Design smart city apps using activity theory.

In this paper we describe an innovative approach to the design process of Smart City interventions. We tested it with participants enrolled in the Master\u2019s Degree program in \u201cInnovators in enterprise and public administration\u201d: the objective of the Master was to stimulate the acquisition of technical and methodological skills useful in designing and implementing specific Smart City actions. During the "project work" phase, participants learned about a design method named SAM \u2013 Smart City Model - based on the Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). We present an overview of design criteria for Smart City projects, the description of the theoretical framework of Activity Theory, and our proposal of the SAM design model. We also present some examples of student\u2019s \u201cprojects\u201d and a more extensive description of one case study about the full design process of an App planned using SAM, for \u201csmart health\u201d vaccine management and monitoring services. The App was later published and made available to the citizens and was successful in attracting thousands of users. All the participants considered the model very useful in particular because it made possible to understand the interaction and solve contradictions between different stakeholders and systems involved

DIGITAL COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT IN AN INFORMAL ONLINE ENVIRONMENT: A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE USING WIKIPEDIA

This article presents a university teaching experience related to digital competence acquisition and assessment through the creation and editing of Wikipedia entries. The concept of digital competence is based on the European Framework DigComp 2.1. The process of creating entries has been monitored in its various forms 1across formal and informal learning contexts. The aim is to create a true knowledge building environment that favours authentic, situated and participatory evaluation through regulatory interventions from teacher and tutors, and via feedback from other Wikipedia users

Guerrilla Storytelling: Digital Storytelling come Service Learning empowerment.

L\u2019articolo presenta una esperienza di un laboratorio sperimentale all\u2019interno dell\u2019inse- gnamento di Tecnologie di un Corso di Laurea Triennale di Scienze dell\u2019Educazione. Du- rante il laboratorio gli studenti hanno appreso come utilizzare gli strumenti ed i metodi del Digital Storytelling. Al tempo stesso hanno appreso anche modelli progettuali operativi per realizzare atti- vit\ue0 di Service Learning attraverso la realizzazione di brevi video narrativi di forte im- patto emotivo per denunciare e stimolare la soluzione di problematiche sociali nel terri- torio di appartenenza battezzandoli perci\uf2 come \u201cguerrilla storytelling\u201d. I risultati sia per quanto riguarda l\u2019acquisizione di competenze digitali e disciplinari, che per l\u2019efficacia nel sociale, sono stati pi\uf9 che positivi e incoraggiano ad una sperimenta- zione pi\uf9 ampia

Sperimentazione di una App di Realt\ue0 Aumentata per comunicare il Patrimonio Culturale: l\u2019Hestercombe Gardens Augmented Visit

Questa esperienza ha avuto luogo in Inghilterra, in Somerset, presso i giardini di Hester- combe. In questo contesto il nostro obiettivo era quello di verificare se l\u2019utilizzo guidato di una App di realt\ue0 mista/aumentata, unita ad una corretta metodologia didattica e con un affiancamento di una guida, possa aiutare gli studenti di classi delle scuole primarie e secondarie a migliorare l\u2019apprendimento dei contenuti storici, artistici e culturali del giardino. Nel paper viene presentata la fase di sviluppo tecnico dell\u2019interfaccia della App e la sua successiva sperimentazione. Dalle prime verifiche sul campo, emerge come il processo di interazione tra Studente/App/Guida sia significativamente pi\uf9 efficace sia nella dimensione dell\u2019attenzione che in quella della memorizzazione dei contenuti ri- spetto ad un utilizzo della App senza alcuna interazione

Progettare, documentare e osservare all\u2019asilo nido: un\u2019esperienza con il software eNido

La ricerca si sviluppa sull\u2019analisi dell\u2019esperienza con il software eNido, in uso dall\u2019anno educativo 2012-2013 presso l\u2019Asilo nido \u201cle Coccole\u201d di Arzergrande in provincia di Pa- dova, in gestione alla Cooperativa sociale Cosep di Padova. L\u2019asilo nido \ue8 un servizio per la prima infanzia che non si limita pi\uf9 ad essere un servi- zio prettamente assistenziale; ma oggi la famiglia e la societ\ue0 attribuisce un importante compito educativo. I servizi per la prima infanzia sono arrivati oggi a riconoscere la centralit\ue0 e valorizzazione del bambino, in quanto soggetto attivo dell\u2019educazione. Tale concetto deve essere ricordato quando si progetta; gli educatori, infatti, sono chiamati a progettare, ossia creare contesti capaci di accogliere differenti ambiti, di integrare e dare senso alle diverse esperienze dei bambini. L\u2019educatore deve anche osservare e documentare, tenendo traccia di ci\uf2 che osserva e progettando possibili rilanci, evi- denziando l\u2019intento pedagogico e l\u2019azione educativa. Con l\u2019evoluzione delle tecnologie e del Web 2.0 si sono modificate le modalit\ue0 di condivisione, documentazione, progetta- zione e catalogazione delle esperienze. Ed \ue8 qui che si inserisce l\u2019analisi del software eNido, un programma web che automatizza le attivit\ue0 didattiche ed amministrative di un asilo nido e fornisce uno strumento di comunicazione con i genitori dei bambini iscritti. Si \ue8 cercato di rilevare se l\u2019utilizzo del software abbia aumentato il livello di competenza delle educatrici nelle aree della progettazione, osservazione e documenta- zione

Le Percezioni degli Studenti Universitari Sulle Fake-News: Una Sperimentazione Formativa ed Educativa

la maggior parte degli studenti (pi\uf9 dell\u201980%) utilizza come elemento discriminante per il giudizio di affidabilit\ue0 delle informazioni soprattutto la fiducia e la reputazione attribuita alla fonte (persone o istituzioni), e conferma anche la teoria delle \u201cshared narratives\u201d (Sloman & Fernbach, 2017) perch\ue9 dichiara di cercare conferme alle informazioni sentendo le opinioni da amici o colleghi. Altro elemento importante da rilevare \ue8 come vi sia una forte richiesta da parte degli studenti per una formazione alla fruizione critica delle informazioni e non solo di quelle online. Il fatto che ben l\u201985% non crede che le fake-news appartengano solo al Web e ai Social \ue8 effettivamente un indice che vede la richiesta di una educazione che ponga pi\uf9 attenzione allo sviluppo di un atteggiamento critico verso tutti i flussi informativi dei contesti di vita e di lavoro, indipendentemente dai media utilizzati. \uc8 infine consolante, ma anche stimolo ad una grande responsabilit\ue0 per tutti gli attori della formazione, rilevare che ben il 95% degli studenti indichi la scuola e l\u2019Universit\ue0 come le istituzioni pi\uf9 indicate per attuarla

A new method to assess the acute toxicity toward honeybees of the abrasion particles generated from seeds coated with insecticides

Abstract Background: Large amounts of insecticide-containing dusts produced from abrasion of the seed dressing can be released into the atmosphere during sowing operations. Neonicotinoid pesticides, introduced in the 1990s for several crops, are the leading products for seed-coating treatments in many countries. Neonicotinoid containing dusts can be efectively intercepted by bees in fight over the sowing feld, inducing lethal acute efects, so that restrictions in the use of the main neonicotinoids have been adopted in the European Union. This led to the consequent introduction of replacement insecticides for seed-coating, i.e. methiocarb and thiacloprid, despite the lack of information on both the toxicity and the exposure scenarios for honeybees. Results: In this study, a laboratory apparatus was developed in order to quantify the toxicity of the dusts produced from the abrasion of the seed coating. This quantifcation is based on (i) an airstream transporting coating particles into an exposure chamber; (ii) exposure of bees to reproducible and measurable concentrations of insecticide, and (iii) direct measurement of the exposure dose on single bees. The method allowed us to perform in vivo experiments of honeybee exposure to provide toxicity data in more realistic exposure conditions. In fact, the formulation rather than the active principle alone can be tested, and the exposure is through dusts rather than a solution so that specifc absorption behavior can be studied in representative environmental conditions. The method was used to quantify the acute toxicity (LD50) of dusts obtained from the abrasion of corn seeds coated with clothianidin, thiacloprid and methiocarb. Conclusions: Our results show that, surprisingly, the replacement insecticide methiocarb has a toxicity (LD50=421– 693 ng/bee) in the same order of magnitude as clothianidin (LD50=113–451 ng/bee) through this specifc exposure route, while thiacloprid (LD50=16.9·103 ng/bee) has a signifcantly lower acute toxicity. Moreover, dusts containing methiocarb and clothianidin show a signifcant increase in toxicity when, after exposure, bees are kept under high humidity conditions. This suggests that the method here presented can be used to obtain complementary toxicity data in the risk assessment procedure for the authorization of new seed-coating insecticides or new formulations. Keywords: Systemic insecticides, Neonicotinoids, Methiocarb, Seed coating, Abrasion dusts, Honeybees, Pollinator insects, Acute toxicity, Exposure measuremen

Toward Reversible and Moisture-Tolerant Aprotic Lithium-Air Batteries

The development of moisture-tolerant, LiOH-based non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries is a promising route to bypass the inherent limitations caused by the instability of their typical discharge products, LiO2 and Li2O2. The use of the I−/I3− redox couple to mediate the LiOH-based oxygen reduction and oxidation reactions has proven challenging due to the multiple reaction paths induced by the oxidation of I− on cell charging. In this work, we introduce an ionic liquid to a glyme-based electrolyte containing LiI and water and demonstrate a reversible LiOH-based Li-O2 battery cycling that operates via a 4 e−/O2 process with a low charging overpotential (below 3.5 V versus Li/Li+). The addition of the ionic liquid increases the oxidizing power of I3−, shifting the charging mechanism from IO−/IO3− formation to O2 evolution

Exploring cycling induced crystallographic change in NMC with X-ray diffraction computed tomography

This study presents the application of X-ray diffraction computed tomography for the first time to analyze the crystal dimensions of LiNi0.33Mn0.33Co0.33O2 electrodes cycled to 4.2 and 4.7 V in full cells with graphite as negative electrodes at 1 μm spatial resolution to determine the change in unit cell dimensions as a result of electrochemical cycling. The nature of the technique permits the spatial localization of the diffraction information in 3D and mapping of heterogeneities from the electrode to the particle level. An overall decrease of 0.4% and 0.6% was observed for the unit cell volume after 100 cycles for the electrodes cycled to 4.2 and 4.7 V. Additionally, focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope cross-sections indicate extensive particle cracking as a function of upper cut-off voltage, further confirming that severe cycling stresses exacerbate degradation. Finally, the technique facilitates the detection of parts of the electrode that have inhomogeneous lattice parameters that deviate from the bulk of the sample, further highlighting the effectiveness of the technique as a diagnostic tool, bridging the gap between crystal structure and electrochemical performance

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening