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This paper describes key technologies for the use of the six-legged walking system Mantis in a multi robot team performing cooperative tasks for the construction of an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) facility on the Moon. Autonomous multi robot cooperation is one of several key technologies that hold promise for In-Situ space exploration and ISRU facility construction. Therefore, the PRO-ACT (Planetary RObots deployed for Assembly and Construction Tasks) project aimed to develop a multi robot team which can act (semi-) autonomous. PRO-ACT is a European project with many partners working on space robotics technologies, the so-called building blocks. These building blocks have been implemented and extended on Mantis to cover the scope of multi-robot cooperative scenarios. To allow the different partners to execute commands without considering the robot's control framework, a communication interface was developed to provide a common and generic way to send commands and receive sensor data. It facilitates access to all robots and to their simulated counterparts. Due to the impact of COVID-19, most of the testing, including the final demonstration, was performed remotely, with robots available at the partners' premises. © 2022 IEEE.
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BACKGROUND AND AIMS: COVID-19 is a life-threatening infection among elderly, comorbid patients or transplanted patients. In our recently published paper (Campise, M.;Alfieri, C.M.;et al. Pathogens 2021, 10, 964), we described our single Centre experience with 82 adult kidney-transplant patients (KTxp) with COVID-19 infection during the previous two pandemic outbreaks: 27 KTxp (first outbreak) and 65 (second). We observed a relatively low and possibly underestimated incidence of infection (5.1%) with a incidence of death almost four times higher than in general population (13%). The availability of COVID-19 vaccines has undoubtedly changed the outcome of the infection in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients. Aim of this second ongoing observational and descriptive study, is to evaluate if the vaccination performed extensively among our KTxp, has modified the incidence and gravity of COVID-19 infection. METHOD: Data on KTxp with COVID-19 infection (COV+) from the 29 October 2021 to 31 December 2021 were collected. Particularly, we focused our anthropometric, clinical and therapeutic aspects. In the statistical analyses, continuous variables were expressed as median and interquartile range (25%-75%), and nominal variables were reported as percentage of cases. RESULTS: From the 29 October 2021 to the 31 December 2021, 33 KTxp developed COVID-19 infection, 60% were male. Median age was 50[29-58] years. Transplant vintage was 57[27-163] months. Median serum creatinine was 1.30[1.0-1.9] mg/dL and body mass index was 23[21-28] kg/m2. Immunosuppressive schedule included: CNI inhibitors, steroids and mycophenolate (MMF) in 97-90 and 70% of COV + respectively. In 50% of cases native vitamin D supplementation was present, whereas only 30% of cases were treated with renin-angiotensin inhibitors. Only one had insulin dependent diabetes. At the moment of nasopharyngeal swab positivity 64% of COV + had already received three doses of vaccine (Comirnaty (BNT162b2)®) and 30% 2 doses. Only 3% of pts had received a single dose. One patient had refused vaccination for personal reasons. Antigenic nasopharyngeal swab was performed in 70% of COV + and molecular swab in 60%. Thirty-five % of COV + were tested with both methods. The most frequent symptoms were: fever (70%), cough (75%) and headache (40%). In the previous outbreaks dyspnea was present in 33% of cases dropping to 13% in this cohort. Smell and taste alteration were present in 25% and 28% respectively. We did not perform the COVID-19 sequence. But, on the base of the symptoms referred, we are confident that 17 patients had delta variant and remaining had omicron. The first therapeutic approaches were the increase of the daily steroid dosage up to 25 mg (60% of cases) together with MMF temporarily withdrawing in 70% of cases and halving in 10%. Forty % of pts were also treated with monoclonal antibodies (Ronapreve®) upon infectious disease specialist evaluation. During the first two outbreaks, hospitalization was necessary in 45% of cases, and 13% of pts died. In the present cohort only 10% of patients required oxygen support and hospitalization. Nobody died. CONCLUSION: Although very preliminary, our results indicate that the vaccination campaign has noticeably ameliorated the incidence, the clinical presentation and the outcome of COVID-19 in KTxp. This comforting data should further sensitize the medical community on vaccination counseling in KTxp as soon as possible. Study with higher number of patients are needed to further clarify the individual response on antibody production and sensitivity to this still life-threatening infection.
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Background: Although cisgender MSM (cis-MSM) and transgender women (TGW) suffer the highest burden due to the HIV epidemic in Latin America (LA), PrEP implementation is limited. ImPrEP was an implementation study to assess safety and feasibility of same-day PrEP initiation (daily-oral TDF/FTC) for cis-MSM and TGW vulnerable to HIV infection in Brazil, Peru and Mexico;results on factors associated with long-term PrEP engagement (LTPE) and HIV incidence are reported here. Methods: Eligible cis-MSM and TWG (HIV-negative, ≥18 years-old, reporting 1+ risk criteria) were screened and enrolled on the same-day, receiving a 30-day PrEP supply. Follow-up visits were scheduled at week 4 after enrollment and quarterly thereafter. Main outcomes were LTPE (3+ follow-up visits within 52 weeks of enrollment) and HIV incidence. A multivariable model controlling for country, education, gender, substance use, STIs, and self-reported adherence is presented. Results: From March 2018-June 2021, 9522 participants were enrolled (Brazil: 3928, Mexico: 3301, Peru: 2293), with 12348.92 person-years (PY) follow-up;follow-up time accrued for LTPE analysis affected by Covid-19 restrictions was shorter in Brazil than in Mexico and Peru. Overall, 26% were aged 18-24, 94.3% cis-MSM, 5.7% TGW, 73.2% non-white and 76.0% >secondary education;92.8% reported condomless anal sex (CAS), 17.3% sex-work, 57.8% had >5 sex partners. Overall, 8.8% attended only the enrollment visit and 68.2% showed LTPE (Brazil:80.1%;Mexico:67.2%;Peru:45.0%). Participants aged 18-24 years (aOR 0.53[95%CI:0.46-0.62]), 10 sex partners (aOR 1.48[95%CI:1.28-1.70]), reporting receptive CAS (aOR 1.24[95%CI:1.12-1.39]), complete adherence at week-4 (aOR:3.11[95%CI:2.79-3.45]) and CAS with HIV+ partner (aOR:1.48[95%CI:1.28-1.71]) were more likely. HIV incidence was 0.84/100 PY (95% CI:0.69-1.02), higher in Peru, among TGW and 18-24 years-old participants. Conclusion: Same-day PrEP is feasible and safe among cis-MSM and TGW in LA. Overall LTPE was high;COVID-19 restrictive measures may partially explain the differences across countries. Social and structural levels of HIV risk need to be addressed for full PrEP benefits realization.
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Exploring planets requires cooperative robotics technologies that make it possible to act independently of human influence. So-called multi-robot teams, consisting of different and synchronized robots, can solve problems that cannot be handled by a single robot. The PRO-ACT (Planetary RObots deployed for Assembly and Construction Tasks) project aimed to develop and demonstrate key technologies for robot collaboration in the construction of future ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization) facilities on the Moon. To this end, the following robots were used: Veles-a rover with six wheels and a 7-DoF (Degree of Freedom) arm, Mantis-a six-legged walking system, and a mobile gantry that can be used for payload manipulation or 3D printing. The project further developed existing software and hardware developed in previous space robotics projects and integrated them into the robotic systems involved. The software enables collaborative tasks such as transportation, mapping and navigation. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the final demonstration was performed remotely for defined mission scenarios. The intensive remote test campaigns provided valuable lessons learned that are directly applicable to future space missions. In addition, PRO-ACT opens a new way for multi-robot collaboration. The paper describes the developed robotic software and hardware as well as the final mission scenarios performed in lunar analogues with Mantis tested in the test field with granules in the DFKI Space Hall in Bremen, Germany, with Veles tested in Warsaw, Poland and with the mobile gantry tested in Elgoibar, Spain. In addition one mission scenario, manipulation tasks with two robotic systems, was performed with two Panda robotic arms in Toulouse, France. The paper concludes with the results of the final demonstration of the multi-robotics team. © 2021 International Astronautical Federation, IAF. All rights reserved.
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Male 19 years old, in the absence of risk factors presents in the emergency room for retrosternal pain, headache and photophobia. In the two days prior to admission fever and diarrhea. Negative for Sars-Cov-2 infection. On auscultation no pericardial rubbing.ECG showed RS, HR 95 bpm, negative T wave in DIII. The echocardiogram was normal. Serial determinations of high sensitivity troponin (TnHS) were positive and increasing (1st TnHS: 2780, 2nd 3435 ng/L;cut off: 2.3-19.8 ng/L). In the first days of hospitalization, the apyretic patient presented frequent episodes of chest pain that were accentuated with inspiration and with the supine position, in the absence of other diagnostic criteria of pericarditis. Therefore therapy with paracetamol was initially set, subsequently associated with anti-inflammatory therapy with ibuprofen and beta-blocker. The episodes of chest pain progressively disappeared, associated with negativization of TnHS in 4th day of hospitalization. The same day fever appeared, reaching up to 39 °C, worsening asthenia, abdominal pain localized to the upper quadrants and pharyngodynia associated with pharyngeal plaques. COVID-19 swab was repeated and throat swab, coprocultures and urinary antigens were collected for the detection of Legionella and Pnemococcus. All of these tests were negative. Finally, viral serology was collected which showed a possible acute viral infection by EBV with positive IgM anti-VCA (96.7 U/ml) and Ig anti-EA (83 U/ ml), then confirmed by the molecular identification of EBV-DNA (copies of DNEPA 7559). Abdomen ultrasound instead showed splenomegaly (14x 6.5 cm) with homogeneous echostructure.On the 5th day, new alterations in repolarization appeared on the ECG trace with negativization of the T wave also in aVF and hypokinesia of the SIV posterior to the basal segment appeared on the echocardiogram, not previously known, even in the presence of normal biventricular systolic function. On day 6 the patient underwent cardiac MRI which confirmed the diagnosis of acute myocarditis showing inflammatory edema in T2-weighted sequences of the posterior mid-basal segments and late enhancement in T1-weighted sequences with subepicardial distribution of the posterior middle segments. Finally, low dose angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was introduced in therapy and in the 10th day, apiretic and in the absence of abdominal and thoracic symptoms, the patient was discharged.
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When some country takes a disproportionate hit by a large-scale turmoil—just like Italy did during the COVID-19 pandemics—the share prices of its companies plunge. Suddenly, it becomes feasible to attempt foreign takeovers of national assets, including those of strategic interest. To avert this risk, the Government can veto transactions by summoning the so-called “Golden Powers”. Or, it can work to proactively identify structural weaknesses in the control or shareholding chains of key companies, in order to reinforce them without resorting to special powers. Sometimes, vulnerabilities and attacks hide in plain sight due to how complex and intertwined the network of mutual company shareholding is. In this work, we show how to leverage Knowledge Graphs (KGs) as a representation and reasoning framework to analyze both reactive and proactive measures against takeover attempts, however intricate the setting where they take place. We formally characterize a set of reasoning tasks that define when and if to employ Golden Powers, plus others that aim at pinpointing companies prone to attacks. These criteria are exercised on the real network of all Italian companies, built for the occasion. A rich set of experiments is provided, including on several large synthetic instances, to prove the robustness of our method. Copyright © 2020 for this paper by its authors.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the world have curtailed face to face teaching. Associated with this is the halt to the delivery of the practical experience required of engineering students. The Multidisciplinary Engineering Education (MEE) team at The University of Sheffield have responded to this problem in an efficient and effective way by recording laboratory experiences and putting videos, quizzes and data online for students to engage with. The focus of this work was on ensuring all Learning Outcomes (LOs) for modules and courses were preserved. Naturally, practical skills cannot be easily provided using this approach, but it is an effective way of getting students to interact with real data, uncertainty and equipment which they cannot access directly. A number of short case studies from across the range of engineering disciplines are provided to inspire and guide other educators in how they can move experiments on line in an efficient and effective manner. No student feedback is available at the time of writing, but anecdotal evidence is that this approach is at least acceptable for students and a way of collecting future feedback is suggested. The effort expended on this approach and the artefacts produced will support student learning after the initial disruption of the lockdown has passed.
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OBJECTIVE: A novel type of Coronavirus was identified in China in December 2019. The first cases of a form of pneumonia of unknown etiology were detected at the beginning of that month in Wuhan. The virus is believed to have emerged at the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Market, where transmission of a zoonotic pathogen to humans occurred. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Some studies conducted in China during the epidemic report small numbers of pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 and some pregnancy complications in patients with COVID-19. However, they fail to document the transplacental passage of the virus from mother to fetus. RESULTS: Following the COVID-19 outbreak, guidelines for couples who are undergoing treatments of assisted reproduction have been issued by the International Federation for Fertility Societies (IFFS), the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the Latin American Network of Assisted Reproduction (REDLARA). They recommend couples to discuss assisted reproduction with their doctors while those at risk or with SARS-CoV-2 should consider freezing oocytes or embryos and retransferring them later. CONCLUSIONS: Other than the US, Italy is the country with the highest number of cases (197675 positives, 26644 deaths) (updated on April 26). The Italian National Transplant Centre and the Higher Institute of Health advised on March 17 to complete the cycles already started and not to start new cycles. Phase 2 will begin on 4 May with an increase in freedom of action and fertilization treatments will start again. The Society that brings together embryologists (SIERR) has issued the guidelines to be followed when this happens.