Local Spatio-Temporal Representation Using the 3D Shearlet Transform (STSIP)

In this work we address the problem of analyzing video sequences and of representing meaningful space-time points of interest by using the 3D shearlet transform. We introduce a local representation based on shearlet coe cients of the video, regarded as 2D+T signal. This representation turns out to be informative to understand the local spatio-temporal characteristics, which can be easily detected by an unsupervised clustering algorithm

iCub World: Friendly Robots Help Building Good Vision Data-Sets

CVPR2013 Workshop: Ground Truth - What is a good dataset?. Portland, USA (June 28, 2013In this paper we present and start analyzing the iCub World data-set, an object recognition data-set, we acquired using a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) scheme and the iCub humanoid robot platform. Our set up allows for rapid acquisition and annotation of data with corresponding ground truth. While more constrained in its scopes -- the iCub world is essentially a robotics research lab -- we demonstrate how the proposed data-set poses challenges to current recognition systems. The iCubWorld data-set is publicly available. The data-set can be downloaded from: http://www.iit.it/en/projects/data-sets.html

Epidemiology of leprosy in Italy (1920-2019): A comprehensive review on existing data

Background and aims: Incidence of leprosy in Italy has declined steadily over the last century, but available evidence remains fragmentary. Our review aims to summarize available data on the epidemiology of leprosy cases in Italy. Methods: The following keywords were used to explore PubMed and Embase: leprosy, Hansen’s disease, (Mycobacterium) leprae, Italy, without any chronological restriction. Results: We identified a total of 39 reports, including 7 national reports, 11 international reports, 20 case reports. Notified leprosy cases were: 839 between 1925 and 1948; 434 between 1955 and 1979; 76 cases for the decade 1980-1989; 112 between 1990 and 1999; 62 between 2000 and 2009, and a total of 25 cases since 2009. Since 2003, 53% of all cases occurred in illegal residents. Focusing on individual cases, latency between early signs/symptoms and a proper diagnosis ranged between 2 and 20 years in 52.1% of individual cases. Conclusion: Imported cases of leprosy are responsible for most leprosy incidence in Italy, and social stigma, the unfamiliarity of healthcare professionals with such disorders, and difficulties of some high-risk groups to be appropriately assessed hint to a possible under-diagnosis. Professionals should be made more aware of the potential for leprosy incidence among patients from countries where the disease is endemic. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Smart rogaining for computer science orientation

In this paper, we address the problem of designing new formats of computer science orientation activities to be offered during high school students internships in Computer Science Bachelor degrees. In order to cover a wide range of computer science topics as well to deal with soft skills and gender gap issues, we propose a teamwork format, called smart rogaining, that offer engaging introductory activities to prospective students in a series of checkpoints dislocated along the different stages of a rogaine. The format is supported by a smart mobile and web application. Our proposal is aimed at stimulating the interest of participants in different areas of computer science and at improving digital and soft skills of participants and, as a side effect, of staff members (instructors and university students). In the paper, we introduce the proposed format and discuss our experience in the editions organized at the University of Genoa before the COVID-19 pandemic (2019 and 2020 waves)

Low-cost face biometry for visually impaired users

We present a work in progress on a face biometry system for visually impaired users - the result of a very close interaction among scientists, engineers, and a users group formed by visually impaired and social assistants. The prototype under development implements recent trends of video analysis and follows closely the suggestions given by the working group, with the ambitious goal of developing a device easy to use that can be an effective help to improve communication and inclusion of visually impaired population. The prototype works real-time processing the incoming video stream to the purpose of locating the presence of people and spotting known faces. Each event of interest produces a simple audio feedback to the user, allowing him or her to locate the presence of people before they start talking or highlighting known faces in noisy environments. So far the prototype has been quantitatively validated through a set of experiments carried out in lab; also a qualitative evaluation by a heterogeneous group of perspective users, users' relatives, social workers, and experts gave us many positive comments and useful feedbacks for future work

Post-graduate medical education in public health: The case of Italy and a call for action

Public health technical expertise is of crucial importance to inform decision makers\u2019 action in the field of health and its broader determinants. Improving education and training of public health professionals for both practice and research is the starting point to strengthen the role of public health so that current health challenges can be efficiently tackled. At the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) Deans\u2019 & Directors\u2019 2017 Annual Retreat, we presented the structure and management of public health training system in Italy, and we reported recent data on Italian public health specialists\u2019 educational experience, employment opportunities and job satisfaction. Public health training in Italy is implemented in the context of the post-graduate medical education residency programme in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, delivered by 34 University-based Schools of Public Health. We report relatively high employment rates across the county and wide spectrum of career opportunities for young public health specialists. However, job security is low and training expectations only partially met. We call upon other Schools of Public Health to scale up the survey within the broad ASPHER community in a shared and coordinated action of systematically collecting useful data that can inform the development of public health education and training models, their implementation and fruitful interaction with population health, health systems and services

Carcinomi associati al papillomavirus umano: conoscenze, ruolo e attitudini dei medici otorinolaringoiatri in tema di prevenzione

L’infezione da papillomavirus umano (HPV), in particolare HPV 16, è un riconosciuto fattore causale delle neoplasie orofaringee. L’incidenza delle neoplasie orofaringee è in aumento in diversi paesi europei, inclusa l’Italia, e negli Stai Uniti dove accurati modelli matematici hanno stimato che supererà quella del cancro alla cervice nella prossima decade. Recenti evidenze scientifiche supportano la potenziale efficacia del vaccino anti-HPV nel controllare quella che è stata definita “l’epidemia di neoplasie HPV-correlate”. In questo contesto, i medici otorinolaringoiatri assumono un ruolo cruciale, non solo nella diagnosi e trattamento di questa patologia, ma anche – come è stato sottolineato dall’American Head and Neck Society – nella prevenzione. Abbiamo condotto un’indagine sulle conoscenze e le attitudini dei medici otorinolaringoiatri italiani in tema di infezione HPV, patologie correlate e prevenzione vaccinale. Si tratta della prima indagine conoscitiva in Italia e in Europa sull’argomento. 262 medici otorinolaringoiatri italiani sono stati reclutati durante il 101° Congresso Nazionale della Società Italiana di Otorinolaringoiatria e Chirurgia Cervico-Facciale, tenutosi in maggio 2014. È stato utilizzato un questionario semi-strutturato sviluppato sulla base delle evidenze disponibili in letteratura e del parere di esperti. Le conoscenze e le attitudini sono state descritte e valutate con tecniche di analisi univariata. È stato inoltre costruito uno score composito di conoscenza. I dati dimostrano come i medici otorinolaringoiatri italiani abbiano, in media, un grado di conoscenza buono dell’infezione HPV e un’attitudine positiva nei confronti della prevenzione, in particolare della vaccinazione. I nostri risultati possono essere una utile base per pianificare, implementare e valutare programmi di educazione continua specifici sul tema della prevenzione dell’infezione da HPV. Come dimostriamo nel nostro studio, programmi di educazione continua specifici sono efficaci nell’aumentare il grado di conoscenza dei medici e l’attitudine positiva nei confronti dei programmi di prevenzione; il che contribuisce a promuovere l’adesione alla vaccinazione nei pazienti e nella popolazione generale. Con l’obiettivo generale di controllare l’epidemia di neoplasie HPV-correlate, maggiori risorse ed energie devono essere dedicate alla formazione e alla diffusione della cultura della prevenzione tra i medici otorinolaringoiatri e la comunità medica in generale. In questo contesto, identifichiamo grande potenziale nella collaborazione tra le comunità e le società scientifiche dell’otorinolaringoiatria e la sanità pubblica

Gender Differences in COVID-19 Lockdown Impact on Mental Health of Undergraduate Students

open13Background: Prolonged university closures and social distancing-imposed measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic obliged students to at-home learning with online lectures and educational programs promoting potential social isolation, loneliness, hopelessness, and episodes of clinical decompensation. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in a university institute in Milan, Northern Italy, to assess the COVID-19 lockdown impact on the mental health of the undergraduate students. We estimated the odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) using adjusted logistic regression models. Results: Of the 8,177 students, 12.8% reported depressive symptoms, 25.6% anxiety, 8.7% insomnia, and 10.6% reported impulsive tracts, with higher proportions among females than males. Mental health symptoms were positively associated with caring for a person at home, a poor housing quality, and a worsening in working performance. Among males compared with females, a poor housing quality showed a stronger positive association with depressive symptoms and impulsivity, and a worsening in the working performance was positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. In addition, the absence of private space was positively associated with depression and anxiety, stronger among males than females. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first multidisciplinary consortium study, involving public mental health, environmental health, and architectural design. Further studies are needed to confirm or refute our findings and consequent recommendations to implement well-being interventions in pandemic conditions.openAmerio A.; Bertuccio P.; Santi F.; Bianchi D.; Brambilla A.; Morganti A.; Odone A.; Costanza A.; Signorelli C.; Aguglia A.; Serafini G.; Capolongo S.; Amore M.Amerio, A.; Bertuccio, P.; Santi, F.; Bianchi, D.; Brambilla, A.; Morganti, A.; Odone, A.; Costanza, A.; Signorelli, C.; Aguglia, A.; Serafini, G.; Capolongo, S.; Amore, M

Risk of ALS and passive residential exposure to pesticides: a population based study.

. Risk of ALS and passive residential exposure to pesticides: a population based study