Archivio della ricerca della Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
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Novel Automation, AI, and Biomimetic Engineering Advancements for Insect Studies and Management
No full textEntomology has seen remarkable advancements through the integration of robotics, artificial
intelligence (AI), and biomimetic engineering. These technological innovations are revolutionizing
how scientists study insect behavior, ecology, and management. Robotics and AI offer
unprecedented precision and efficiency in monitoring and controlling insect populations.
Biomimetics provides new ways to understand and replicate insect abilities in bioengineered
systems. This mini-review highlights recent developments in these fields, focusing on key studies
exemplifying the transformative potential of these technologies. I explore their applications,
benefits, and challenges, aiming at providing an overview of the current state and future directions
in insect science and management
On the compressibility of large-scale source code datasets
Get PDFStoring ultra-large amounts of unstructured data (often called objects or blobs) is a fundamental task for several object-based storage engines, data warehouses, data-lake systems, and key–value stores. These systems cannot currently leverage similarities between objects, which could be vital in improving their space and time performance. An important use case in which we can expect the objects to be highly similar is the storage of large-scale versioned source code datasets, such as the Software Heritage Archive (Di Cosmo and Zacchiroli, 2017). This use case is particularly interesting given the extraordinary size (1.5 PiB), the variegated nature, and the high repetitiveness of the at-issue corpus. In this paper we discuss and experiment with content- and context-based compression techniques for source-code collections that tailor known and novel tools to this setting in combination with state-of-the-art general-purpose compressors and the information coming from the Software Heritage Graph. We experiment with our compressors over a random sample of the entire corpus, and four large samples of source code files written in different popular languages: C/C++, Java, JavaScript, and Python. We also consider two scenarios of usage for our compressors, called Backup and File-Access scenario, where the latter adds to the former the support for single file retrieval. As a net result, our experiments show (i) how much “compressible” each language is, (ii) which content- or context-based techniques compress better and are faster to (de)compress by possibly supporting individual file access, and (iii) the ultimate compressed size that, according to our estimate, our best solution could achieve in storing all the source code written in these languages and available in the Software Heritage Archive: namely, in 3 TiB (down from their original 78 TiB total size, with an average compression ratio of 4%)
Global, regional, and national prevalence of adult overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Get PDFBackground: Overweight and obesity is a global epidemic. Forecasting future trajectories of the epidemic is crucial for providing an evidence base for policy change. In this study, we examine the historical trends of the global, regional, and national prevalence of adult overweight and obesity from 1990 to 2021 and forecast the future trajectories to 2050. Methods: Leveraging established methodology from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, we estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity among individuals aged 25 years and older by age and sex for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2050. Retrospective and current prevalence trends were derived based on both self-reported and measured anthropometric data extracted from 1350 unique sources, which include survey microdata and reports, as well as published literature. Specific adjustment was applied to correct for self-report bias. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression models were used to synthesise data, leveraging both spatial and temporal correlation in epidemiological trends, to optimise the comparability of results across time and geographies. To generate forecast estimates, we used forecasts of the Socio-demographic Index and temporal correlation patterns presented as annualised rate of change to inform future trajectories. We considered a reference scenario assuming the continuation of historical trends. Findings: Rates of overweight and obesity increased at the global and regional levels, and in all nations, between 1990 and 2021. In 2021, an estimated 1·00 billion (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 0·989–1·01) adult males and 1·11 billion (1·10–1·12) adult females had overweight and obesity. China had the largest population of adults with overweight and obesity (402 million [397–407] individuals), followed by India (180 million [167–194]) and the USA (172 million [169–174]). The highest age-standardised prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed in countries in Oceania and north Africa and the Middle East, with many of these countries reporting prevalence of more than 80% in adults. Compared with 1990, the global prevalence of obesity had increased by 155·1% (149·8–160·3) in males and 104·9% (95% UI 100·9–108·8) in females. The most rapid rise in obesity prevalence was observed in the north Africa and the Middle East super-region, where age-standardised prevalence rates in males more than tripled and in females more than doubled. Assuming the continuation of historical trends, by 2050, we forecast that the total number of adults living with overweight and obesity will reach 3·80 billion (95% UI 3·39–4·04), over half of the likely global adult population at that time. While China, India, and the USA will continue to constitute a large proportion of the global population with overweight and obesity, the number in the sub-Saharan Africa super-region is forecasted to increase by 254·8% (234·4–269·5). In Nigeria specifically, the number of adults with overweight and obesity is forecasted to rise to 141 million (121–162) by 2050, making it the country with the fourth-largest population with overweight and obesity. Interpretation: No country to date has successfully curbed the rising rates of adult overweight and obesity. Without immediate and effective intervention, overweight and obesity will continue to increase globally. Particularly in Asia and Africa, driven by growing populations, the number of individuals with overweight and obesity is forecast to rise substantially. These regions will face a considerable increase in obesity-related disease burden. Merely acknowledging obesity as a global health issue would be negligent on the part of global health and public health practitioners; more aggressive and targeted measures are required to address this crisis, as obesity is one of the foremost avertible risks to health now and in the future and poses an unparalleled threat of premature disease and death at local, national, and global levels. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Investigating Social Immunity in Swarming Locusts via a Triple Animal–Robot–Pathogen Hybrid Interaction
Get PDFSocial immunity involves collective defensive strategies against infectious
diseases. Despite its prevalence in eusocial insects, little is known about social
immunity in non-eusocial organisms like gregarious locusts. To address this
gap, an emergent biohybrid approach bridging robotics and ethology is
employed to study the behavior of the gregarious phase of Schistocerca gregaria
in response to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. Herein, the
first animal–robot–microorganism interaction is developed to explore how
infected biomimetic agents (IB) influence healthy locust behavior compared
to healthy biomimetic agents (HB), as well as to infected and healthy nonbiomimetic
controls (INB, HNB). Significant differences in locust responses
to different agents, including latency duration, grooming behavior, tactile
interactions, and aggression are observed. In healthy locusts, the increased
grooming and tactile interactions in response to IB highlight potential preventive
measures against pathogen transmission. Also, tactile interaction
behavior is notably extended toward IB, emphasizing the role of reciprocal
hygiene in limiting pathogens spread within the swarm. Infected locusts exhibit
altered behaviors, including increased interaction with any robotic agents,
potentially to be cleaned of fungal conidia. This animal–robot interaction study
reveals social immunity dynamics in non-eusocial organisms, with implications
for pest control, evolutionary ecology, social complex systems, and bioinspired
engineering design
Global, regional, and national prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050: a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Get PDFBackground: Despite the well documented consequences of obesity during childhood and adolescence and future risks of excess body mass on non-communicable diseases in adulthood, coordinated global action on excess body mass in early life is still insufficient. Inconsistent measurement and reporting are a barrier to specific targets, resource allocation, and interventions. In this Article we report current estimates of overweight and obesity across childhood and adolescence, progress over time, and forecasts to inform specific actions. Methods: Using established methodology from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2021, we modelled overweight and obesity across childhood and adolescence from 1990 to 2021, and then forecasted to 2050. Primary data for our models included 1321 unique measured and self-reported anthropometric data sources from 180 countries and territories from survey microdata, reports, and published literature. These data were used to estimate age-standardised global, regional, and national overweight prevalence and obesity prevalence (separately) for children and young adolescents (aged 5–14 years, typically in school and cared for by child health services) and older adolescents (aged 15–24 years, increasingly out of school and cared for by adult services) by sex for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Prevalence estimates from 1990 to 2021 were generated using spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression models, which leveraged temporal and spatial correlation in epidemiological trends to ensure comparability of results across time and geography. Prevalence forecasts from 2022 to 2050 were generated using a generalised ensemble modelling approach assuming continuation of current trends. For every age-sex-location population across time (1990–2050), we estimated obesity (vs overweight) predominance using the log ratio of obesity percentage to overweight percentage. Findings: Between 1990 and 2021, the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents doubled, and that of obesity alone tripled. By 2021, 93·1 million (95% uncertainty interval 89·6–96·6) individuals aged 5–14 years and 80·6 million (78·2–83·3) aged 15–24 years had obesity. At the super-region level in 2021, the prevalence of overweight and of obesity was highest in north Africa and the Middle East (eg, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait), and the greatest increase from 1990 to 2021 was seen in southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (eg, Taiwan [province of China], Maldives, and China). By 2021, for females in both age groups, many countries in Australasia (eg, Australia) and in high-income North America (eg, Canada) had already transitioned to obesity predominance, as had males and females in a number of countries in north Africa and the Middle East (eg, United Arab Emirates and Qatar) and Oceania (eg, Cook Islands and American Samoa). From 2022 to 2050, global increases in overweight (not obesity) prevalence are forecasted to stabilise, yet the increase in the absolute proportion of the global population with obesity is forecasted to be greater than between 1990 and 2021, with substantial increases forecast between 2022 and 2030, which continue between 2031 and 2050. By 2050, super-region obesity prevalence is forecasted to remain highest in north Africa and the Middle East (eg, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait), and forecasted increases in obesity are still expected to be largest across southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (eg, Timor-Leste and North Korea), but also in south Asia (eg, Nepal and Bangladesh). Compared with those aged 15–24 years, in most super-regions (except Latin America and the Caribbean and the high-income super-region) a greater proportion of those aged 5–14 years are forecasted to have obesity than overweight by 2050. Globally, 15·6% (12·7–17·2) of those aged 5–14 years are forecasted to have obesity by 2050 (186 million [141–221]), compared with 14·2% (11·4–15·7) of those aged 15–24 years (175 million [136–203]). We forecasted that by 2050, there will be more young males (aged 5–14 years) living with obesity (16·5% [13·3–18·3]) than overweight (12·9% [12·2–13·6]); while for females (aged 5–24 years) and older males (aged 15–24 years), overweight will remain more prevalent than obesity. At a regional level, the following populations are forecast to have transitioned to obesity (vs overweight) predominance before 2041–50: children and adolescents (males and females aged 5–24 years) in north Africa and the Middle East and Tropical Latin America; males aged 5–14 years in east Asia, central and southern sub-Saharan Africa, and central Latin America; females aged 5–14 years in Australasia; females aged 15–24 years in Australasia, high-income North America, and southern sub-Saharan Africa; and males aged 15–24 years in high-income North America. Interpretation: Both overweight and obesity increased substantially in every world region between 1990 and 2021, suggesting that current approaches to curbing increases in overweight and obesity have failed a generation of children and adolescents. Beyond 2021, overweight during childhood and adolescence is forecast to stabilise due to further increases in the population who have obesity. Increases in obesity are expected to continue for all populations in all world regions. Because substantial change is forecasted to occur between 2022 and 2030, immediate actions are needed to address this public health crisis. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) landraces in Mozambique and neighbouring Southern African countries harbour genetic loci with potential for climate adaptation
Get PDFLarge untapped potential for local climate adaptation is present in plant genetic resources maintained by smallholder farmers in Southern Africa. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.Walp.), a staple crop for local farmers in the arid and semiarid regions of Southern Africa, is mostly unexplored by modern breeding approaches. In this paper, we assemble and characterize a collection of 389 cowpea accessions from Southern Africa, mainly landraces, including the entire ex-situ collection from the national Mozambique genebank. We use a genotyping-by-sequencing approach to describe the diversity in the collection and we concurrently characterize historical and projected climate at sampling points of landraces in search of genomic signatures of local adaptation. Our results show unique cowpea diversity in Mozambique, which can be partially put in relation with bioclimatic variation. The genotype-environment association approaches, Latent Factor Mixed Models (LFMM) and partial Redundancy Analysis (pRDA) allowed us to identify 36 genomic loci potentially involved in local climate adaptation. This included a region on chromosome 7 tagging four candidate genes linked to flowering and including a homolog of GIGANTEA, a gene regulating flowering time in response to day length and temperature in Arabidopsis. Finally, we estimated cowpea landraces adaptation to projected climate in the region, highlighting regions of maladaptation in southern Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Our results show that genetic resources maintained by farmers in Southern Africa bear traits for local climate adaptation and may contribute to enhancing the adaptability of cowpea to a shifting climate
A novel approach for remote ultrasonography of knee osteoarthritis
No full textIn this study, we propose innovative technologies and a novel standardized procedure, enabling at-home, periodic and reliable ultrasound monitoring of knee osteoartrithis. Anatomical and ultrasound data were collected on a population of 27 volunteers with different anthropometric features, leading to the development of two technological solutions: i) three probe positioning systems (wearable brace, adhesive film, temporary tattoo), provided with predefined openings to ensure accurate and repeatable placement of an ultrasound probe; ii) an image selection algorithm for automatic identification of the correct ultrasound images acquired by non-expert users. The effectiveness and usability of these solutions were tested on 20 volunteers and 20 caregivers, with no prior experience in ultrasound imaging. In the first step, an expert radiologist acquired reference ultrasound images. In the second step, all volunteers exploited the positioning systems to place the probe and acquire informative images (automatically extracted by the algorithm from a video). The average usability percentage score was highest for the wearable brace (98.7%), followed by the tattoo (94.8%), and film (89.6%). Overall, the three positioning systems proved to be effective in guiding ultrasound acquisitions for inexperienced subjects. The highest average rate of informative images successffully acquired among all volunteers was achieved by using the brace (70%), while the highest average score among the caregivers was obtained using the tattoo (76%). These findings highlight the possibility to perform reliable remote ultrasound acquisitions for non-expert users and opens the way to novel tele-ultrasound procedures, enabling a precise, asynchronous, and repeatable monitoring of knee osteoarthritis
