130,412 research outputs found
ICT for Social Inclusion and Equal Opportunities: CETI-D, an e-Governance Good Practice in Brazil
No full textIn this chapter we discuss a Knowledge Economy based approach to the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PwD) that, different from the traditional “assistance” model, considers PwD as active and valuable members of the present Knowledge Society, to be included in the active workforce. This approach will be discussed with reference to a specific operational case study concerning the establishment of the Center of Excellence for Technology and Innovation in Favor of Persons with Disabilities (CETI-D) conceived by Fondazione Rosselli Americas and being implemented by the State of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
In the first section of the chapter we discuss the problem of the inclusion of PwD as a further aspect of the digital divide phenomenon. In the second section the principles of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are presented and some international best practices concerning the social inclusion of PwD are introduced. In the third section we discuss the CETI-D initiative, with the aim of showing how ICT can represent a powerful tool for social and economic inclusion. Finally, in the fourth section we discuss the conditions under which the experience of the CETI-D can be replicated in other countries, with a specific focus on less developed countries
The structuring of a wireless internet application for a music-on-demand service on UMTS devices
No full textDeveloping enhanced wireless Internet applications is becoming one of the upcoming challenges for mobile radio networks operators. In this paper we introduce and discuss the general software architecture of a wireless Internet-based application we have designed and implemented to support the distribution of Mp3-based musical songs to UMTS devices. We have examined the effects that Internet traffic has on the performance of wireless UMTS networks, due to the distribution of Mp3 files by means of our wireless application. The download time measurements we have experimentally obtained have shown that an appropriate structuring of the Internet-based wireless application may be very helpful to surmount the problems caused by the Internet standard protocols which were not especially designed for wireless environments
Bifurcated bypass in severe chronic limb threatening ischaemia
No full textObjectives: Revascularization according to the angiosome concept is of proven importance for limb salvage in chronic limb threatening ischaemia but it is not always practicable. Bifurcated bypasses could be considered as an option when an endovascular approach is not feasible or has already failed and a single bypass would not allow direct revascularization of the ischaemic area. Bifurcated bypasses are characterized by landing on two different arteries, the main artery (in direct continuity with the foot vessels) and the secondary one (perfusing the angiosome district). The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of bifurcated bypass in chronic limb threatening ischaemia. Methods: Thirty-five patients were consecutively treated with a bifurcated bypass for chronic limb threatening ischaemia from January 2014 to December 2019 in a single vascular surgery centre. Data from clinical records and operative registers were collected prospectively in an electronic database and retrospectively analysed. Primary and primary assisted bypass patency, amputation-free survival, morbidity and mortality rates at 12 and 24 months were analysed. Results: Mean follow-up period was 25.1 months (range 2–72 months). Thirty-six bifurcated bypasses were performed on 35 patients (age 75.3 ± 7.2 years; 69.4% were male). According to Wound, Ischemia, foot Infection classification 22.2% belonged to stage 3 and 77.8% to stage 4 and the mean Rutherford’s class was 5.1 ± 0.7. Immediate technical success was 100%. Early mortality and morbidity rates were respectively 5.5%, and 33.3%; foot surgery was performed in 50% of cases with wound healing in all patients. Primary patency and primary assisted bypass patency were 96.7% and 100% at 6 months; 85.2% and 92% at 12 months, 59.9% and 73.4% at 24 months, respectively. Amputation-free survival at 12 and 24 months was, respectively, 95.6% and 78.8%. Overall survival rates at 12 and 24 months were respectively 94.4% and 91.6%. Conclusions: Bifurcates bypass can provide good results in patients with chronic limb threatening ischaemia without endovascular option, especially in diabetic ones. Bifurcated bypass is a complex surgical solution, both to be planned and performed, and it is quite invasive for frail patients that should be accurately selected
MeSH term explosion and author rank improve expert recommendations
No full textInformation overload is an often-cited phenomenon that reduces the productivity, efficiency and efficacy of scientists. One challenge for scientists is to find appropriate collaborators in their research. The literature describes various solutions to the problem of expertise location, but most current approaches do not appear to be very suitable for expert recommendations in biomedical research. In this study, we present the development and initial evaluation of a vector space model-based algorithm to calculate researcher similarity using four inputs: 1) MeSH terms of publications; 2) MeSH terms and author rank; 3) exploded MeSH terms; and 4) exploded MeSH terms and author rank. We developed and evaluated the algorithm using a data set of 17,525 authors and their 22,542 papers. On average, our algorithms correctly predicted 2.5 of the top 5/10 coauthors of individual scientists. Exploded MeSH and author rank outperformed all other algorithms in accuracy, followed closely by MeSH and author rank. Our results show that the accuracy of MeSH term-based matching can be enhanced with other metadata such as author rank
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Autologous skin grafting in the treatment of severe scleroderma cutaneous ulcers: a case report
No full textThe result of treatment of scleroderma cutaneous ulcers is often discouraging; moreover, this complication may severely reduce the quality of life of SSc patients. The frequent concomitance of arterial and venous deficiency in the pathogenesis of leg ulcers in SSc, needing a combined (surgical and grafting) therapeutic approach, should also be taken into account. The complete, rapid recovery of malleolar ulcers observed with autograft system using Hyalograft 3D and Laserskinests suggests that this novel technology, which has been employed successfully in skin lesions of different aetiology, can also be used in refractory scleroderma skin ulcers
"Closing the R&D Gap, Evaluating the Sources of R&D Spending"
No full textBoth spending and tax policies have been implemented in the United States with the goal of stimulating private sector research and development (R&D). Karier questions whether current R&D policy, especially the research and experimentation tax credit, can contribute to closing the gap between nondefense expenditures on R&D in the United States and such expenditures in other countries, such as Japan and Germany. He also explores possible changes to our current R&D policy to make it more effective.
“7 days for my health” A new tool to evaluate kids’ lifestyle
No full textThe aim of this study is to test the efficacy of a method designed to follow nutritional and lifestyle conditions in
children and their parents. A survey was carried out on 557 elementary students (aged 6-11) of Calderara di Reno (Italy).
We analysed children body composition, dietary habits and lifestyle together with parent’s anthropometric parameters and
lifestyle habits. Subdivision of subjects in weight classes. The influence of the body weight distributions of mother on children
is highly significant. We concluded that this diary “7 day for my health” represents a good approach to reveal the
incidence of obesity in children
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