A control oriented model for manual-pick warehouses

Nowadays the low cost of wireless communications allows the real time monitoring of the state of manual-pick warehouse systems making possible the real time control of these systems. At this aim, an approach based on a two-level model is presented in this paper. At the lower level, Petri nets are used to build online a model representing the active missions state and to detect conflicts among resources. At the upper level, logical expressions are used to add constraints for a single mission or item. The model is proved to be effective for online monitoring, scheduling and rescheduling of warehouse activities.     

Integration of XML Schemas at various “severity” levels

This paper presents a novel approach for the integration of a set of eXtensible Markup Language (XML) Schemas. The proposed approach is specialized for XML, almost automatic, semantic and “light”. Further, an original peculiarity is that it is parametric w.r.t. a “severity” level against which the integration task is performed. The paper describes the approach in all details, illustrates various theoretical results, presents the experiments we have performed for testing it and, finally, compares it with various related approaches already proposed in the literature.     

Cognitive Trauma Therapy for Battered Women With PTSD (CTT-BW).

This article describes a second treatment-outcome study of cognitive trauma therapy for battered women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; CTT-BW). CTT-BW includes trauma history exploration: PTSD education; stress management; exposure to abuse and abuser reminders; self-monitoring of negative self-talk; cognitive therapy for guilt; and modules on self-advocacy, assertiveness, and how to identify perpetrators. One hundred twenty-five ethnically diverse women were randomly assigned to immediate or delayed CTT-BW. PTSD remitted in 87% of women who completed CTT-BW, with large reductions in depression and guilt and substantial increases in self-esteem. White and ethnic minority women benefited equally from CTT-BW. Similar treatment outcomes were obtained by male and female therapists and by therapists with different levels of education and training. Gains were maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ecological Neural Networks for Object Recognition and Generalization

Generalization is a critical capacity for organisms. Modeling the behavior of organisms with neural networks, some type of generalizations appear to be accessible to neural networks but other types do not. In this paper we present two simulations. In the first simulation we show that while neural networks can recognize where an object is located in the retina even if they have never experienced that object in that position ('where' generalization subtask), they have difficulty in recognizing the identity of a familiar object in a new position ('what' generalization subtask). In the second simulation we explore the hypothesis that organisms find another solution to the problem of recognizing objects in different positions on their retina: they move their eyes so that objects are always seen in the same position in the retina. This strategy emerges spontaneously in ecological neural networks that are allowed to move their 'eye' in order to bring different portions of the visible world in the central portion of their retina.     

Optimal evaluation of generalized Euler angles with applications to control

Given two linearly independent matrices in so(3), Z₁ and Z₂, every rotation matrix, X_f∈SO(3), can be written as the product of alternate elements from the one-dimensional subgroups corresponding to Z₁ and Z₂, namely X_f=e^Z₁t₁e^Z₂t₂e^Z₁t₃?e^Z₁t_s. The parameters t_i, i=1,…,s are called Generalized Euler Angles. In this paper, the minimum number of factors required for the factorization of X_f∈SO(3), as a function of X_f, is evaluated. An algorithm is given to determine the generalized Euler angles, in the optimal factorization. The results can be applied to the bang-bang control, with minimum number of switches, of some classical and quantum systems.     

Adaptive local learning techniques for multiple-step-ahead wind speed forecasting

A massive deployment of wind energy in power systems is expected in the near future. However, a still open issue is how to integrate wind generators into existing electrical grids by limiting their side effects on network operations and control. In order to attain this objective, accurate short and medium-term wind speed forecasting is required.This paper discusses and compares a physical (white-box) model (namely a limited-area non hydrostatic model developed by the European consortium for small-scale modeling) with a family of local learning techniques (black-box) for short and medium term forecasting. Also, an original model integrating machine learning techniques with physical knowledge modeling (grey-box) is proposed.A set of experiments on real data collected from a set of meteorological sensors located in the south of Italy supports the methodological analysis and assesses the potential of the different forecasting approaches.     

University-owned and university-invented patents: a network analysis on two Italian universities

The paper presents results from social network analysis applied to data on patenting of academics inventors employed in two Italian universities (Trieste University and Udine university, both located in Friuli Venezia Giulia region). The aim is to compare the co-invention networks generated by the academic inventors, tenured by one of the two universities, in their patenting activity with several organisations—firms, public research organisations—and in their activity for patents owned by one of the two universities. Results show that, despite the structural similarity, non-marginal differences emerge in the interaction of the two forms of patenting across the two universities. Empirical evidence suggests new research questions related in particular to the role played by the differing university patenting strategies in shaping local networks.     

Complex chain of momentum transfer of body segments in the baseball pitching motion

Abstract

Baseball pitching requires contributions from and interaction among all limb segments. Most previous investigators have concentrated on the throwing arm itself, but the center of mass (COM) and contribution of all segments in the pitching motion have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the momentum transfer of all body segments in the pitching motion. The kinematics pitching motion data were captured from three experienced pitchers (one is professional, two are amateurs). A ten‐segment body system was modeled in this study. The results showed that the lowest position of the COM during the pitching cycle occurred around the ball release time and the fastest velocity (2.81±0.18 m/sec) of the COM was in the late cocking phase. The trunk and thigh on the throwing side showed the largest linear momentum among all segments in the late cocking phase. The upper throwing arm and forearm had peak linear momentum in the acceleration phase. The trunk also had the largest angular momentum during the pitching cycle and reached the maximum rotational momentum (4.17±1.22 Kg‐m²/sec) in the late cocking phase and medial bending momentum (9.03±5.78 Kg‐m²/sec) at the end of the late cocking phase. From the time sequence of linear momentum changes, especially in the leading direction, the force transfer from the foot to the trunk then through the upper extremity during the pitching motion was identified. The largest change rate of angular momentum found in the trunk meant that the trunk contributed the largest torque in the pitching motion. Better coordination of the body segments in the pitching motion not only enhances performance but also avoids injury. The coordination of motion by athletes in the pitching motion provides a guideline for better coaching and training.     

An Oral Mixed Fat Load Is Followed by a Modest Anti-inflammatory Adipocytokine Response in Overweight Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

We investigated the postprandial changes in plasma levels of adipocytokines in overweight patients with metabolic syndrome after an oral fat load. After an oral fat load and during a prolonged fast, blood was drawn at 0, 2, 3, 4 and 8 h for measurement of adiponectin, adipsin, cathepsin S, chemerin, hepatic growth factor, interferon‐γ‐inducible protein‐10, leptin, macrophage chemoattractant protein‐1, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, nerve growth factor, retinol binding protein‐4, resistin, serum amyloid A1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐1 and thrombopoietin using a microbead‐based Luminex assay. Area under the curves (AUC) were calculated and compared. Plasma adiponectin levels were higher after an oral fat load compared to fasting at t = 2 h (950 ± 513 vs. ?1,881 ± 713 ng/ml) while the plasma levels for adipsin (?9 ± 5 vs. 16 ± 5 ng/ml), chemerin (?122 ± 35 vs. 13 ± 21 ng/ml), SAA‐1 (?391 ± 213 vs. 522 ± 173 ng/ml) and TPO (?335 ± 144 vs. 622 ± 216 ng/ml) were lower after an oral fat load compared to fasting. The baseline corrected AUC for IP‐10 was higher after fat load compared to fasting (median ?116 pg h/ml; IQR ?270 to 10 vs. ?21 pg h/ml; IQR ?136 to 418 (p = 0.047). In conclusion, in overweight male subjects with the metabolic syndrome, an oral fat load is accompanied with a modest anti‐inflammatory response of adipose tissue‐derived adipocytokines.     

Mechanisms and Kinetics of Liquid Silicon Oxidation During Industrial Refining

During oxidative ladle refining (OLR) of silicon, the metal surface is partly oxidized, resulting in the formation of a condensed silica fume (SiO₂). This fugitive emission of silica represents a potential health hazard to the workers in the silicon and ferrosilicon industry. In the current work, industrial measurement campaigns aimed at recording the fume generation during OLR were performed at the Elkem Salten plant in Norway. The measured amounts of silica produced were 2.5–5.1?kg/h, depending on the gas flow rate in the refining process. The rate of silica production correlates with the total flow rate and amount of air in the purge gas, and increases as the flow rate increases. The results of this work suggest that fume generation during OLR primarily results from oxidation of the exposed metal surface, with oxygen transport from the surrounding atmosphere to the metal surface being the limiting factor. Other identified mechanisms of SiO₂ formation were splashing of the metal and/or oxidation of SiO gas carried with the refining purge gas.