Topic Maps e XTM per l'e-learning

Topic Maps are a methodology whose aim is describing knowledge structures and associating them with information resources. XML Topic Maps (XTM) is an XML-based encoding scheme to represent topic maps and similar knowledge structures (e.g. semantic networks, associative networks, concept maps, mind maps, etc.). In this paper Topic Maps and XTM are proposed as a knowledge representation system to be exploited in e-learning environments for a suited integration with semantic web technologies. They may be a useful tool to facilitate the design of learning contents and their delivery in diverse contexts. After a short survey of the Topic Maps standardization process, in this paper key elements and characteristics of TM and XTM paradigm are described. Then it is briefl y discussed about Topic Maps applications in e-learning context and also a short survey of related works is presente

Application des techniques physiques, géochimiques et isotopiques pour l'évaluation de l'infiltration sous climat tempéré

Depuis plusieurs années, la Zone Non Saturée d'une parcelle expérimentale au nord de l'Italie (plaine du Pô) a fait l'objet de nombreuses études sur les caractéristiques physiques et géologiques du milieu, ainsi que sur les modalités du mouvement des eaux d'infiltration. Le site a été équipé de 6 tensiomètres à mercure, 6 bougies poreuses pour l'échantillonnage de l'eau et d'un tube d'accès pour la sonde à neutrons.L'application des différentes méthodes d'évaluation a fourni, pour la période d'étude (Septembre 1994-Août 1995), des valeurs de l'infiltration sensiblement différentes. La méthode physique, basée sur le calcul du bilan hydrique annuel, et considérant le sol comme un unique réservoir monocouche, a indiqué que 19% du total des précipitations arrive à s'infiltrer. D'autre part, un modèle de simulation intégrant les caractéristiques hydrodynamiques du sol a permis d'évaluer la recharge à 29% des précipitations annuelles. Le calcul de la répartition de la teneur en eau sur le profil porte sur la description des fluctuations temporelles du plan de flux nul, en relation avec les épisodes pluvieux et l'intensité de l'évaporation.La méthode géochimique du "profil en ions conservés" entre l'eau de pluie et du sol a permis, quant à elle, d'évaluer la lame d'eau infiltrée à environ 12% des précipitations annuelles. La composition isotopique des eaux extraites du sol manifeste un enrichissement global en isotopes lourds (2H et 18O) par rapport aux eaux météoriques, conséquence d'une évaporation intense. L'infiltration semble être de type "piston flow" dispersif. Elle suit, seulement pendant l'hiver, un flux où la composante convective dans la microporosité est prédominante sur la composante diffusive qui a lieu, de préférence, dans la macroporosité.In groundwater management, it is necessary to define water movement, evaluate infiltration and evapotranspiration rates, and quantify the physico-chemical evolution of transported solutes throughout the unsaturated zone (UZ). Traditionally, in temperate regions, recharge rate is evaluated by the comparison between physical methods (based on direct measurements of hydrological parameters with lysimeters, tensiometers and neutron gauges) and geochemical approaches (conservative ions, stable isotope profiles and artificial tracers).In the Po Plain (Northern Italy) intensive agricultural irrigation and overexploitation of groundwater profoundly affect the quality and availability of shallow groundwater resources. The region has been intensively cultivated with corn and rice during the last 5 centuries. Irrigation canals have been constructed in order to distribute water from alpine rivers to areas more favourable to agriculture. In the past, only the water balance method has been applied to obtain recharge rates in these situations.An experimental field site has been operational since 1987 in the ENEA-EUREX Nuclear Centre of Saluggia. The experimental plot represents an unsaturated zone in fluvio-glacial deposits (Holocene) of the Dora Baltea River, formed by gravel and sand, interlayered with silt levels. The water table is usually at a depth of 200 cm but it varies as a function of the river level. The objectives of the present study were to describe water movement throughout the UZ and to evaluate infiltration and evapotranspiration rates using different physico-chemical methodologies. The Saluggia plot was equipped with six tensiometers, a neutron gauge hole and 6 porous cups, up to a depth of 160 cm.During 10 years of monitoring, the most favourable period for understanding infiltration processes and water movement through the UZ is September 1994 - August 1995. This period is characterised by an exceptional rain event (300 mm in 48 hours), followed by a river flood. Water samples collected with porous cups at various depths have been analysed for chemistry and stable isotope composition, together with rainfall and Dora Baltea River water.In October 1994 (beginning of the rainy period) and May 1995 (beginning of the dry period) soil samples were collected at different depths and water was extracted under vacuum conditions. Stable isotope analyses were performed on extracted waters. Soil samples were also analysed for granulometry, chemical and mineralogical composition.Reducing soil to an unique monolayer aquifer, the water balance method suggests that only 19% of the total precipitation infiltrates, whereas a simulation model taking into account soil hydrodynamic characteristics estimates an infiltration rate of 29% of the rainfall. The position of the Zero Flux Plane (ZFP) fluctuates seasonally between the surface and the maximum studied depth, as a consequence of precipitation events and evaporation fluxes. In some periods, the ZFP is level with the water table and direct discharge may occur.Measurements of the stable isotopic composition (δ2H and δ18O) of soil water allows a quantitative estimate of direct groundwater discharge. On a δ2H versusδ18O plot, pore waters from the UZ have an isotopic composition that differs from that of the majority of groundwater samples, plotting below the local rain water line and indicating some degree of evaporation during the recharge process. The isotopic enrichment is particularly significant at the evaporation front, suggesting that pore water in soil reflects a different recharge regime from those of the regional ground waters. Water isotope and solute composition were substantially modified from their original composition during the infiltration process within the soil, via mechanisms such as anion exchange with soil particles, salt precipitation/dissolution or isotopic fractionation.Arial recharge was also evaluated using the depth distribution of a conservative solute. Assuming that chloride is derived from precipitation alone, Cl- content in soil and in rain water suggests that 12% of total rainfall infiltrates. Therefore, the recharge rate is estimated to be less than 100 mm/a. These data are in agreement with other results obtained by the chloride concentration profile method, in areas of the Po Valley, but are considerably different from those evaluated by the traditional physical methods

PRET: Prerequisite-enriched terminology. A case study on educational texts

In this paper we present PRET, a gold dataset annotated for prerequisite relations between educational concepts extracted from a computer science textbook, and we describe the language and domain independent approach for the creation of the resource. Additionally, we have created an annotation tool to support, validate and analyze the annotation

Visualisation analysis for exploring prerequisite relations in textbooks

Building automatic strategies for organising knowledge contained in textbooks has a tremendous potential to enhance meaningful learning. Automatic identification of prerequisite relation (PR) between concepts in a textbook is a well-known way for knowledge structuring, yet it is still an open issue. Our research contributes for better understanding and exploring the phenomenon of PR in textbooks, by providing a collection of visualisation techniques for PR exploration and analysis, that we used for the design of and then the refinement of our algorithm for PR extraction

Aerosolization performance of jet nebulizers and biopharmaceutical aspects

In this work, 13 jet nebulizers, some of which in different configurations, were investigated in order to identify the biopharmaceutical constraints related to the quality attributes of the medicinal products, which affect their safety, efficiency, compliance, and effectiveness. The aerosolization parameters, including the aerosol output, aerosol output rate, mass median aerodynamic diameter, and fine particle fraction, were determined according to the European Standard EN 13544-1, using sodium fluoride as a reference formulation. A comparison between the aerosol output nebulization time and the fine particle fraction displayed a correlation between the aerosol quality and the nebulization rate. Indeed, the quality of the nebulization significantly increased when the rate of aerosol emission was reduced. Moreover, the performance of the nebulizers was analyzed in terms of respirable delivered dose and respirable dose delivery rate, which characterize nebulization as the rate and amount of respirable product that could be deposited into the lungs. Depending on which of these two latter parameters was used, the nebulizers showed different performances. The differences, in terms of the rate and amount of delivered aerosol, could provide relevant information for the appropriate choice of nebulizer as a function of drug product, therapy, and patient characteristics

Buona Scuola Digitale in Liguria

In questo lavoro si propone un\u2019analisi dello stato della Scuola digitale in Liguria sulla base dei dati disponibili e dell\u2019esperienza diretta di progetti condotti dagli autori. Dopo una prima parte di inquadramento del percorso di innovazione regionale nell\u2019ambito di quello nazionale, si descrive un percorso di innovazione iniziato da tempo: in una prima fase in modo sporadico e individuale, grazie soprattutto alla spinta innovativa personale di singoli dirigenti scolastici o singoli docenti, oggi grazie a progetti a cui si fa riferimento in questo lavoro in modo sempre pi\uf9 condiviso e coordinato

PCSK9 induces a pro-inflammatory response in macrophages

Intraplaque release of inflammatory cytokines from macrophages is implicated in atherogenesis by inducing the proliferation and migration of media smooth muscle cells (SMCs). PCSK9 is present and released by SMCs within the atherosclerotic plaque but its function is still unknown. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that PCSK9 could elicit a pro-inflammatory effect on macrophages. THP-1-derived macrophages and human primary macrophages were exposed to different concentrations (0.250\u2009\uf7\u20092.5\u2009\ub5g/ml) of human recombinant PCSK9 (hPCSK9). After 24\u2009h incubation with 2.5\u2009\ub5g/ml PCSK9, a significant induction of IL-1\u3b2, IL-6, TNF-\u3b1, CXCL2, and MCP1 mRNA, were observed in both cell types. Co-culture of THP-1 macrophages with HepG2 overexpressing hPCSK9 also showed the induction of TNF-\u3b1 (2.4\u2009\ub1\u20090.5 fold) and IL-1\u3b2 (8.6\u2009\ub1\u20091.8 fold) mRNA in macrophages. The effect of hPCSK9 on TNF-\u3b1 mRNA in murine LDLR-/- bone marrow macrophages (BMM) was significantly impaired as compared to wild-type BMM (4.3\u2009\ub1\u20091.6 fold vs 31.1\u2009\ub1\u20096.1 fold for LDLR-/- and LDLR+/+, respectively). Finally, a positive correlation between PCSK9 and TNF-\u3b1 plasma levels of healthy adult subjects (males 533, females 537) was observed (B\u2009=\u20098.73, 95%CI 7.54\u2009\uf7\u20099.93, p\u2009<\u20090.001). Taken together, the present study provides evidence of a pro-inflammatory action of PCSK9 on macrophages, mainly dependent by the LDLR

Candidate Genes and MiRNAs Linked to the Inverse Relationship Between Cancer and Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease: Insights From Data Mining and Enrichment Analysis

The incidence of cancer and Alzheimer\u2019s disease (AD) increases exponentially with age. A growing body of epidemiological evidence and molecular investigations inspired the hypothesis of an inverse relationship between these two pathologies. It has been proposed that the two diseases might utilize the same proteins and pathways that are, however, modulated differently and sometimes in opposite directions. Investigation of the common processes underlying these diseases may enhance the understanding of their pathogenesis and may also guide novel therapeutic strategies. Starting from a text-mining approach, our in silico study integrated the dispersed biological evidence by combining data mining, gene set enrichment, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses while searching for common biological hallmarks linked to AD and cancer. We retrieved 138 genes (ALZCAN gene set), computed a significant number of enriched gene ontology clusters, and identified four PPI modules. The investigation confirmed the relevance of autophagy, ubiquitin proteasome system, and cell death as common biological hallmarks shared by cancer and AD. Then, from a closer investigation of the PPI modules and of the miRNAs enrichment data, several genes (SQSTM1, UCHL1, STUB1, BECN1, CDKN2A, TP53, EGFR, GSK3B, and HSPA9) and miRNAs (miR-146a-5p, MiR-34a-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-9-5p, and miR-16-5p) emerged as promising candidates. The integrative approach uncovered novel miRNA-gene networks (e.g., miR-146 and miR-34 regulating p62 and Beclin1 in autophagy) that might give new insights into the complex regulatory mechanisms of gene expression in AD and cancer

Cholesterol-lowering action of a novel nutraceutical combination in uremic rats: Insights into the molecular mechanism in a hepatoma cell line

Appropriate nutraceutical combinations may represent a valid approach to prevent vascular calcification associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In the present study, we tested the effect of a new nutraceutical combination named RenaTris®, containing MK-7, magnesium carbonate, and Sucrosomial® Iron, on vascular calcification in uremic rats. Rats were randomly divided into three groups, i.e. control (high-phosphate diet), uremic (high-phosphate diet containing 0.5% adenine), and supplemented uremic diet (0.5% adenine, MK-7, magnesium carbonate, and Sucrosomial® Iron). After six weeks, sera and vascular calcification were examined. The uremic diet increased creatinine and phosphate levels and induced extensive vascular calcification. The uremic condition also induced a mild hypercholesterolemic condition (+52% of total cholesterol; p &lt; 0.05). The supplemented uremic diet did not reduce creatinine, phosphate levels, or vascular calcification, however, we observed a significant hypocholesterolemic effect (−18.9% in supplemental uremic vs. uremic diet; p &lt; 0.05). Similar to simvastatin, incubation of cultured human hepatoma cells (Huh7) with MK-7 significantly reduced cholesterol biosynthesis (−38%) and induced 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) at both mRNA and protein levels. The effect of MK-7 on LDLR was counteracted by the co-incubation with squalene. Unlike simvastatin, MK-7 reduced PCSK9 in Huh7. These results indicated that the new nutraceutical combination significantly impacts cholesterol metabolism and its supplementation may help to control mild hypercholesterolemic conditions in CKD patients