Enhancing allocentric spatial recall in pre-schoolers through navigational training programme

Unlike for other abilities, children do not receive systematic spatial orientation training at school, even though navigational training during adulthood improves spatial skills. We investigated whether navigational training programme (NTP) improved spatial orientation skills in pre-schoolers. We administered 12-week NTP to seventeen 4- to 5-year-old children (training group, TG). The TG children and 17 age-matched children (control group, CG) who underwent standard didactics were tested twice before (T0) and after (T1) the NTP using tasks that tap into landmark, route and survey representations. We determined that the TG participants significantly improved their performances in the most demanding navigational task, which is the task that taps into survey representation. This improvement was significantly higher than that observed in the CG, suggesting that NTP fostered the acquisition of survey representation. Such representation is typically achieved by age seven. This finding suggests that NTP improves performance on higher-level navigational tasks in pre-schooler

Socioeconomic Differences in Tobacco Smoking in Italy: Is There an Interaction between Variables?

Objectives. To assess the influence of sociodemographic factors on smoking habits in Italy and if an interaction exists between these variables. Methods. Data from the national survey “Health Conditions and Healthcare Services Use” in 2005 were used. The independent association between tobacco smoking and sociodemographical variables was assessed using logistic regression analysis. Interactions between variables were investigated calculating the synergism index (SI). Results. Sample population consists of 109.829 subjects (over 15 years). 21.9% are current and 21.8% are former smokers. Current smokers are mostly 45–54-years old males, from Central Italy, unemployed, divorced or separated but having a good health status without chronic medical conditions. Ever smokers are mostly 45–54 years old males, from Northeast Italy, unemployed, with chronic conditions. People with a university degree and with a good household income have the lowest OR for both conditions. A synergistic effect was found between marital status and educational level (for ever smokers SI = 1.96; for current smokers SI = 1.67). Conclusions. Smoking is prevalent in lower socioeconomic groups and there is the strong need to increase social, economic and cultural capital in order to reduce it

Chief Medical Officers meeting on implementing a public health genomics approach

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OPS4Math project - Optimization and Problem Solving for Teaching of Mathematics: teaching strategy, organization and objectives

[EN] Several initiatives have been implemented worldwide to foster student interest towards STEM disciplines. These initiatives are based on the awareness that mathematics is essential for scientific and technological advancement: it trains to reasoning and reflection, stimulates logical capabilities and intuition, improve investigation attitude. Most of them recognize also that mathematical problem solving represents an effective way to support teachers and students in their teaching and learning activities, respectively. In this context, this work is aimed at presenting OPS4Math (Optimization and Problem Solving for Teaching of Mathematics), a training project for Secondary School teachers, supported by Italian Ministry of University and Research. The driving idea, widely discussed by the scientific community, is to operate a reversal of the didactical perspective: starting from phenomena/problems to introduce concepts of data, variables, relationships and functions in an appealing way. We present project organization, structure and aims, to give useful hints for its replication.Boccia, M.; Masone, A.; Orabona, A.; Sforza, A.; Sterle, C. (2022). OPS4Math project - Optimization and Problem Solving for Teaching of Mathematics: teaching strategy, organization and objectives. En 8th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'22). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 549-557. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd22.2022.1463054955

The governance of prevention in Italy

[No abstract available

Implementation of genomic policies in Italy: the new National Plan for innovation of the Health System based on omics sciences

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Surveillance of nosocomial infections: a preliminary study on hand hygiene compliance of healthcare workers

The observance of hand hygiene compliance is important to reduce cross-infection by micro-organisms. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the level of hand hygiene in healthcare workers from different departments, with particular emphasis on transient flora. The study was conducted in three departments (Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Obstetrics and Gynecology) of a hospital in Campania, southern Italy. Over a six-month period, 50 healthcareworkers wererandomly tested. Imprints of palms and fingertips were taken monthly during the morning shift. The number of colonies per plate was counted and transient pathogens were identified. Risk factors for hand contamination were determined. Total flora was found in the following CFU means per palm and per five fingertips (95% CI): Obstetrics and Gynecology [palms 130 CFUs (95% CI 85-180); fingertips 125 CFUs (95% CI 92-160)]; ICU [palms 80 CFUs (95% CI 58-99); fingertips 62 CFUs (95% CI 45-82)]; Surgery [palms 75 CFUs (95% CI 41-120); fingertips 70 CFUs (95% CI 52-90)] Transient flora was found on 39% of healthcare workers?hands. The only factor associated with hand contamination by transient flora was the absence of gloving during healthcare procedure(P=0.02)

The governance of prevention in Italy

After the political elections of February 2013, one of the tasks of the Ministry of Health of the new Government will be the development of the new edition – the third – of the National Prevention Plan (NPP), after the NPP 2005-2007 and the NPP 2010-2012. A brainstorming process about the recent experience of the NPP 2010-2012 is important not only to elaborate technical indications for new plan, but also to make some reflections on..

Seasonal and pandemic influenza: the role of communication and preventive strategies

Appropriate, timely, and data-driven health information is a very important issue in preventive strategies against influenza. Intui- tively, a link between willingness to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza and against pandemic influenza exists, given the similarities in decision-making for this vaccine. International and national literature reviews suggest that progress has been made in order to incorporate and disseminate crisis risk communication principles into public health practice, as such investments in public health could be important for building capacity and practice which aid in the realization of countermeasures in response to a future pandemic and epidemic situation. This study emphasizes the lack of perception by Health Care Workers (HCWs) of the importance of being immunized against seasonal and pandemic influenza and the doubts concerning safety. In the future, particular efforts are needed during vaccination campaigns, to provide more information to HCWs and the general population regarding role and safety of such vaccines

Two-years surveillance of fungal contamination in three hospital departments in Campania Region

A two-years (2003-2005) fungal environmental surveillance was carried out in three departments of a hospital in Campania region (Surgery, Intensive Care Unit, Obstetrics and Gynaecology). Four operating theatres rooms and their relative areas of service and support, 4 patient rooms of intensive care unit, 1 delivery room, 1 labour room and 1 nursery of Obstetrics and Gynaecology were checked. Atotal of 12,120 surfaces and 2,904 air samples were collected in 24 monthly determinations. A seasonal variation in the fungal development was observed, in particular the lowest level of air and surface fungi contamination was found in winter and autumn whereas it was higher in spring and summer. In this study 30 fungal species were identified and, among these, the most frequent specie isolated was the Aspergillus spp. The results show an air contamination, expressed in percentage of positive determinations for Aspergillus spp, and the other fungi in the following percentages: Obstetrics and Gynaecology (25% and 33,3%); Intensive Care Unit (17% and 25%); Surgery (12.5% and 21%). For surfaces contamination it was found: Obstetrics and Gynaecology (67% and 75%); Intensive Care Unit (63% and 71%); Surgery (58.3% and 67%). This study shows that in the departments observed environmental fungi contamination is always present and therefore it would be necessary to apply environmental surveillance procedure and monitor the effectiveness