University Of Molise Research Articles

Developing feedback literacy in initial teacher education: Results from an investigation

This survey, which involved 258 students of the Primary Education Sciences degree course at the University of Molise, intends to examine the effects of feedback literacy activities in supporting student learning. With this purpose, a qualitative analysis of the reflective narratives contained in the e-portfolios produced by the students during the lessons was conducted. The results demonstrate a particular utility of peer feedback activities in increasing forms of self-assessment and autonomous review of the work performed.

A genetic algorithm for the close-enough traveling salesman problem with application to solar panels diagnostic reconnaissance

This paper addresses a variant of the classical Traveling Salesman Problem known as Close-Enough Traveling Salesman Problem . In this problem, there is a set of nodes (customers, targets), each of them associated with a region, denoted as neighborhood, that contains it. The goal is to determine the shortest tour that visits all the nodes, where a node is visited when the tour traverses or reaches the region associated with the node. We propose a genetic algorithm (GA), which uses several strategies to optimize the tour, such as 2opt, second-order cone programming, and a bisection algorithm. The proposed approach is tested on 62 benchmark instances. The results show that GA produces better or similar solutions compared to the ones produced by state-of-the-art algorithms in a reasonable computing time. Besides, GA found 32 new best solutions out of 62 instances. Furthermore, we propose different metrics to classify problem instances with the goal of detecting which problem characteristics have a larger impact on the difficulty of solving the problem. We also revised the already proposed metric, called Overlap Ratio, and correct its calculation done in previous contributions. Finally, we present a case study related to the diagnostic reconnaissance of solar panels. The case study is related to a research project developed at the University of Molise in collaboration with private IT companies. We show that the problem under study is properly modeled as a Close-Enough Traveling Salesman Problem and apply the GA to solve it, focusing on the benefits obtained by applying this solution approach.

Effect of production system on fatty acid composition in subcutaneous adipose tissue of Ile de France lambs

Effect of production system on fatty acid composition in subcutaneous adipose tissue of Ile de France lambs

Is climate change the next pandemic for dermatology? Lessons from COVID ‐19

Dermatologic TherapyVolume 33, Issue 4 e13682 Letter Is climate change the next pandemic for dermatology? Lessons from COVID-19 Cataldo Patruno, Cataldo Patruno Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorSteven Paul Nisticò, Steven Paul Nisticò Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorGabriella Fabbrocini, Gabriella Fabbrocini orcid.org/0000-0002-0064-1874 Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMaddalena Napolitano, Corresponding Author Maddalena Napolitano maddy.napolitano@gmail.com orcid.org/0000-0003-3309-8190 Department of Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy Correspondence Maddalena Napolitano, Department of Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Email: maddy.napolitano@gmail.comSearch for more papers by this author Cataldo Patruno, Cataldo Patruno Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorSteven Paul Nisticò, Steven Paul Nisticò Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorGabriella Fabbrocini, Gabriella Fabbrocini orcid.org/0000-0002-0064-1874 Section of Dermatology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorMaddalena Napolitano, Corresponding Author Maddalena Napolitano maddy.napolitano@gmail.com orcid.org/0000-0003-3309-8190 Department of Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy Correspondence Maddalena Napolitano, Department of Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Email: maddy.napolitano@gmail.comSearch for more papers by this author First published: 24 May 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.13682Citations: 4Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume33, Issue4July/August 2020e13682 This article also appears in:Dermatologic Therapy COVID-19 Articles RelatedInformation

Content Teachers’ Perspectives from a CLIL Methodology Training Course

The purpose of this study is to explore upper secondary teachers’ perceptions, attitudes, and needs regarding a CLIL methodology teacher training course offered by the Language Centre of the University of Molise in the year 2017-2018. To this end, multiple sources of evidence were gathered from e-questionnaires and observations. The findings point to the need to strengthen training in the areas of micro-teaching and teaching practice and to the importance of practice observation, especially from more experienced CLIL teachers. In this respect, the study suggests to consider a more extensive usage of on-line teaching environments where additional support and valuable resources can be provided throughout the course.

The impact of weather data sources on building energy retrofit design: case study in heating-dominated climate of Italian backcountry

ABSTRACTThis study proposes a replicable approach for evaluating the impact of different weather data sources during the building refurbishment. Starting from a deep energy diagnosis, the numerical model is calibrated by using the weather data and the energy billings of the same year. Then, the performance gap is evaluated due to the adoption of conventional or new weather files defined with data recently monitored in areas with different levels of urbanization. The final step is a sensitivity analysis on the energy, environmental and economic indexes for the refurbishment interventions. The proposed approach is applied to the student dormitory of the University of Molise, located in Campobasso, a city of south Italy with oceanic climate according to Köppen classification. The results highlight significant deviations on the estimated energy consumption as well as on the energetic and environmental indexes of the refurbishment design. Instead, the impact on the economic index is quite limited.HighlightsThe weather data of rural and urban stations are compared with typical weather files.The UHI effect in heating-dominated climate in central Italy is proved.The mathematical relation between HDD/CCD and weather data evolution is found.The impact of different weather files on building energy performance prevision is studied.Inaccuracies in energy saving, environmental and economic indexes are quantified.

L’autovalutazione degli studenti nei processi di miglioramento dei Corsi di Studio

As part of the self-assessment activities of Primary Education course at University of Molise, in order to acquire further data beyond those usually available and reduce the degree of self-reference, they were associated with students in the last year of the study path and graduates (teachers), through the administration of a questionnaire aimed at detecting the degree of skills acquired in the various disciplinary fields, identified in the SUA of the CdS as learning objectives. The quantitative analysis of the surveyed data has identified to identify, for each disciplinary area of the course, the level of acquisition of competences, as perceived by undergraduates and teachers; has allowed, determined, to undertake specific improvement actions both in the areas found critical and in those where the interviewees perceive themselves on average more competent. In the latter case, attention was paid to learning objectives that may no longer be useful to the actual needs of the course of study. The research experience carried out, involved at the same time, a contribution to the improvement of the specific course of study but also a useful practice for those who consider the self-evaluation process a mere administrative and bureaucratic fulfillment.

Phase Change Materials for Reducing Cooling Energy Demand and Improving Indoor Comfort: A Step-by-Step Retrofit of a Mediterranean Educational Building

The present work concerns the energy retrofit of a public educational building at the University of Molise, located in Termoli, South Italy. The study provides a comparison of the results obtained by different dynamic simulations of passive strategies to improve thermal comfort and energy behavior of the building during the summer regime. Firstly, the building model was calibrated against historical consumption data. Then, a subsequent step involves the technical-economic analysis, by means of building performance simulations, of energy upgrading scenarios, specifically, cool roof and green roof technologies for the horizontal opaque envelope and thermal insulation, vented façade, and phase change materials’ applications for the vertical opaque envelope. Improving the indoor thermal comfort and reducing the thermal energy demand during summertime through innovative solutions will be the primary objective of the present study. The energy efficiency measures are compared from the energy, emissions, costs, and indoor comfort points of view. Phase Change Materials applied to the inner side of the external walls are analyzed in depth and, by varying their melting temperature, optimization of design is performed too. This innovative material, with a melting temperature of 23 °C and a freezing temperature of 21 °C, determines the reduction of summer energy consumption of 11.7% and the increase of summer indoor comfort of 215 h. Even if consolidated, other solutions, like the cool roof, green roof, thermal insulation, and vented façade induce improvements in terms of summer energy saving, and the percentage difference compared to the basic building is less than 2%. For this case study, a Mediterranean building, with construction characteristics typical of the 1990s, traditional passive technologies are not very efficient in improving the energy performance, so the investigation focused on the adoption of innovative solutions such as PCMs, for reducing summer energy demand and improving indoor thermal comfort.

Peer assessment and gamification: a university teaching experience in a course of Media Education

Attention towards university teaching is growing, also as a result of the evaluation procedures aimed at the Italian university system. In this context, the experience of the course of Media Education and digital literacy activated during the degree course in Communication Sciences at the University of Molise is presented. Given the need to acquire not only knowledge but digital literacy, students were asked to create digital products using a dual methodological approach: gamification and peer evaluation. The gamification has allowed to conceive the activities of the course as a series of challenges to which to give a timely response, as documented by the blog of the course https://ilblogcialafebbre.blogspot.com/. The peer assessment allowed to increase the interactions among the students, pushing to forms of analysis and comparison that have had positive repercussions on the realized digital products. In evaluating the overall experience, despite the difficulty in interpreting the available data, the perspective of linking the gamification processes to the creation of assessment rubrics is affirmed

Energy refurbishment of a University building in cold Italian backcountry. Part 2: Sensitivity studies and optimization

The first part of this study provided a discussion about the methodological approach for designing energy refurbishment measures of buildings. The case study is a building owned by University of Molise, in Campobasso, a cold Italian city. The reference scenario is a numerical model built after deep investigations, and thus surveys, questionnaires, documents and experimental measurements on the real building. Then, a calibrated energy model was presented. In this second part, starting from the calibrated model, some energy retrofit measures have been implemented. The obtained results allow to discuss two key points for researches in matter of energy refurbishment of buildings: a) the importance of using validated models to simulate the present performance; b) the environmental benefits and the economic implications of a deep energy refurbishment.

A LEGAL REVIEW OF ITALIAN MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL EDUCATION

The aim of this work is to repeat in another european scientific context an overview of intercultural education in Italian school starting from the legal perspectives. Unlike Italy, in many European countries, since the middle of the 900, the issue of interculturality, in field of education, has become a real emergency. In this perspective, the Council of Europe and UNESCO, in the Eighties of the last century, have focused their attention on this issue by adopting various pronouncements and recommendations. In Italy, however, the National Council of Education (CNPI) has ruled in favor of intercultural education much later – by means of different standards and ministerial circulars that have treated this issue explicitly – and only recently has defined a national model of intercultural integration in the school. The Molise, as region with special characteristics, is trying to find its own model of integration through a research called Plism entrusted by the Region at the University of Molise.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Sustainable Agriculture Research, Vol. 6, No. 2

Sustainable Agriculture Research wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Their help and contributions in maintaining the quality of the journal are greatly appreciated.Sustainable Agriculture Research is recruiting reviewers for the journal. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, we welcome you to join us. Please find the application form and details at http://www.ccsenet.org/reviewer and e-mail the completed application form to sar@ccsenet.org. Reviewers for Volume 6, Number 2Aftab Alam, Vice President Agriculture (R&D), Edenworks Inc. New York, United StatesAhmed Ghannam, University of Strasbourg, FranceAnchal Dass, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), IndiaBed Mani Dahal, Kathmandu University, NepalBernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima, University of Dschang, CameroonBeye Amadou Moustapha, Rice Research Center, Cote d'IvoireDariusz Kulus, University of Technology and Life Sciences, PolandGunnar Bengtsson, SwedenInder Pal Singh, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU), IndiaJoanna Henryks, University of Canberra, AustraliaJose Antonio Alburquerque, Spanish National Research Council (CEBAS-CSIC), SpainJunjie Xu, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, United StatesKatarzyna Panasiewicz, Pozna? University of Life Sciences, Department of Agronomy, PolandManuel Teles Oliveira, University Tras os Montes Alto Douro (UTAD), PortugalMohammad Valipour, Payame Noor University, IranRam Niwas, District Institute of Rural Development, IndiaShengfei Zhou, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United StatesSilviu Beciu, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest, RomaniaStefano Marino, University of Molise, ItalyVishwambhar Prasad Sati, Government KRG Post Graduate College, India

From the experience of LIFE+ ManFor C.BD to the Manual of Best Practices in Sustainable Forest Management

This volume should be interpreted as a manual of best practices for sustainable forest management deriving from the experience of the project LIFE09ENV/IT/000078 ManFor C.BD coordinated by the National Research Council through the Institute of Agro-environmental and Forest Biology (CNR-IBAF). The other Project partners are: the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), the University of Molise (UNIMOL), the Slovenian Forestry Institute (SFI) and the regions of Veneto and Molise. In addition, the National Centre for Forest Biodiversity of Verona and the Regional Office to biodiversity of Castel di Sangro of the Italian National Forest Service (CFS), as well as the Slovenian Forest Service (SFS) collaborated to the project. This manual consists of several individual articles dealing with specific issues related to the project. These articles are conceptually organized into five categories that from the description of the project and of its activities arrive at providing operative indications for forestry operators.

The Mesothalassia Bike‐Tour: (Re)Discovering Water by Riding With Scientists

The Mesothalassia Bike‐Tour: (Re)Discovering Water by Riding With Scientists

Effectiveness of the Association N-Palmitoylethanolamine and Transpolydatin in the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea

Study ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the combination of N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) and transpolydatin vs placebo in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in adolescents and young women. Design, Setting, and ParticipantsRandomized treatment and follow-up of 220 cases of primary dysmenorrhea in the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Molise, Italy. MethodsBetween February 2013 and February 2014, we treated 220 young women aged 16 to 24 years who had primary dysmenorrhea: 110 patients were treated with the oral combination of PEA-transpolydatin: 400 mg + 40 mg (1 tablet a day for 10 days from the 24th day of cycle) and 110 patients with placebo (1 tablet a day for 10 days from the 24th day of cycle). A follow-up was performed after treatment, and all girls were seen at this time. A 10-point visual analog scale was used to measure the improvement of pelvic pain. For categorical variables, the χ2 test and analysis of variance were performed to value the significance of differences between groups. A value of P < .05 was considered statistically significant. ResultsAn improvement of pelvic pain was seen in 98.18% (95% confidence interval 97.64% to 98.60%) of cases in group 1 vs 56.36% (95% confidence interval 48.62% to 63.81%) in group 2 (P < .001). The combination of PEA and transpolydatin was more effective than placebo (P < .001). ConclusionThe combination of PEA and transpolydatin shows promise as a valid adjuvant therapy in the medical treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in adolescents and young women.

Anti-TNF therapy for juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related uveitis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related uveitis is the most common type of uveitis in childhood and one of the main causes of visual impairment in children. The introduction of biological treatment has widened the range of therapeutic options for children with uveitis refractory to standard nonbiologic immunosuppressants. Data from clinical trials suggest that both adalimumab and infliximab have demonstrated effectiveness and safety in open-label studies, although no large, randomized, controlled trials have been reported so far. The role of etanercept in treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related uveitis is not yet well defined. In our experience, anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy has been shown to be more effective than steroids and/or methotrexate in treating uveitis. Up to now, tumor necrosis factor blocking compounds have been reserved for the treatment of the most severe cases of refractory uveitis, and larger prospective clinical trials are required in order to better assess the safety of these new compounds.

Cardiovascular Risk and Mild Thyroid Hormone Deficiency: Are there some Differences in the Elderly?

Giuseppe Pasqualetti1, Gennaro Pagano2,3* and Fabio Monzani1 1Geriatrics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy 2Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy 3Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy *Corresponding author: Fabio Monzani, MDGeriatrics Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaVia Paradisa, 56100 – Pisa, Italy, Tel: +39 050 997363; Fax: +39 050 997549; E-mail: fabio.monzani@med.unipi.it

Vulvo-vaginitis in Prepubertal Girls: New Ways of Administering Old Drugs

Study ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of local vs systemic antibiotic treatment in the management of recurrent vulvovaginitis in children. DesignRandomized treatment and follow-up of 90 cases of persistent vulvovaginitis. SettingThe Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Molise, Italy. MethodsBetween January 2009 and December 2012, 90 prepubertal girls (Tanner Stage I) aged 6–12 years, with recurrent discharge not responding to common hygienic measures and not suspected of being sexually abused, were treated, 45 patients with oral antibiotic treatment (group 1) and 45 patients with a local antibiotic treatment (group 2). Vaginal cultures were prepared before treatment and follow-ups were made after 3 months. ResultsBacterial pathogens were isolated in vaginal secretions of 84/90 (93%) girls. There were 6 girls receiving antibiotic treatment who had persistent discharge and repetitive isolations of Escherichia coli. Administration type was selected at random. Symptoms and signs were resolved in all girls, but we observed 1 recurrence (2.22%) in group 2 vs 6 recurrences (13.33%) in group 1 (P = .049). In group 1 we observed 3 cases (6.67%) of gastro-intestinal side effects vs no cases in group 2 (P = .079). ConclusionTopical medication based on netilmicin, associated with Benzalkonium-Chloride, showed a clinical and microbiological effectiveness in first-line treatment of bacterial vulvovaginitis in children, comparable to conventional drugs; so local treatment may be a good alternative to systemic treatment decreasing the use of oral antibiotics in young people and related risks of bacterial resistances.

Aflibercept in wet AMD: specific role and optimal use

BackgroundVascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a naturally occurring glycoprotein in the body that acts as a growth factor for endothelial cells. It regulates angiogenesis, enhances vascular permeability, and plays a major role in wet age-related macular degeneration. The consistent association between choroidal neovascularization and increased VEGF expression provides a strong reason for exploring the therapeutic potential of anti-VEGF agents in the treatment of this disorder. Blockade of VEGF activity is currently the most effective strategy for arresting choroidal angiogenesis and reducing vascular permeability, which is frequently the main cause of visual acuity deterioration. In recent years, a number of other molecules have been developed to increase the efficacy and to prolong the durability of the anti-VEGF effect. Aflibercept (EYLEA®; Regeneron Pharmaceutical Inc and Bayer), also named VEGF Trap-eye, is the most recent member of the anti-VEGF armamentarium that was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in November 2011. Because of its high binding affinity and long duration of action, this drug is considered to be a promising clinically proven anti-VEGF agent for the treatment of wet maculopathy.ObjectiveThis article reviews the current literature and clinical trial data regarding the efficacy and the pharmacological properties of VEGF-Trap eye and describes the possible advantages of its use over the currently used “older” anti-VEGF drugs.MethodsFor this review, a search of PubMed from January 1989 to May 2013 was performed using the following terms (or combination of terms): vascular endothelial growth factors, VEGF, age-related macular degeneration, VEGF-Trap eye in wet AMD, VEGF-Trap eye in diabetic retinopathy, VEGF-Trap eye in retinal vein occlusions, aflibercept. Studies were limited to those published in English.Results and conclusionTwo Phase III clinical trials, VEGF Trap-eye Investigation of Efficacy and Safety in Wet AMD (VIEW) 1 and 2, comparing VEGF Trap-eye to ranibizumab demonstrated the noninferiority of this novel compound. The clinical equivalence of this compound against ranibizumab is maintained even when the injections are administered at 8-week intervals, which indicates the potential to reduce the risk of monthly intravitreal injections and the burden of monthly monitoring.

English

Introduction Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is widely used as a non-invasive method to assess endothelial function. Vascular endothelium is a biological interface between blood and vessel wall and has a crucial role in vascular homeostasis. The endothelium is a large paracrine organ that secretes numerous factors regulating vasomotor function, cell growth, platelet and leukocyte interactions, inflammatory responses and thrombosis. It responds to various internal and external stimuli, through cell membrane receptors and signal transduction mechanisms, with numerous vasoactive substances released, including prostacyclins, endothelins, endothelial cell growth factors, interleukins, plasminogen inhibitors and nitric oxide (NO). In particular, NO is one of the most important molecules for its role as a vasodilator factor, inhibitor of inflammatory activity, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and platelet adhesion and aggregation. Classic and non-classic atherosclerotic risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking habit, obesity, dyslipidemia and systemic inflammation could lead to endothelial dysfunction and accelerated atherosclerosis. Chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases have been associated with decreased endothelial function and accelerated atherosclerosis. This paper briefly reviews the role of FMD as a surrogate marker of endothelial function in rheumatic diseases. Conclusion FMD is a useful marker of endothelial function in chronic rheumatoid disease, but many factors can affect FMD assessment, and so further studies are needed to increase our understanding. Introduction Vessel homeostasis is determined by a balance between vasoconstrictor, vasodilator, proaggregating and antiaggregating molecules. Stimuli that alter vessel homeostasis can induce an altered endothelial function. This pathophysiological condition is associated with activated phenotype of endothelial cells, leading to increased expression of adhesion molecules, proinflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and interferon (IFN) gamma and prothrombotic factors. This process results in oxidative stress up-regulation, loss of vasodilatory ability and promotion of thrombosis, inflammation and cellular proliferation1. Several studies demonstrated that endothelial dysfunction plays a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, promotes early atherosclerotic changes and is predictive for the development of cardiovascular events2,3. Thus, assessment of endothelium function, in the preclinical stage of atherosclerosis with non-invasive approaches, may serve as a valuable measure to be counted in the follow-up of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Among different methods, the assessment of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) is one of the most used4. FMD depends on endothelium production of vasodilator molecules including nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin. Assessment of FMD is based on the reactive hyperaemia phenomenon that occurs when arterial blood flow is restored after a period of transient arterial occlusion5. Increased blood flow determines an enhancement in shear stress on the vessel wall that stimulates the release of NO5,6. Endothelial cell membrane contains calcium-activated potassium channels that open in response to shear stress. Potassium entrance hyperpolarizes the cell and increases calcium entry with activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)7. FMD response is characteristically presented as a change in arterial baseline diameter after hyperaemia induced by applying sphygmomanometer cuff inflated to a pressure 25–50 mmHg above systolic arterial pressure. Usually, brachial artery can be assessed for its accessibility4 (Figures 1–3). * Corresponding author Email: a.spadaro.reuma@virgilio.it 1 Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialita Mediche – UOC Reumatologia Sapienza – University of Rome, Italy 2 Dipartimento di Medicina e di Scienze per la Salute, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy Figure 1: FMD execution technique: US probe was applied on the patient’s forearm to detect brachial artery.