1,721,045 research outputs found
Advancing Urban Science with Multi-Agent Systems: Prospects for Innovation and Sustainability in Spatial Planning and Urban Governance
No full textPaediatric sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: From pathophysiology to prevention
No full textSudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a fatal event, occurring in patients with epilepsy, in which seizures may or may not precede the exitus, and no other potential causes of death are identifiable. The proposed pathophysiological mechanisms for SUDEP include cardio-respiratory dysfunctions, brainstem arousal system impairment, and dysregulation in the neurotransmitter/neuromodulator systems. This narrative review provides an overview of primary research on SUDEP in paediatric populations. Some studies report an incidence of paediatric SUDEP which is about five times lower than in adults (between 0.02 and 0,34 per 1,000 person-years) even if more recent studies suggested similar incidence rates than in adulthood (between 1.20 / 1,000 and 1.45 / 1,000 person per years). Risk factors for SUDEP in children include genetic predisposition, neurological comorbidities, epilepsy phenotype, adequacy/adherence to treatment, adequate supervision by caregivers and access to adequate health care support. The early identification of risk factors, the definition of reliable biomarkers and the building of efficacious preventive strategies, including parental/caregiver counselling, novel technological devices, and pharmacological treatments, may reduce the risk of paediatric SUDEP
Agent-based approach for a complex knowledge management framework in urban governance
No full textThe concept of community governance is generally intended as the management of
complex processes underlying the inherent complexity of the environment.
As a matter of facts, this complex approach provides the diffused, delocalized and
multiagent management processes taking place on settled territories with a multiscalar,
multisectoral and transdisciplinary vision.
The aspects of interest of this study about the governance theme deal with the definition
of an ICT-based, multiple-agent systems (MAS) for the representation of knowledge, roles,
relationships, tasks and operational levels involved in governance processes. This model is
oriented toward the construction of MAS-based system architectures to support development
policymaking, managed through process models of community governance .
The paper starts with a first general introduction on the research background of the paper,
particularly governance and multi-agent systems. A second chapter discusses multi-agent
modelling and the practical case-study of Foggia (Italy). Concluding remarks end up the
paper
Event-Based Modelling and Simulation of Hospital Acquired Infection Propagation Dynamics by Contact Transmission in Hospital Wards
Full text linkIl percorso di ricerca presentato in questo lavoro si inserisce nell’ambito dello sviluppo dei sistemi di supporto alla decisione nel campo dell’Ingegneria del Territorio, nel caso particolare della gestione della conoscenza spaziale in condizioni di rischio.
L’oggetto di decisione in questo ambito è caratterizzato per essere un sistema complesso, composto di svariati sotto sistemi anch’essi complessi. La complessità è infatti una caratteristica propria di tutti i sistemi che comprendono elementi viventi e nella pianificazione territoriale l’agente umano o naturale è ubiquo.
Per poter sviluppare la ricerca si è scelto un settore problema che è quello della diffusione delle infezioni nei reparti ospedalieri. In particolare si è scelto di concentrarsi sulla trasmissione tramite contatto.
Questo tema è stato dimostrato essere una questione di rilevanza planetaria, da un punto di vista economico e ancor più per il rischio diretto alla salute umana.
Nella prima parte della tesi il tema è indagato, sia rispetto alle sue precipue caratteristiche, sia rispetto alle misure di controllo e prevenzione che esperti del settore hanno a disposizione ed attuano per contrastare il fenomeno.
Come le statistiche dimostrano le attuali strategie non sono sufficienti a evitare il verificarsi del fenomeno, né tantomeno potrebbero eliminarlo, quanto piuttosto sono delle contromisure più o meno efficaci ed intraprese quando il problema è conclamato, con tutte le nefaste conseguenze.
La ricerca di un più raffinata descrizione del problema, così da suggerire migliori strategie di intervento e supportare la presa di decisioni atte a prevenire l’insorgenza del fenomeno o a controllarlo, è auspicabile.
Per quanto la questione sia stata ampiamente indagata nei secoli soprattutto nel settore della epidemiologia, lo sviluppo di nuovi strumenti software basati sul paradigma del sistema multi agente può a nostro parere dare un contributo rilevante.
Si è quindi scelto di utilizzare un approccio di modellazione e simulazione Event-Based, che è un’evoluzione del sistema ad agenti puro. Esso si è dimostrato capace di rappresentare realisticamente complessi scenari di attività umane e d’uso di spazi tramite l’integrazione del classico approccio bottom-up con una architettura di alto livello per la pianificazione dei comportamenti degli agenti.
La conoscenza strutturata che si è generata nella fase di analisi del sistema problema è stata attribuita agli elementi del modello logico realizzato. Le caratteristiche che gli agenti erano in grado di esprimere sono state accordate al tema prescelto ed ampliate.
Inoltre nello sviluppo del modello si è voluto stressare le potenzialità dell’approccio scelto al fine di poter introitare interessanti considerazione di dettaglio. Il framework è stato esteso per rappresentare aspetti quali ad esempio la percezione del contesto da parte degli agenti e l’influenza delle condizioni ambientali sui loro comportamenti.
Il fine sotteso è stato quello di aumentare le capacità descrittive del l’approccio e di conseguenza l’espressività della simulazione verso una complessificazione che rendesse il modello più calzante alla realtà del fenomeno.
Rispetto ai modelli di letteratura quello qui presentato è stato costruito per superarne alcune limitazioni concettuali e strumentali soprattutto riguardanti l’inclusione dell’aspetto di diffusione spaziale della contaminazione, ancorché i dati attualmente disponibili in letteratura non sono sufficientemente fini per poter correttamente quantificare il peso delle interrelazioni fra le variabili considerate.
L’interpretazione del fenomeno rispetto alla sua relazione con gli spazi costruiti, sia fisici sia considerati nella comprensione di essi da parte degli agenti, è un aspetto innovativo che si è scelto di analizzare in collaborazione con il gruppo di ricerca del Prof. Yehuda E. Kalay presso la facoltà di architettura del Technion, (IL).
Dunque il comportamento degli agenti del sistema rispetto alla loro condizione e capacità di contaminazione è stato formulato attraverso una equazione discreta. Il modello e la equazione sono stati poi implementati in un ambiente di simulazione virtuale, Unity 3D e le funzioni logiche codificate in C#.
La simulazione di un caso di studio ipotetico e di scenari iniziali variamente settati è servita a verificare la bontà della modellazione e della formalizzazione, grazie alla possibilità di visualizzazione dinamica che offre lo strumento software.
Per quanto il modello necessiti di ulteriori passaggi di calibrazione, anche attraverso una campagna di data-collection mirata a raccogliere in maniera contestuale tutti i dati necessari come input per il sistema, gli scenari modellati e una prima analisi di sensitività ci offrono un certo grado di confidenza sulla bontà degli output.
Possiamo quindi affermare che il modello sviluppato può fungere da supporto alle decisioni per lo specifico fenomeno modellato ed ancor più conforta la nostra scelta della metodologia ad agenti per la modellazione di fenomeni complessi nel campo della pianificazione territoriale.
Come proseguo della ricerca ci si propone di migliorare la definizione della formulazione discreta adottata, estendendola al continuo così da rispecchiare la realtà ed è inoltre auspicabile l’applicazione del sistema ad un caso di studio reale che ci offra una base dati coerente con il modello proposto.The research aims presented in this study form part of a development of decision support systems for Land Engineering, particularly within the field of space knowledge management in risk conditions.
The aim of decision-making in this context is characterised by its being part of a complex system composed of different, equally complex sub-systems. Indeed, this complexity is a feature of all systems which include living elements and in any land planning scenario, a human or natural agent is ubiquitous.
In order to develop the research study, a problematic sector was chosen; the spread of infection in hospital wards. In particular, it was decided to concentrate specifically on transmission by contact.
This topic has proved to be of particular global importance, not only from an economic point of view but more importantly due to its direct risk to human health.
The first part of the thesis deals with an investigation of the topic’s principal characteristics as well as the control and prevention measures which are available to experts in the field and which are used to contrast this phenomenon.
As statistics demonstrate, current strategies are insufficient in preventing the occurrence of the phenomenon, much less eliminating it altogether, even if there are counter-measures which are relatively efficient in dealing with the problem once it has been officially declared, with all its ensuing ominous consequences.
It is thus beneficial to present a research study which provides a more detailed description of the problem, proposing improved intervention strategies and supporting the decision-making required to prevent or control outbreaks of the phenomenon.
Although the subject has long been widely researched, above all in the field of epidemiology, the development of new software based on multi-agent paradigms can, in our opinion, play an important contributing role.
Thus, it was decided to use a modelling and Event-Based simulation approach, a development of the agent-based system. It proved capable of realistically representing complex human activity and use of space scenarios by integrating the classic bottom up approach with a high-level architecture to plan agent behaviour.
The structured knowledge generated during the system problem analysis phase have been attributed to elements of the completed logical model. Moreover, the characteristics that the agents were able to display were fitted with the pre-selected topic and extended.
During the development of the model, our aim was to stress the potential of the approach as a means to yielding interesting and detailed considerations. The framework was extended to include other features, for example agent perception of the situation or the influence of environmental conditions on his behaviour.
The underlying aim was to increase the descriptive capacity of the framework (and thus the expressive level of the simulation) to achieve a higher degree of complexity, so rendering the model more geared toward the reality of the phenomenon.
Compared with other examples in literature, our model was built to overcome a number of conceptual and instrumental limits, above all regarding the spatial spread of contamination. Even if current available data in literature is not detailed enough to allow for an accurate quantification of the weight of interrelations between the variables under study.
A further innovative feature is that of interpreting the phenomenon with regard to its relationship with built spaces, both in a physical sense as well as that perceived by agents. It was chosen to analyse this aspect in collaboration with Prof. Yehuda E. Kalay’s research group at the Faculty of Architecture of Technion (Israel).
The behaviour of system agents with regard to their conditions and contamination capacity was formulated by the use of a discrete equation. The model and equation were then implemented within a virtual simulation environment, Unity 3D, and the logical functions coded in c#.
The simulation of a hypothetical case study and scenarios with initial varied settings helped to verify the efficacy of the modelling and formalisation thanks to the possibility of dynamic visualisation provided by the tool software.
It is true that the model requires further calibration, which could also be through data collection to retrieve all the information necessary to feed the system. However, the modelled scenarios and an initial sensitivity analysis provide us with a certain degree of confidence about the validity of the output results.
We can thus state that the developed system may be used as decision-making support for this particular modelled phenomenon, thus justifying our choice of agent methodology in the modelling of complex phenomena in the field of urban planning.
As research continues, so improvements will be made in the definition of the discrete formula adopted, continuously extending it to reflect real life. A further aim is the application of the system to a real-life case study, providing us with a database in line with the proposed model
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: The need for age-specific evidence-based prevention
No full textThe cognition of space in outdoor context: Notes from an urban spacescape experimentation
No full textSpatial behaviours often shape spacescapes, but because of dynamic complexity they are hard to be simulated in AI-based environments. Thus, degrees of uncertainty often emerge in describing spaces, when trying to give shared significance to structural, fundamental, peculiar spacescape qualities.
This paper explores space ontologies built by human agents. Students of the Technical University of Bari have been invited to explore an urban commercial street using app features of personal smartphones. Relevant results achieved in the context of spatial cognition were then analysed and discussed for environment planning and management
Fuzzy cognitive mapping to support multi-agent decisions in development of urban policymaking
Full text linkThe awareness about environmental complexity involves real-time knowledge and demands urban planning initiatives.
Knowledge is multiform, multi-agent and mirrors environmental complexity. Problems characterizing urban
sustainability particularly claim non-expert knowledge, being informal, puzzling, uncertain, incomplete, hard to be
handled, formalized, modelled. This study utilizes Fuzzy cognitive maps to explore such complexity and support multiagent
decisions. It concerns the scenario-building process of the new plan of Taranto (Italy), a paradigmatic example
of decaying industrial area, heavily characterized by social fragmentation and environment degradation. This approach
aims at structuring environmental problems, modelling future strategies and contributing to build a multi-agent decision
support system for complex urban planning contexts
Preliminary design issues for inertial rings in Ambient Assisted Living applications
No full textA wearable 9dof inertial system able to measure hand posture and movement is presented. The design issues for the deployment of measurement instrumentation based on no-invasive ring-shaped inertial units and of a wireless sensor network by them composed are described. Compromises between the physical and functional proprieties of a wearable device and the requirements for the hardware development are discussed with attention to an handsome design concept aesthetically effective. Techniques of power saving based on an optimized firmware programming are mentioned to realize a performing battery powered system featured by an exhaustive operation time. The printed circuit board (PCB) design rules, the choice of the components and materials, the fusion of inertial data with optical sensors outcomes are also discussed. Previous experience in the field of wearable systems are mentioned in the presentation of the results that emphasize the functional and application potential of a 9dof inertial system integrated in a ring-shaped device. � 2015 IEEE
Public Participation with Fuzzy Cognitive Maps to Assess Safety Perception in Urban Regeneration
No full textIn urban regeneration it is essential to promote civic engagement through public participatory processes because stakeholder involvement ensures democracy, legitimacy and effectiveness of decisions. Nevertheless, this entails dealing with a mass of fragmented qualitative information which, in the case of the public's perception of safety, is intangible, uncertain and ambiguous. Experts need supportive methods to process this in order to make it more understandable and manageable. This paper discusses the work conducted in a case study of urban regeneration of a degraded, historical central square in the city of Bari (Italy). It presents a process designed with Scenario Workshop consultations and conducted by leveraging the Fuzzy Cognitive Map approach to model shared knowledge. This aimed to achieve a collaborative problem-solving decision-making environment to address differing intentions in situations where means and ends are confused. The development of what-if intervention scenarios enabled the evaluation of counter-intuitive cause-effect links, the recognition of critical causal loops and unintended consequences and the identification of feasible choices. The results demonstrate the suitability of the proposed process as a decision support system in the field of urban policy making to facilitate learning and negotiation, allowing for innovative solutions to emerge and for the empowerment of local communities
Combining wearable physiological and inertial sensors with indoor user localization network to enhance activity recognition
Full text linkThanks to the pervasiveness of smart technologies, researchers could aggregate data and investigate user's activities thus to deliver personalized home-care services. Activity recognition system have been widely developed, however some challenges still need to be addressed. This paper presents a system where information on body movement, vital signs and user indoor location are aggregated to improve the activity recognition. The system was tested in a realistic environment with a total of 3279 instances acquired from ten healthy users. These results encouraged the use of this approach in activity recognition applications, indeed, the overall accuracy values are satisfactory increased
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