Construcción de ciudadanía en los jóvenes de los sectores desaventajados

El Proyecto aborda a partir de estudios de casos las problemáticas vinculadas al ejercicio de la ciudadanía a partir del fortalecimiento de los recursos humanos de las organizaciones territoriales. Uno de los sectores objeto de las prácticas policiales abusivas, discriminatorias y violentas son los jóvenes de barrios pobres. A través de éstas prácticas, muchas veces naturalizadas, no sólo se vulneran derechos, sino que se los va despojando de las referencias jurídicas para que puedan hacer valer sus derechos. En el marco del Proyecto, se están realizando una serie de talleres semanales conjuntamente con el Colectivo Juguetes Perdidos y en los que participan alrededor de 18 jóvenes. La realización de talleres supone: desnaturalizar las prácticas policiales, identificarlas como rutinas sistemáticas a través de las cuales se práctica, el despojo de derechos y referenciar a las organizaciones sociales del barrio como instituciones susceptibles de agregar esos problemas y representar a los jóvenes en los conflictos que tienen con las agencias policiales. Asimismo, emprendemos la articulación entre la Universidad y los sectores populares mediante la transferencia y construcción colectiva de conocimientos por medio de estrategias de comunicación y educación popular. Dicha labor se encuentra llevando a cabo con la realización de un taller semanal en la que todos los integrantes participan activamente de las actividades planificadas con el propósito de establecer lazos de confianza para que los participantes relaten sus experiencias, discutan sobre las distintas interpretaciones de las temáticas y problemáticas y analicen sus distintas posibilidades. En éste sentido, la estrategia se basa en tomar los saberes previos de los participantes a través de sus propios discursos. Por otro lado, el producto de éste trabajo se orienta a la realización de un cortometraje en el que se adviertan estrategias frente a situaciones abusivas, discriminatorias y violentas. Finalmente, quisiéramos destacar que nuestra intervención y experiencia se encuentra articulada con la organización cultural Juguetes Perdidos, desarrollándose en Don Orione, uno de los barrios monoblocks más importante del sudoeste del Conurbano Bonaerense, situado en el Partido de Almirante Brown, en el que alberga casi ochenta mil personas

Italian hospitals on the web: a cross-sectional analysis of official websites

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although the use of the Internet for health purposes has increased steadily in the last decade, only a few studies have explored the information provided by the websites of health institutions and no studies on the on-line activities of Italian hospitals have been performed to date. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of the contents and the user-orientation of Italian hospital websites.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The cross-sectional analysis considered all the Italian hospitals with a working website between December 2008 and February 2009. The websites were coded using an <it>ad hoc </it>Codebook, comprising eighty-nine items divided into five sections: technical characteristics, hospital information and facilities, medical services, interactive on-line services and external activities. We calculated a website evaluation score, on the basis of the items satisfied, to compare private (PrHs) and public hospitals, the latter divided into ones with their own website (PubHs-1) and ones with a section on the website of their Local Health Authority (PubHs-2). Lastly, a descriptive analysis of each item was carried out.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Out of the 1265 hospitals in Italy, we found that 419 of the 652 public hospitals (64.3%) and 344 of the 613 PrHs (56.1%) had a working website (p = 0.01). The mean website evaluation score was 41.9 for PubHs-1, 21.2 for PubHs-2 and 30.8 for PrHs (p < 0.001).</p> <p>Only 5 hospitals out of 763 (< 1%) provided specific clinical performance indicators, such as the nosocomial infection rate or the surgical mortality rates. Regarding interactive on-line services, although nearly 80% of both public and private hospitals enabled users to communicate on-line, less than 18% allowed the reservation of medical services, and only 8 websites (1%) provided a health-care forum.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A high percentage of hospitals did not provide an official website and the majority of the websites found had several limitations. Very few hospitals provided information to increase the credibility of the hospital and user confidence in the institution. This study suggests that Italian hospital websites are more a source of information on admissions and services than a means of communication between user and hospital.</p

Cholera- and Anthrax-Like Toxins Are among Several New ADP-Ribosyltransferases

Chelt, a cholera-like toxin from Vibrio cholerae, and Certhrax, an anthrax-like toxin from Bacillus cereus, are among six new bacterial protein toxins we identified and characterized using in silico and cell-based techniques. We also uncovered medically relevant toxins from Mycobacterium avium and Enterococcus faecalis. We found agriculturally relevant toxins in Photorhabdus luminescens and Vibrio splendidus. These toxins belong to the ADP-ribosyltransferase family that has conserved structure despite low sequence identity. Therefore, our search for new toxins combined fold recognition with rules for filtering sequences – including a primary sequence pattern – to reduce reliance on sequence identity and identify toxins using structure. We used computers to build models and analyzed each new toxin to understand features including: structure, secretion, cell entry, activation, NAD+ substrate binding, intracellular target binding and the reaction mechanism. We confirmed activity using a yeast growth test. In this era where an expanding protein structure library complements abundant protein sequence data – and we need high-throughput validation – our approach provides insight into the newest toxin ADP-ribosyltransferases

Use of information systems for managing healthcare services in a long-term care facility

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a patient data management information system in a long-term care facility in Brescia (Italy). A survey was conducted among the facility's nursing staff to investigate work organization and identify critical areas that could be improved through the implementation of an information system. A specific patient data management system was then developed and performance indicators were identified. Performance indicators were measured before implementation and then at 6 and 30 months. Managing daily patient healthcare through the use of an information system has allowed an improvement of the appropriateness and quality of care, as well as improved efficiency by saving valuable nursing time

Spectroscopic classification of 14 different microalgae species: a first steps towards spectroscopic measurement of phytoplankton diversity

Background: Phytoplankton species composition and abundance may reflect the nutritional status of aquatic environments. Species-specific spectral signatures and spectral features dependent on the nutritional status of cells can be derived by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy. Aims: This study uses analytical methods to objectively and automatically identify microalga species and their environmen- tal conditions based on FTIR data. Methods: Fourteen species and two growth regimes were used for this study. Each of these species–nutrient combinations constituted a ‘class’. The assignment of a sample to a class was based on the similarity of its FTIR spectrum to known class members, derived from correlation coefficients. To assess to what extent classes could be discriminated and how reliable this discrimination was, each spectrum was correlated with all others. The unknown was assigned to all classes with whose members it had a high similarity. Results: Correct classifications were achieved in >90% cases. Subsequently, an unambiguous classification was performed by assigning an unknown to the class with which it had the highest similarity. Use of derivative spectra for baseline shifts removal increased the success percentage to 94. Conclusions: Chemometric methods applied to FTIR spectra of microalgae allow to discriminate species and nutritional conditions to which the cells had been exposed