1,720,961 research outputs found

    Soil Moisture Estimation based on the RSSI of RFID Modules

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    Nowadays the RFID technology and Internet of Things are becoming empowering and enabling tools in various fields, including smart and precision agriculture. The aim of this research is to propose an innovative system for the detection of soil moisture based on the use of standard UHF RFID tags and on the measurement of the received signal strength detected by a reader that can be hosted on board drones or farm vehicles. The reader detects the RSSI received from tags placed below the ground level and according to the measured value is able to discriminate if the ground is dry or wet. Microwave propagation is, in fact, strongly influenced by the presence of water in the soil and by exploiting the instantaneous and average RSSI values it is possible to discriminate the conditions of dry and wet soil and, thus, optimize irrigation in a wide area. The results obtained by using a first prototype show that the approach is suitable for any type of soil: sandy, clayey or loamy; further studies must be conducted in order to identify different levels of soil moisture and to determine the moisture levels at different depths

    A cloud-oriented architecture for the remote assessment and follow-up of hospitalized patients

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    During the last months the dramatic COVID-19 outbreak has exposed the fragility of our healthcare system, as well as the need for a smart remote follow-up system for the patients, in order to less the burden on the healthcare service and reduce the average hospitalization time. In this paper we proposed a solution designed to grant maximum flexibility by means of the allocation of resources on a cloud service for the remote follow-up of patients. Such resources can be used as a remote support for the caregiver both when planning or enforcing a therapeutic path. A major explanation behind follow-up regards the location and treatment of potentially adverse reactions after treatments. Physical side effects of the different modalities of treatment might be various and crippling after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Moreover remote follow up can be a life-changing solution also on the economical side, due to the implication of therapeutic attendances for patients as far as missed work and travel costs that must likewise be comprehended in the overall economical burden. In an investigation of patients with testicular disease, Campbell et al. Finally such a solution could effectively improve the patient's adherence to the therapeutic plan. The ability to remotely follow follow-up is therefore a monetarily alluring choice as far as investment funds, also given the improved efficiencies, reduced cost and number of missed working days for the patient. Patients with a patient-held record may also take advantage of a more conscious and motivated interest over their own wellbeing, illness and treatment, with a direct impact on patient's adherence to the therapeutic plan

    Reducing the psychological burden of isolated oncological patients by means of decision trees

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    This century has seen several outbreaks of epidemics caused by a common sub-family of coronaviruses such as the responsible for COVID-19 outbreak. The most ominous variants have developed a peculiar viral mechanisms that allows the virus to directly attack the pulmonary tissues often causing a set of dangerous symptoms. It made quite evident that we need a global response to prepare health systems for future epidemics. Unfortunately, during such kind of diseases’ outbreaks a large amount of time is required to the caregivers for sanitization and cleaning operations, therefore tampering with number and duration of visits to patients, especially in oncology wards. Such patients are then left alone for a long time, it follows that their perceived quality of service is greatly diminished, often determining ill-fated consequences also on the psychological side, with significant fallbacks on the recovery possibilities and speed. In this paper we explore an algorithmic approach to automatic communication interfaces that could enhance and enforce the perceived quality of care by the patients in in order to reduce predisposing factors that could potentially tamper with the patient’s ability to recover, also preventing the occurrence of precipitating factors that could lead a therapy to complete failure. The proposed interface could be used to connect the patients with a psychological support when it is most needed, and, moreover, to connect them with their physicians and families, and also to the outside world. In particular we aim to provide the psychological support that is actually excluded in pandemics such as the COVID-19 emergency, mainly in order to enforce the healthcare and sanification protocols, due to its potential unsafety related to the introduction of more personnel into the hospital

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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