districts involved, even the auditory system was seen to be concerned. It was enrolled a population of 20 patients after polysomnographic diagnosis of OSAS (Apnea Hypopnea Index > 10) and a control group of 28 healthy persons (Apnea Hypopnea Index < 5). Each patient has been subjected to Pure Tone Audiometry, Tympanometry, study of Acoustic Reflex, Otoacoustic Emissions and Auditory Brainstem Response. Moreover they were submitted to endoscopy of upper airway with Muller Maneuver and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). The values of ESS was 13.5 in OSAS group and 5.4 in control group. The tone audiometry is worse in all frequencies analyzed in OSAS patients, but within the normal range for both groups analyzed by 250 to 1000 Hertz. Otoacoustic emissions show a reduced reproducibility and a lower signal/ noise ratio in OSAS group (P <0.01)

A Multiple Case Examination of Sexuality in Counselor Education: Pedagogy, Ideology, and Discourse

In this study, I explored the role and function of counselor educators\u27 ideology in their sexuality counseling pedagogy, as demonstrated by teaching philosophy, curriculum, and teaching strategies. In line with my theoretical framework, queer feminist pedagogy, I employed qualitative multicase methodology with six counselor educators, bounded by the shared phenomena of teaching sexuality-focused counseling curricula. I performed critical discourse analysis on the dialogic and textual discourse generated from interviews and curricular document mining to identify ideologies embedded in educators\u27 discourse. The analysis revealed the considerable influence of personal ideology on educators\u27 sexuality counseling pedagogy, which constituted the following themes: (a) Value-Neutrality and Out in the Classroom : The Contested Role of the Self; (b) Multiculturalism in Professional Counseling and Anti-Oppressive Ideologies; and (c) The Validity and Utility of Lived Experience in Sexuality Classrooms. From the research findings, I described the significant role of ideology in sexuality counseling pedagogy, discussed the relevant social, cultural, and political considerations of teaching sexuality counseling, and provided suggestions for future research

Letter From the Special Issue Editor

In the midst of the final drafting of the 2024 CACREP standards, this special issue is designed to call attention to the important role of sexuality across the CACREP specialty areas. Voices from across the counseling community have come together to create this special issue. Their contributions and perspective are shared here

Game of Thrones. The Chess Set of Charlemagne in Context

L'articolo illustra una nuova ipotesi sull'origine e la data del più rilevante set di elementi figurati per il gioco degli scacchi: la serie in avorio scolpito detta di Carlo Magno, proveniente dal tesoro di Saint-Denis e attualmente conservata presso il Cabinet des Médailles et Antiques della Bibliothèque Nationale de France. L'opera, tradizionalmente attribuita ad un atelier italomeridionale, è assai prossima al complesso delle placchette con storie del Vecchio e del Nuovo Testamento realizzate per la Cattedrale di Salerno tra la fine dell'IXI e i primi decenni del XII secolo. Dimensioni e iconografia di questo straordinario complesso decorativo indicano un committente di altissimo rango, da identificarsi con buona probabilità in Ruggero II

Negotiating Sexual Values in Counselor Education: A Qualitative Case Exploration

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the ways in which counselor educators acknowledge and negotiate their personal sexological worldviews in the teaching of sexuality counseling classes. Analysis of interview material, data mining, and member theorization of six participants (n=6) yielded four overarching themes: 1) centering self-awareness, 2) managing ethical bracketing, 3) affirming sexual diversity, and 4) teaching as a conduit for personal growth. Implications for educators and future recommendations for research are explored

Archaeobotanical analysis from the long-term rural settlement of Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo): preliminary data

The project ¿Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani landscapes¿ aims to analyse the long-term relationship of landscape dynamics and settlement patterns in a Mediterranean inland of Central-Western Sicily. The project combined different interdisciplinary approaches of vegetation science, landscape ecology, history and archaeology in order to diachronically understand and reconstruct the human- society-environment interactions. From 2017 to 2019 a new rural settlement has been investigated in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo). The excavation in Contrada Castro showed a clear case of long-term occupation of an hill-top site during Late Archaic/Classical age (6 th -5 th c. BC) and the Byzantine and Islamic period (7 th -11 th c. AD). Soils from the archaeological excavation were sampled to obtain evidences about paleo-vegetation and vegetal paleo-diet. Archaeobotanical data (seeds and charcoal remains) represent an informative source in human-environmental dynamics to collect specific data on a small scale in terms of chronology and topography (Hastorf, Popper 1988; Pearsall 2009). Furthermore, presence of edible plants as cereals, pulses and fruit characterize their use as economical resources. Unfortunately, archaeobotanical analyses from archaeological sites in Sicily are still not very common (see http://brainplants.successoterra.net/sites.html). For the reconstruction of the paleo-environment and the use of arboreal resources from the three chronological phases of the site, a total of 239 liters of soils were analysed. Taxonomical identification was made by optical microscopy through the comparison with the reference collection and specific atlases (fig.). More than 400 wood charcoals were observed, about 80% of them was identified. Thanks to comparisons with the current vegetation, so far 8 species have been identified - Quercus cfr. ilex (fig.), Pistacia cfr. terebinthus, Rhamnus alathernus, Fraxinus ornus, Ulmus canescens, Acer cfr. campestris, Ostrya carpinifolia, Populus cf. nigra; identification reached the detail of genus or subfamily in 6 cases - Quercus cf. robur / pubescens, Phillyrea sp., Sorbus sp., Rosacea cfr. Pirus sp. and maybe Moracea. The arboreal vegetation is therefore represented by evergreen oaks, semi- and deciduous oaks, maples, ash trees, associated with riparian species such as elm, poplar and hornbeam, and shrub species such as backthorn, terebinth, sorb, plum. Cultivated species are mostly not represented. Despite the widespread presence of the evergreen oaks in the whole record, differences between the three chronological phases were identified, highlighting a selective use of the wild species present in the area and a specific collection of wood for the hearths. 1) Hastorf C.A., Popper V.F.1988, Current Paleoethnobotany. Analytical Methods and Cultural Interpretations of Archaeological Plant Remains, Chicago. ISBN: 978022631893 2) Pearsall D. M. 2009, Paleoethnobotany: A Handbook of Procedures, Second Edition, Walnut Creek. ISBN-10: 1598744720 3) BRAIN Network, http://brainplants.successoterra.net/sites.htmlFinanciación: beca "Juan de la Cierva-incorporación, IJCI-2017-31494, MINECO), IJCI-2017-31494" y proyecto "Harvesting Memories" de la Universidad de Palermo (financiado por Bona Furtuna LLC)

'The fuel bill drop shop': an investigation into community action on fuel poverty

Final report to Chesshire Lehmann Fund