The Barthel index: italian translation, adaptation and validation

The Barthel Index (BI) is widely used to measure disability also in Italy, although a validated and culturally adapted Italian version of BI has not been produced yet. This article describes the translation and cultural adaptation into Italian of the original 10-item version of BI, and reports the procedures for testing its validity and reliability. The cultural adaptation and validation process was based on data from a cohort of disabled patients from two different Rehabilitation Centers in Rome, Italy. Forward and backward translation method was adopted by qualified linguist and independent native English official translators. The scale obtained was reviewed by 20 experts in psychometric sciences. The Italian adapted version of the BI was then produced and validated. A total number of 180 patients were submitted to the adapted scale for testing its acceptability and internal consistency. The total time of compilation was 5 ± 2,6 minutes (range 3-10). Validation of the scale was performed by 7 trained professional therapists that submitted both the translated and the adapted versions to a group of 62 clinically stable patients (T-test=-2.051 p=0.05). The internal consistency by Cronbach’s alpha resulted equal to 0.96. Test – retest intra – rater reliability was evaluated on 35 cases; at test-retest was ICC=0.983 (95%IC: 0.967-0.992). This is the first study that reports translation, adaptation and validation of the BI in Italian language. It provides a new tool for professionals to measure functional disability when appraising Italian speaking disable patients in health and social care settings along the continuum of care

Towards a knowledge-based system to assist the Brazilian data-collecting system operation

A study is reported which was carried out to show how a knowledge-based approach would lead to a flexible tool to assist the operation task in a satellite-based environmental data collection system. Some characteristics of a hypothesized system comprised of a satellite and a network of Interrogable Data Collecting Platforms (IDCPs) are pointed out. The Knowledge-Based Planning Assistant System (KBPAS) and some aspects about how knowledge is organized in the IDCP's domain are briefly described

Classification of geokhod units and systems based on product cost analysis and estimation for a prototype model production

The paper considers data systematization on a new shield-type heading machine - geokhod. The target of the paper is to classify geokhod components on the basis of their technical and economical production parameters. A prototype model reveals the structure of a geokhod as an assembly unit and identifies its basic characteristics. The paper overviews the methods of product cost estimations, justifies the application of an operation-based approach for a prototype model, provides the results containing product cost data for various geokhod components and technological processes, and gives the data for a material cost structure. Taking into consideration the product cost analysis, geokhod components are classified according to their technical and economical production parameters. Moreover the paper outlines the ways of a classification application for a geokhod manufacturing techniques improvement

Ozone acting on human blood yields a hormetic dose-response relationship

The aim of this paper is to analyze why ozone can be medically useful when it dissolves in blood or in other biological fluids. In reviewing a number of clinical studies performed in Peripheral Arterial Diseases (PAD) during the last decades, it has been possible to confirm the long-held view that the inverted U-shaped curve, typical of the hormesis concept, is suitable to represent the therapeutic activity exerted by the so-called ozonated autohemotherapy. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of human blood ozonation have been also critically reviewed in regard to the biological, therapeutic and safety of ozone. It is hoped that this gas, although toxic for the pulmonary system during prolonged inhalation, will be soon recognized as a useful agent in oxidative-stress related diseases, joining other medical gases recently thought to be of therapeutic importance. Finally, the elucidation of the mechanisms of action of ozone as well as the obtained results in PAD may encourage clinical scientists to evaluate ozone therapy in vascular diseases in comparison to the current therapies

O programa nacional de fortalecimento da agricultura familiar PRONAF e a sustentabilidade da agricultura no Vale do Ribeira - Paraná

Resumo: A agricultura familiar do Vale da Ribeira no Estado do Paraná, Região Sul do Brasil, não foi impactada pelos principais ciclos e programas econômicos ocorridos no estado a partir da metade do século XX. A partir do ano 2000 o PRONAF-Crédito, com o apoio de uma cooperativa de crédito solidário (CRESOL), passou a atender a agricultura familiar em todo o território do Vale da Ribeira no Paraná. Para identificar as transformações provocadas nas unidades de produção atendidas, este estudo objetiva analisar a sustentabilidade da agricultura familiar, junto aos beneficiários do PRONAF-Crédito, no território do Vale da Ribeira, considerando os limites e as potencialidades das diferentes dimensões econômicas e socioambientais desses agricultores. Na região, o PRONAF-Crédito atende a diferentes categorias de agricultores e de forma prioritária àqueles situados no parâmetro de reprodução social simples. Com uma pequena dependência dos insumos e serviços externos à propriedade, um bom nível de diversificação e pequeno grau de endividamento, estes agricultores apresentam indicadores de qualidade de vida e de renda superiores à média identificada para as famílias rurais do Território do Vale da Ribeira no Paraná. Na avaliação desses agricultores, o PRONAF-Crédito tem contribuído com o aumento da renda, da qualidade de vida e da construção de um projeto futuro. Os diferentes sistemas de produção desses agricultores familiares apresentam um baixo nível de impacto sobre o meio ambiente. Assim, o estudo mostrou que a maioria dessas unidades apresenta um bom padrão de sustentabilidade econômica social e ambiental e que o PRONAF-Crédito tem contribuído com estes indicadores de sustentabilidade em suas diferentes dimensões. Para ampliar os atuais níveis de produtividade e manter a sustentabilidade do quadro natural em médio e longo prazo, será necessário o apoio do PRONAF-Crédito, da pesquisa e da assistência técnica para a implantação de um conjunto de práticas conservacionistas nessas unidades de produção. Foi proposto um conjunto de alternativas para a adequação do PRONAF-Crédito à realidade regional para ampliar a sustentabilidade da agricultura familiar no território

Generalized Complex Spherical Harmonics, Frame Functions, and Gleason Theorem

Consider a finite dimensional complex Hilbert space \cH, with dim(\cH) \geq 3, define \bS(\cH):= \{x\in \cH \:|\: ||x||=1\}, and let \nu_\cH be the unique regular Borel positive measure invariant under the action of the unitary operators in \cH, with \nu_\cH(\bS(\cH))=1. We prove that if a complex frame function f : \bS(\cH)\to \bC satisfies f \in \cL^2(\bS(\cH), \nu_\cH), then it verifies Gleason's statement: There is a unique linear operator A: \cH \to \cH such that $f(u) =$ for every u \in \bS(\cH). $A$ is Hermitean when $f$ is real. No boundedness requirement is thus assumed on $f$ {\em a priori}.Comment: 9 pages, Accepted for publication in Ann. H. Poincar\'