Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

About: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is a facility organization based out in Genoa, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Humanoid robot & Robot. The organization has 4561 authors who have published 14595 publications receiving 437558 citations. The organization is also known as: Italian Institute of Technology & IIT.

Integration of Action and Language Knowledge: A Roadmap for Developmental Robotics

Abstract: This position paper proposes that the study of embodied cognitive agents, such as humanoid robots, can advance our understanding of the cognitive development of complex sensorimotor, linguistic, and social learning skills. This in turn will benefit the design of cognitive robots capable of learning to handle and manipulate objects and tools autonomously, to cooperate and communicate with other robots and humans, and to adapt their abilities to changing internal, environmental, and social conditions. Four key areas of research challenges are discussed, specifically for the issues related to the understanding of: 1) how agents learn and represent compositional actions; 2) how agents learn and represent compositional lexica; 3) the dynamics of social interaction and learning; and 4) how compositional action and language representations are integrated to bootstrap the cognitive system. The review of specific issues and progress in these areas is then translated into a practical roadmap based on a series of milestones. These milestones provide a possible set of cognitive robotics goals and test scenarios, thus acting as a research roadmap for future work on cognitive developmental robotics.

Leveraging valuable synergies by combining alloying and conversion for lithium-ion anodes

Abstract: The essential need for new lithium-ion battery materials providing higher energy and power densities has triggered an exceptional increase in scientific and industrial research efforts in recent years. Regarding the anode side, the two major research directions to achieve improved energy densities have, so far, focused on materials which can host lithium either by alloying or by a conversion mechanism. Very recently, however, a new class of potential next generation anodes is gaining continuously increasing attention: conversion/alloying materials. Herein, we provide for the first time a comprehensive review on this new materials' class. Initially, we discuss the two possible approaches to realize a combined conversion and alloying mechanism in a single compound, starting either from pure conversion or pure alloying materials. Based on this overview we subsequently highlight the fundamental insights and their potential advantages, which shall provide scientists with some general considerations and principles for the development of new, further enhanced conversion/alloying materials.

Autophagy as a new therapeutic target in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Abstract: A resolutive therapy for Duchene muscular dystrophy, a severe degenerative disease of the skeletal muscle, is still lacking. Because autophagy has been shown to be crucial in clearing dysfunctional organelles and in preventing tissue damage, we investigated its pathogenic role and its suitability as a target for new therapeutic interventions in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Here we demonstrate that autophagy is severely impaired in muscles from patients affected by DMD and mdx mice, a model of the disease, with accumulation of damaged organelles. The defect in autophagy was accompanied by persistent activation via phosphorylation of Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and of the autophagy-inhibiting pathways dependent on them, including the translation-initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 and the ribosomal protein S6, and downregulation of the autophagy-inducing genes LC3, Atg12, Gabarapl1 and Bnip3. The defective autophagy was rescued in mdx mice by long-term exposure to a low-protein diet. The treatment led to normalisation of Akt and mTOR signalling; it also reduced significantly muscle inflammation, fibrosis and myofibre damage, leading to recovery of muscle function. This study highlights novel pathogenic aspects of DMD and suggests autophagy as a new effective therapeutic target. The treatment we propose can be safely applied and immediately tested for efficacy in humans.

Zero-Dimensional Cesium Lead Halides: History, Properties, and Challenges

Abstract: Over the past decade, lead halide perovskites (LHPs) have emerged as new promising materials in the fields of photovoltaics and light emission due to their facile syntheses and exciting optical properties. The enthusiasm generated by LHPs has inspired research in perovskite-related materials, including the so-called “zero-dimensional cesium lead halides”, which will be the focus of this Perspective. The structure of these materials is formed of disconnected lead halide octahedra that are stabilized by cesium ions. Their optical properties are dominated by optical transitions that are localized within the individual octahedra, hence the title “‘zero-dimensional perovskites”. Controversial results on their physical properties have recently been reported, and the true nature of their photoluminescence is still unclear. In this Perspective, we will take a close look at these materials, both as nanocrystals and as bulk crystals/thin films, discuss the contrasting opinions on their properties, propose potential...