An agent-based system for maritime search and rescue operations.

Maritime search and rescue operations are critical missions involving personnel, boats, helicopter, aircrafts in a struggle against time often worsened by adversary sea and weather conditions. In such a context, telecommunication and in- formation systems may play a crucial role sometimes concurring to successfully accomplish the mission. In this paper we present an application able to localize the vessel who has launched a rescue request and to plan the most effective path for rescue assets. The application has been realised as a distributed and open multi-agent system deployed on rescue vehicles as well as on a land maritime stations of the Italian Coast Guard. The system is going to be tested in real scenarios by the Coast Guard

Method Families Concept: Application to Decision-Making Methods

International audienceThe role of variability in Software engineering grows increasingly as it allows developing solutions that can be easily adapted to a specific context and reusing existing knowledge. In order to deal with variability in the method engineering (ME) domain, we suggest applying the notion of method families. Method components are organized as a method family, which is configured in the given situation into a method line. In this paper, we motivate the concept of method families by comparing the existing approaches of ME. We detail then the concept of method families and illustrate it with a family of decision-making (DM) methods that we call MADISE

The rapid spread of SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant in Italy reflected early through wastewater surveillance

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged in South Africa in November 2021, and has later been identified worldwide, raising serious concerns. A real-time RT-PCR assay was designed for the rapid screening of the Omicron variant, targeting characteristic mutations of the spike gene. The assay was used to test 737 sewage samples collected throughout Italy (19/21 Regions) between 11 November and 25 December 2021, with the aim of assessing the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Positive samples were also tested with a real-time RT-PCR developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), and through nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, 115 samples tested positive for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The first occurrence was detected on 7 December, in Veneto, North Italy. Later on, the variant spread extremely fast in three weeks, with prevalence of positive wastewater samples rising from 1.0% (1/104 samples) in the week 5–11 December, to 17.5% (25/143 samples) in the week 12–18, to 65.9% (89/135 samples) in the week 19–25, in line with the increase in cases of infection with the Omicron variant observed during December in Italy. Similarly, the number of Regions/Autonomous Provinces in which the variant was detected increased from one in the first week, to 11 in the second, and to 17 in the last one. The presence of the Omicron variant was confirmed by the JRC real-time RT-PCR in 79.1% (91/115) of the positive samples, and by Sanger sequencing in 66% (64/97) of PCR amplicons. In conclusion, we designed an RT-qPCR assay capable to detect the Omicron variant, which can be successfully used for the purpose of wastewater-based epidemiology. We also described the history of the introduction and diffusion of the Omicron variant in the Italian population and territory, confirming the effectiveness of sewage monitoring as a powerful surveillance tool

Alteração vocal auto-referida em professores: prevalência e fatores associados

OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência de alteração vocal auto-referida em professores e identificar fatores associados. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com amostra de 393 professores do ensino fundamental de Florianópolis, SC, por meio de questionário autoaplicado em 2009. Foi realizada análise multivariável de regressão de Poisson estimando-se as razões de prevalência e intervalos de 95% de confiança. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de alteração vocal foi de 47,6% (IC95% 42,6;52,5). Após o ajuste, permaneceram associados à maior prevalência de alteração vocal ser do sexo feminino e a presença de rinite/sinusite e faringite. CONCLUSÕES: Foi observada elevada prevalência de alteração vocal auto-referida entre os professores estudados.OBJETIVO: Estimar la prevalencia de alteración vocal auto-referida en profesores e identificar factores asociados. MÉTODOS: Estudio transversal con muestra de 393 profesores de enseñanza fundamental de Florianópolis, Sur de Brasil, por medio de cuestionario auto-aplicado en 2009. Se realizó análisis multivariable de regresión de Poisson, estimándose las tasas de prevalencia e intervalos de 95% de confianza. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia de alteración vocal fue de 47,6% (IC95% 42,6;52,5). Posterior al ajuste, permanecieron asociados a la mayor prevalencia de alteración vocal ser del sexo femenino y la presencia de rinitis/sinusitis y faringitis. CONCLUSIONES: Se observó elevada prevalencia de alteración vocal auto-referida entre los profesores estudiados.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of self-reported voice problems and to identify associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 393 public elementary and middle school teachers in Florianópolis, Southern Brazil, in 2009. A self-administered questionnaire was used. A multivariable Poisson regression model was performed to estimate prevalence ratios and their related 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The prevalence of voice problems was 47.6% (95%CI 42.6;52.5). In the final adjusted analysis the following variables remained associated with a higher prevalence of voice problems: being female and the presence of rhinitis/sinusitis and pharyngitis. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of self-reported voice problems was found among the teachers studied

The rapid spread of SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant in Italy reflected early through wastewater surveillance

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged in South Africa in November 2021, and has later been identified worldwide, raising serious concerns. A real-time RT-PCR assay was designed for the rapid screening of the Omicron variant, targeting characteristic mutations of the spike gene. The assay was used to test 737 sewage samples collected throughout Italy (19/21 Regions) between 11 November and 25 December 2021, with the aim of assessing the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Positive samples were also tested with a real-time RT-PCR developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), and through nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, 115 samples tested positive for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The first occurrence was detected on 7 December, in Veneto, North Italy. Later on, the variant spread extremely fast in three weeks, with prevalence of positive wastewater samples rising from 1.0% (1/104 samples) in the week 5–11 December, to 17.5% (25/143 samples) in the week 12–18, to 65.9% (89/135 samples) in the week 19–25, in line with the increase in cases of infection with the Omicron variant observed during December in Italy. Similarly, the number of Regions/Autonomous Provinces in which the variant was detected increased fromone in the first week, to 11 in the second, and to 17 in the last one. The presence of the Omicron variant was confirmed by the JRC real-time RT-PCR in 79.1% (91/115) of the positive samples, and by Sanger sequencing in 66% (64/97) of PCR amplicons

The rapid spread of SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant in Italy reflected early through wastewater surveillance

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged in South Africa in November 2021, and has later been identified worldwide, raising serious concerns. A real-time RT-PCR assay was designed for the rapid screening of the Omicron variant, targeting characteristic mutations of the spike gene. The assay was used to test 737 sewage samples collected throughout Italy (19/21 Regions) between 11 November and 25 December 2021, with the aim of assessing the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Positive samples were also tested with a real-time RT-PCR developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), and through nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, 115 samples tested positive for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The first occurrence was detected on 7 December, in Veneto, North Italy. Later on, the variant spread extremely fast in three weeks, with prevalence of positive wastewater samples rising from 1.0% (1/104 samples) in the week 5-11 December, to 17.5% (25/143 samples) in the week 12-18, to 65.9% (89/135 samples) in the week 19-25, in line with the increase in cases of infection with the Omicron variant observed during December in Italy. Similarly, the number of Regions/Autonomous Provinces in which the variant was detected increased from one in the first week, to 11 in the second, and to 17 in the last one. The presence of the Omicron variant was confirmed by the JRC real-time RT-PCR in 79.1% (91/115) of the positive samples, and by Sanger sequencing in 66% (64/97) of PCR amplicons. In conclusion, we designed an RT-qPCR assay capable to detect the Omicron variant, which can be successfully used for the purpose of wastewater-based epidemiology. We also described the history of the introduction and diffusion of the Omicron variant in the Italian population and territory, confirming the effectiveness of sewage monitoring as a powerful surveillance tool