Tecnologie per la didattica musicale: un'esperienza con la realtà virtuale

La mobile virtual reality (VR) sta diventando sempre pi\uf9 popolare e accessibile a tutti coloro che possiedono un nuovo smartphone. In particolare, la didattica digitale pu\uf2 trarre vantaggio dall'interazione naturale e dall'immersione in ambienti virtuali, a partire dalla scuola primaria. Questo articolo presenta un quadro tecnico e metodologico a supporto dell'uso della mobile virtual reality nell'istruzione primaria, volto a migliorare l'apprendimento musicale in termini di ascolto attivo, attenzione e tempo. Viene innanzitutto presentata un'applicazione multipiattaforma chiamata VR4EDU, di cui si descrivono le scelte di progetto e lo sviluppo delle applicazioni di virtual reality, con particolare attenzione a una innovativa soluzione di "locomozione virtuale" che risulta essere intuitiva e usabile. Le applicazioni di VR4EDU possono funzionare su hardware a basso costo, diventando quindi appetibili per un uso didattico. L'approccio proposto \ue8 stato validato tramite uno studio con due classi dell'ultimo anno di scuola primaria, incentrato sull'identificazione e l'apprendimento dei generi musicali. Una valutazione preliminare dei risultati mostra un miglioramento nell'apprendimento della caratterizzazione del genere rispetto alle lezioni tradizionali basate su materiale stampato e ascolto passivo

Surfactant components of marine organic matter as agents forbiogeochemical fractionation and pollutant transport via marineaerosols

This study was partially supported by the CNR– ENEL Project, ‘Interaction of Energy System with Human Health and Environment’ and MURST 40% Physics Section. Many thanks to the Director of the Inter University Centre of Marine Biology and of the Municipal Aquarium of Leghorn for their hospitality and logistic assistance

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

One billion Euro program for early childcare services in Italy

In 2007 the Italian central government started a program by transferring funds to regional governments to develop both private and public early childcare services. Exploiting the different timing of program implementation across regions, we evaluate its effectiveness in boosting the public supply of early childhood educational services. We find that the ratio between the available slots in public early childhood education and the population of those aged 0-2 increased by 18.1% three years after the start of the program, with respect to the pre-program level. The program impact was however nil in the South and totally driven by the Center-North

Breaching the black box: The role of ramps in Thai sustainable palm oil certification

Certification of sustainable palm oil as organised through the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil is based on a simplified understanding of the global palm oil value chain – according to which instructions about production practices can be directly translated from the palm oil mill to the primary producer. The reality of palm oil provision is much more complex than this as is shown in the case of Thailand. On the basis of qualitative field study in Southern Thailand this paper clarifies that intermediary stages, such as the collection of oil palm fruit bunches at the ramp, play a key role in the organisation of the chain. The fluidity and complexity of the palm oil flow at the local level complicates the promotion of sustainability through certification. Global and national stakeholders, such as processing and trading firms, non-governmental organisations and national governments, should therefore open this black box of local dynamics to more effectively contribute to sustainability in palm oil supply