MACRAME: A modelling methodology in multiactor contexts

A modelling methodology and a tool that supports the analyst in contexts characterized by a multiplicity of actors and information sources and a limited or absent interaction are presented in this paper. In these situations Problem Formulation becomes the first essential aim of a technical intervention applied to acquire, organize, present and reorganize knowledge of the action system, at both an individual and collective level; Model Structuring and Processing are strictly related in the same global approach. The basic structure of a prototype system, designed to assist the analyst in the structuring and then in the “critical reading process”, is also presented.     

Solid phase extraction oftrans-resveratrol from wines for HPLC analysis

Some recent studies have put forward the hypothesis that the presence oftrans-resveratrol (trans-3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) in red wine may be related to some of its therapeutic properties. A fundamental step in view of this evaluation is the development of a method for the quick, accurate and precise analysis of this compound. Sample enrichment and purification can be obtained by solid-phase extraction using reverse-phase C₁₈ cartridges. HPLC analysis carried out by means of a photodiode-array detector, with an internal standard method, allows the detection of up to 10 μg/L in wine, with a linear range between 0.6 and 300 ng injected and a precision of 3.3%. The results of the first analyses show that the concentrations oftrans-resveratrol in wines might be much higher than so far reported in the literature.     

The role of vsat systems in broadband networks and intelligent networks

The scope of this paper is to present the status and the preliminary results of the research activities that Telespazio is carrying out with the aim at identifying the role of the VSAT systems in the advanced telecommunications services, which will be dominant in the second half of nineties and beyond. The first part of the paper is devoted to an overview of the evolution trend of the terrestrial networks. The main body of the paper presents the results of our investigations on the application of VSAT systems in two fields: broadband networks and intelligent networks. Background information has been intentionally added for the easier comprehension of the topics presented in the paper. A list of acronyms appears as an Appendix.     

The use of iodine staining for the quantitative analysis of lipids separated by thin layer chromatography

The method described for quantitative estimation of lipids separated on thin layer chromatography plates exploits the observation that most lipids can be stained by iodine vapor and that, in “controlled” conditions, the intensity of this staining is proportional to the actual amount of lipid in the spot. The method consists of i) exposing the developed plate to iodine vapor; ii) spraying it with a suitable solvent to prevent halogen evaporation; iii) collecting the stained lipids by scraping the spots off the plate; and iv) determining by a rate-sensing method the absorbed iodine. The final determination is performed by measuring spectrophotometrically (at 410 nm) the rate of decolorization of a solution of Ce(IV) by As(III) in strong acidic conditions. The reaction rate, which is positively related to the concentration of iodine, is derived from the slope of the absorbance change plotted vs time. Providing that standards and samples are stained simultaneously, a quantitative estimation of lipid components of a mixture is possible in a reasonable time with excellent accuracy and reproducibility. In our hands, the method has been successfully applied to several common phospholipids, long chain fatty acids, cholesterol and deoxycholate, and triacylglycerols, in the range of 5–60 μg.     

A Beckwith–Wiedemann-Associated CDKN1C Mutation Allows the Identification of a Novel Nuclear Localization Signal in Human p57Kip2

p57^Kip2 protein is a member of the CIP/Kip family, mainly localized in the nucleus where it exerts its Cyclin/CDKs inhibitory function. In addition, the protein plays key roles in embryogenesis, differentiation, and carcinogenesis depending on its cellular localization and interactors. Mutations of CDKN1C, the gene encoding human p57^Kip2, result in the development of different genetic diseases, including Beckwith–Wiedemann, IMAGe and Silver–Russell syndromes. We investigated a specific Beckwith–Wiedemann associated CDKN1C change (c.946 C>T) that results in the substitution of the C-terminal amino acid (arginine 316) with a tryptophan (R316W-p57^Kip2). We found a clear redistribution of R316W-p57^Kip2, in that while the wild-type p57^Kip2 mostly occurs in the nucleus, the mutant form is also distributed in the cytoplasm. Transfection of two expression constructs encoding the p57^Kip2 N- and C-terminal domain, respectively, allows the mapping of the nuclear localization signal(s) (NLSs) between residues 220–316. Moreover, by removing the basic RKRLR sequence at the protein C-terminus (from 312 to 316 residue), p57^Kip2 was confined in the cytosol, implying that this sequence is absolutely required for nuclear entry. In conclusion, we identified an unreported p57^Kip2 NLS and suggest that its absence or mutation might be of relevance in CDKN1C-associated human diseases determining significant changes of p57^Kip2 localization/regulatory roles.     

Self-consistent kinetic theory with nonlinear wave-particle resonances

We have developed, based on the oscillating-center transformation, a general theoretical approach for self-consistent plasma dynamics including, explicitly, effects of nonlinear(higherorder) wave-particle resonances. A specific example is then given for low-frequency responses of trapped particles in axisymmetric tokamaks. Possible applications to transport as well as nonlinear wave growth/damping are also briefly discussed.     

Detection,localisation and tracking of pallets using machine learning techniques and 2D range data

The problem of autonomous transportation in industrial scenarios is receiving a renewed interest due to the way it can revolutionise internal logistics, especially in unstructured environments. This paper presents a novel architecture allowing a robot to detect, localise, and track (possibly multiple) pallets using machine learning techniques based on an on-board 2D laser rangefinder only. The architecture is composed of two main components: the first stage is a pallet detector employing a Faster Region-Based Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN) detector cascaded with a CNN-based classifier; the second stage is a Kalman filter for localising and tracking detected pallets, which we also use to defer commitment to a pallet detected in the first stage until sufficient confidence has been acquired via a sequential data acquisition process. For fine-tuning the CNNs, the architecture has been systematically evaluated using a real-world dataset containing 340 labelled 2D scans, which have been made freely available in an online repository. Detection performance has been assessed on the basis of the average accuracy over k-fold cross-validation, and it scored 99.58% in our tests. Concerning pallet localisation and tracking, experiments have been performed in a scenario where the robot is approaching the pallet to fork. Although data have been originally acquired by considering only one pallet as per specification of the use case we consider, artificial data have been generated as well to mimic the presence of multiple pallets in the robot workspace. Our experimental results confirm that the system is capable of identifying, localising and tracking pallets with a high success rate while being robust to false positives.

     

Exploiting capture and interference cancellation for uplink random multiple access in 5G millimeter-wave networks

The forthcoming 5G technology aims to provide massive device connectivity and ultra-high capacity with reduced latency and costs. These features will be enabled by increasing the density of the base stations, using millimeter-wave (mmWave) bands, massive multiple-input multiple-output systems, and non-orthogonal multiple access techniques. The ability to support a large number of terminals in a small area is in fact a great challenge to guarantee massive access. In this context, this paper proposes a new receiver model for the uplink of 5G mmWave cellular networks. The receiver, called Iterative Decoding and Interference Cancellation (IDIC), is based on the Slotted Aloha (SA) protocol and exploits the capture effect alongside the successive IC process to resolve packet collisions. A 5G propagation scenario, modeled according to recent mmWave channel measurements, is used to compare IDIC with the widely adopted Contention Resolution Diversity SA (CRDSA) scheme to show the performance gain of IDIC, when elements of practical relevance, like imperfect cancellation and receive power diversity, are considered. The impact of packet and power diversity is also investigated to derive the preferable uplink random access strategy that maximizes the system throughput according to the offered channel load.