Evaluating diagnosis and treatment of oral and esophageal candidiasis in Ugandan AIDS patients.

A randomized cross-over clinical and endoscopic evaluation of 85 Ugandan patients showed that esophageal candidiasis in AIDS patients with oral candidiasis could be managed without endoscopy and biopsies. Oral lesions, especially when accompanied by esophageal symptoms, were sufficient for diagnosis. Miconazole was more effective than nystatin in treating esophageal candidiasis and could be a valid alternative to more expensive azolic drugs in developing countries

Reduction in urea distribution volume over time in clinically stable dialysis patients

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The Term Structure of Interest Rates and its Impact on the Liability Adequacy Test for Insurance Companies in Brazil

The Brazilian regulation for applying the Liability Adequacy Test (LAT) to technical provisions in insurance companies requires that the current estimate is discounted by a term structure of interest rates (hereafter TSIR). This article aims to analyze the LAT results, derived from the use of various models to build the TSIR: the cubic spline interpolation technique, Svensson's model (adopted by the regulator) and Vasicek's model. In order to achieve the objective proposed, the exchange rates of BM&FBOVESPA trading days were used to model the ETTJ and, consequently, to discount the cash flow of the insurance company. The results indicate that: (i) LAT is sensitive to the choice of the model used to build the TSIR; (ii) this sensitivity increases with cash flow longevity; (iii) the adoption of an ultimate forward rate (UFR) for the Brazilian insurance market should be evaluated by the regulator, in order to stabilize the trajectory of the yield curve at longer maturities. The technical provision is among the main solvency items of insurance companies and the LAT result is a significant indicator of the quality of this provision, as this evaluates its sufficiency or insufficiency. Thus, this article bridges a gap in the Brazilian actuarial literature, introducing the main methodologies available for modeling the yield curve and a practical application to analyze the impact of its choice on LAT.</p

The impact of the aggregation formula on indicator-based method for the assessment of building susceptibility to hydro-meteorological hazards

A crucial variable in risk and vulnerability assessment procedures is the ability of the built environment to resist in case of hazard impact. This component, referred to as “susceptibility”, can be assessed in different ways, among which indicator-based methods are preferable when no data about past hazardous events are available. This type of methodology, considering the building susceptibility independent from the hazard magnitude, relies on the selection of indicators meaningful for the investigated area and their combination via an aggregation formula, leading to a susceptibility index for each building. The current study aims at reviewing and comparing different approaches used in literature to combine the indicators for calculating the susceptibility index. To this end, five indicators, previously selected for a mountainous case study area, are applied and implemented in a GIS platform, generating just as many specific susceptibility maps. Further, the indicators are weighed and combined in different scenarios with two aggregation formulae, which are integrated into the GIS environment so as to spatially display and compare the results. Last, but not least, the HBIM model and a GIS/BIM database of the studied area are created. Results suggest that the aggregation formula and the assigned weights are crucial ingredients, and therefore they should be chosen carefully according to the aim of the study and the needs of the stakeholders

The academic “glass-ceiling”: investigating the increase of female academicians in Italy

Purpose: This study addresses gender composition in universities. The purpose of this study is to define the vertical and horizontal gender segregation in both public and private universities. In particular, it measures the gender distribution throughout academic careers across levels and time, and among fields of science in Italian academia. Design/methodology/approach: The authors adopted the framework of Blackburn et al. (2002) as a theoretical lens through which they examine and explain occupational gender segregation in the university context. A mixed methodology of both document analysis and examining some statistical indicators was used to create gender-disaggregated measures to help the authors answer their research questions. The data collected represent academia in Italy for the period 2010-2018. The data were obtained from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. Findings: The authors show the gendered nature of academic institutions in Italy. In particular, the authors acknowledge that hierarchies of power exist that privilege men and the masculine and devalue women and the feminine within academic institutions. Practical implications: This paper provides theoretical and practical findings that support the literature on gender issues in universities and other public and/or private institutions. The academic community, practitioners and policymakers can use the results to design measures to address gender inequality in academia. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is novel because it provides gender-relevant insights on the gender composition in universities in the Italian context. These insights are also relevant for academic institutions that operate in an international setting

Tendenze evolutive negli strumenti di valutazione della performance aziendale nel TPL

Si analizzano gli strumenti per il controllo della performance nel settore del trasporto pubblico local

VALUTAZIONE DELLA PRESTAZIONE ENERGETICA DI COMPONENTI EDILIZI IN CALCE-CANAPA CON STRUMENTI BIM

L’edilizia è riconosciuta come uno dei settori maggiormente energivori, dato l’elevato consumo di materie prime, materiali e risorse naturali durante le fasi di costruzione, utilizzo, manutenzione e dismissione degli edifici. Per far fronte a questa situazione, esistono numerosi programmi nazionali e sovranazionali che prevedono strategie alternative per soddisfare i bisogni umani, riducendo al minimo il dispendio di energie. Uno dei passi per raggiungere tali obiettivi è la ricerca di nuovi materiali (riciclabili e biosostenibili) che possano sostituire i materiali tradizionali (calcestruzzo, acciaio e plastica), i quali hanno un elevato fabbisogno energetico e processi di produzione non sostenibili. Lo sviluppo di una coscienza ambientale da parte di individui e società contribuisce ad aumentare l’attenzione verso l’utilizzo di materiali di origine biologica (bio-based). Uno dei materiali che ultimamente sta attirando l’attenzione della ricerca scientifica e del mercato è il biocomposito in calce-canapa; una miscela a base naturale composta da una matrice legante di calce e un aggregato ottenuto dal nucleo legnoso della pianta di canapa, e che si presta in maniera ottimale alla realizzazione di componenti edilizi. Il presente studio intende verificare, mediante l’ausilio di strumenti BIM, l’efficienza energetica di diverse scelte progettuali, comparando i risultati ottenibili con materiali tradizionali con quelli derivanti dall’impiego di tre diversi componenti in calce-canapa. I risultati evidenziano che questi nuovi componenti possono notevolmente migliorare la prestazione energetica globale ed abbassare la quantità di energia necessaria per raggiungere il comfort degli ambienti