Adaptive awareness for personal and small group decision making.

Many situations call for the use of sensors monitoring physiological and environmental data. In order to use the large amounts of sensor data to affect decision making, we are coupling heterogeneous sensors with small, light-weight processors, other powerful computers, wireless communications, and embedded intelligent software. The result is an adaptive awareness and warning tool, which provides both situation awareness and personal awareness to individuals and teams. Central to this tool is a sensor-independent architecture, which combines both software agents and a reusable core software framework that manages the available hardware resources and provides services to the agents. Agents can recognize cues from the data, warn humans about situations, and act as decision-making aids. Within the agents, self-organizing maps (SOMs) are used to process physiological data in order to provide personal awareness. We have employed a novel clustering algorithm to train the SOM to discern individual body states and activities. This awareness tool has broad applicability to emergency teams, military squads, military medics, individual exercise and fitness monitoring, health monitoring for sick and elderly persons, and environmental monitoring in public places. This report discusses our hardware decisions, software framework, and a pilot awareness tool, which has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories

Vertical and Shared Leadership as Predictors of Team Effectiveness. Insights from healthcare sector in a developing country

Team effectiveness is the result of teamwork, with teams scoring high in job performance, job satisfaction, and team viability. In healthcare, teamwork is decisive for the survivor of patients and their satisfaction. Among scholars, there are disputes which of the leadership approaches would produce a better team effectiveness. In this paper we start from the seminal work of Pearce & Sims (2002) that investigated vertical versus shared lead-ership as predictors of the effectiveness. Team effectiveness has been analyzed from the constructs of team processes and performance. The vertical/shared leadership have been analyzed from their main constructs: ver-tical/shared transactional leadership, vertical/shared transformational leadership, and vertical/shared empow-ering leadership. Differently from Pearce & Sims (2002), this study was conducted in the healthcare sector and in a developing country. Data was collected from a questionnaire distributed to 17 public and private healthcare teams as assessed from two sources: team leaders and team members. The sample was composed of 138 par-ticipants from the healthcare personnel, distributed in 17 diverse teams. From literature six hypotheses has been developed and descriptive and inferential statistics are also provided. Team effectiveness was found to be sig-nificantly predicted by both vertical leadership and shared leadership. The shared leadership was found to be significant predictor of team effectiveness in all its three constructs (transactional, transformational, and em-powering shared leadership), whereas the vertical leadership was found to be significant predictor of team effec-tiveness in only two constructs (transformational and empowering vertical leadership). Theoretical and practical implications for managers in healthcare sector are also provided

A Framework Based on Sustainability, Open Innovation, and Value Cocreation Paradigms—A Case in an Italian Maritime Cluster

The paper deals with a case study in an Italian maritime cluster seen through a multiple paradigms framework, based on Sustainability (SUS), Open Innovation (OI), and Value Co-creation (VCc). The proposed theoretical framework helps to interpret a true phenomenon consisting of the design of a new product with a prototype created in a network of multiple actors. The approach adopted stems in part from recent writings in qualitative research methodology and is quite apt in this context considering the qualitative, confirmatory nature of this work. The prototype named “TESEO I” was realized through open innovation aimed at sustainability, not only directed at environmental aspects but synergistically with value cocreation, which emerged from interaction among the actors, while also including social and economic aspects. The work concludes with a discussion of theoretical implications related to the proposed framework and the results that emerged from the case study, with both referring to sustainability, open innovation, and value cocreation

Primary pituitary neuroendocrine tumor: Case report and literature review

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) originate from the diffuse neuroendocrine system. These can arise in almost every organ of the body, although they are most commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system. The skull base and sellar region are extremely rare sites for neuroendocrine carcinoma. Consequently, in this case, both diagnosis and definition of surgical goals, as well as further treatment strategies were challenging. Case Description: A 65-year-old woman was admitted to our Neurosurgery Department with a rapidly progressive visus reduction, drowsiness, polyuria, and polydipsia. Neuroimaging showed a sellar/suprasellar mass (diameter of 2 cm) with a heterogeneous signal compressing the optic chiasm and extending laterally toward the cavernous sinus. Differential diagnosis based on imaging included pituitary macroadenoma or metastasis. The patient underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery. A total resection of the mass was impossible because of the infiltration of the optic chiasm and the intraoperative histological diagnosis of malignant epithelial neoplasm. Further histological evaluation revealed that the lesion was a NET with no other primary or metastatic sites detectable. Subsequently, the patient was successfully treated with fractioned stereotactic radiotherapy and polychemotherapy. Four years after the surgery, follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed stability of the residual disease. Neurologic examination revealed a complete visual recovery. Conclusions: Primary pituitary NET, though rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of sellar lesions. A multimodality treatment approach is needed. Finally, the present case highlights, that in the case of a pituitary lesion infiltrating the optic chiasm, including NET, the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal subtotal resection followed by fractioned stereotactic radiotherapy and chemotherapy may represent an effective and safe choice of treatment

Grassroot processes of knowledge sharing to build social innovation capabilities

Purpose This study aims to offer an empirical analysis to identify the relation between the adoption of knowledge management practices and the improvement of social innovation capabilities as an outcome of the knowledge sharing. Specifically, social innovation capabilities are triggered by knowledge-sharing enablers, such as intrinsic and extrinsic socially driven motivations. Design/methodology/approach Based on a sample from 300 nonprofit organizations, the study explains causal relationships in terms of the multiplicity of triggers that act on a social innovation capability. The research applied the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method through SmartPLS 3.3 software. Data are collected from an online survey and highlight the employees' and volunteers' boost in nonprofit organizations to seek positive social change as a priority goal of their business model. Findings The results support the existence of a direct and positive relationship between knowledge-sharing enablers (i.e. intrinsic and extrinsic socially driven motivations), the mechanism of the formation of knowledge-sharing behaviors (an inside-out and outside-in process) and social innovation capabilities. Research limitations/implications The study combines the open innovation framework with social innovation activities and investigates the role of knowledge sharing in the building of social innovation capabilities. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the paper is the first attempt to describe a synergic framework, including open innovation literature, social innovation capability and knowledge-sharing processes. Originality/value This paper is a part of the research stream that focuses on the processes of distribution of knowledge flows along the boundaries of the organization. Thus, this study broadens the field of knowledge management and social innovation initiatives

Congenital Nasal Pyriform Aperture Stenosis: Successful Management of Restenosis After Primary Surgery by Stent Placement

Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis (CNPAS) is a rare anomaly causing respiratory distress in newborns. While the primary surgical technique is well established, the timing of the removal of the stents and the management of restenosis remain a matter of debate. We report a case of a female newborn affected by CNPAS with the recurrence of respiratory distress after primary surgery due to the early removal of nasal stents, causing an overgrowth of granulation tissue. This report notes that restenosis was successfully managed by repeating the procedure over a 14-day period, with soft polyvinyl chloride uncuffed tracheal tubes acting as nasal stents

Analysis of Open Innovation Intermediaries Platforms by considering the Smart Service System perspective

Open Innovation and Services Science are two distinct paradigms that share some principles 0. While some attempts to investigate open innovation according to a service science perspective exist, there is currently a gap with regards to the analysis of intermediaries of open innovation according to a service science perspective and even more regarding to recent trends about smart service system. This paper aims to fill this gap and, to this purpose, we present two interesting and original results. After an analysis of the key features of Open Innovation Intermediaries, we discuss a characterization of these intermediaries as service systems by mapping their features on the ten fundamental concepts of a service system. Next we propose a new model that goes in the direction of the convergence between service and cognitive system (smart service system) and aims at overcoming some traditional issues of the intermediaries. The new model foresees the distribution of Open Innovation Intermediaries features, enhanced with a set of cognitive assistants to the stakeholders within open innovation processes, and proposes the adoption of responsible innovation frameworks as a base to add right and responsibilities to cognitive assistants

First Australian report of vitamin D-dependent rickets type I

Nobuaki Ito, Alexia S Peña, Shiree Perano, Gerald J Atkins, David M Findlay, Jennifer J Coupe

Comparison between endoscopic vs. microscopic removal of hypophyseal adenoma: a retrospective study

To compare endoscopic and neuronavigation-assisted microscopic removal of hypophyseal adenoma in order to detect those variables statistically associated to clinical failures of each technique. Forty-eight patients (27 males and 21 females) with hypophyseal adenoma were treated with microscopy (6 patients) or endoscopic removal (42 patients). Surgery was performed via endonasal trans-sphenoidal approach. Correlations between tumor dimensions (standard and macro-tumor) or surgical techniques (endoscopy vs. microscopic technique) vs. residual tumor, surgical complication (i.e. rhinoliquorrea) and persisting visual deficit, were evaluated. No statistical significance was detected among the studied variables. On the basis of reported data, both techniques are safe if the surgeon is well trained. Neuronavigation applied during endonasal trans-sphenoidal microscopic surgery can precisely define the localization and removal of lesions in the sella region with respect to the margins of important anatomical structures in the neighborhood, decreasing the rate of complications

ENDOSCOPIC REMOVAL OF HYPOPHYSEAL ADENOMAS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Author Keywords:endoscopic; endonasal approach; hypophyseal adenoma; sella turcicaIn this study was assessed the role that the direct endonasal approach with the operating endoscope plays in assisting operations for pituitary adenomas. During a 5-year period, from October 2004 to December 2010 - 42 patients (24 males and 18 females) with hypophyseal adenoma were treated with endoscopic- surgery. Surgery was performed via endonasal trans-sphenoidal approach. Three patients had complications (nasal hemorragia, anosmia, and rhinoliquorrea) in the follow-up period (mean 3 months). No statistical significance was detected between tumor dimensions and complications. On the basis of our experience, it is our opinion that this technique has a low rate of complications, particularly when adequate surgical instruments are used by surgeons who have familiarity with the endoscopic anatomy of the sphenoid sinus