A blueprint for integrated eye-controlled environments

Eye-based environmental control requires innovative solutions for supporting effective user interaction, for allowing home automation and control, and for making homes more "attentive" to user needs. Several approaches have already been proposed, which can be seen as isolated attempts to address only partial issues and specific sub-sets of the general problem. This paper aims at tackling gaze-based home automation as a whole, exploiting state of the art technologies and trying to integrate interaction modalities than are currently supported and that may supported in a near future. User-home interaction is sought through two, complementary, interaction patterns: direct interaction and mediated interaction. Integration between home appliances/devices and user interfaces is granted by a central point of abstraction/harmonization called House Manager. Innovative points can be identified in the wide flexibility of the approach which allows on one side to integrate virtually all home devices having a communication interface, and, on the other side, mixes-up direct and mediated user interaction exploiting the advantages of both. A complete discussion about interaction and accessibility issues is provided, justifying the presented approach from the point of view of human-environment interaction

Divided right atrium. Diagnosis by echocardiography, and considerations on the functional role of the Eustachian valve

A child presented at birth with severe cyanosis. Echocardiography showed hypoplasia of the right heart with a right-to-left shunt at atrial level. A conservative approach was adopted initially, and the situation improved over a few months, with reversal of the atrial shunt. Surgery was successfully performed at 4 years of age after further echocardiography revealed a congenitally large Eustachian valve and an atrial septal defect

An observational study to assess Italian obstetrics providers' knowledge about preventive practices and diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection can be easily prevented by hygienic measures. Up to date the majority of the studies in literature highlighted a reduction in cCMV antenatal counseling and its prevention. Our purpose was to evaluate obstetrics providers' knowledge about cCMV infection, management and the behavioral practices to avoid it. This is a cross-sectional survey carried out in Umberto I Hospital, "Sapienza"University of Rome between November 2019 and January 2020. We recruited 148 specialists and residents in Obstetrics and Gynecology through online anonymous multiple-choice 13-questions, 10 min-survey comparing responses between the two groups. A total of 94.6% of all participants said they always prescribe cytomegalovirus (CMV) serum screening: 73.6% of them regularly counsel about preventive practices, with specialists recording higher percentages (85.4 vs. 65.1%, p<0.005). We identified a good knowledge about the diagnostic pathway, but only 58.1% of our population knows the correct time of late amniocentesis. 12.2% of providers do not consider magnetic resonance (MRI) as a complementary exam. Prevention of maternal seroconversion is crucial: even if our data show an acceptable knowledge about antenatal counseling, we encourage clinicians to firmly inform and educate women about behavioral measures

Surgically induced unilateral pulmonary hypertension: time-related analysis of a new experimental model

OBJECTIVE: Patients with irreversible pulmonary vascular obstructive disease caused by pulmonary hypertension due to congenital heart defects are considered either inoperable or only candidates to lung transplantation. This study evaluated an experimental model of surgically induced unilateral pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: In eight pigs, 2-months-old, the left pulmonary artery was divided at the origin and end-to-side anastomosed to the descending thoracic aorta through a left thoracotomy. In this way, increased pulmonary blood flow in the right lung and systemic perfusion pressure and oxygenation in the left lung were obtained. After an interval of 6-12 weeks the animals underwent cardiac catheterization and were then sacrificed. Histological examination was done on both the lungs. RESULTS: The mean left-to-right shunt through the left pulmonary artery diminished from 58.9+/-9.6% at the end of the procedure to 4.5+/-1.5% at the latest hemodynamic evaluation (P<0.01). Pressures and saturations remained identical in aorta and left pulmonary artery, without reduction (NS) with FiO(2)=1.0 ventilation; in the right pulmonary artery there was a mild elevation of the pressures, but still responsive (P<0.05) to FiO(2)=1.0 ventilation. Lung histology showed normal right pulmonary arteries, but irreversible vascular lesions like intimal fibrosis, medial hypertrophy, vascular occlusions, plexiform and dilatation lesions in all the left lungs. CONCLUSIONS: The lung exposed to systemic pressure and oxygenation develops irreversible vascular lesions typical of pulmonary vascular obstructive disease. The lung exposed to increased flow shows only mild elevation of the arterial pressure, remains responsive to oxygen vasodilatation, and displays normal histology

Muscular counterpulsation: preliminary results of a non-invasive alternative to intra-aortic balloon pump

OBJECTIVES: IABP is the most widely used form of temporary cardiac assist and its benefits are well established. We designed an animal study to evaluate a device based on muscular counterpulsation (MCP) that should reproduce the same hemodynamic effects as IABP in a completely non-invasive way. METHODS: Six calves, 60+/-4 kg, divided into 2 groups, in general anaesthesia, equipped with EKG, Swan-Ganz, pressure probe in the femoral artery and flow probe in the left carotid artery, received either IABP through right femoral artery, or muscle counterpulsation (MCP). MCP consists of electrically induced skeletal muscle contraction during early diastole, triggered by EKG and microprocessor controlled by a portable device. For each animal the following parameters were also considered: mean aortic pressure (mAoP), CO, CI, left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI), systemic vascular resistance (SVR) and mean femoral artery flow (Faf). We did 3 sets of measurements: baseline (BL), after 20 (M20) and 40 (M40) min of cardiac assistance. These measurements have been repeated after 40 min of rest for 3 times. Results are expressed as mean+/-SD. RESULTS: Baseline values: mAoP, 76.51+/-12 mmHg; mCVP, 11.5+/-3 mmHg; CO, 5+/-1 l/min per m(2); LVSWI, 0.77+/-0.2 KJ/m(2); SVR, 1040+/-15 dyns/cm(-5); Faf, 75.5+/-10 ml/min. IABP group: mAoP, 81.1+/-6 mmHg; mCVP, 1+/-0.1 mmHg; CO, 4.5+/-0.7 l/min per m(2); LVSWI, 0.69+/-0.2 KJ/m(2); SVR, 1424+/-8 dyns/cm(-5); Faf, 64.3+/-3 ml/min. MCP group: mAoP, 60.1+/-7 mmHg; mCVP, 23.6+/-2 mmHg; CO, 4.8+/-0.4 l/min per m(2); LVSWI, 0.69+/-0.2 KJ/m(2); SVR, 608+/-25 dyns/cm(-5); Faf, 92.3+/-12 ml/min. CONCLUSIONS: MCP and IABP had the same effects on CO and LVSWI. Moreover, MCP reduced SVR and increased the peripheral circulation without requiring any vascular access nor anticoagulation therapy

Self-Regulation in a Web-Based Course: A Case Study

Little is known about how successful students in Web-based courses self-regulate their learning. This descriptive case study used a social cognitive model of self-regulated learning (SRL) to investigate how six graduate students used and adapted traditional SRL strategies to complete tasks and cope with challenges in a Web-based technology course; it also explored motivational and environmental influences on strategy use. Primary data sources were three transcribed interviews with each of the students over the course of the semester, a transcribed interview with the course instructor, and the students’ reflective journals. Archived course documents, including transcripts of threaded discussions and student Web pages, were secondary data sources. Content analysis of the data indicated that these students used many traditional SRL strategies, but they also adapted planning, organization, environmental structuring, help seeking, monitoring, record keeping, and self-reflection strategies in ways that were unique to the Web-based learning environment. The data also suggested that important motivational influences on SRL strategy use—self-efficacy, goal orientation, interest, and attributions—were shaped largely by student successes in managing the technical and social environment of the course. Important environmental influences on SRL strategy use included instructor support, peer support, and course design. Implications for online course instructors and designers, and suggestions for future research are offered