Strengthening governance of social safety nets in East Asia

Several East Asian countries, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, are considering an expansion of their social safety net programs. In many cases, existing delivery mechanisms for social assistance in the region tend to be basic, in line with the small size of programs. In a context of coverage expansion and proliferation of new programs, the risk of creating increasingly complex systems characterized by cross-incentives is high. Lack of coordination, ambiguous criteria for identifying and selecting beneficiaries, low administrative capacity, lack of transparency and limited beneficiary participation pose risks for program effectiveness and can decrease accountability. Good governance can improve program outcomes through effective program coordination, stronger accountability arrangements, provider incentives and greater transparency and participation. This paper proposes an analytical framework to systematically identify governance risks and constraints which, if removed, could improve the outcomes of modern social assistance programs.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Safety Nets and Transfers,National Governance,Governance Indicators,Poverty Monitoring&Analysis

Toward a more accessible cultural heritage. Experiences, methodologies and tools.

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Multidisciplinary care in motor Neuron Disease

Motor neuron disease (MND) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the motor neurons, resulting in progressive limb, bulbar and respiratory muscle weakness. No definitive disease modifying treatment is available at this time. The mainstay of management remains multidisciplinary care, which has shown to improve quality of life, prevents complications and may also increase life span. In this review, different medical specialties necessary to offer complete multidisciplinary care are discussed. Symptomatic management of individual symptoms commonly experienced by patients with MND is elaborated on

Lysosomal pH and the Control of Genes Involved in Inflammation and Degradation

The endosomal/lysosomal system is essential for cell survival. The regulation of lysosomal pH is critical for lysosomal function and has been known to play a pivotal role in aging and disease. The pH within the lysosomes is essentially increased in certain diseases and our preliminary data suggests that it may also increase with age. It is known that the methods used for lysosomal pH measurement are extremely difficult and technique sensitive. In this study, we searched for key genetic markers to help identify the presence of chronic elevation of lysosomal pH. This will allow us to utilize the speed, specificity and sensitivity of laboratory confirmation with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as an alternative method to direct measurement of lysosomal pH. In our study, we demonstrated a trend towards an increased expression of TcfEB and vATPase genes in the presence of long-term lysosomal pH elevation. Therefore, these two genes could potentially be used as markers to recognize the presence of chronic lysosomal pH elevation in diseased cells. In contrast, a short-term lysosomal pH elevation showed a decreased expression of IL-1b, IL-18 and TcfEB highlighting the time-dependent nature of genetic expression. Both genes, TcfEB and vATPase, might be used as important tools for the rapid detection of disease or infection in clinical specimens and are also particularly suitable in optimizing the therapeutic management of diseased cells

Ogilvie\u27s Syndrome

Ogilvie\u27s syndrome, also known as \u27paralytic ileus of the colon\u27, is characterised by pseudo-obstruction of the large intestine in the absence of any mechanical obstructing component; and presents as a massively distended abdomen. If left untreated, it may lead to bowel perforation or ischemia. Ogilvie\u27s syndrome usually presents as a postsurgical complication, mainly due to the lack and/or restriction of movement coupled with a possible electrolyte imbalance. Here, we present a case of a pre-surgical 63-year lady, having a right hip fracture, who came with complaints of severe abdominal pain and distension for 4 days. Abdominal X-rays showed massively dilated bowel loops. Patient was successfully managed with neostigmine administration and was discharged home

Communicating Business Ethics: The Role of Ethics in the Millennial Entrepreneur’s Decision to Start a Business

This review paper is an integration and extension of the existing knowledge on Business ethics regarding the perception of entrepreneurs belonging to the Millennial Generation and its role in their decision- making process while establishing a new business. Using the available body of literature, this study aims to determine whether business ethics is perceived as an integral part of the decision-making process of the Millennial Generation. Millennials is the most recent and largest workforce of today and includes those born between 1980 and 1990. This study starts with general discussion on business ethics and its relation with age, followed by a review of ethics for entrepreneurs and the Millennials. This review revealed that although majority of Millennials consider business ethics as a vital component of business, however, all of them have not included the business ethics yet prior to start a new business in their decision making

Interaction design applications for museum spaces. New exhibit paths driven by a Bluetooth sensor’s system

Visitor fatigue and hypercongestion are two key issues in museum visitor studies. This paper investigates some solutions recently developed by different European museums, which are based around the creation of thematic or time based trails or tours. Furthermore, this paper presents an interdisciplinary activity developed at a large scale museum in Italy, modeled on the contextual needs of the visitors. The preliminary stage of this case study involved manual mapping and analysis of visitors’ behaviour. Subsequently, proximity sensors will be introduced. Proximity sensors detect visitor clustering and time of permanence near the artefacts along the museum display. This sensor system can be used as a testing tool for visitor behaviour, but also as a tool to devise a personal museum tour. The main contribution of this paper is the design for the implementation of a non invasive sensor system that aims to track visitor’s behaviour, and suggests new museum pathways