In this paper we present a blockchain based system for the supply chain management of a particular Italian bread. Goal of the system is to guarantee a transparent and auditable traceability of the Carasau bread where each actor of the supply chain can verify the quality of the products and the conformity to the normative about the hygienic-sanitary conditions along the chain. To realize this system we relied on the Blockchain and the Internet of Thing technologies in order to provide a trustless environment, in which trust is placed in cryptography, in mathematical operations and on the network, and not in public or private companies. Thanks to the use of digital technologies the system aims to reduce the data entry errors and the risk of tampering. Our system is designed so that along the supply chain, the nodes equipped with several sensors directly communicate their data to Raspberry Pi units that elaborate and transmit them to Interplanetary File System and to the Ethereum Blockchain. Furthermore, we designed ad hoc Radio Frequency Identification and Near Field communication tags to shortly supply the proposed system with information about the products and batches. The dedicated RFID tags robustness during on-bread operation was numerically tested. The system will easily allow end consumers to have a transparent view on the whole journey from raw material to purchased final product and a supervisory authority to perform online inspections on the products' quality and on the good working practices.

Fermi level pinning in doped metal oxide (MO) nanocrystals (NCs) results in the formation of depletion layers, which affect their optical and electronic properties, and ultimately their application in smart optoelectronics, photocatalysis, or energy storage. For a precise control over functionality, it is important to understand and control their electronic bands at the nanoscale. Here, we show that depletion layer engineering allows designing the energetic band profiles and predicting the optoelectronic properties of MO NCs. This is achieved by shell thickness tuning of core–shell Sn:In₂O₃–In₂O₃ NCs, resulting in multiple band bending and multi-modal plasmonic response. We identify the modification of the band profiles after the light-induced accumulation of extra electrons as the main mechanism of photodoping and enhance the charge storage capability up to hundreds of electrons per NC through depletion layer engineering. Our experimental results are supported by theoretical models and are transferable to other core-multishell systems as well.

This work copes with the design and implementation of a wireless sensors network architecture to automatically and continuously monitor, for the first time, the manufacturing process of Sardinian Carasau bread. The case of a traditional bakery company facing the challenge of the Food-Industry 4.0 competitiveness is investigated. The process was analyzed to identify the most relevant variables to be monitored during the product manufacturing. Then, a heterogeneous, multi-tier wireless sensors network was designed and realized to allow the real-time control and the data collection during the critical steps of dough production, sheeting, cutting and leavening. Commercial on-the-shelf and cost-effective integrated electronics were employed, making the proposed approach of interest for many practical cases. Finally, a user-friendly interface was provided to enhance the understanding, control and to favor the process monitoring. With the wireless senors network (WSN) we designed, it is possible to monitor environmental parameters (temperature, relative humidity, gas concentrations); cinematic quantities of the belts; and, through a dedicated image processing system, the morphological characteristics of the bread before the baking. The functioning of the WSN was demonstrated and a statistical analysis was performed on the variables monitored during different seasons.

In this paper, a microwave imaging approach based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) for neck tumor detection is presented. The aim of this technique is to retrieve the geometric and dielectric properties of the neck to identify the possible presence of tumors, starting from scattered electric field data. A fully-connected neural network is developed to test the feasibility of the proposed approach. Moreover, a numerical model including the main features of a cross section of the neck is specifically designed in order to create a suitable training dataset. Subsequently, for the optimization of the ANN architecture and performance evaluation, a numerical analysis is conducted. A set of simulated cases, based on realistic neck phantoms, is tested to evaluate the robustness of the network. Preliminary results show the possibility to identify and locate neck tumors.

Magnetic tissue scaffolds are a promising powerful tool for performing interstitial tumor hyperthermia against the residual bone cancer cells, after surgical intervention. The design of the implant architecture is crucial for several biomedical requirements. However, to date, the influence of implant topology on the hyperthermia treatment outcome has never been assessed. Furthermore, the heating ability is a function of sample mass and geometry. In this work, a simple methodology for designing biomimetic scaffolds using triply periodic minimal surfaces is presented. A set of geometries is 3D printed by fused deposition modeling, using a commercial poly-lactic acid filament filled with magnetite particles, never tested for biomedical applications. Magnetic scaffolds were thoroughly characterized by performing static magnetic measurements, differential scanning calorimetric and thermogravimetric analysis, but, mostly, by carrying out calorimetric measurements to determine their hyperthermic potential under different experimental conditions. Numerical multiphysics simulations with a commercial finite element software were performed, resulting in good agreement with the measurements. The scaffolds were exposed to a magnetic field with 15 mT strength, working at 400 kHz, in air, and the surface temperature was recorder using infrared camera. The manufactured magnetic scaffolds can increase the temperature above 41°C (about 54-57°C), in 40-60 s. In distilled water, for a 30 mT magnetic field and 400 kHz, the temperature was recorded using an optic fiber and we observed that all the sample could be used as thermo-seed for cancer therapy. Finally, the scaffolds were tested in agarose phantoms and their hyperthermic potential was quantified.

This works claims to define, via numerical simulations, magnetic field parameters to perform an effective in situ bone tumor hyperthermia treatment using magnetic scaffolds. A Cole-Cole model to describe the frequency response of the magnetic susceptibility of nanoparticles embedded in novel magnetic biomaterials is explored. The heating phenomena is investigated considering both the ischemic and inflamed state of the fracture gap at the bone/implants interface. Both Osteosarcoma and Fibrosarcoma tumors are analyzed. Magnetic hydroxyapatite and poly-ε-caprolactone scaffolds are investigated. From the thermal analysis, it is found that the fracture behaves as a resistance to heat conduction, therefore strength and frequency of external magnetic field has to be tuned to perform the treatment taking the fracture status into account. Moreover, numerical experiments indicate that low perfused Fibrosarcoma can be treated using moderate-strength field, whereas more intense external fields are required to treat strongly vascularized Osteosarcoma without damaging healthy bone tissue. Magnetic hydroxyapatite stands out to be the most performant and versatile material to treat both tumors. These simulations can be regarded as a starting point to analyze possible clinical use of magnetic scaffolds for in situ bone hyperthermia.