Communicability of traditional interfaces VS chatbots in healthcare and smart home domains

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a study about communicability of conversational interfaces (namely chatbots) under a semiotic perspective. A chatbot is a software system that allows you to simulate real conversations between devices and users by means of a conversational interface (CI). After introducing the chatbot concept, focusing on its advantages and issues, we will present two domains of use in which chatbot interfaces can be effective: healthcare and smart home. For carrying out simple tasks such as finding information or triggering operations, users need an easy-to-use and to an easy-to-learn system to communicate with. To face this, conversational interfaces represent the latest trend in the field of digital design. For studying the communicability aspects of a CI, we carried out a user test to compare traditional and chatbot interfaces. This paper aims at evaluating the benefits at the communicability level of a chatbot in comparison to traditional GUI for incrementing the effectiveness and efficacy of communication between users and the system specifically for users with poor attitude in using technologies. In details, we evaluated the communicability of two prototypes that can be used to solve simple tasks in order to favour user inclusion, including everyone with very little exposure to technologies.     

Exploring the Role of Genetic Variability and Lifestyle in Oxidative Stress Response for Healthy Aging and Longevity

Oxidative stress is both the cause and consequence of impaired functional homeostasis characterizing human aging. The worsening efficiency of stress response with age represents a health risk and leads to the onset and accrual of major age-related diseases. In contrast, centenarians seem to have evolved conservative stress response mechanisms, probably derived from a combination of a diet rich in natural antioxidants, an active lifestyle and a favorable genetic background, particularly rich in genetic variants able to counteract the stress overload at the level of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. The integration of these factors could allow centenarians to maintain moderate levels of free radicals that exert beneficial signaling and modulator effects on cellular metabolism. Considering the hot debate on the efficacy of antioxidant supplementation in promoting healthy aging, in this review we gathered the existing information regarding genetic variability and lifestyle factors which potentially modulate the stress response at old age. Evidence reported here suggests that the integration of lifestyle factors (moderate physical activity and healthy nutrition) and genetic background could shift the balance in favor of the antioxidant cellular machinery by activating appropriate defense mechanisms in response to exceeding external and internal stress levels, and thus possibly achieving the prospect of living a longer life.     

Phosphorylation of Histone H2AX in the Mouse Brain from Development to Senescence

Phosphorylation of the histone H2AX (γH2AX form) is an early response to DNA damage and a marker of aging and disease in several cells and tissues outside the nervous system. Little is known about in vivo phosphorylation of H2AX in neurons, although it was suggested that γH2AX is an early marker of neuronal endangerment thus opening the possibility to target it as a neuroprotective strategy. After experimental labeling of DNA-synthesizing cells with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), we studied the brain occurrence of γH2AX in developing, postnatal, adult and senescent (2 years) mice by light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Focal and/or diffuse γH2AX immunostaining appears in interkinetic nuclei, mitotic chromosomes, and apoptotic nuclei. Immunoreactivity is mainly associated with neurogenetic areas, i.e., the subventricular zone (SVZ) of telencephalon, the cerebellar cortex, and, albeit to a much lesser extent, the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. In addition, γH2AX is highly expressed in the adult and senescent cerebral cortex, particularly the piriform cortex. Double labeling experiments demonstrate that γH2AX in neurogenetic brain areas is temporally and functionally related to proliferation and apoptosis of neuronal precursors, i.e., the type C transit amplifying cells (SVZ) and the granule cell precursors (cerebellum). Conversely, γH2AX-immunoreactive cortical neurons incorporating the S phase-label BrdU do not express the proliferation marker phosphorylated histone H3, indicating that these postmitotic cells undergo a significant DNA damage response. Our study paves the way for a better comprehension of the role of H2AX phosphorylation in the normal brain, and offers additional data to design novel strategies for the protection of neuronal precursors and mature neurons in central nervous system (CNS) degenerative diseases.     

Effects of post-fermentation processing on the stabilisation of naturally fermented green table olives (cv Nocellara etnea)

The effects of thermal treatment on green table olives were evaluated as a method to control enzymatic browning, to minimise the microorganism presence and to extend their shelf-life. However this treatment is often responsible for colour alterations, development of off-flavours and unfavourable texture changes. Moreover, the effect of different re-use of the natural brine of fermentation with or without different treatments was investigated. Calcium treatment was suggested to maintain firmness. Firming effects obtained from heat treatment combined with calcium treatment have been attributed to heat-activated pectin methylesterase and/or to increased calcium diffusion into tissues at higher temperatures. The results derived from this study will help in designing new processes which can be applied in table olive industry.     

Reduction of NO emissions in a turbojet combustor by direct water/steam injection: Numerical and experimental assessment

Numerical and experimental investigations are conducted to assess the benefits and drawbacks of both water (mist) and steam direct injection within the combustion chamber of a 200 N static thrust turbojet. For this purpose, a three-dimensional CFD model of the combustion process is implemented where pollutant emissions are calculated; in parallel, a test campaign on the turbojet at sea level static conditions is carried out. In both cases the refrigerant flow is injected directly into the combustor, outside the liner. The aim of the investigations is to evaluate the impact of increasing water and steam flows (ranging from 0% to 200% of the fuel mass flow) onto the emissions levels (NO and CO) of the engine.     

The Ketogenic Diet Reduces the Harmful Effects of Stress on Gut Mitochondrial Biogenesis in a Rat Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Functional alterations in irritable bowel syndrome have been associated with defects in bioenergetics and the mitochondrial network. Effects of high fat, adequate-protein, low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (KD) involve oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and biogenesis. The aim was to evaluate the KD efficacy in reducing the effects of stress on gut mitochondria. Newborn Wistar rats were exposed to maternal deprivation to induce IBS in adulthood. Intestinal inflammation (COX-2 and TRL-4); cellular redox status (SOD 1, SOD 2, PrxIII, mtDNA oxidatively modified purines); mitochondrial biogenesis (PPAR-γ, PGC-1α, COX-4, mtDNA content); and autophagy (Beclin-1, LC3 II) were evaluated in the colon of exposed rats fed with KD (IBD-KD) or standard diet (IBS-Std), and in unexposed controls (Ctrl). IBS-Std rats showed dysfunctional mitochondrial biogenesis (PPAR-γ, PGC-1α, COX-4, and mtDNA contents lower than in Ctrl) associated with inflammation and increased oxidative stress (higher levels of COX-2 and TLR-4, SOD 1, SOD 2, PrxIII, and oxidatively modified purines than in Ctrl). Loss of autophagy efficacy appeared from reduced levels of Beclin-1 and LC3 II. Feeding of animals with KD elicited compensatory mechanisms able to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, restore mitochondrial function, and baseline autophagy, possibly via the upregulation of the PPAR-γ/PGC-1α axis.     

Photochemically Controlled Molecular Machines with Sequential Logic Operation

A molecular machine is an assembly of molecular components (i.e., a supramolecular structure) designed to perform specific mechanical movements in response to external stimuli. Biomolecular machines are essential for living organisms and are proven examples of the feasibility and utility of nanotechnology. Artificial molecular machines have been built in the laboratory and their use for smart materials and devices is the subject of much investigation. Here we discuss molecular machines based on rotaxane-like species, whose operation depends both on the type and sequencing of stimuli. These systems have the potential to store information and when carefully designed, the interplay of thermodynamic and kinetic features of supramolecular assemblies can yield sequential behavior. The investigation of ‘intelligent’ molecules capable of recognizing a specific input code can introduce new concepts to the field of chemistry and stimulate research in the bottom-up construction of nanodevices.     

Synthesis,characterization and modelling of zinc and silicate co-substituted hydroxyapatite

Experimental chemistry and atomic modelling studies were performed here to investigate a novel ionic co-substitution in hydroxyapatite (HA). Zinc, silicate co-substituted HA (ZnSiHA) remained phase pure after heating to 1100°C with Zn and Si amounts of 0.6 wt% and 1.2 wt%, respectively. Unique lattice expansions in ZnSiHA, silicate Fourier transform infrared peaks and changes to the hydroxyl IR stretching region suggested Zn and silicate co-substitution in ZnSiHA. Zn and silicate insertion into HA was modelled using density functional theory (DFT). Different scenarios were considered where Zn substituted for different calcium sites or at a 2b site along the c-axis, which was suspected in singly substituted ZnHA. The most energetically favourable site in ZnSiHA was Zn positioned at a previously unreported interstitial site just off the c-axis near a silicate tetrahedron sitting on a phosphate site. A combination of experimental chemistry and DFT modelling provided insight into these complex co-substituted calcium phosphates that could find biomedical application as a synthetic bone mineral substitute.     

Design of a Robust Soft-Sensor to Monitor In-Line a Freeze-Drying Process

This article deals with the in-line monitoring of a vital freeze-drying process using a soft-sensor that couples the experimental measurement of product temperature with a mathematical model of the process. This tool allows estimating in-line the residual amount of ice in the product and, thus, the duration of the primary drying stage, as well as some model parameters like the heat transfer coefficient between the shelf and the product and the resistance of the dried cake to vapor flow. As the performance of this sensor, based on the Extended Kalman Filter algorithm, strongly depends on the accuracy of the initial estimations of model parameters, an innovative algorithm based on a simple model of the freezing stage (and on product temperature measurement in this stage) is first used to roughly estimate the dried cake resistance to vapor flow. Then, a curvilinear regression algorithm is used in the first part of the primary drying stage with the goal of further refining model parameters' estimations. In this way, the robustness of the sensor is significantly improved, as confirmed by various experiments carried out to validate the soft-sensor and to investigate the effect of the accuracy of the initial estimations of model parameters on the performance of the system.     

Barium Titanate Nanoparticles: Highly Cytocompatible Dispersions in Glycol-chitosan and Doxorubicin Complexes for Cancer Therapy

In the latest years, innovative nanomaterials have attracted a dramatic and exponentially increasing interest, in particular for their potential applications in the biomedical field. In this paper, we reported our findings on the cytocompatibility of barium titanate nanoparticles (BTNPs), an extremely interesting ceramic material. A rational and systematic study of BTNP cytocompatibility was performed, using a dispersion method based on a non-covalent binding to glycol-chitosan, which demonstrated the optimal cytocompatibility of this nanomaterial even at high concentration (100 μg/ml). Moreover, we showed that the efficiency of doxorubicin, a widely used chemotherapy drug, is highly enhanced following the complexation with BTNPs. Our results suggest that innovative ceramic nanomaterials such as BTNPs can be realistically exploited as alternative cellular nanovectors.