Educational 360-degree virtual tours: engaging students in a multidisciplinary workshop with a team-based approach to teaching and learning

The study is framed in a case-study qualitative approach with the aim to describe and analyse the multidisciplinary team-teaching impact on university students of Education Science degree course involved in a hands-on workshop conducted in the academic year 2023-2024 by three professors (Intercultural Pedagogy, Instructional Technology, Interaction Design). Students were actively involved in a group-based three-week activity where they were guided in the design and creation of a 360-degree virtual tour, a three-dimensional digital artefact that addressed, with a chosenstorytelling direction, a pedagogical core concept. The impact of the collaborative teaching and learning experience was discussed and analysed through different data sources (notes of class observations, written and oral students’ feedback, virtual tours) by taking into account the following categories: learning climate and adaptive teaching; disciplinary approach and activating learnin

Reliability of Early Fetal Echocardiography for Congenital Heart Disease Detection: A Preliminary Experience and Outcome Analysis of 102 Fetuses to Demonstrate the Value of a Clinical Flow-Chart Designed for At-Risk Pregnancy Management

Early fetal echocardiography (EFEC) is a fetal cardiac ultrasound analysis performed between the 12th and 16th week of pregnancy (compared with the usual 18-22 weeks). In the last 10 years, the introduction of “aneuploidy sonographic markers” in screening for cardiac defects has led to a shift from late second to end of the first trimester or beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy for specialist fetal echocardiography. In this prospective study, early obstetric screening was performed between January 2014 and October 2015, using “aneuploidy sonographic markers” following SIEOG Guidelines 2014. These parameters were then collected and strategically combined in an evaluation score to select the group of pregnancies for performing EFEC, in accordance with the American Society of Echocardiography guidelines for fetal Echocardiography. All second-level examinations were performed transabdominally using a 3D convex volumetric probe with frequency range of 4-8 MHz (Accuvix – Samsung). The outcome data included transabdominal fetal echocardiography from 18 weeks to term and after birth. Overall, 99 pregnant women in the first trimester underwent EFEC (95 singleton and 4 twin pregnancies). Specifically, 30 fetuses were evaluated for extra-cardiac anomalies evidenced by obstetric screening (30%), 25 for family history of congenital heart diseases (25%), 8 for family history of genetic-linked diseases (8%), 4 for heart diseases suspected by obstetric screening (4%) and 19 by normal screening (19%). Was detected 11 (10.7%) CHD, when EFEC detected CHD, were compared to those performed later in pregnancy (18 weeks GA-term), a high degree of diagnosis correspondence was evidenced. The higher sensitivity value of EFEC vs late-FE, in comparison with the post-natal value, coupled with the high EFEC specificity shown vs both the end points, enabled us to consider it as a really reliable diagnostic technology, at least in perienced hands. The introduction of a key combination of the more sensitive obstetric and cardiologic variables should facilitate the formulation of a possible flow-chart as a guide for CHD at-risk pregnancies

Co-design of immersive virtual learning environments. A pilot study involving people with intellectual disability and SLDs

This paper describes a pilot study conducted at the University of Macerata, within the project Inclusion 3.0. It aims to explore the possibility of using high-fidelity prototyping in a virtual laboratory to support the co-creation of an immersive virtual learning environment with people with disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), from the earliest design stages. The paper presents the results of the co-design process and discusses its implications in defining design requirements to ensure the accessibility of immersive solutions for cultural heritage

Special pedagogy in Innovative Ecosystems: a pilot project for museums accessibility

Cultural institutes and museums are crucial in fostering individual and collective identity through heritage. To achieve this, they need to actively engage with the social context in which they operate by catering to diverse social groups. Inclusion is a key aspect that museums should prioritize, aiming to address the complexities of society and ensure equal cultural opportunities for all (Vaz et al., 2020). Based on these considerations, the University of Macerata, with a vocation on humanistic knowledge, promotes highly multidisciplinary activities within the Ecosystem project (financed by PNRR), with the aims to develop and transfer innovation to make regional production systems more competitive, thus improving sustainability and quality of life (Schalock et al., 2002) in urban and rural areas, and living and working environments. In this direction, the University of Macerata is developing different actions intending to create sustainable solutions and educational programmes for fragility and inclusiveness. Specifically, in line with national and international frameworks (Mace 1985; ONU, 2006), the commitment of Special Pedagogy research group will be directed at creating accessible solutions and organizational models to support access to local cultural heritage. Specifically, the Special Pedagogy group focuses its aim of research on accessibility and sustainability of inclusive tourism for usability of museums, art galleries, ecc

Inclusion of new 5-fluorouracil amphiphilic derivatives in liposome formulation for cancer treatment

Correction for 'Inclusion of new 5-fluorouracil amphiphilic derivatives in liposome formulation for cancer treatment' by M. Petaccia et al., Med. Chem. Commun., 2015, 6, 1639–1642

Microbiota derived short chain fatty acids promote histone crotonylation in the colon through histone deacetylases

The recently discovered histone post-translational modification crotonylation connects cellular metabolism to gene regulation. Its regulation and tissue-specific functions are poorly understood. We characterize histone crotonylation in intestinal epithelia and find that histone H3 crotonylation at lysine 18 is a surprisingly abundant modification in the small intestine crypt and colon, and is linked to gene regulation. We show that this modification is highly dynamic and regulated during the cell cycle. We identify class I histone deacetylases, HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3, as major executors of histone decrotonylation. We show that known HDAC inhibitors, including the gut microbiota-derived butyrate, affect histone decrotonylation. Consistent with this, we find that depletion of the gut microbiota leads to a global change in histone crotonylation in the colon. Our results suggest that histone crotonylation connects chromatin to the gut microbiota, at least in part, via short-chain fatty acids and HDACs

Targeting the scaffolding role of LSD1 (KDM1A) poises acute myeloid leukemia cells for retinoic acid–induced differentiation

The histone demethylase LSD1 is deregulated in several tumors, including leukemias, providing the rationale for the clinical use of LSD1 inhibitors. In acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), pharmacological doses of retinoic acid (RA) induce differentiation of APL cells, triggering degradation of the PML-RAR oncogene. APL cells are resistant to LSD1 inhibition or knockout, but targeting LSD1 sensitizes them to physiological doses of RA without altering of PML-RAR levels, and extends survival of leukemic mice upon RA treatment. The combination of RA with LSD1 inhibition (or knockout) is also effective in other non-APL, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Nonenzymatic activities of LSD1 are essential to block differentiation, while RA with targeting of LSD1 releases a differentiation gene expression program, not strictly dependent on changes in histone H3K4 methylation. Integration of proteomic/epigenomic/mutational studies showed that LSD1 inhibitors alter the recruitment of LSD1-containing complexes to chromatin, inhibiting the interaction between LSD1 and the transcription factor GFI1

Pilot study of the multicentre DISCHARGE trial: image quality and protocol adherence results of computed tomography and invasive coronary angiography (vol 30, pg 1997, 2020)

The original version of this article, published on 16 December 2019, unfortunately contained two mistakes.Cardiovascular Aspects of Radiolog