Social Networks and Information Systems to Handle Emergency and Reconstruction in Natural Disasters: the L\u27Aquila Earthquake Case Study

After the earthquake of 6 April 2009, the citizens of L\u27Aquila and the near provinces suffer many discomforts due to difficulties of collecting information they need to come back to a normal life. Most buildings in municipality and province have been damaged or fell down so it\u27s difficult to collect information from this structures. In this paper we discuss about the social and organizational needs of the L\u27Aquila citizens after the earthquake. We describe how an information system can help population to have an active part in reconstruction process supporting the development of a innovative social network. Furthermore this system acting at a social level can help the population to recover the shock caused by the loss of civil infrastructures and productive fabric, and to retie the broken social and productive links according with the sensemaking approach

Supply Chain and Virtual Enterprises: the Beer Game evolution

Our aim is to create a simulation based on the rules of the Beer Game which includes the variables of a virtual enterprise, VirtuE in particular, and risk management, in order to understand the strategies underlying the subjects behavior in the face of risk within a means-end chain. This study shows the tests carried out on the original game, the variables that we proposed and the simulation results

La classe diventa un set: come creare il nostro primo video

Descrizione di un’esperienza in cui si di realizza un video didattico, partendo dalla sceneggiatura e passando al montaggio e alla scelta del relativo software

Modelos de organización docente para la formación on line : El caso del Proyecto αLFA-MIFORCAL

Las reformas en la educación superior y los procesos de convergencia entre América Latina y Europa se ven potenciados por las posibilidades de las redes telemáticas utilizadas para los procesos de formación. Este es el caso del Proyecto αLFA-MIFORCAL, promovido por una red de universidades europeas y latinoamericanas y diseñado para investigar e implementar un programa de formación docente de calidad para la enseñanza preuniversitaria. Las coordenadas pedagógicas son presentadas (misión, política de convergencia y armonización UE y AL, propuesta formativa, destinatarios, objetivos y estructura curricular, organización didáctica y modelo de e-learning) planteándose el problema inherente a la organización curricular y a los dispositivos didácticos, focalizado operativamente en los Modelos de Organización Docente (MOD). Estos son definidos como los modos posibles de interacción entre las personas (expertos, profesores, tutores, etc.), los productos u objetos de aprendizaje (documentos, fichas bibliográficas, guías didácticas, etc.) y los servicios didácticos concretos (actividades de aprendizaje) en relación a sus agentes efectores. Cinco MOD (multiperspectivista, convergente, de articulación tutorial, de investigación curricular y proyectivo) son definidos, ejemplicados y analizados respecto a condiciones de factibilidad. Se concluye que los modelos, como constructos hipotéticos, serán puestos a prueba e investigados sus efectos diferenciales respecto a la calidad formativa.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Modelos de organización docente para la formación on line : El caso del Proyecto αLFA-MIFORCAL

Las reformas en la educación superior y los procesos de convergencia entre América Latina y Europa se ven potenciados por las posibilidades de las redes telemáticas utilizadas para los procesos de formación. Este es el caso del Proyecto αLFA-MIFORCAL, promovido por una red de universidades europeas y latinoamericanas y diseñado para investigar e implementar un programa de formación docente de calidad para la enseñanza preuniversitaria. Las coordenadas pedagógicas son presentadas (misión, política de convergencia y armonización UE y AL, propuesta formativa, destinatarios, objetivos y estructura curricular, organización didáctica y modelo de e-learning) planteándose el problema inherente a la organización curricular y a los dispositivos didácticos, focalizado operativamente en los Modelos de Organización Docente (MOD). Estos son definidos como los modos posibles de interacción entre las personas (expertos, profesores, tutores, etc.), los productos u objetos de aprendizaje (documentos, fichas bibliográficas, guías didácticas, etc.) y los servicios didácticos concretos (actividades de aprendizaje) en relación a sus agentes efectores. Cinco MOD (multiperspectivista, convergente, de articulación tutorial, de investigación curricular y proyectivo) son definidos, ejemplicados y analizados respecto a condiciones de factibilidad. Se concluye que los modelos, como constructos hipotéticos, serán puestos a prueba e investigados sus efectos diferenciales respecto a la calidad formativa.Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Anorexia nervosa and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Wernicke's encephalopathy is an acute, potentially fatal, neuropsychiatric syndrome resulting from thiamine deficiency. The disorder is still greatly under-diagnosed, and failure to promptly identify and adequately treat the condition can lead to death or to the chronic form of the encephalopathy - Korsakoff's syndrome. Wernicke's encephalopathy has traditionally been associated with alcoholism but, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of clinical settings in which the disorder is observed.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian woman who arrived at the emergency room presenting signs of marked malnutrition and mental confusion, ataxic gait and ophthalmoplegia. Main laboratory test findings included low serum magnesium and megaloblastic anemia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed increased T2 signal in the supratentorial paraventricular region, the medial regions of the thalamus and the central and periaqueductal midbrain. The diagnosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy was made at once and immediate reposition of thiamine and magnesium was started. The patient had a long history of recurrent thoughts of being overweight, severe self-imposed diet restrictions and self-induced vomiting. She had also been drinking gin on a daily basis for the last eight years. One day after admittance the acute global confusional state resolved, but she presented severe memory deficits and confabulation. After six months of outpatient follow-up, memory deficits remained unaltered.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this case, self-imposed long-lasting nutritional deprivation is thought to be the main cause of thiamine deficiency and subsequent encephalopathy, but adjunct factors, such as magnesium depletion and chronic alcohol misuse, might have played an important role, especially in the development of Korsakoff's syndrome. The co-morbidity between eating disorders and substance abuse disorders has emerged as a significant health issue for women, and the subgroup of patients with anorexia nervosa who also misuse alcohol is probably at a particular risk of developing Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The present case report highlights this relevant issue.</p

Quantitative Whole Body Biodistribution of Fluorescent-Labeled Agents by Non-Invasive Tomographic Imaging

When small molecules or proteins are injected into live animals, their physical and chemical properties will significantly affect pharmacokinetics, tissue penetration, and the ultimate routes of metabolism and clearance. Fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) offers the ability to non-invasively image and quantify temporal changes in fluorescence throughout the major organ systems of living animals, in a manner analogous to traditional approaches with radiolabeled agents. This approach is best used with biotherapeutics (therapeutic antibodies, or other large proteins) or large-scaffold drug-delivery vectors, that are minimally affected by low-level fluorophore conjugation. Application to small molecule drugs should take into account the significant impact of fluorophore labeling on size and physicochemical properties, however, the presents studies show that this technique is readily applied to small molecule agents developed for far-red (FR) or near infrared (NIR) imaging. Quantification by non-invasive FMT correlated well with both fluorescence from tissue homogenates as well as with planar (2D) fluorescence reflectance imaging of excised intact organs (r2 = 0.996 and 0.969, respectively). Dynamic FMT imaging (multiple times from 0 to 24 h) performed in live mice after the injection of four different FR/NIR-labeled agents, including immunoglobulin, 20–50 nm nanoparticles, a large vascular imaging agent, and a small molecule integrin antagonist, showed clear differences in the percentage of injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g) in liver, kidney, and bladder signal. Nanoparticles and IgG1 favored liver over kidney signal, the small molecule integrin-binding agent favored rapid kidney and bladder clearance, and the vascular agent, showed both liver and kidney clearance. Further assessment of the volume of distribution of these agents by fluorescent volume added information regarding their biodistribution and highlighted the relatively poor extravasation into tissue by IgG1. These studies demonstrate the ability of quantitative FMT imaging of FR/NIR agents to non-invasively visualize and quantify the biodistribution of different agents over time

The adjusted global antiphospholipid syndrome score (aGAPSS) and the risk of recurrent thrombosis: Results from the APS ACTION cohort

Objectives: To assess whether patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and history of recurrent thrombosis have higher levels of adjusted Global AntiphosPholipid Syndrome Score (aGAPSS) when compared to patients without recurrent thrombosis. Methods: In this cross-sectional study of antiphospholipid antibody (aPL)-positive patients, we identified APS patients with a history of documented thrombosis from the AntiPhospholipid Syndrome Alliance For Clinical Trials and InternatiOnal Networking (APS ACTION) Clinical Database and Repository (“Registry”). Data on aPL-related medical history and cardiovascular risk factors were retrospectively collected. The aGAPSS was calculated at Registry entry by adding the points corresponding to the risk factors: three for hyperlipidemia, one for arterial hypertension, five for positive anticardiolipin antibodies, four for positive anti-β2 glycoprotein-I antibodies and four for positive lupus anticoagulant test. Results: The analysis included 379 APS patients who presented with arterial and/or venous thrombosis. Overall, significantly higher aGAPSS were seen in patients with recurrent thrombosis (arterial or venous) compared to those without recurrence (7.8 ± 3.3 vs. 6 ± 3.9, p<0.05). When analyzed based on the site of the recurrence, patients with recurrent arterial, but not venous, thrombosis had higher aGAPSS (8.1 ± SD 2.9 vs. 6 ± 3.9; p<0.05). Conclusions: Based on analysis of our international large-scale Registry of aPL-positive patients, the aGAPSS might help risk stratifying patients based on the likelihood of developing recurrent thrombosis in APS

Cyclic vomiting syndrome in children: a nationwide survey of current practice on behalf of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and Italian Society of Pediatric Neurology (SINP)

Background: Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) is a rare functional gastrointestinal disorder, which has a considerable burden on quality of life of both children and their family. Aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic modalities and therapeutic approach to CVS among Italian tertiary care centers and the differences according to subspecialties, as well as to explore whether potential predictive factors associated with either a poor outcome or a response to a specific treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional multicenter web-based survey involving members of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and Italian Society of Pediatric Neurology (SINP). Results: A total of 67 responses were received and analyzed. Most of the respondent units cared for less than 20 patients. More than half of the patients were referred after 3 to 5 episodes, and a quarter after 5 attacks. We report different diagnostic approaches among Italian clinicians, which was particularly evident when comparing gastroenterologists and neurologists. Moreover, our survey demonstrated a predilection of certain drugs during emetic phase according to specific clinic, which reflects the cultural background of physicians. Conclusion: In conclusion, our survey highlights poor consensus amongst clinicians in our country in the diagnosis and the management of children with CVS, raising the need for a national consensus guideline in order to standardize the practice