Actors and factors - bridging social science findings and urban land use change modeling

Recent uneven land use dynamics in urban areas resulting from demographic change, economic pressure and the cities’ mutual competition in a globalising world challenge both scientists and practitioners, among them social scientists, modellers and spatial planners. Processes of growth and decline specifically affect the urban environment, the requirements of the residents on social and natural resources. Social and environmental research is interested in a better understanding and ways of explaining the interactions between society and landscape in urban areas. And it is also needed for making life in cities attractive, secure and affordable within or despite of uneven dynamics.\ud The position paper upon “Actors and factors – bridging social science findings and urban land use change modeling” presents approaches and ideas on how social science findings on the interaction of the social system (actors) and the land use (factors) are taken up and formalised using modelling and gaming techniques. It should be understood as a first sketch compiling major challenges and proposing exemplary solutions in the field of interest

Design of AGV systems in working environments shared with humans: A multi case study

To meet the challenges and needs of an ever-changing market and as part of the fourth industrial revolution, factories are transforming into increasingly automated environments. A widely used and well-established solution today is Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), which often work closely with humans in crowded environments. Thus, in addition to flexibility, another important criterion associated with automatic handling systems is safety. The purpose of this work is to show how the involvement of three different but equally important roles in the design of an AGV system can benefit the whole project. The advantage of considering three different perspectives is the possibility of obtaining a more complete vision from the earliest stages of implementation, avoiding, as far as possible, the need to make changes in the next stages, which would generate higher costs than necessary. The article is based on two case studies, each one set in a major European manufacturing company: the first one is an Italian automotive manufacturer and the second one is a Swedish manufacturer of mechanical components. Both case companies apply AGVs in their material handling processes and, accordingly, have experience of both implementing and operating AGV systems. The article applies semi-structured interviews to study the three key roles, highlighting the key points for each role and showing the common issues that emerged from the interviews

A Cultura Digital, o Professor-Criança e o Aluno-Adulto

A atual sociedade da cultura digital determina a produção de modificações profundas nas dimensões cognitivas e afeitas presentes na relação professor-aluno dentro e fora das escolas. Essas modificações têm sido objeto de estudo de vários pesquisadores da área da educação. Diante deste quadro, tem-se como principal objetivo deste artigo investigar a forma como o desenvolvimento da cultura digital está determinando não apenas mudanças estruturais na forma de produção e difusão do conhecimento, como também na identificação do professor como um adulto-criança e os alunos como crianças-adultos.Palavras-chave: Cultura digital. Cyberbulling. Redes Sociais. Internet

Improvement on frozen mitochondria bioassay: a methodological remark.

The protocol for the bioassay with the mitochondria of beef heart frozen at -22 °C, (developed by Iero, Manente, Bragadin and Perin, in Chemosphere, 52, 2003) requires that the reaction cell is thermostatically controlled at 25 °C. This value was chosen because it is used as a reference for the state environmental standard (Standard Ambient Temperature and Pressure, SATP). The choice is not, therefore, been supported by assessments on the effectiveness of the test at this temperature, but was dictated by the practice of reporting results to a standard temperature value. Finally, it was decided to make a comparison between the working temperature of 25 °C and the 37 °C one, chosen as close to cattle body temperature (estimated to be 38.6 °C), then "normal" working temperature for mitochondria extracted from heart

Efficacy of adalimumab as second-line therapy in a pediatric cohort of crohn’s disease patients who failed infliximab therapy: The Italian society of pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition experience

Background: Adalimumab (Ada) treatment is an available option for pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) and the published experience as rescue therapy is limited. Objectives: We investigated Ada efficacy in a retrospective, pediatric CD cohort who had failed previous infliximab treatment, with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Methods: In this multicenter study, data on demographics, clinical activity, growth, laboratory values (CRP) and adverse events were collected from CD patients during follow-up. Clinical remission (CR) and response were defined with Pediatric CD Activity Index (PCDAI) score ≤10 and a decrease in PCDAI score of ≥12.5 from baseline, respectively. Results: A total of 44 patients were consecutively recruited (mean age 14.8 years): 34 of 44 (77%) had active disease (mean PCDAI score 24.5) at the time of Ada administration, with a mean disease duration of 3.4 (range 0.3–11.2) years. At 6, 12, and 18 months, out of the total of the enrolled population, CR rates were 55%, 78%, and 52%, respectively, with a significant decrease in PCDAI scores (P<0.01) and mean CRP values (mean CRP 5.7 and 2.4 mL/dL, respectively; P<0.01) at the end of follow-up. Steroid-free remission rates, considered as the total number of patients in CR who were not using steroids at the end of this study, were 93%, 95%, and 96% in 44 patients at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. No significant differences in growth parameters were detected. In univariate analysis of variables related to Ada efficacy, we found that only a disease duration >2 years was negatively correlated with final PCDAI score (P<0.01). Two serious adverse events were recorded: 1 meningitis and 1 medulloblastoma. Conclusion: Our data confirm Ada efficacy in pediatric patients as second-line biological therapy after infliximab failure. Longer-term prospective data are warranted to define general effectiveness and safety in pediatric CD patients

Tryptophan Metabolism as Source of New Prognostic Biomarkers for FAP Patients

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a common inherited form of colorectal cancer (CRC), causes the development of hundreds to thousands of colonic adenomas in the colorectum beginning in early adolescence. In absence of a prophylactic surgery, FAP patients almost inevitably develop CRC by the age of 40 to 50. The lack of valuable prognostic biomarkers for FAP patients makes it difficult to predict when the progression from adenoma to malignant carcinoma occurs. Decreased tryptophan (TRP) plasma levels and increased indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) enzymatic activities have been associated to tumour progression in CRC. In the present study, we aimed at investigating whether an altered TRP metabolism might also exist in FAP patients. Our results highlighted that plasma levels of TRP and its main catabolites are comparable between FAP patients and healthy subject. On the contrary, FAP patients presented significantly higher TRP levels with respect to high-grade adenoma (ADE) subjects and CRC patients. Obtained data lead us to evaluate IDO1 and TPH1 enzymes activity in the study groups. For both enzymes, it was possible to discriminate correctly between FAP subject and ADE/CRC patients with high sensitivities and specificities. By receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the cut-off values of IDO1 and TPH1 enzymatic activities associated to the presence of an active malignant transformation have been calculated as >38 and >5.5, respectively. When these cut-off values are employed, the area under the curve (AUC) is > 0.8 for both, indicating that TRP metabolism in patients with FAP may be used to monitor and predict the tumorigenic evolution

Migration and Land Use Change in Europe: A Review

Migration within Europe and between Europe and other parts of the world is a major driver of population change and has far reaching effects on land use. The theory, historical trends and actual patterns of migration were reviewed and from these an understanding of different categories of migration was developed. The pressures for land use change caused by different types of migration were developed and interpreted into a map of Europe, resolved at NUTSx level and a set of descriptions of land use change projections, examples of which are presented. The paper suggests that the implications of migration on land use change need further research and better data in order to be able to be more certain of trends. In the modern world migration will continue to be a major influence on land use and European policies which consider migration and land use as separate issues are likely to miss important connections

Out-patient high-dose-rate endobronchial brachytherapy for palliation of lung cancer: an observational study

Background and Aim. Out-patient high-dose-rate endobronchial brachytherapy (HDREB) is a possible option in the palliation of symptoms in patients with advanced lung cancer, but literature data is limited and the technique is still under development in Italy. Our aim was to evaluate safety and effectiveness of out-patient HDREB for palliation of malignant endobronchial tumours in the context of a multidisciplinary approach. Methods. Out-patient HDREB sessions were scheduled at weekly intervals (500-1000 cGy per session) with prior Diodi-laser resection in some cases. Response was assessed bronchoscopically, clinically and functionally at the end of treatment and one month after the last HDREB session. Inclusion criteria was: histological evidence of malignant tumour not susceptible to surgical treatment for extension or co-morbidity. Results. 150 outpatient HDREB sessions were carried out on consecutive 35 patients (mean age 69 yrs, M/F 29/6) with symptoms due to central airway obstruction. A shortterm endoscopic response was observed in 15/28 patients. After delivering 2000 cGy dyspnoea decreased significantly. After one month cough decreased and haemoptysis disappeared. Palliation was obtained in all patients except one during. Lung function tests did not significantly improve after HDREB. No fatal complication occurred. A temporary radiation bronchitis was observed in six patients. Conclusions. This non-comparative, prospective observational study showed a palliative response of HDREB in most of patients with advanced endoluminal lung cancer. The safety of the procedure was good and the rate of non-fatal serious complications was very low