Finmeccanica (Italy)

Abstract The diffuse presence of robotic subsystems in new space mission concepts introduces variations and uncertainties in system mass and inertia, imposing stringent constraints to orbital and attitude control. The required performance can be achieved through several paradigms like robust or adaptive controllers and sometimes a combination of the two. In this work, a novel indirect controller, belonging to the robust‐adaptive controllers class, is developed, with the core idea of requiring just one adaptive gain with consequent lower sensitivity and easier tunability. The algorithm is developed both in centralized and decentralized formulation and tested for reliability and parameter sensitivity.

In this work, a method to determine Pb(II) ions in model water is presented; the method is based on the fluorescence emission of a silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) colloidal solution, which is sensitive to lead ions. The presence of Pb(II) ions causes a photoemission enhancement of the AgNCs solution dependent on the pollutant concentration. The functional dependence is logarithmic in the range from 2.5 to 40 µM, and through the linearization of the calibration points, a linear function is determined and exploited for the extrapolation of the test Pb(II) concentrations with a precision estimated by relative standard deviation (RSD) ranging from 21% to 10% from the highest to the lowest Pb(II) quantity, respectively. Finally, inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) successfully validated the described method. The accuracy of the method is also studied for intentionally polluted mineral waters, revealing the same trend of the model water: the lower the concentration, the higher the precision of the method.

The aim of the work was to assess the influence of the leavening agent on several technological, chemical, and nutritional characteristics of breads prepared with whole soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flours. As leavening agents in bread-making, baker’s yeast, biga, and sourdough were utilized. Two ancient varieties, Andriolo and Verna, and a modern grain variety, Bologna, were used. Analysis of the obtained breads included the measurement of the phenols content, the antioxidant activity, the in vitro protein and total digestibility, the texture profile, the crumb grain characteristics and the microbial shelf-life test. The results of the principle component analysis of bread features indicated a clustering depending especially on the leavening agent rather than on the employed flour, particularly when sourdough was used. Protein digestibility, crumb grain characteristics, and shelf-life led to the main differences among the samples. Ancient wheat flour displayed similar features when the same leavening agent was applied. Particularly, the use of sourdough levelled the differences due to flour, leading to breads with similar technological and nutritional characteristics. The findings highlighted a marked effect of the leavening agent on bread final characteristics.

The lack of suitable datasets and evaluation processes entails one of the most challenging gaps on the digital transformation era, where data-driven solutions like machine learning algorithms constitute a key pillar of the digitalization, virtualization and analytical on the emerging cyber-physical and ergonomic capabilities. This problem is even greater in the cyber defence domain, where for security or technical reasons, there is not data publicly or on-demand available concerning the role of the cyberspace on military operations. In this context, the expression popularized by the machine learning community "you go to the war with the data you have, not the data you might want" can be literally applied. In order to contribute to overcome this gap, this paper introduces CYSAS-S3, a novel dataset designed and created as the result of a research action that explores the principal needs on datasets by cyber commands, resulting in the generation of a collection of samples that correlated the impact of Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) behaviours and each phase of their cyber kill chain, regarding mission-level operations and goals.

To develop a reliable method for injection of the tarsometatarsal (TMT) joint of horses through a medial approach and to characterize anatomy of the synovial recesses of the TMT joint with CT. 13 pairs of fresh cadaveric equine tarsi. TMT joints were assessed with radiography and CT. Twelve pairs of TMT joints were assigned to an experienced veterinarian (8 joints) or veterinary student (16 joints) for injection with contrast medium through a medial or a lateral approach. Every TMT joint was then reexamined radiographically and with CT to assess diffusion of contrast medium. The number of attempts for the lateral and medial approaches between and within investigators was evaluated, which included evaluation of the diffusion of contrast solution in relation to the approach used. All 24 TMT joints were successfully injected, as confirmed with radiography and CT. There was no significant difference in the number of attempts between the medial and lateral approaches and between investigators. No significant difference was detected in the distribution of contrast medium in each synovial recess between the medial and lateral approaches. The medial approach described here for injection of the TMT joint of horses was highly reliable. It involved use of an easily palpable anatomic landmark on the mediodistal aspect of the TMT joint. An established alternative method for injection of the TMT joint may be useful in clinical practice for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, although a medial approach may increase risk of injury to veterinarians.

Today, innovation is the main global economic growth booster, as well as representing a real need in all human matters. Private and public organizations must innovate to survive in a hypercompetitive marketplace that is changing profoundly and at an increasingly fast pace, conveying an ever-higher level of expectation, and linking social and technological fields that were previously separated. All organizations, public and privates; nonprofits; academia; professional associations; small and medium enterprises; and multinational industries have to develop their own missions in a highly complex scenario based on a large number of variables that are often unpredictable, dynamic, and managed by different owners. The market is affected by global crisis, not only economic and financial crisis but also crisis due to the reduced availability of natural resources; United States–European Union–North Atlantic Treaty Organization–Russia political tensions; social, ethnic, and religious issues; and different perceptions of values, quality, time, and cost. Consequently, it is more difficult to be innovative or to be recognized as an innovator, because the standards, the reference, and the metrics to measure this attitude have changed. In addition, it is more complicated to figure out how to create a sustainable development process. Studies on organizations show that innovation is achievable only through a strategic thought process and a specific risk-taking approach; it's feasible by implementing initiatives that aim at a global, integrated, and continuous modernization process, but it will and must infiltrate the whole value chain's phases and parameters [1] (e.g., people, processes, business models, offerings, and technology). Organizations, governing all these assets, can reach a real and concrete competitive position and create tangible benefits and values for all stakeholders and shareholders (Figure 1). Strategic initiatives should be carried out as projects, so they must refer to well-defined processes. They must benefit from support tools for their planning and execution and from teams with appropriate management and technical competencies and skills.