Editorial, Vol. 10, No. 3

Editorial of the International Journal of Serious Games, Vol. 10, No. 3

Cancer rate of the indeterminate lesions at low or high risk according to italian system for reporting of thyroid FNA

Background: Italian consensus for the classification and reporting of thyroid cytology (ICCRTC) has been used in almost all Italian institutions since 2014. High reliability of ICCRTC in classifying low and high risk indeterminate nodules (Tir 3A and Tir 3B, respectively) was demonstrated. Here we reviewed our casuistry of thyroid indeterminate lesions to analyze the histologic outcome. Methods: All lesions undergone FNA and final histology at S. Andrea Hospital of Rome after a cytologic assessment of Tir 3A and Tir 3B, according to ICCRTC, were included in the study. Results: A number of 157 indeterminate FNA was found after the introduction of ICCRTC. Of these, 75 undergone surgery and were finally included for the study. At histology we found a 33.3% of cancers and a 67.7% of benign lesions. Out of the overall series, 25 were classified as Tir 3A and 50 as Tir 3B. Cancer rate observed in Tir 3A (1/25, 4%) was significantly (p = 0.0002) lower than that of Tir 3B (24/50, 48%). No significant difference was found in age and size between the two subcategories. Conclusions: We confirm in our series that Italian consensus for the classification and reporting of thyroid cytology allows to discriminate indeterminate lesions at low and high risk of malignancy

Extraction of Mobility from Quantum Transport Calculations of Type-II Superlattices

Type-II superlattices (T2SLs) are being investigated as an alternative to traditional bulk materials in infrared photodetectors due to predicted fundamental advantages. Subject to significant quantum effects, these materials require the use of quantum transport methodologies, such as the nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) formalism to fully capture the relevant physics without uncontrolled approximations. Carrier mobility is a useful parameter that affects carrier collection in photodetectors. This work investigates the application of mobility extraction methodologies from quantum transport simulations in the case of T2SLs exemplified using an InAs/GaSb midwave structure. In a resistive region, the average velocity can be used to calculate an apparent mobility that incorporates both diffusive and ballistic effects. However, the validity of this mobility for predicting device properties is limited to cases of diffusive limited transport or when the entire device can be included in the simulation domain. Two methods that have been proposed to extract diffusive limited mobility, one based on approximating the ballistic component of transport and the other which considers the scaling of resistance with simulation size, were also studied. In particular, the resistance scaling approach is demonstrated to be the method most physically relevant to predicting macroscopic transport. We present a method for calculating the mobility from resistance scaling considerations that accounts for carrier density variation between calculations, which is particularly relevant in the case of electrons. Finally, we comment on the implications of applying the different mobility extraction methodologies to device property predictions. The conclusions of this study are not limited to T2SLs, and may be generally relevant to quantum transport mobility studies

User Assessment in Serious Games and Technology-Enhanced Learning

1 Department of Naval, Electric, Electronic and Telecommunications Engineering, University of Genoa, Via all'Opera Pia 11/a, 16145 Genoa, Italy 2 Faculty of Business and Information Technology, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Canada L1H 7K4 3Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA 4 Faculty of Computer Science, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spai

Economic Interplay Forecasting Business Success

A startup ecosystem is a dynamic environment in which several actors, such as investors, venture capitalists, angels, and facilitators, are the protagonists of a complex interplay. Most of these interactions involve the flow of capital whose size and direction help to map the intricate system of relationships. This quantity is also considered a good proxy of economic success. Given the complexity of such systems, it would be more desirable to supplement this information with other informative features, and a natural choice is to adopt mathematical measures. In this work, we will specifically consider network centrality measures, borrowed by network theory. In particular, using the largest publicly available dataset for startups, the Crunchbase dataset, we show how centrality measures highlight the importance of particular players, such as angels and accelerators, whose role could be underestimated by focusing on collected funds only. We also provide a quantitative criterion to establish which firms should be considered strategic and rank them. Finally, as funding is a widespread measure for success in economic settings, we investigate to which extent this measure is in agreement with network metrics; the model accurately forecasts which firms will receive the highest funding in future years

Guest Editorial: Game Based Learning for 21st Century Transferable Skills: Challenges and Opportunities

Digital serious games (SGs) (Gee, 2003; Prensky, 2003) offer a high potential to foster and support learning in educational and training settings. SGs aim at improving learning processes by providing attractive, motivating and effective tools. So far, effectiveness of SGs has been shown by recent studies (e.g., Connolly et al., 2012; Wouters et al., 2013), but the potential of SGs in education is still far to be fulfilled, in particular concerning higher-order learning goals (Connolly et al., 2012) and there is a growing need for educational technology research in this field. Moreover, education, cognitive and engineering methods and tools are needed for efficiently building and evaluating games as means that can provide effective learning experiences (Marfisi-Schottman, Labat & Carron, 2013; Bellotti et al., 2012). This special issue focuses on analysing how digital SGs can contribute to the knowledge society’s higher demand towards acquiring transferable, transversal skills, that can be applied in different contexts, dealing with various scientific disciplines and subjects. Examples of such skills, often referred to as 21st century transferable skills, include, for example, collaboration, critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, reasoning abilities, learning to learn, decision taking, digital literacy (Voogt & Pareja Roblin, 2010). This special issue explores particularly the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of digital SGs in formal learning contexts. The idea is to look not only to the tools (namely, the SGs) but also to the definition of meaningfu

Galectin-3. One molecule for an alphabet of diseases, from A to Z

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) regulates basic cellular functions such as cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, growth, proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation. It is not surprising, therefore, that this protein is involved in the pathogenesis of many relevant human diseases, including cancer, fibrosis, chronic inflammation and scarring affecting many different tissues. The papers published in the literature have progressively increased in number during the last decades, testifying the great interest given to this protein by numerous researchers involved in many different clinical contexts. Considering the crucial role exerted by Gal-3 in many different clinical conditions, Gal-3 is emerging as a new diagnostic, prognostic biomarker and as a new promising therapeutic target. The current review aims to extensively examine the studies published so far on the role of Gal-3 in all the clinical conditions and diseases, listed in alphabetical order, where it was analyzed

Assessment in and of serious games: an overview

There is a consensus that serious games have a significant potential as a tool for instruction. However, their effectiveness in terms of learning outcomes is still understudied mainly due to the complexity involved in assessing intangible measures. A systematic approach—based on established principles and guidelines—is necessary to enhance the design of serious games, and many studies lack a rigorous assessment. An important aspect in the evaluation of serious games, like other educational tools, is user performance assessment. This is an important area of exploration because serious games are intended to evaluate the learning progress as well as the outcomes. This also emphasizes the importance of providing appropriate feedback to the player. Moreover, performance assessment enables adaptivity and personalization to meet individual needs in various aspects, such as learning styles, information provision rates, feedback, and so forth. This paper first reviews related literature regarding the educational effectiveness of serious games. It then discusses how to assess the learning impact of serious games and methods for competence and skill assessment. Finally, it suggests two major directions for future research: characterization of the player's activity and better integration of assessment in games