Università degli Studi eCampus

About: Università degli Studi eCampus is a education organization based out in Novedrate, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Anxiety & Planck. The organization has 124 authors who have published 538 publications receiving 21483 citations. The organization is also known as: Universita degli Studi eCampus.

Cognitive Decline Risk Stratification in People with Late-Onset Epilepsy of Unknown Etiology: An Electroencephalographic Connectivity and Graph Theory Pilot Study.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Although people with late onset epilepsy of unknown etiology (LOEU) are at higher risk of cognitive decline compared to the general population, we still lack affordable tools to predict and stratify their risk of dementia. OBJECTIVE This pilot-study investigates the potential application of electroencephalography (EEG) network small-world (SW) properties in predicting cognitive decline among patients with LOEU. METHODS People diagnosed with LOEU and normal cognitive examination at the time of epilepsy diagnosis were included. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, brain imaging, and neuropsychological assessment were performed at the time of epilepsy diagnosis. Baseline EEG was analyzed for SW properties. Patients were followed-up over time with neuropsychological testing to define the trajectory of cognitive decline. RESULTS Over 5.1 years of follow-up, among 24 patients diagnosed with LOEU, 62.5% were female, mean age was 65.3 years, thirteen developed mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and four developed dementia. Patients with LOEU developing MCI had lower values of SW coefficients in the delta (p = 0.03) band and higher SW values in the alpha frequency bands (p = 0.02) compared to patients having normal cognition at last follow-up. The two separate ANOVAs, for low and alpha bands, confirmed an interaction between SW and cognitive decline at follow-up. A similar gradient was confirmed for patients developing dementia compared to those with normal cognitive function as well as to those developing MCI. CONCLUSION Baseline EEG analysis through SW is worth investigating as an affordable, widely available tool to stratify LOEU patients for their risk of cognitive decline.

Distributed Wardrop Load Balancing in Multi-MTU SCADA Systems

Abstract: This paper presents a distributed strategy for load balancing in a multi-MTU SCADA system, whose automatic control layer is such that its MTU Plane is modeled as a networked dynamical system. The proposed control law, under which the considered system is proven to converge to a Wardrop equilibrium, is also used for the purpose of equilibrium recovery in load distribution among MTUs after the occurrence of a possible MTU failure event induced by a cyber-physical attack (e.g., a Denial of Service attack). Numerical simulations with respect to realistic scenarios are reported to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Assessment of the deformation behavior of a tensegrity floor through photogrammetry

Abstract: Abstract Tensegrity structures are interesting elements that can be used to create innovative building components. In this work, the deformation behavior of a new type of tensegrity floor (patent n. 0001426973) was investigated through image analysis and photogrammetry, using stereoscopic algorithms. The main innovation of the proposed tensegrity floor is the structural cooperation between glass tiles and steel components, obtained using suitable adhesive joints. In order to evaluate the deformation of the floor under different loading conditions a non-contact measurement system was developed and validated on a scale prototype of the floor. The used method is a stereoscopic optical technique based on the grid method, the validation was performed comparing the measured displacement with the one measured in the same floor with linear displacement sensors. The stereoscopic images were processed with Matlab®, furthermore, a combination of interpolation algorithms were employed to generate the full-field map of the displacement. Two configurations of the floor (with and without the adhesive joints) and three loading conditions were investigated. The analysis demonstrates that the adhesive joints produce a reduction of the overall deflection of the floor of about 60%, falling within the admissible values established by Italian building code. The measurement system is reasonably accurate and can be used in future applications where linear transducers cannot be installed.

A Framework for Patient Data Management and Analysis in Randomised Clinical Trials

Abstract: The efficient management and analysis of patient data enrolled in clinical studies is a critical factor for both supporting data management and knowledge discovery from data. Recent trends in literature present many approaches that demonstrate that the integration of multiple data sources (e.g. biochemical parameters, geographical data as well as the behaviour of patients into social networks) may improve the quality of findings. Moreover, the collection of such data may enable the development of a tailored intervention for precision medicine. All these aspects rely on the design and development of novel solutions for data management, storing and consequently, analysis. We here report the design and development of a prototype for data management and sharing introduced during a collaboration of Bioinformatics Laboratory, the Fisiopatology Unit and the University Hospital of Catanzaro. Our findings are currently under the validation of the clinicians.