How to use statistics to survive

Purpose We want to share a true story with an happy end that occurred in a research Library at the University of Bologna. The lesson we learned is that to achieve an international standard for quality may be misunderstood; and that how to use statistics related to a single library may become a battle field if the two “players” - in this case, a research library and the Central Library System - look at it from different perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The advocacy strategy adopted by the library is based on a range of statistics to corroborate a wider meaning for “efficacy “and “efficiency”. The user’s point of view, satisfaction statements, observations and explored behavior – as known via the library quality system– are used, in parallel to the dimension of time in delivery services. Findings By means of the ISO 9001 quality system, the research library has been stimulated to measure different aspects of the library services, that could be of some interest if applied also at the Central Library System level. The reason behind the selection of such indicators is related to the main goal of the quality certification, that is to raise users’ satisfaction. Practical implications The paper presents also an example of good practice. The central library system at the University of Ferrara has build a set of indicators that could meet the requirements of three different schemes, all of which were of great importance for the library system management: a) the ISO 9001 requirements; b) the university overall KPI (Key Performance Indicators) scheme, aiming at defining a set of indicators that could measure and supervise all the main processes in terms of efficiency and efficacy of offices/libraries as well as of the staff; c)the national context. Originality/value Very often small or medium sized libraries strive to demonstrate their usefulness, efficacy and efficiency. Very often the users perceptions of the library services are less taken in consideration than quantitative measures on services outputs. This paper is a good example of a “survival” strategy of success

The Impact of Mobility Policy and Modal Share to The University Community in Bologna

In the Twentieth century transportation has been one of the most impactful drivers for economic and social development, while nowadays, it appears as a major cause of environmental and social problems. Even worse, the more transportation has become a relevant part in daily life and business, the more it is blamed for problems such as traffic congestion, car accidents, social economic inequality, energy consumption and pollution. Transportation is in fact caught in a vicious circle. Urban planning is forced to reduce transition costs, transforming cities in a sort of social network, and in parallel to orient mobility towards sustainability, both capable to convey socioeconomic development. Within this context, the University of Bologna has chosen a sustainable approach for its Multi-campus territorial structure, applying several sustainable mobility policies regarding public transportation, cycling, electric/hybrid car fleet and walking accessibility. The paper purpose is to show significative links between sustainable policy application and modal share, using data from an online survey submitted to university staff and students. Even gender influence on modal share has been investigated

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

The Unibo energy saving and climate change approach

For the university of Bologna, the core of sustainability combines both environmental and social dimensions: enhancement of the territory, ensuring its protection and the renewal of its natural resources and the ability of the parties involved, encouraged by the concerted efforts of the various institutions, to work together effectively. The commitment of the university is to reduce the impact on the environment deriving from its activities and to encourage the community to assume responsible and environmentally respectful behaviours. Since 2016, the university integrates its Strategic Plan with a rereading of the 17 UN SDGs and reports the direct and indirect impact produced in the dimensions of teaching, research and third mission

The Unibo energy saving and climate change approach

For the university of Bologna, the core of sustainability combines both environmental and social dimensions: enhancement of the territory, ensuring its protection and the renewal of its natural resources and the ability of the parties involved, encouraged by the concerted efforts of the various institutions, to work together effectively. The commitment of the university is to reduce the impact on the environment deriving from its activities and to encourage the community to assume responsible and environmentally respectful behaviours. Since 2016, the university integrates its Strategic Plan with a rereading of the 17 UN SDGs and reports the direct and indirect impact produced in the dimensions of teaching, research and third mission

Synthesis of Robalzotan, Ebalzotan, and Rotigotine Precursors via the Stereoselective Multienzymatic Cascade Reduction of α,β-Unsaturated Aldehydes

A stereoselective synthesis of bicyclic primary or secondary amines, based on tetralin or chroman structural moieties, is reported. These amines are precursors of important active pharmaceutical ingredients such as rotigotine (Neupro), robalzotan, and ebalzotan. The key step is based on a multienzymatic reduction of an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde or ketone to give the saturated primary or secondary alcohol, in a high yield and with a high ee. The catalytic system consists of the combination of an ene-reductase (ER; i.e., OYE2 or OYE3 belonging to the Old Yellow Enzyme family) with an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), applying the in situ substrate feeding product removal technology. By this system the formation of the allylic alcohol side product and the racemization of the chirally unstable α-substituted aldehyde intermediate are minimized. The primary alcohols were elaborated via a Curtius rearrangement. The combination of OYE2 with a Prelog or an anti-Prelog ADH allowed the preparation of the secondary alcohols with ee > 99% and de > 87%. The absolute configuration of the primary amines was unambiguously assigned by comparison with authentic samples. The stereochemistry of secondary alcohols was assigned by X-ray crystal structure and NMR analysis of Mosher esters