Low cost system for visualization and exhibition of pottery finds in archeological museums

The objective of this project is to build a low-cost system for surveying, modeling, prototyping and interactive visualizing aimed at the enhancement of islamic pottery finds of X – XI centuries. The system will allow various applications: the creation of systems for displaying artifacts from the museum alongside the exhibition, the virtual view of restorations from fragments, including AR and VR, the physical reconstruction of the original form using 3D printer to show the pieces in their entirety, as well as the construction of interactive virtual archives to be made available to scholars and visitors

Solutions for the automation of operational monitoring activities for agricultural and forestry tasks

Summary An innovative approach for the automation of operational monitoring activities in agricultural and forestry tasks is described and discussed in this article. This approach can be considered as a solution for Precision Agriculture and Precision Forestry applications and can be used as an information and communication technology (ICT) tool for the management aims by a variety of agricultural and forestry companies. The aim of the proposed concept is to develop a system, composed of both hardware and software units, with the ability to collect and manage operative raw data and then to translate them into operational information that will be used in decision-making processes. All the procedures will be carried out automatically, in order to ensure an objective compilation of the field activity register. Thus, the entrepreneur will have all the operative information automatically updated in a dedicated database system. All the obtained documents can then be used for certification and traceability processes, if required by the procedural guideline, as well as to satisfy any other management tasks, including the estimation of the actual operative costs of the farm

The Role of Radiopharmaceuticals MIBG and (V) DMSA in the Diagnosis of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

The diagnostic value of 123/131I meta-iodo-benzylguanidine (MIBG) and 99mTc (V) dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) was investigated in 12 patients with proven medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Scintigraphic imaging with DMSA was negalive in nine of 12 patients. Scintigraphy with MIBG was positive in only one case. In proven primary or recurrent disease, DMSA sensitivity was 50% and MIBG sensitivity was 25%. Such sensitivities become much lower in subjects wilh high calcitonin (CT) levels who have had negative surgical explorations: DMSA 17% and MIBG 0%. DMSA delected tumor in 25% of the patients and MIBG in only 8%. The positivity of these scintigraphies appears to be unrelated to carcinoembryonic antigen and CT plasma levels. Such data suggest that scintigraphies wilh MIBG and DMSA are only modestly useful in the diagnosis of MTC

Algorithms for the interpretation of continuous measurement of the slurry level in storage tanks

This paper describes a device for monitoring the slurry level in storage tanks. In particular, it describes the inference engine used within the StorEyes software. This software was developed by the Authors to interpret and manage data collected from measurements taken by ultrasonic or pressure sensors mounted on slurry tanks for continuous monitoring of the stored effluent level. The monitoring device consists of a data-logger that uses a GPRS device for the wireless transmission of data to a Farm Information System server, a buffer for the temporary storage of data in case of malfunction of the farm network, and a GPS receiver. The inference engine consists of a set of algorithms used to derive from raw measurements (usually in V) intelligible information about the loading/unloading events in storage facilities. The inference engine has been tested and calibrated through two years of acquisitions at two pilot farms with different slurry tank loading and unloading management systems

Evaluation of Children with Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

Early diagnosis and surgical treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in children is essential to decrease the likelihood of metastatic spread. From 1981 to 1991, eight children under 18 years of age (five girls and three boys) with MTC were seen and seven underwent total thyroidectomy. Followup ranged from 14 months to 10 years after surgery. Four of the seven presented with a neck mass and elevated basal levels of calcitonin (CT). After surgery, three had recurrent disease. In the other three, the diagnosis was made after several years of screening (normal basal values of CT but increased CT levels after calcium/pentagastrin infusion). All had normal stimulated CT values postoperatively. This follow-up showed that the prognosis for MTC in children depends predominantly upon its extent at the time of the diagnosis and treatment

Sudden death due to fulminant lymphocytic myocarditis with atypical prodromal symptoms

Diagnosis of myocarditis is complex because it is not always preceded by clear symptoms. We report the case of a woman who died suddenly. Autopsy and histopathological investigations revealed a lymphocytic myocarditis. Clinical history showed the patient went to the hospital some days before for joint pain and low-grade fever

New Transparent Laser-Drilled Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide covered Quartz Electrodes for Photo-Electrochemical Water Splitting

A new-designed transparent, conductive and porous electrode was developed for application in a compact laboratory-scale proton exchange membrane (PEM) photo-electrolyzer. The electrode is made of a thin transparent quartz sheet covered with fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), in which an array of holes is laser-drilled to allow water and gas permeation. The electrical, morphological, optical and electrochemical characterization of the drilled electrodes is presented in comparison with a non-drilled one. The drilled electrode exhibits, in the visible region, a good transmittance (average value of 62%), a noticeable reflectance due to the light scattering effect of the hole-drilled internal region, and a higher effective surface area than the non-drilled electrode. The proof-of-concept of the applicability of the drilled electrode was achieved by using it as a support for a traditional photocatalyst (i.e. commercial TiO2 nanoparticles). The latter, coupled with a polymeric electrolyte membrane (i.e.Nafion 117) and a Pt counter electrode, forms a transparent membrane electrode assembly (MEA), with a good conductivity, wettability and porosity. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was used as a very powerful tool to gain information on the real active surface of the new drilled electrode and the main electrochemical parameters driving the charge transfer reactions on it. This new electrode architecture is demonstrated to be an ideal support for testing new anodic and cathodic photoactive materials working in tandem configuration for solar fuels production by water photo-electrolysis