Open Data Quality Measurement Framework: Definition and Application to Open Government Data

The diffusion of Open Government Data (OGD) in recent years kept a very fast pace. However, evidence from practitioners shows that disclosing data without proper quality control may jeopardize datasets reuse and negatively affect civic participation. Current approaches to the problem in literature lack of a comprehensive theoretical framework. Moreover, most of the evaluations concentrate on open data platforms, rather than on datasets. In this work, we address these two limitations and set up a framework of indicators to measure the quality of Open Government Data on a series of data quality dimensions at most granular level of measurement. We validated the evaluation framework by applying it to compare two cases of Italian OGD datasets: an internationally recognized good example of OGD, with centralized disclosure and extensive data quality controls, and samples of OGD from decentralized data disclosure (municipalities level), with no possibility of extensive quality controls as in the former case, hence with supposed lower quality. Starting from measurements based on the quality framework, we were able to verify the difference in quality: the measures showed a few common acquired good practices and weaknesses, and a set of discriminating factors that pertain to the type of datasets and the overall approach. On the basis of this evaluation, we also provided technical and policy guidelines to overcome the weaknesses observed in the decentralized release policy, addressing specific quality aspects

Predicting Lead Vehicle Velocity for Eco-Driving in the Absence of V2V Information

Accurately predicting the future behavior of the surrounding traffic, especially the velocity of the lead vehicle is important for optimizing the energy consumption and improve the safety of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs). Several studies report methods to predict short-to-mid-length lead vehicle velocity using stochastic models or other data-driven techniques, which require availability of extensive data and/or Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication. In the absence of connectivity, or in data-restricted cases, the prediction must rely only on the measured position and relative velocity of the lead vehicle at the current time. This paper proposes two velocity predictors to predict short-to-mid-length lead vehicle velocity. The first predictor is based on a Constant Acceleration (CA) with an augmented stop mode. The second one is based on a modified Enhanced Driver Model (EDM-LOS) with line-of-sight feature. Both predictors rely only on information on the present values of lead vehicle position and velocity to compute a future velocity estimate. An analysis is done to compare the prediction accuracy of the proposed predictors with different experimental driving data recorded using an OBD2 scanner plugged into a passenger vehicle. Finally, the predicted lead vehicle velocity is utilized to formulate time-gap constraints for the eco-driving optimal control problem, solved via Model Predictive Control (MPC). The energy savings of the considered velocity predictors are evaluated by performing a large-scale simulation study. The proposed velocity predictor provides closest energy savings to a wait-and-see solution for a CAV in absence of V2V communication

Valutare la competitività delle regioni come destinazioni turistiche. Proposta e applicazione di un modello praticabile

This paper suggests a feasible model to evaluate the competitiveness of the tourist regions of the Italian Mezzogiorno and, therefore, from a policy making perspective, the impact of regional policies – primarily those of economic development – that affect tourism. A review of the literature – on the issue of the lack of adequate information to draw and analyse public policies –, has led us to conclude that the reasons for this difficulty are different and have a nature both institutional and technical (OECD, 2005). Dwelling on the technical level, we assume that an information system to evaluate the competitiveness of the tourism sector should be: practical, understandable, based on benchmarking, suggest solutions, timely, systematic and reliable. The paper, aside from explaining the significance and arguments on which we have based the choice of the indicators, proposes a concrete model – meeting the mentioned criteria – to measure the competitiveness of a tourist region, Sicily, benchmarking it to other regions of the Mezzogiorno and, in some cases, to other regions of the Mediterranean. Finally, we have summarized the most significant elements of the model. More specifically, we have explained the reasons of both, the definition of «tourism competitiveness» we have applied, and the selected indicators

A propensity score-weighted comparison between adalimumab originator and its biosimilars, ABP501 and SB5, in inflammatory bowel disease: a multicenter Italian study

Background: Adalimumab is an effective and safe biological drug for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Nowadays, several biosimilar agents are available, but data regarding their efficacy and safety in patients with IBD are still lacking. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and tolerability between adalimumab originator, ABP501 and SB5 biosimilars in patients with IBD in the short term (after induction and after 6 months of treatment) through a propensity score-weighted multicenter cohort study. Methods: We included 156 patients with IBD, 69 patients with ulcerative colitis and 87 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) receiving ABP501 or SB5 biosimilars from January 2019 to April 2020 for moderate-to-severe disease. For comparison, a group of age- and sex-matched patients treated with adalimumab originator was used. We collected clinical and biochemical data after induction and at 6 months of treatment. Endoscopic data were recorded only at baseline. Results: Overall, clinical benefit was achieved by 86.4% and 85.3% after induction and at 6 months, respectively, without a statistically significant difference between the three treatment groups (p = 0.68 and p = 0.46). However, after induction, we found significant differences between the two types of the disease (ulcerative colitis or CD, p = 0.004), with a greater clinical benefit achieved by patients with CD. Also, the therapeutic optimization rate between the three drugs was not statistically significant different (p = 0.30). All treatments showed a good safety profile, with only 10 patients who needed to stop therapy because of adverse events. Conclusion: Adalimumab biosimilars seem to be as effective and safe as the originator in patients with IBD. Surely, they represent a great opportunity to reduce the costs of biological therapies, however larger and longer real-life studies are necessary

Genetic Contributions to the Association between Adult Height and Head and Neck Cancer : A Mendelian Randomization Analysis

Acknowledgements: The authors thank the Italian Association for Research on Cancer (AIRC, IG 2013 n. 14211) and the PRECeDI project (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange - RISE N°645740) for supporting the work of Roberta Pastorino and Anna Puggina.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Occupational socioeconomic risk associations for head and neck cancer in Europe and South America: individual participant data analysis of pooled case–control studies within the INHANCE Consortium

Background: The association between socioeconomic disadvantage (low education and/or income) and head and neck cancer is well established, with smoking and alcohol consumption explaining up to three-quarters of the risk. We aimed to investigate the nature of and explanations for head and neck cancer risk associated with occupational socioeconomic prestige (a perceptual measure of psychosocial status), occupational socioeconomic position and manual-work experience, and to assess the potential explanatory role of occupational exposures. Methods: Pooled analysis included 5818 patients with head and neck cancer (and 7326 control participants) from five studies in Europe and South America. Lifetime job histories were coded to: (1) occupational social prestige-Treiman's Standard International Occupational Prestige Scale (SIOPS); (2) occupational socioeconomic position-International Socio-Economic Index (ISEI); and (3) manual/non-manual jobs. Results: For the longest held job, adjusting for smoking, alcohol and nature of occupation, increased head and neck cancer risk estimates were observed for low SIOPS OR=1.88 (95% CI: 1.64 to 2.17), low ISEI OR=1.74 (95% CI: 1.51 to 1.99) and manual occupations OR=1.49 (95% CI: 1.35 to 1.64). Following mutual adjustment by socioeconomic exposures, risk associated with low SIOPS remained OR=1.59 (95% CI: 1.30 to 1.94). Conclusions: These findings indicate that low occupational socioeconomic prestige, position and manual work are associated with head and neck cancer, and such risks are only partly explained by smoking, alcohol and occupational exposures. Perceptual occupational psychosocial status (SIOPS) appears to be the strongest socioeconomic factor, relative to socioeconomic position and manual/non-manual work

Diagnostic Accuracy of HPV16 Early Antigen Serology For HPV-Driven Oropharyngeal Cancer is Independent of Age and Sex

Funding information: This project was funded in part by NIH/NIDCR R01 DE025712 (Paul Brennan, Brenda Diergaarde and Neil Hayes). The Alcohol-Related Cancers and Genetic Susceptibility Study in Europe (ARCAGE) was funded by the European Commission’s fifth framework program (QLK1-2001-00182), the Italian Association for Cancer Research, Compagnia di San Paolo/FIRMS, Region Piemonte and Padova University (CPDA057222). We thank Dr. Wolfgang Ahrens, PhD (Universität Bremen, Germany) for his support in ARCAGE study. The Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (CHANCE) study was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute (R01-CA90731). The Head and Neck 5000 study was a component of independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research scheme (RP-PG-0707-10034). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health. Core funding was also provided through awards from Above and Beyond, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Research Capability Funding and the NIHR Senior Investigator award to Professor Andy Ness. Human papillomavirus (HPV) serology was supported by a Cancer Research UK Programme Grant, the Integrative Cancer Epidemiology Programme (grant number: C18281/A19169). The University of Pittsburgh head and neck cancer case-control study is supported by US National Institutes of Health grants P50CA097190 and P30CA047904. The MSH-PMH study was supported by Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute and Lusi Wong Programs at the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A rare truncating BRCA2 variant and genetic susceptibility to upper aerodigestive tract cancer

© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] Funding This work was supported the National Institutes of Health (R01CA092039 05/05S1) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (1R03DE020116). Notes The authors thank all of the participants who took part in this research and the funders and technical staff who made this study possible. We acknowledge and thank Simone Benhamou (INSERM, France) for sample contributions. We also acknowledge and thank The Cancer Genome Atlas initiative, whose data contributed heavily to this study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD