Task priority control of underwater intervention systems: Theory and applications

This paper presents a unifying task priority control architecture for underwater vehicle manipulator systems. The proposed control framework can be applied to different operative scenarios such as waypoint navigation, assisted teleoperation, interaction, landing and grasping. This work extends the results of the TRIDENT and MARIS projects, which were limited to the execution of grasping actions, to other applications taken from the DexROV and ROBUST projects. In particular, simulation results show how the control framework can be used, for example, for pipeline inspection scenarios and deep sea mining exploration

ROBUST project: Control Framework for Deep Sea Mining Exploration

This paper presents the control framework under development within the ROBUST Horizon 2020 project, whose goal is the development of an autonomous robotic system for the exploration of deep-sea mining sites. After a bathymetric survey of the initial zone of interest, the robotized system selects a subarea deemed to have the most chances of containing a manganese nodule field and proceeds with a detailed low altitude survey. Whenever a possible nodule is found, it performs an insitu measurement through laser induced spectroscopy. To do so, the underwater vehicle must first land on the seafloor, with a certain precision to allow a subsequent fixed-based manipulation, bringing its manipulator endowed with the laser system in the position to carry out the measurement. The work reports the developed control architecture and the simulation results supporting it

On Autonomous Robotic Cooperation Capabilities within Factory and Logistic Scenarios

The paper presents the development of a unified functional, algorithmic and Software (Sw) architecture, which can be adopted as a standard for controlling, at action level only, any robotic structure within a given wide class of them; even of reconfigurable type within the class. Such control architecture is therefore deemed very suitable for operating within factory and/or logistic, possibly reconfigurable, scenarios. Moreover, for the few cases of cooperative activities to be established between agents not allowed to be cable connected, an effective coordination policy, based on the exchange of a reduced information set, only regarding the cooperation goals, is developed; and relevant simulative and experimental trials are briefly outlined. Moreover, the advantage of having, in whatever operative condition, the possibility of commanding the involved structures only in terms of the ultimate goals of each action, also seems to be the right basis for having non-negligible improvements within their integration with automated action planning, and even learning, techniques

Collagen prolyl hydroxylation-dependent metabolic perturbation governs epigenetic remodeling and mesenchymal transition in pluripotent and cancer cells

Collagen prolyl hydroxylation (CPH), which is catalyzed by prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H), is the most prevalent posttranslational modification in humans and requires Vitamin C (VitC). Here we demonstrate that CPH acts as an epigenetic modulator of cell plasticity. Increased CPH induced global DNA/histone methylation in pluripotent stem and tumor cells and promoted cell state transition (CST). Interfering with CPH by either genetic ablation of P4H subunit alpha-2 (P4HA2) or pharmacologic treatment reverted epigenetic changes and antagonized CST. Mechanistically, we suggest that CPH modifies the epigenetic landscape by reducing VitC for DNA and histone demethylases. Repurposed drugs targeting CPH-mediated metabolic perturbation, such as the antiasthmatic Budesonide, blocked metastatic dissemination of breast cancer cells in vivo by preventing mesenchymal transition. Our study provides mechanistic insights into how metabolic cues and epigenetic factors integrate to control cell state transition and paves the way for the development of novel antimetastatic strategies. Significance: A phenotype-based high-throughput screening reveals unforeseen metabolic control of cell plasticity and identifies budesonide as a drug candidate for metastatic cancer

Influence of pH and temperature on the structure in macromolecular solutions. A preliminary SANS study on lysozyme

In this paper we present some preliminary Small Angle Neutron Scattering results about the influence of pH and temperature on the structure of macromolecular solutions. We have investigated aqueous solutions of lysozyme at concentrations of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15 w/w, at pH values of about 3, 5, and 6.7, and in the temperature range of 10-50°C. At the lower values of the pH, well defined interaction peaks are present in the scattered intensities, whereas at the higher pH an unstructured aggregation takes place, which is reduced by the increase in temperature