Multi-objective evolutionary fuzzy clustering for high-dimensional problems

This paper deals with the application of unsupervised fuzzy clustering to high dimensional data. Two problems are addressed: groups (clusters) number discovery and feature selection without performance losses. In particular we analyze the potential of a genetic fuzzy system, that is the integration of a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm with a fuzzy clustering algorithm. The main characteristic of the integrated approach is the ability to handle the two problems at the same time, suggesting a Pareto set of trade-off solutions which could have a better chance of matching the real needs. We exhibit the high quality clustering and features selection results by applying our approach to a real-world data set

Omental infarction in children misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis

Omental infarction (OI) is a rare cause of acute abdomen in children. It is found in  0.1–0.5% of pediatric patients undergoing abdominal exploration for the suspect of  acute appendicitis. OI is considered a self-limited entity, and conservative management should be considered. This approach implicates computer tomography scan radiation exposure, prolonged hospitalization, and prolonged analgesic and anti-inflammatory therapy. In contrast, surgery allows immediate pain resolution with low complication rate. We present our experience with two cases of pediatric acute abdomen due to OI, misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis, which were successfully treated surgically.Keywords: acute abdomen, acute appendicitis, omental infarction, pediatri

An approch for monitoring and smart planning of urban solid waste management using smart-M3 platform

Solid waste management is one of the most important challenges in urban areas throughout the world and it is becoming a critical issue in developing countries where a rapid increase in population has been observed. Waste collection is a complex process that requires the use of large amount of money and an elaborate management of logistics. In this paper an approch to smart waste collection is proposed able to improve and optimize the handling of solid urban waste. Context of smart waste management requires interconnection among heterogeneous devices and data sharing involving a large amount of people. Smart-M3 platform solves these problems offering a high degree of decoupling and scalability.Waste collection is made by real-time monitoring the level of bin's fullness through sensors placed inside the containers. This method enables to exempt from collecting semi-empty bins. Furthermore, incoming data can be provided to decisional algorithms in order to determine the optimal number of waste vehicles or bins to distribute in the territory. The presented solution gives important advantages for both service providers and consumers. The formers could obtain a sensible cost reduction. On the other hand, users may benefit from a higher level of service quality. In order to make users feel closer to their community, they can interact with the system to be aware about the fulness state of the nearest bins. Finally, a mechanism for collecting “green points” was introduced for encouraging citizens to recycle

Spontaneous gastric rupture in a 22-month-old boy: Case report and review of the literature: The diagnostic work up and management of a rare pediatric emergency

AbstractWe report the case of 22-month-old boy who sustained spontaneous gastric rupture. The patient had an episode of nausea and vomiting after a large meal the day before admission to our emergency ward. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed free and corpuscolate fluid in the abdomen. Abdominal X-ray showed free air in the abdominal cavity, leading to diagnosis of gastrointestinal perforation. Blood examination revealed metabolic acidosis. An emergency laparotomy detected a wide perforation of gastric wall involving fundus and greater curvature. A sleeve gastrectomy was performed with two layers closure of abdominal wall. Idiopathic gastric rupture, beyond neonatal period, is extremely rare in childhood. Early diagnosis and surgery are mandatory to avoid fatal complications

Peritoneal dialysis catheters in pediatric patients: 10 years of experience in a single centre

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) is one of the numerous options for chronic dialysis and in many cases when access for acute dialysis is required early in a hospital course, at any age. PD catheter can be inserted with an open or laparoscopic approach. The complication rate after catheter insertion is still high, as reported in published literature. We present the experience matured at our Centre in the last 10 years on implantation of peritoneal dialysis catheters in children, emphasising surgical complications. We conducted a retrospective study on patients who underwent PD at our Centre in a range period of 10 years. We analysed patients \u2019demographic data, past and present medical, perioperative and post-operative data, permanence of the catheter, duration of dialysis, the gap between placement and use, outcomes and complications. We compared the data, dividing patients in 2 groups: patients operated with a traditional open technique and patients operated laparoscopically. We retrospectively reviewed 29 children with an average age of 3years and 6 months. Mean age was 42 months (1 month; 8 years) for the VLS group, 18 months (11 days, 4 years) for the OT group. Mean operative time was 106 min for the VLS group; 44 min for the OT group. The Catheter permanence period was 17 days (12h-64 days). Duration of dialysis was between 48 hours and 23 days (average 8 days). In the total population, we registered 8 complications (5 minor, 3 major), the overall complication rate being 33 % (minor complication rate 21%, major complication rate 12,5 %). 6 complications occurred in patients operated laparoscopically (6/14 = 36 %); 2 complications in the OT group (2/10 = 20 %). The complication rate after PD catheter insertion is still high. Advantages and disadvantages of the open and laparoscopic approach must be known. Both minor and major complications, such as bowel perforations and occlusions, must be understood and differentiated

Impact of Users' Beliefs in Text-Based Linguistic Interaction

Linguistic interaction between humans and machines is one of the most challenging fields in the development of next-generation User Interfaces. In this work, we investigate the role of beliefs about the interlocutor in human-computer linguistic interaction. First, we introduced an experimental setup that makes use of filtered and post-processed web content to generate a realistic, generic linguistic interaction. Then, we collected dialogues from two different sets α and β, corresponding to users being unaware or aware of the artificial nature of the interlocutor, respectively. The results thus obtained, analyzed using a standard t-test procedure (N=30), demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the two sets in some of the linguistic features selected, i.e., sentence length and the number of adjectives, providing further insights to expand some of the evidence previously found in the literature

New Bioactive Peptides from the Mediterranean Seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and Their Impact on Antimicrobial Activity and Apoptosis of Human Cancer Cells

The demand for new molecules to counter bacterial resistance to antibiotics and tumor cell resistance is increasingly pressing. The Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica is considered a promising source of new bioactive molecules. Polypeptide-enriched fractions of rhizomes and green leaves of the seagrass were tested against Gram-positive (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative bacteria (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli), as well as towards the yeast Candida albicans. The aforementioned extracts showed indicative MIC values, ranging from 1.61 μg/mL to 7.5 μg/mL, against the selected pathogens. Peptide fractions were further analyzed through a high-resolution mass spectrometry and database search, which identified nine novel peptides. Some discovered peptides and their derivatives were chemically synthesized and tested in vitro. The assays identified two synthetic peptides, derived from green leaves and rhizomes of P. oceanica, which revealed interesting antibiofilm activity towards S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa (BIC50 equal to 17.7 μg/mL and 70.7 μg/mL). In addition, the natural and derivative peptides were also tested for potential cytotoxic and apoptosis-promoting effects on HepG2 cells, derived from human hepatocellular carcinomas. One natural and two synthetic peptides were proven to be effective against the “ in vitro” liver cancer cell model. These novel peptides could be considered a good chemical platform for developing potential therapeutics