19 research outputs found
El cálculo infinitesimal y su historia en la obra de Julio Rey Pastor entre 1921 y 1940
No full textA textbook by Rey Pastor on infinitesimal calculus, from the first to the third
edition, and several related papers by the same author about the history of the calculus
are considered. These works were published at Buenos Aires in the period 1921-
1940. The simultaneous interest of the Spanish-Argentine author on both the mathematical
and the historical work is emphasized, and the first mention of Rey Pastor to
P. Mengoli is analyzed
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C in haemophilic patients with interferon and ribavirin: a meta-analysis.
No full textBackground: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among haemophilic patients who were treated with clotting factor concentrates before the availability of virus-inactivated factors in the mid 1980s. In order to analyse the effect of the current combination anti-HCV treatment [i.e. ribavirin plus interferon (IFN)] in this subset of HCV-infected patients, we performed a systematic review with meta-analysis of the available literature. Methods: The outcome was sustained viral suppression. When trials included for the main predictors two arms (positive and negative), the effect size was described as a comparative index [odds ratio (OR)] and a standard meta-analytical procedure was applied. However, when trials did not report the outcome in separate study arms, the effect size was a non-comparative index (success rate) and comparisons between predictor-positive and -negative studies were performed by meta-regression. Results: Data involving 824 haemophilic HCV-infected patients treated with IFN plus ribavirin were collected from 18 articles (14 prospective cohort studies, 1 retrospective study and 3 randomized controlled trials). The higher rate of sustained viral response was observed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative naive haemophiliacs treated with pegylated-IFN in combination with ribavirin (61%, ranging from 45% for genotype 1 to 79% for non-1 genotypes). Genotype 1 (OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.09-0.25) and co-infection with HIV (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.08-0.81) were strong predictors of worse response to IFN therapy. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis shows that the pattern of response to combination anti-HCV therapy of chronically HCV-infected haemophiliacs is similar to that achieved in the general HCV-infected population. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved
From SHIW to IT-SILC: Construction and Representativeness of the New CAPP_DYN First-Year Population
No full textThis paper describes the construction of the initial population in CAPP_DYN and illustrates the degree of representativeness of the Italian population in 2006. While the previous version of the model was constructed using the Bank of Italy Survey on Household Income and Wealth, the current version is based on the new ISTAT Survey on Income and Living Conditions. The first part of the paper discusses the reasons that led us to this switch. It also provides full details on the operations carried out on the original dataset in order to obtain a sample that can be used as the first year population of the Dynamic Simulation Model. In the second part of the paper, the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the initial population sample are compared with information coming from other sources, such as administrative archives, national accounts and Labour Force Surveys. This exercise is crucial in assessing the capability of CAPP_DYN to represent the population's characteristics at the starting pointDynamic micro-simulation; model validation; income distribution; pensions and social security
The Officina Emilia Initiative:Innovative Local Actions to Support Education and Training Systems
No full textThe issue of the regeneration of skills, in particular in the light engineering industry, is addressed by Officina Emilia (henceforth OE) as a crucial one in order to re-examine the interweaving of education, innovation and local development in the SMEs production systems. The project, aimed at the education and training systems, is designed to enhance the industrial culture in order to strengthen technical and scientific education. First sponsored in 2000 by the University of Modena & Reggio Emilia (Italy), over the last years OE has gathered the support of local actors dealing with the themes of training, culture, and local development. In 2009 it opened its museolaboratorio (“workshop-museum”) in which teaching activities promote an interest in the themes of work, technologies and the socio-economic development of the territory among the students and teachers of schools of all types and levels. The involvement of class groups, of teachers and other visitors takes place through active learning practices that foster motivation and develop a sense of belonging which is likely to lead to a more profitable educational experience, both secondary and tertiary, as well as to contribute to improving career prospects. Officina Emilia proposes innovative action on a local level, allowing for the implementation of effective teaching practices as well as the broadening and consolidation of best practices which might support a society-wide trend towards maintaining a high demand for a better quality of education and the ability to provide it. Ten years after the beginning of the initiative, with this paper we intend to open up the discussion on the various research issues and on the actions undertaken, focusing on the analytical tools and the main critical areas in the further implementation of the Officina Emilia initiative.Analysis of Education; Education Policy; Regional Development Policies; Innovation
Systematic review of the literature and evidence-based recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis in trauma: results from an Italian consensus of experts.
No full textBackgroundAntibiotic prophylaxis is frequently administered in severe trauma. However, the risk of selecting resistant bacteria, a major issue especially in critical care environments, has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of the present study was to provide guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis for four different trauma-related clinical conditions, taking into account the risks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria selection, thus innovating previous guidelines in the field.MethodsThe MEDLINE database was searched for studies comparing antibiotic prophylaxis to controls (placebo or no antibiotic administration) in four clinical traumatic conditions that were selected on the basis of the traumatic event frequency and/or infection severity. The selected studies focused on the prevention of early ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in comatose patients with traumatic brain injury, of meningitis in severe basilar skull fractures, of wound infections in long-bone open fractures. Since no placebo-controlled study was available for deep surgical site-infections prevention in abdominal trauma with enteric contamination, we compared 24-hour and 5-day antibiotic prophylaxis policies. A separate specific research focused on the question of antibiotic-resistant bacteria selection caused by antibiotic prophylaxis, an issue not adequately investigated by the selected studies. Randomised trials, reviews, meta-analyses, observational studies were included. Data extraction was carried out by one author according to a predefined protocol, using an electronic form. The strength of evidence was stratified and recommendations were given according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria.ResultsUncertain evidence deserving further studies was found for two-dose antibiotic prophylaxis for early VAP prevention in comatose patients. In the other cases the risk of resistant-bacteria selection caused by antibiotic administration for 48 hours or more, outweighed potential benefits.ConclusionsWhen accounting for antibiotic-resistant bacteria selection we found no evidence in favour of antibiotic prophylaxis lasting two or more days in the studied clinical conditions
Estimation and Simulation of Earnings in IT-SILC
No full textThis paper describes income distribution among workers in Italy using both the cross-sectional and panel component of IT-SILC. We highlight advantages and drawbacks of different econometric approaches, comparing standard OLS estimates with those obtained from Random Effects and Poisson Maximum Likelihood and assessing whether the results are sensitive to the different specification. Finally, we present the procedure in use in simulating future earnings in CAPP_DYN, the dynamic population-based microsimulation model of the CAPPMicrosimulation; Earnings; Lifetime; Inequality; IT-SILC
A MIQE-Compliant Real-Time PCR Assay for Aspergillus Detection
No full textPMCID: PMC3393739This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Regional Patterns in the Achievement of the Lisbon Strategy: a Comparison Between Polycentric Regions and Monocentric Ones
No full textPolycentrism is a common feature of European urban systems. Lately, the concept has assumed a more normative relevance and it has been often considered as a pre?requisite for a more sustainable and balanced development across Europe. However, the effects of polycentrism on other main European Strategies (such as the Lisbon Strategy, aimed at increasing European competitiveness and social cohesion) are not so clear. Therefore, the paper tries to highlight the relationships between a regional polycentric development and the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy’s targets. Referring to a sample of 75 regions belonging to France, Germany, Italy and Spain, we have first measured the extent of polycentrism, by estimating through OLS the slope of the rank-size distribution of cities within each region. Then, we have performed a principal component analysis (PCA) in order to highlight the main features characterising the performance of each region according to Lisbon Strategy’s targets. Looking at the correlations between the extent of polycentrism and the achievement of the Lisbon Strategy’s targets, we have found that the former is significantly correlated both with the spread of manufacture and with low investments in human capital and innovationthe Lisbon Strategy, polycentrism, rank-size distribution, PCA
Seventeenth-century indivisibles revisited
No full textThe tremendous success of indivisibles methods in geometry in the seventeenth century, responds to a vast project: installation of infinity in mathematics. The pathways by the authors are very diverse, as are the characterizations of indivisibles, but there are significant factors of unity between the various doctrines of indivisible; the permanence of the language used by all authors is the strongest sign. These efforts do not lead to the stabilization of a mathematical theory (with principles or axioms, theorems respecting these first statements, followed by applications to a set of geometric situations), one must nevertheless admire the magnitude of the results obtained by these methods and highlights the rich relationships between them and integral calculus. The present book aims to be exhaustive since it analyzes the works of all major inventors of methods of indivisibles during the seventeenth century, from Kepler to Leibniz. It takes into account the rich existing literature usually devoted to a single author. This book results from the joint work of a team of specialists able to browse through this entire important episode in the history of mathematics and to comment it. The list of authors involved in indivisibles´ field is probably sufficient to realize the richness of this attempt; one meets Kepler, Cavalieri, Galileo, Torricelli, Gregoire de Saint Vincent, Descartes, Roberval, Pascal, Tacquet, Lalouvère, Guldin, Barrow, Mengoli, Wallis, Leibniz, Newton
