Generating Recommendations From Multiple Data Sources: A Methodological Framework for System Design and Its Application

Recommender systems (RSs) are systems that produce individualized recommendations as output or drive the user in a personalized way to interesting or useful objects in a space of possible options. Recently, RSs emerged as an effective support for decision making. However, when people make decisions, they usually take into account different and often conicting information such as preferences, long-term goals, context, and their current condition. This complexity is often ignored by RSs. In order to provide an effective decision-making support, a RS should be ``holistic'', i.e., it should rely on a complete representation of the user, encoding heterogeneous user features (such as personal interests, psychological traits, health data, social connections) that may come from multiple data sources. However, to obtain such holistic recommendations some steps are necessary: rst, we need to identify the goal of the decision-making process; then, we have to exploit common-sense and domain knowledge to provide the user with the most suitable suggestions that best t the recommendation scenario. In this article, we present a methodological framework that can drive researchers and developers during the design process of this kind of ``holistic'' RS. We also provide evidence of the framework validity by presenting the design process and the evaluation of a food RS based on holistic principles

Contributo di Ricerca 318/2021. L’internazionalizzazione negli atenei piemontesi: iscritti internazionali, seconde generazioni, programmi di mobilità

Contributo di Ricerca 318/2021. L’internazionalizzazione negli atenei piemontesi: iscritti internazionali, seconde generazioni, programmi di mobilità- Indice #4- Capitolo 1. L'internazionalizzazione dei sistema universitario: l'Italia a confronto con gli altri paesi #10- Capitolo 2. Gli iscritti stranieri in Piemonte #18- Capitolo 3. Gli interventi a favore degli studenti stranieri #28- Capitolo 4. Gli studenti in mobilità incoming e outgoing #40- Capitolo 5. Laureati stranieri: caratteristiche e condizione occupazionale #4

Immunohistochemical and molecular analysis of bone remodelling pattern in alveolar socket

Following tooth extraction, the alveolar bone remodelling process starts. Bundle bone and buccal wall resorption occur early with horizontal and vertical bone crest reduction [1]. The use of bone substitutes has been proposed to limit bone resorption, thus allowing further dental rehabilitation [2]. Aim of this project was to characterize by a molecular and morphological approach the physiological remodelling of post-extractive alveolar socket and to compare it with the bone remodelling occurring after alveolar bone reconstruction with an alloplastic material. Thirty-six patients needing tooth extraction were enrolled and equally divided into three groups: A) baseline, B) spontaneous healing, C) biomaterial. In each group, 2 biopsies per site were harvested during tooth extraction (group A) or 4-6 months after tooth extraction (groups B and C). In group B, patients recovered spontaneously, while in group C the alveolar socket was filled with a magnesium-enriched hydroxyapatite. One biopsy was processed for immunohistochemistry to localise TNF-α, IL-6, RANK, RANKL and OPG. The second biopsy underwent a Real-Time PCR analysis for the same biomarkers in order to evaluate gene expression. In groups B and C, a third biopsy was retrieved and processed for ground section aiming to assess tissue composition. Differences between the three groups were investigated using Kruskal Wallis test (p<0,05) followed by post-hoc tests. All samples showed a normal structure without inflammatory infiltrate. At immunohistochemical analysis, all biomarkers except for OPG had increased. Significant differences were found between the three groups for TNF-α (p< 0,05), IL-6 (p<0,001), RANK (p< 0,01) and RANKL (p<0,001), between groups A and C for IL-6 (p≤ 0,001), RANK (p≤ 0,01), RANKL (p≤ 0,001) and between B and C for IL-6 (p≤ 0,01). Gene expression did not show statistical differences. Crumbles of biomaterial surrounded by regenerated bone were evident. A higher percentage of mineral component was obtained in group B than in C. The biomarkers selected in the current study were involved in the alveolar remodelling and the biomaterial used for socket preservation did not influence the process

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of gingival microvessels by capillaroscopy in healthy subjects

Gingiva is composed by attached gingiva and free gingiva that are separated by free gingival line. Attached gingiva covers the alveolar bone and adheres to the bone and root surface by fibres. Free gingiva ends with the gingival margin and in clinical practice it can be displaced from the tooth surface to locate the prosthetic margin. Capillaroscopy allows to take microphotographs of the microvessels and to observe their abnormalities in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (1). Aim of this study was to analyse microvessels of the attached gingiva, free gingiva line and free gingiva by means of capillaroscopy. In correspondence of upper incisors of 12 young healthy volunteers, after placement of liquid vaseline, microphotographs (x200) were taken at level of the free gingiva and 2-3 mm more apically within the attached gingiva. Capillaries structure and organization were evaluated in the three areas of interest. In 10 randomly selected microphotographs of the attached gingiva, the amount and percentage of microvessels per mm2 were also calculated. For each subject, two analyses were performed at 3 weeks of distance for repeatability assessment. At the observation, in attached gingiva vessels appeared as tortuous capillary loops perpendicular to the epithelial surface. At level of free gingival line vessels get linear and parallel to the arch of gingival margin. In free gingiva capillaries run superficially and parallel to the epithelial surface, toward the margin and fell back with a loop on the tooth side. At the quantitative analysis, the method resulted repeatable (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p>0.05). A mean of 49.8 (± 9.5) microvessels for mm2 was found. Capillaries represented the 10.3% (±3.5) of the attached gingiva. Capillaroscopy is a non-invasive repeatable method to observe gingival capillaries. This method may be proposed in clinical practice to detect and monitor changes or abnormalities after placement of prosthetic margins

Deproteinized bovine bone graft remodeling pattern in alveolar socket: an immunohistological evaluation

The biologic pattern of bone remodeling is well defined in several in vivo and in vitro studies, but the influence of bone substitutes on individual healing pattern in human is not completely defined and described. Several grafts are available on the market, homologous, heterologous and synthetic bone substitutes. Deproteinized bovine bone (Bio-Oss®, Geistlich Pharma AG, Switzerland) (DBB) is a heterologous substitute derived from bovine bone deprived of all the organic components and reduced in porous grains of different dimensions (0.25 - 2 mm). Preclinical and clinical studies widely described the biocompatibility of deproteinized bovine bone and the integration of this biomaterial in the regenerated bone, but several papers underlined the low rate resorption of the material, that still remains in situ until 11 years after regeneration procedures. This characteristic was also investigated in vitro in osteoblasts, unraveling the ability of DBB particles in down-regulating BMP-2, BMP- 7, TNF-alpha and IL6 genic expression in the early phase of healing but, to the best of our knowledge, no studies checked the same parameters in vivo. The aim of the present study is to describe the remodeling pattern of DBB in human socket alveolar preservation in the late phase of healing. Ten patients that needed tooth extraction and implant placement were recruited. At the time of the extraction a bone biopsy (T0) was collected and the alveolar socket was filled with DBB and covered with a membrane (Bio-Guide®, Geistlich Pharma AG, Switzerland). After 6 months, before implant placement, another bone biopsy was collected (T1). All specimens were processed for immunohistochemistry to mark BMP-2, BMP-7, ALP, IL6 and TNF-alpha. Every section was mapped at 200X total magnification and the presence of these factors was quantified using a standardized method with Adobe Photoshop PS5. For every marking the normalized delta between T1 and T0 was calculated and the results were respectively: BMP2 0.67 + 0.43, BMP7 0.36 + 0.23, ALP -0.28 + 0.18, IL6 0.81 + 0.60, TNF-alpha 1.09 + 0.85. The Wilcoxon paired test revealed highly significant differences between T0 and T1 for all markers (p<0.05 for IL6 and p<0.01 for the others). Differently from what expressed in “in vitro” studies, these data underline that DBB in late phases of healing does influence bone turnover by stimulating the production of morphogenetic proteins and inducing the expression of other catabolic and anabolic markers involved in bone remodeling, thus confirming its role as a valid bone substitute

Rapporto istruzione e formazione professionale. Piemonte 2018

Rapporto istruzione e formazione professionale. Piemonte 2018- Indice #6- Capitolo 1. Alcune informazioni di contesto #20- Capitolo 2. Il sistema educativo piemontese 0-6 anni #32- Capitolo 3. Gli allievi nel primo ciclo di istruzione e formazione #40- Capitolo 4. Esiti scolastici, apprendimenti e diplomi #56- Capitolo 5. Il sistema universitario e l'istruzione di terzo livello #74- Capitolo 6. La formazione professionale regionale #94- Capitolo 7. Il diritto allo studio #106- Capitolo 8. L'orientamento #122- Capitolo 9. I diplomati e i qualificati al lavoro #136- Capitolo 10. Gli esiti occupazionali dei laureati #15

Prognostic Factors for Overall Survival In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients: A Multicentric Cohort Study by the Italian CML GIMEMA Network

An observational prospective study was conducted by the CML Italian network to analyze the role of baseline patient characteristics and first line treatments on overall survival and CML-related mortality in 1206 newly diagnosed CML patients, 608 treated with imatinib (IMA) and 598 with 2nd generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (2GTKI). IMA-treated patients were much older (median age 69 years, IQR 58-77) than the 2GTKI group (52, IQR 41-63) and had more comorbidities. Estimated 4-year overall survival of the entire cohort was 89% (95%CI 85.9-91.4). Overall, 73 patients (6.1%) died: 17 (2.8%) in the 2GTKI vs 56 (9.2%) in the IMA cohort (adjusted HR=0.50; 95% CI=0.26-0.94), but no differences were detected for CML-related mortality (10 (1.7%) vs 11 (1.8%) in the 2GTKIs vs IMA cohort (sHR=1.61; 0.52-4.96). The ELTS score was associated to CML mortality (high risk vs low, HR=9.67; 95%CI 2.94-31.74; p<0.001), while age (per year, HR=1.03; 95%CI 1.00-1.06; p=0.064), CCI (4-5 vs 2, HR=5.22; 95%CI 2.56-10.65; p<0.001), ELTS score (high risk vs low, HR=3.11; 95%CI 1.52-6.35, p=0.002) and 2GTKI vs IMA (HR=0.26; 95%CI 0.10-0.65, p=0.004) were associated to an increased risk of non-related CML mortality. The ELTS score showed a better discriminant ability than the Sokal score in all comparisons