Focal points for a more user-centred agile development

The integration of user-centred design and Agile development is becoming increasingly common in companies and appears promising. However it may also present some critical points, or communication breakdowns, such as a variable interpretation of user involvement, a mismatch in the value of documentation and a misalignment in iterations. We refine these themes, emerging from both literature and previous fieldwork, by analysing a case study performed in an IT company that adopts both software engineering approaches, and we further extend the framework with a new theme related to task ownership. We argue that communication breakdowns can become focal points to drive action and decision for establishing an organisational context acknowledging the value of user involvement: to this end, we suggest the adoption of design thinking and the active engagement of the customer in embracing its values

ANALYSIS OF THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF THE 4 OCTOBER 2021 EXTREME RAINFALL EVENT IN LIGURIA AND EVALUATION OF ITS IMPACT ON THE ESTIMATION OF ANNUAL MAXIMA

The paper shows the analysis of the spatial scale of rainfall produced by a back-building Mesoscale Convective System. • The analysis is conducted combining rain gauge and radar observations. • The results show that the spatial scale is of the same order of (or lower than) the density of rain gauge networks. • This may significantly impact the estimation of the actual rainfall maxima and their return period

Learning from the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy to advance multi-hazard disaster risk management

COVID-19 challenged all national emergency management systems worldwide overlapping with other natural hazards. We framed a ‘parallel phases’ Disaster Risk Management (DRM) model to overcome the limitations of the existing models when dealing with complex multi-hazard risk conditions. We supported the limitations analysing Italian Red Cross data on past and ongoing emergencies including COVID-19 and we outlined three guidelines for advancing multi-hazard DRM: (i) exploiting the low emergency intensity of slow-onset hazards for preparedness actions; (ii) increasing the internal resources and making them available for international support; (iii) implementing multi-hazard seasonal impact-based forecasts to foster the planning of anticipatory actions

Efeitos do método Pilates sobre a função pulmonar, a mobilidade toracoabdominal e a força muscular respiratória: ensaio clínico não randomizado, placebo-controlado

The Pilates method can be an effective tool for the physical therapist during rehabilitation, because it has varied benefits and few contraindications. Although widely practiced by the population, the literature is scarce about the benefits related to the respiratory system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the Pilates method on lung function, thoracoabdominal mobility, respiratory muscle strength and anthropometric characteristics in healthy women. This is a non-randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial with 21 volunteers, who were allocated for convenience in two groups: Pilates with 11 female volunteers, aged 33.18±8.08 years, subjected to the Pilates method twice a week for three months; and Control with 10 female volunteers, aged 31.70±7.39 years that remained three months without regular physical exercises. All of them were submitted to the anthropometric evaluation, physical activity Baecke questionnaire, spirometry lung function, thoracoabdominal mobility by cirtometry and respiratory muscle strength by measures of the maximum respiratory pressure obtained by means of a manovacuometer. All volunteers were evaluated prior to insertion in the groups and revaluated after three months. In the Pilates group, there was significant increase in recreational physical activity, total of the physical activity questionnaire, mobility in the three levels (axillary, xiphoid and abdominal) of the respiratory, inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength, and significant reduction in waist circumference (WC) (p;0.05). As to the lung function, significant differences were not detected (p>;0.05) in the groups and between them. It is concluded that, after the practice of the Pilates method, there was improvement in leisure physical activity, thoracoabdominal mobility, respiratory muscle strength and waist circumference reduction, however, in comparison with the control group, the Pilates method did not show relevant changes in pulmonary function, thoracoabdominal mobility, respiratory muscle strength and anthropometric characteristics in healthy women that did not perform physical activities.El método Pilates puede ser una herramienta eficaz para el fisioterapeuta en la rehabilitación, pues presenta algunos beneficios y pocas contraindicaciones. Aunque ampliamente practicado por la población, la literatura es escasa acerca de los beneficios relacionados al sistema respiratorio. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la influencia del método Pilates sobre la función pulmonar, movilidad toracoabdominal, fuerza muscular respiratoria y características antropométricas en mujeres saludables. Se trata de un ensayo clínico no randomizado, placebo-controlado con 21 voluntarias, que fueron divididas por conveniencia en dos grupos: Pilates con 11 voluntarias, con edades de 33,18±8,08 años, sometidas al método Pilates dos veces a la semana durante tres meses y Control con 10 voluntarias, con edades de 31,70±7,39 que permanecieron tres meses sin ejercicios físicos regulares. Todas fueron sometidas a la evaluación antropométrica, cuestionario de actividad física de Baecke, función pulmonar por espirometría, movilidad toracoabdominal por cirtometría y fuerza muscular respiratoria por las medidas de las presiones respiratorias máximas obtenidas por medio de un manovacuómetro. Todas las voluntarias fueron evaluadas antes de la inserción en los grupos y revaluadas después de tres meses. En el grupo Pilates hubo aumento significativo de la actividad física recreativa y en el cuestionario total de actividad física hubo aumento de la movilidad en los tres niveles (axilar, del xifoides y abdominal) de la fuerza muscular respiratoria, tanto inspiratoria como espiratoria, así como la reducción significativa de la circunferencia de la cintura (CC) (pO método Pilates pode ser uma ferramenta eficaz para o fisioterapeuta na reabilitação, pois apresenta benefícios variados e poucas contraindicações. Embora largamente praticado pela população, a literatura é escassa quanto aos seus benefícios relacionados ao sistema respiratório. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência do método Pilates sobre a função pulmonar, mobilidade toracoabdominal, força muscular respiratória e características antropométricas em mulheres saudáveis. Trata-se de um ensaio clínico não randomizado, placebo-controlado com 21 voluntárias, que foram alocadas por conveniência em dois grupos: Pilates com 11 voluntárias, com idade de 33,18±8,08 anos, submetidas ao método Pilates duas vezes por semana durante três meses e Controle com 10 voluntárias, com idade de 31,70±7,39 anos que permaneceram três meses sem a realização de exercícios físicos regulares. Todas foram submetidas à avaliação antropométrica, questionário de atividade física de Baecke, função pulmonar por espirometria, mobilidade toracoabdominal por cirtometria e força muscular respiratória pelas medidas das pressões respiratórias máximas obtidas por meio de um manovacuômetro. Todas as voluntárias foram avaliadas antes da inserção nos grupos e reavaliadas após três meses. No Grupo Pilates houve aumento significativo da atividade física de lazer e no total do questionário de atividade física, aumento da mobilidade nos três níveis (axilar, xifoidiano e abdominal), da força muscular respiratória, tanto inspiratória como expiratória, bem como redução significativa da circunferência da cintura (CC) (p;0,05). Para a função pulmonar, não foram constatadas diferenças significativas (p>;0,05) entre os grupos e tampouco entre seus integrantes. Conclui-se que, após a prática do método Pilates, houve melhora na atividade física de lazer, mobilidade toracoabdominal, força muscular respiratória e redução da circunferência da cintura. No entanto, em comparação ao Grupo Controle, o método Pilates não promoveu alterações relevantes na função pulmonar, mobilidade toracoabdominal, força muscular respiratória e características antropométricas de mulheres saudáveis que não realizaram programa de exercício físico

Retinal microvascular alterations in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis without cardiovascular risk factors: the potential effects of T cell co-stimulation blockade

BackgroundThe evaluation of microvascular alterations might provide clinically useful information for patients with an increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), being the small artery remodeling the earliest form of target organ damage in primary CV diseases, such as arterial hypertension. The evaluation of retinal arterioles is a non-invasive technique aimed to identify an early microvascular damage, represented by the increase of the wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) index. Abatacept (ABA), a T-cell co-stimulator blocker, is used to treat RA. A CV protective action was hypothesized for its peculiar mechanism of action in the modulation of T-cells, potentially involved in the pathogenesis of CV comorbidity. The study aimed to non-invasively investigate morphological characteristics of retinal arterioles in a cohort of RA patients treated with ABA.Materials and methodsSeventeen RA patients [median (25th-75thpercentile) age = 58 (48–64) years, baseline 28-joint Disease Activity Score DAS28-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) = 4.4 (3.9–4.6), body mass index (BMI) = 24.2 (23.4–26) kg/m2, rheumatoid factor positive:52.9%, anti-citrullinated peptide autoantibodies positive:76.5%] without known CV risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, previous CV events, smoking) were evaluated by the adaptive optics imaging system of retinal arterioles before and every 6 months of therapy with ABA (T0, T6 and T12). Office blood pressure evaluation, 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and tissue-doppler echocardiography were also performed.ResultsA progressive significant reduction of the WLR of retinal arterioles was observed [T0 = 0.28 (0.25–0.30), T6 = 0.27 (0.24–0.31), T12 = 0.23 (0.23–0.26); p T0 vs. T6 = 0.414; p T6 vs. T12 = 0.02; p T0 vs. T12 = 0.009], without significant variations in other parameters. The T0-T12 reduction of WLR was correlated with that of DAS28-CRP (r:0.789; p = 0.005). Moreover, a significant reduction of diastolic office blood pressure and a trend for reduction of daily pressure measured by ambulatory monitoring were observed.ConclusionIn a cohort of RA patients without known CV risk factors, a reduction of retinal microvascular alterations was demonstrated after treatment for 12 months with ABA, in parallel with the reduction of disease activity. These results might suggest the possibility of microvascular abnormalities regression induced by the immune system modulation

Touching dante: A proximity-based paradigm for tabletop browsing

We present the design of a proximity-based interaction paradigm for browsing complex information. This paradigm builds on the intrinsic characteristics of interactive tabletops, namely their physical spatial dimension, direct-touch input modality and affordance for multi-user interaction. To validate such a proposal, we developed a prototypical application about Dante's Inferno, due to the complexity, vastness and universality of this classic and to the availability of partially-structured data about the relationships between characters. Four pairs of users were involved in a user study to assess qualitatively whether the interaction paradigm would help them in collaboratively browsing a collection of data. Preliminary results are encouraging: the proposed paradigm is easily understood, is perceived as simple while still engaging, allows for collaborative learning while not forcing it, and helps highlighting and remembering connections among data