Khan Academy Partner Content - Museums

Review of Khan Academy Partner Content - Museums, Reviewed April 2015 by Elizabeth Lovero [email protected]

Environmental and Economic factors necessary to stimulate growth of CNG vehicles in NAFTA vs EMEA model

The drive towards greater sustainability in the automotive industry and the continuing and rapid evolution of international emission standards have prompted nearly all automotive manufacturers to develop vehicles using alternative fuels compared to conventional gasoline. Natural gas is one promising fuel and could serve as a bridge fuel towards greener transportation. In particular, the renewed interest in natural gas as a vehicle fuel in the U.S has grown due to recent shale gas development which could ensure a long-term, low-cost and domestic source of natural gas. Unlike North America, however, natural gas vehicles are more widely used elsewhere in the world, and particularly in Europe. This thesis investigates the main issues and challenges associated with the growth of compressed natural gas light duty vehicles in the United States. To assess the feasibility of such strategy, a comparison analysis with the implementation of natural gas vehicles and infrastructure support in Italy was undertaken. Furthermore, the broad economic and environmental tradeoffs have been assessed using the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment model

Comprehensive 3D computer-assisted workflow for diagnosis and correction of dento-facial deformities

Questo lavoro descrive l’attività del Face 3D LAB, al fine di analizzare le funzionalità di tale struttura e di promuovere la ricerca scientifica e tecnologica 3D e garantendo sevizi sempre più efficienti per il paziente dismorfico. Il Face 3D Lab è un servizio del Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie dell’Università di Bologna e del Reparto di Chirurgia Orale della Clinica Odontoiatrica Universitaria, che nasce per mettere le tecnologie digitali 3D a disposizione dei chirurghi e degli odontoiatri per la diagnosi, il planning e il trattamento delle malformazioni scheletriche del volto e delle altre necessità specialistiche ad esso connesse. Ogni paziente che accede al Face 3D Lab viene inserito in un “workflow” standardizzato che lo accompagna dalla diagnosi alla pianificazione del progetto ortodontico e chirurgico, fino all’intervento ed al follow-up. Gli ambiti di lavoro su cui si è concentrata la ricerca si sono basati sull’attività clinica di studio e di analisi dei pazienti dismorfici attraverso la piattaforma Face 3D Lab. Si è potuto così approfondire diversi aspetti relativi all’approccio “Surgery First” in chirurgia ortognatica, all’utilizzo di PSI nel riposizionamento del segmento mandibolare prossimale in tecnica “Mandible First” e procedere con un’analisi retrospettiva del risultato ortodontico-chirurgico in termini di accuratezza e precisione dei pazienti che hanno avuto accesso al Face 3D Lab e che, eseguendo tutte le fasi diagnostiche e di pianificazione previste, hanno completato in trattamento ortodontico-chirurgico. I risultati di questi lavori si sono rivelati a favore della pianificazione digitale permettendo outcome migliori in termini di accuratezza e precisione sia in fase diagnostica sia in fase di trattamento e follow-up. Secondariamente hanno avvalorato l’attività del Face 3D Lab: utile a ortodontista e chirurgo nell’accompagnare il paziente durante tutto il trattamento.“Face 3D Lab” is a service of the Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences and the Department of Oral Surgery of the University of Bologna, created to make 3D digital technologies available to surgeons and orthodontists for diagnosis, planning and treatment of dento-facial deformities of dysmorphic patients. Each patient who accesses the Face 3D Lab is included in a standardized comprehensive 3D computer-assisted workflow that accompanies him from diagnosis, to planning the orthodontic and surgical project, up to orthognathic surgery and follow-up. The study-areas on which this research has focused were based on the clinical study and analysis of dysmorphic patients through the Face 3D Lab platform. It was thus possible to investigate many aspects relating to the "Surgery First" approach in orthognathic surgery, the use of PSI in the repositioning of the proximal mandibular segment in the "Mandible First" technique and proceed with a retrospective analysis of the orthodontic-surgical results in terms of accuracy and precision in the patients who accessed the Face 3D Lab and completed the orthodontic-surgical treatment. The results of these works proved to be in favor of 3D computer-assisted workflow, allowing better outcomes in terms of accuracy and precision both in the diagnostic phase, both in the treatment and follow-up phase. Secondly, it was supported the activity of the Face 3D Lab: useful for the orthodontist and surgeon in accompanying the patient throughout the orthognathic treatment

Decreto 814/01: análisis integral impositivo y previsional

Análisis del Decreto 814/01, sus implicancias en el plano impositivo, laboral y previsional; explicando su alcance para las PYMES, las ventajas que propone y metodología de aplicación práctica, así como las opciones en cuanto a su aplicación retroactiva en los casos en que no se haya hecho uso de los beneficios que dispone, con el consiguiente análisis de la prescripción.Facultad de Ciencias Económica

Decreto 814/01: análisis integral impositivo y previsional

Análisis del Decreto 814/01, sus implicancias en el plano impositivo, laboral y previsional; explicando su alcance para las PYMES, las ventajas que propone y metodología de aplicación práctica, así como las opciones en cuanto a su aplicación retroactiva en los casos en que no se haya hecho uso de los beneficios que dispone, con el consiguiente análisis de la prescripción.Facultad de Ciencias Económica

Pilot study on the antibacterial activity of hydrogen peroxide and silver ions in the hospital environment

BACKGROUND: Nosocomial environmental contamination plays an important role in the transmission of several health care-associated pathogens. Control of surfaces contamination can reduce the risk of cross-infection in hospitals. The aim of our study is to evaluate the disinfectant effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide and silver ions, against nosocomial multidrug-resistant strains, when it's used directly on surfaces. METHODS: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 and the same multidrug-resistant clinical isolates were selected to study the effectiveness of the disinfectant used in suspension or on the clean and dirty surface. RESULTS: Regarding the suspension activity test, the hydrogen peroxide and silver ions resulted effective after 5 min for ATCC strains and after 10 min for multidrug-resistant isolates; about the surface activity test, its action resulted after 10 min for ATCC strains and after 15 min for multidrug-resistant isolates. Moreover, it was more effective when used in the absence or in presence of a low concentration of biological materials. CONCLUSIONS: In a complex environment such as hospital wards, to have a disinfectant notoriously effective but more easy and quick to use would be an useful solution to treat small surfaces occasionally contaminated by biological materials

The human coronaviruses (HCoVs) and the molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection

In humans, coronaviruses can cause infections of the respiratory system, with damage of varying severity depending on the virus examined: ranging from mild-to-moderate upper respiratory tract diseases, such as the common cold, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death. Human coronaviruses known to date, common throughout the world, are seven. The most common-and least harmful-ones were discovered in the 1960s and cause a common cold. Others, more dangerous, identified in the early 2000s and cause more severe respiratory tract infections. Among these the SARS-CoV, isolated in 2003 and responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (the so-called SARS), which appeared in China in November 2002, the coronavirus 2012 (2012-nCoV) cause of the Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (MERS) from coronavirus, which exploded in June 2012 in Saudi Arabia, and actually SARS-CoV-2. On December 31, 2019, a new coronavirus strain was reported in Wuhan, China, identified as a new coronavirus beta strain ß-CoV from group 2B, with a genetic similarity of approximately 70% to SARS-CoV, the virus responsible of SARS. In the first half of February, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), in charge of the designation and naming of the viruses (i.e., species, genus, family, etc.), thus definitively named the new coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2. This article highlights the main knowledge we have about the biomolecular and pathophysiologic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2

Acral lentiginous melanoma. A retrospective study

Background: Acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) carries one of the worst prognoses among other subtypes. This malignant tumor is found on the distal limbs and is usually detected at late stages. Hereby, the authors present their experience on this melanoma subtype. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. Data were extracted from patients’ medical records and from phone interviews. Results: A total of 43 patients were included in the study. The main signs and symptoms disclosed by the patients were bleeding (41.9%), size greater than 6 mm (41.9%), change in size (37.2%), change in shape (30.2%), rise above the surface of the skin (27.9%), change in color (20.9%), irregular borders (16.3%), and inflammation (16.3%). The first healthcare professional consulted was a general practitioner or a dermatologist in the majority of cases (88.3%). Only 44.2% of the patients were sent by their first physician for a biopsy, whereas 30.3% were sent by the 2nd physician. 14 patients underwent biopsy within 1 month from the first appointment with a physician, while 20 patients within 3 months and 9 patients within 6 months. Only 7 patients sought medical attention in the first 3 months; 21 patients sought medical care between 3 months and one year from the appearance of the lesion, while the remaining 15 patients waited more than a year. Conclusions: One of the major issues found in ALM is represented by the diagnostic delay; this may be due to either the patients or the physicians’ failure to recognize warning signs

Liquid biopsy in cervical cancer: Hopes and pitfalls

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, with about 90% of cancer-related deaths occurring in developing countries. The geographical influence on disease evolution reflects differences in the prevalence of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, which is the main cause of CC, as well as in the access and quality of services for CC prevention and diagnosis. At present, the most diffused screening and diagnostic tools for CC are Papanicolaou test and the more sensitive HPV-DNA test, even if both methods require gynecological practices whose acceptance relies on the woman’s cultural and religious background. An alternative (or complimen-tary) tool for CC screening, diagnosis, and follow-up might be represented by liquid biopsy. Here, we summarize the main methodologies developed in this context, including circulating tumor cell detection and isolation, cell tumor DNA sequencing, coding and non-coding RNA detection, and exosomal miRNA identification. Moreover, the pros and cons of each method are discussed, and their potential applications in diagnosis and prognosis of CC, as well as their role in treatment mon-itoring, are explored. In conclusion, it is evident that despite many advances obtained in this field, further effort is needed to validate and standardize the proposed methodologies before any clinical use

Case Report: A case of IgD lambda/lambda Multiple Myeloma in patient with acute renal failure and without monoclonal spike in serum electrophoresis

Background: IgD Multiple Myeloma is a rare form of plasma cell dyscrasia and accounts for approximately 1-2% of all cases of Multiple Myeloma. It mainly affects young, male subjects; it is characterized by an aggressive course, a high production of Bence Jones protein, acute renal failure and an often unfortunate outcome compared to the other isotypes of MM. A distinctive feature is the lack of a monoclonal peak on serum protein electrophoresis (SPE). Case report: a 57-year-old man with pain in his left lower limb and weight loss goes to the Emergency Department (Emergency Department). Laboratory tests performed showed normocytic normochromic anemia (Hemoglobin 9.4 g/dL), acute renal failure (s-creatinine 2.85 mg/dL, e-GFR 23 mL/min/1.73 m². serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) detected only mild polyclonal in the gamma zone with no evidence of any monoclonal peak. Results: serum immunofixation (s-IFE) showed a monoclonal IgD l band and a monoclonal l band. The Free Light Chains (s-FLC) measurement showed a ratio of 0.04. The bone marrow biopsy confirmed an infiltration of> 20% of clonal plasma cells; renal biopsy diagnosed “cast nephropathy”. Conclusion: IgD l/l Multiple Myeloma is a rare form of this disease with a poor prognosis; an early and correct laboratory diagnosis is crucial for appropriate treatment and effective monitoring in order to improve patient outcom