Search

In this paper we report the observations of HD189733b, Kepler-41b, Kepler-42b, GJ 436b, WASP-77ab, HAT-P-32b and EPIC 211818569 as measured at the Osservatorio Polifunzionale del Chianti, a new astro-nomical site in Italy. Commissioning observing runs have been done in order to test capabilities, systematics and limits of the system and to improve its accuracy. For this purpose, a software algorithm has been developed to estimate the differential photometric error of any transit observation, so that the integration time can be chosen to reach optimal signal-to-noise ratios, and to obtain a picture of what kind of transits this setup can reveal. Currently, the system is able to reach an accuracy of about 1 mmag and so it is ready for the much needed exoplanetary transit follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Brain Computer Interface (BCI) allows communication for impaired people unable to express their intention with common channels. Electroencephalography (EEG) represents an effective tool to allow the implementation of a BCI. The present paper describes a modular framework for the implementation of the graphic interface for binary BCIs based on the selection of symbols in a table. The proposed system is also designed to reduce the time required for writing text. This is made by including a motivational tool, necessary to improve the quality of the collected signals, and by containing a predictive module based on the frequency of occurrence of letters in a language, and of words in a dictionary. The proposed framework is described in a top-down approach through its modules: signal acquisition, analysis, classification, communication, visualization, and predictive engine. The framework, being modular, can be easily modified to personalize the graphic interface to the needs of the subject who has to use the BCI and it can be integrated with different classification strategies, communication paradigms, and dictionaries/languages. The implementation of a scenario and some experimental results on healthy subjects are also reported and discussed: the modules of the proposed scenario can be used as a starting point for further developments, and application on severely disabled people under the guide of specialized personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dealing with the evaluation of the risk connected to the formation of landslide dams at regional scale, it is important to estimate the volume of the depleted material that can reach the riverbed. This information, combined with other elements (river dimensions, valley width, landslide velocity, etc.) allows making predictions on the possibility of river blockage. One of the problems of this approach is the lack of data concerning the shape and position of the sliding surface; this does not permit us to estimate the volume of the landslide material. The IFFI (Inventario dei Fenomeni Franosi in Italia, i.e. Landslide Inventory in Italy) project furnishes information, at different levels of precision, on nearly totality of the landslides existing in Italy. The first level of the IFFI (compiled for all slides) does not contain information on the depth of the sliding surface but contains data regarding the type and the activity of the slope movement. Along with this information the IFFI project also furnishes vector maps containing the boundary of each landslide and the main sliding direction. This paper describes the implementation of an algorithm aimed to define, with an adequate approximation, the 3D geometry of the sliding surface of rotational slides for which, on the basis of geologic maps available at regional scale, some geotechnical parameters can be known or estimated. The work also required the creation of a computer code useful for the 3D analysis of slope stability (3D safety factor) using the simplified Janbu method. All computer code has been created on a GNU-Linux OS and using shell scripting, based on GRASS GIS and R statistical software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Case-finding tools, such as the Identify Chronic Migraine (ID-CM) questionnaire, can improve detection of CM and alleviate its significant societal burden. We aimed to develop and validate the Italian version of the ID-CM (ID-EC) in paper and as a smart app version in a headache clinic-based setting.Methods: The study investigators translated and adapted to the Italian language the original ID-CM questionnaire (ID-EC) and further implemented it as a smart app. The ID-EC was tested in its paper and electronic version in consecutive patients referring to 9 Italian tertiary headache centers for their first in-person visit. The scoring algorithm of the ID-EC paper version was applied by the study investigators (case-finding) and by patients (self-diagnosis), while the smart app provided to patients automatically the diagnosis. Diagnostic accuracy of the ID-EC was assessed by matching the questionnaire results with the interview-based diagnoses performed by the headache specialists during the visit according to the criteria of International Classification of Headache Disorders, III edition, beta version.Results: We enrolled 531 patients in the test of the paper version of ID-EC and 427 in the validation study of the smart app. According to the clinical diagnosis 209 patients had CM in the paper version study and 202 had CM in the smart app study. 79.5% of patients returned valid paper questionnaires, while 100% of patients returned valid and complete smart app questionnaires. The paper questionnaire had a 81.5% sensitivity and a 81.1% specificity for case-finding and a 30.7% sensitivity and 90.7% specificity for self-diagnosis, while the smart app had a 64.9% sensitivity and 90.2% specificity.Conclusions: Our data suggest that the ID-EC, developed and validated in tertiary headache centers, is a valid case-finding tool for CM, with sensitivity and specificity values above 80% in paper form, while the ID-EC smart app is more useful to exclude CM diagnosis in case of a negative result. Further studies are warranted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the ID-EC in general practice and population-based settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]