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Muscle contractions in cyclic movements: optimization of CIMAP algorithm
No full textDuring cyclic movements, the number of muscle activations and their timing are different from cycle to cycle. In a previous study, the CIMAP algorithm was proposed for grouping cycles showing similar EMG activation intervals, using dendrogram clustering. Even if the algorithm demonstrated good performances on a healthy population, the intra-cluster variability decreased when applied to datasets from pathological subjects. In this work we propose an optimized version of the CIMAP, comparing the performances of 8 different combinations of parameters used for the dendrogram construction. The cut-off point is also modified. The new and the original version of the algorithm are compared, in terms of intra-cluster variability, considering a population of 60 subjects, both healthy and pathological. The results show that the new CIMAP allows for obtaining clusters with lower variability with respect to the original version of the algorithm (p < 0.001)
The role of recirculation zones on flow and transport phenomena in periodic porous media. A multi-scale study
No full textIn recent years, the injection of nanoscopic particles of zero-valent iron (nZVI) proved to be an effective intervention to remediate contaminated aquifer systems. Thus, the fate and transport of nZVI, as well as those of contaminants and harmful particles, needs to be completely characterised in order to design successful interventions. The theoretical framework in which this research field is enclosed is the study of flow and transport phenomena in porous media. Under laminar flow regime, computational fluid-dynamic (CFD) simulations of flow field and transport of both reacting and non-reacting solutes and colloidal particles were performed. The aim was to explore the correlations that link the spatial arrangement of the porous medium grains to the morphology of the flow field and to the onset of anomalous transport. In particular, the following dissertation is devoted to the study of three different periodic pore structures, namely face-centered cubic (FCC), body-centered cubic (BCC) and sphere-in-cube (SIC) arrangements, as they excellently balance the complexity of real porous media systems with the ease of implementation and low computational costs. The nature of the present thesis is essentially multi-scale: performing pore-scale simulations it was possible to describe the intimate characteristics of periodic porous media, and couple them with the analysis of macro-scale effective parameters (dispersion above all) that are of interest in practical applications. The emphasis was put on the presence of recirculation zones, portions of the fluid region where the streaklines bend and curl. Recirculation zones are strongly related to the structure of the porous medium and their presence overwhelmingly emerges also at low Reynolds numbers. The role of recirculation zones is highlighted in the various aspects of transport and deposition phenomena, starting from their link to the onset of anomalous transport, to their influence on filtration performances of the investigated periodic packing structures. At the macro-scale level, for periodic porous media, the choice of a proper transport model was thus influenced by the presence (or not) of recirculation zones. Both the classical advection-dispersion model and the dual porosity model were considered, the latter to take into account recirculation zones and their effects. The onset of anomalous transport was considered also through the assumption of the model parameters as functions of both the pore-scale Péclet number and the space variable, thus allowing a proper description of the transition from anomalous to the Fickian regime. Moving within the framework of colloid filtration theory (CFT), deposition phenomena were investigated for both FCC and BCC arrangements, thus highlighting some interesting potentiality of the use of periodic porous media in filtration processes. The macro-scale analyses were supported by the application of the method of moments, that under the Fickianity assumption is a rather good alternative to derive information about model parameters
From Group Privacy to Collective Privacy: Towards a New Dimension of Privacy and Data Protection in the Big Data Era
No full textThis chapter focuses on big data analytics and, in this context, investigates the opportunity to define informational privacy and data protection as collective rights. From this perspective, privacy and data protection are not considered as referring to a given individual, but as common to the individuals that are grouped into various categories by data gatherers. The peculiar nature of the group generated by big data analytics requires an approach that cannot be exclusively based on individual rights. The new scale of data collection entails the recognition of another layer, represented by groups' need for the safeguard of their collective privacy and data protection rights. This dimension needs a specific regulatory framework, which should be mainly focused on the legal representation of these collective interests, on the provision of a mandatory multiple-impact assessment of the use of big data analytics and on the role played by data protection authorities
Risk-based planning of the distribution network structure considering uncertainties in demand and cost of energy
No full textTechnical and financial uncertainties may put distribution system planning at risk. In this paper, a new risk-based planning method is proposed which pays more attention to low-probability and high con- sequences events in energy supplying systems. The proposed approach is adopted for determining the optimal structure of a Medium Voltage network where risk-based determination of the radial network structures is implemented through an uncertainty model of the system's variables based on discrete states, called scenarios. The cost of distribution system planning consists of investment cost, mainte- nance cost, power losses cost, reliability cost, and technical risk cost. In this paper, appropriate models are proposed to consider the monetary effects of technical risks. The proposed approach is applied to a test system consisting of 52 electric load points and two substations. It is observed that the proposed risk-based method for planning the optimal network structure can properly reduce the cost of extreme events, therefore reducing the concerns of distribution system operators about these possible situations
Challenges and Safety Aspects of a Disaster Relief Exercise
No full textSmall Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) spread rapidly in the last years, both for civil and military applications. The performance of Dangerous, Dull and Dirty missions implies a wide use of the sUAS, in particular to manage hazardous events, such as natural or man-made major incidents or mass casualty situations. The management and control of an emergency are crucial aspects for the rescue teams and training activities- through joined exercises- are basic for the development of coordination capabilities. The aim of this paper is to report an example of a joined exercise between Italian civil and military authorities performed in Moncalieri city (Torino, Italy) on May 2015. The main procedures and challenges of the civil and military protection services are analyzed. The exercise was performed in a critical scenario where the safety of the operators and population on the ground had to be taken into account. Therefore, international and national regulations are analyzed in the paper, in particular in terms of safety requirements and kinetic energy threshold at the impact. The paper deals with all aspects concerning the human health, from the safety during the small UAS operations to the medical applications. Rather than a specific scientific aspect related to sUAS, a specific application is reported. Due to the critic scenario, an example of risk analysis is achieved
Thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the Josephin Domain closed arrangement: evidences from replica exchange molecular dynamics
No full textStress verifications of large concrete existing dams: comparison of two seismic Italian codes
No full textA new version of the Italian design code for dams has been recently introduced, thus replacing after 30 years the previous code, which was still based on a permissible stress design philosophy. The new code follows a limit state approach, employs independent load and resistance factors and defines the earthquake actions in accordance with the new seismic classification of the Italian territory. It assigns at each point of the country its own specific uniform hazard spectrum. Focusing on the stress verifications of existing large concrete dams, in this paper some of the innovative aspects contained in the new dam code are discussed. Reference is made to two case studies concerning an arch-gravity and a buttressgravity dam, pointing out the main differences between the current and the previous version of the above-mentioned standards