Fuzzy Control Strategy for Cooperative Non-holonomic Motion of Cybercars with Passengers Vibration Analysis

The cybercars are electric road wheeled non-holonomic vehicles with fully automated driving capabilities. They contribute to sustainable mobility and are employed as passenger vehicles. Non-holonomic mechanics describes the motion of the cybercar constrained by non-integrable constraints, i.e. constraints on the system velocities that do not arise from constraints on the configuration alone. First of all there are thus with dynamic nonholonomic constraints, i.e. constraints preserved by the basic Euler-Lagrange equations (Bloch, 2000; Melluso, 2007; Raimondi & Melluso, 2006-a). Of course, these constraints are not externally imposed on the system but rather are consequences of the equations of motion of the cybercar, and so it sometimes convenient to treat them as conservation laws rather than constraints per se. On the other hand, kinematic non-holonomic constraints are those imposed by kinematics, such as rolling constraints. The goal of the motion control of cybercars is to allow the automated vehicle to go from one terminal to another while staying on a defined trajectory and maintaining a set of performance criteria in terms of speeds, accelerations and jerks. There are many results concerning the issue of kinematic motion control for single car (Fierro & Lewis, 1997). The main idea behind the kinematic control algorithms is to define the velocity control inputs which stabilize the closed loop system. These works are based only on the steering kinematics and assume that there exists perfect velocity tracking, i.e. the control signal instantaneously affects the car velocities and this is not true. Other control researchers have target the problems of time varying trajectories tracking, regulating a single car to a desired position/orientation and incorporating the effects of the dynamical model to enhance the overall performance of the closed loop system. The works above are based on a backstepping approach, where the merging of kinematic and dynamic effects leads to the control torques applied to the motors of the wheels. A Fuzzy dynamic closed loop motion control for a single non-holonomic car based on backstepping approach and oriented to stability analysis of the motion errors has been developed by Raimondi & Melluso (2005). In Raimondi & Melluso (2006-b) and Raimondi & Melluso (2007-a) adaptive fuzzy motion control systems for single non-holonomic automated vehicles with unknown dynamic and kinematic parameters and Kalman's filter to localize the car have been presented. With regards to the problems of cooperative control of multiple cybercars, a number of techniques have been developed for omni-directiona

UML design and AWL programming for reconfigurable control software development of a robotic manipulator

The goal of the presented research is to face the topic of reconfigurable control software development in a concrete fashion, i.e., by presenting a control software system development approach which has been used for a specific, although easy to be generalized, robotized manufacturing cell component. In particular, a methodology for the control software development of a planar robot (2-degrees of freedom) is presented, from the conceptual design to the actual implementation. The methodology suggests UAL and object-oriented modeling and programming techniques for the design phase, while AWL programming language run by a PLC for the implementation phase. The analysis has been conducted considering the internal and external requirements of the manufacturing system which comprises the. robot, mostly driven by the contemporary industrial need of reconfigurable control systems, critical key to succeed in the new era of mass customization

Circulating Tumor Cells Identify Patients with Super-High-Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Updated Outcome Analysis of a Prospective Single-Center Trial

Clinical behavior of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is largely unpredictable, and even patients treated according to European Association of Urology recommendations have a heterogeneous prognosis. High-grade T1 (HGT1) bladder cancer is the highest-risk subtype of NMIBC, with an almost 40% rate of recurrence and 20% of progression at 5 years. Nomograms predicting risk of recurrence, progression, and cancer-specific survival (CSS) are not available specifically within HGT1 bladder cancer, and the identification of robust prognostic biomarkers to better guide therapeutic strategies in this subgroup of patients is of paramount importance. Strategies to identify putative biomarkers in liquid biopsies from blood and urine collected from patients with bladder cancer have been intensively studied in the last few years

Measuring transcutaneous bilirubin: a comparative analysis of three devices on a multiracial population

BACKGROUND: Hyperbilirubinemia can lead to potentially irreversible bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity. Transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) determination has become a valuable aid in non invasive screening of neonatal jaundice. The aim of this study is to compare the performance of three most widespread transcutaneous bilirubinometers on a multiracial population of term and late pre-term neonates. METHODS: Bilirubin concentration was determined using traditional photometric determination and transcutaneously with Bilicheck, BiliMed and JM-103, in random order. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) was determined over a wide concentration range (15,8–0,7 mg/dl) with a mean of 9,5 mg/dl. Related TcB values using Bilicheck (TcB-BC), BiliMed (TcB-BM), and JM-103 (TcB-JM) are reported in Table 1. RESULTS: A multiracial population of 289 neonates was enrolled with a gestational age ranging from 35 to 41 weeks; birth weight ranging from 1800to 4350 grams; hours of life ranging from 4 to 424. In the total study population correlation analysis using Pearson coefficients showed good results for Bilicheck (r = 0.86) and JM-103 (r = 0.85) but poor for BiliMed (r = 0,70). Similar results were found for the non-Caucasian neonates subgroup. Bilicheck and JM-103 had a greater area under the curve than BiliMed when TSB =14 mg/dl was chosen as a threshold value both for the total study population and the non-Caucasian subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Bilicheck and JM-103, but not BiliMed, are equally reliable screening tools for hyperbilirubinemia in our multiracial neonatal population

Phytochemical Responses to Salt Stress in Red and Green Baby Leaf Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Varieties Grown in a Floating Hydroponic Module

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the most popular leafy vegetables, appreciated globally as a low-calorie food with bioactive compounds. The application of a low dose of abiotic stress is considered a sustainable pre-harvest strategy to modify the nutraceutical value of horticultural products. In this work, we explored the response of two differently colored (red or green) baby leaf lettuce varieties to four NaCl concentrations in the nutrient solution (from 1 to 30 mM), using a full factorial design. We focused on leaf morphological parameters and possible phytochemical enhancement of the main polyphenols and anthocyanins, analyzed by LC-MS. The response to low-to-moderate salt stress exposure was affected mainly by salt concentration for leaf traits or by the cultivar for leaf color, with very limited factors' interactions. Multivariate analysis indicated a predominant role of the genotypic factor in shaping differences in the two weeks growing cycle for baby leaf lettuce. Phytochemically, different dose–response models to sub-optimal saline conditions may be applied to the various compounds. A significant hormetic stimulation was present only for cyanidin-malonyl glucoside, the main anthocyanin present in the red cultivar

The long-term prognostic value of survivin expressing circulating tumor cells in patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC)

Objectives Long-term follow-up study to evaluate the impact on disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival of survivin expression in tissue and CTCs from T1G3 bladder cancer patients. Patients and methods The study was conducted using tumor tissue and blood samples from 54 patients with a primary diagnosis of T1G3 NMIBC. Survivin was evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in tumor tissues. CTCs were isolated from blood by CELLection ™ Dynabeads (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA). Cells were lysed and cDNA was synthesized and analysed for the expression of CD45, CK8 and survivin. The endpoints of this long-termanalysis were disease-free survival, DFS and cancer-specific survival, CSS. Results Here, we report that, at 9 years of median followup, disease-free survival and cancer-specific survival are both significantly influenced by the expression of survivin in tumor tissue (p = 0.006), by the presence of CTCs (p < 0.0001) and by the expression of survivin in CTCs (p < 0.0001). Conclusion The statistically significant impact of survivin expressing CTCs on cancer-specific survival that we observed might be interpreted as the result of the persistence of a subpopulation of highlander cells in the blood of T1G3 bladder patients over time

A Small Chaperone Improves Folding and Routing of Rhodopsin Mutants Linked to Inherited Blindness

The autosomal dominant form of retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) is a blindness-causing conformational disease largely linked to mutations of rhodopsin. Molecular simulations coupled to the graph-based protein structure network (PSN) analysis and in vitro experiments were conducted to determine the effects of 33 adRP rhodopsin mutations on the structure and routing of the opsin protein. The integration of atomic and subcellular levels of analysis was accomplished by the linear correlation between indices of mutational impairment in structure network and in routing. The graph-based index of structural perturbation served also to divide the mutants in four clusters, consistent with their differences in subcellular localization and responses to 9-cis retinal. The stability core of opsin inferred from PSN analysis was targeted by virtual screening of over 300,000 anionic compounds leading to the discovery of a reversible orthosteric inhibitor of retinal binding more effective than retinal in improving routing of three adRP mutants

Circulating Tumor Cells Identify Patients with Super-High-Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: Updated Outcome Analysis of a Prospective Single-Center Trial

Background. Clinical behavior of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is largely unpredictable, and even patients treated according to European Association of Urology recommendations have a heterogeneous prognosis. High-grade T1 (HGT1) bladder cancer is the highest-risk subtype of NMIBC, with an almost 40% rate of recurrence and 20% of progression at 5 years. Nomograms predicting risk of recurrence, progression, and cancer-specific survival (CSS) are not available specifically within HGT1 bladder cancer, and the identification of robust prognostic biomarkers to better guide therapeutic strategies in this subgroup of patients is of paramount importance. Strategies to identify putative biomarkers in liquid biopsies from blood and urine collected from patients with bladder cancer have been intensively studied in the last few years. Subjects, Materials, and Methods. We here report the final analysis of a single-center prospective study aimed to investigate the impact of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) on CSS and overall survival (OS) in 102 patients with HGT1 bladder cancer, in a median follow-up of 63 months. Results. We here demonstrate that the presence of even a single CTC is predictive of shorter CSS and OS, as compared with the standard predictive variables. Points of attention in this multivariable analysis are the longterm follow-up and the adequate number of outcome events. Conclusion. The accurate risk stratification provided by CTCs might be essential for determining the best surveillance strategy for patients after diagnosis. A closer follow-up, an early radical surgery, or even a systemic treatment might be recommended in patients with super-high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Improvement of a low-cost buoy for the measurement of the sea wave weather

This article presents the result of an experimental meteorological buoy designed by the Department of Engineering of the University of Palermo, characterized by low costs and great versatility, and equipped with industrially certified measuring and detection instruments. This buoy can measure the parameters of the water column and continuously transmit the data to a remote acquisition centre. Maintenance requirements are very limited

Regulated Salinity Eustress in a Floating Hydroponic Module of Sequentially Harvested Lettuce Modulates Phytochemical Constitution, Plant Resilience, and Post-Harvest Nutraceutical Quality

A mild salinity stress (eustress) may modulate the induction of the plant defense system in horticultural crops and the synthesis of phytochemical components able to enhance plant resilience, post-harvest performance, and the nutraceutical quality of produce. However, the choice of the correct eustress type and dose to induce the synthesis of these protective phytochemicals is pivotal to avoid potential interference with plant growth and productivity. In order to study how green and red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants equilibrate the nutritional and nutraceutical components of quality with yield components, we applied iso-osmotic concentrations of three different salts (20 mM NaCl, 20 mM KCl, and 13.3 mM CaCl2, with a final total ionic concentration of 40 mM) in combination with two successive harvests in a floating raft system. The biometric parameters, mineral composition, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of both cultivars were analyzed. The green cultivar had a superior response concerning biometric traits and productivity compared to the red one during the first cut but lower phytochemical content (e.g., ascorbic acid). The effect of cut order, independently of cultivar and salinity treatments, demonstrated that at the first harvest plants could redirect metabolism by increasing the lipophilic antioxidant content (LAA) at the expense of plant yield, therefore increasing plant resilience and post-harvest nutraceutical quality; whereas, at the second harvest, plants reverted principally to tissue expansion. The treatments with iso-osmotic salt concentrations did not affect K and Mg ion contents but further increased LAA and resulted only in a moderate decrease of fresh yield. The lettuce nitrate content was reduced during the second cut only when lettuce plants were treated with NaCl and especially CaCl