Search

This paper presents a part of the research activities performed from 2019 to 2022 in the framework of WP 5.3 “Field campaign” and in particular, the activities “Land urban and extra-urban data measurement campaigns” of the European GRC-MS (Galileo Reference Center – Member States) Project - GSA/GRANT/04/2016.The dynamic data-collection campaigns were conducted by three participating member states (Portugal, Italy, and Romania), in three different environments: aerial, terrestrial, and maritime, respectively.This article presents a comparison of the results obtained for the terrestrial environment, considering the performance of Galileo used in conjunction with other GNSS systems, such as GPS, using different geodetic and navigational multi-constellation and multi-frequency receivers/devices experimental dynamic activities. Starting from the user’s needs and requirements, the experimental setup and the methodology for the estimation of the reference («actual») trajectory are provided. These are complemented by numerical results and reasons for possible performance degradations analyses.The processed rover trajectories and the produced outputs were compared to the reference trajectory obtained from GNSS/INS (INertial System) integrated high-performance solution.Galileo-only and GPS-only solutions, so as multi-system solutions (GPS+Galileo, GPS+GLONASS and GPS+GLONASS+Galileo) were analysed. PVT (Position Velocity Time) solutions were computed using post-processing geodetic interferential techniques.From the performed analyses, some preliminary conclusions relative to the Galileo performances applied to terrestrial urban and extra-urban navigation were derived.These activities need to be continued in the near future, taking into consideration the Galileo constellation improvements and the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) applications in order to improve the offered services and the road safety.

On the occasion of the First World War centennial, GeoSNav Lab (Geodesy and Satellite Navigation Laboratory), Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Italy, in coooperation with Radici&Futuro Association, Trieste, Italy, carried out an educational Project named “Historic Up” involving a group of students from “F. Petrarca” High School of Trieste, Italy. The main goal of the project is to make available to students of Middle and High Schools a set of historical and cultural contents in a simple and immediate way, through the production of a virtual and interactive tour following the event that caused the burst of the First World War: the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia in Sarajevo occurred on June 28, 1914. A set of Google Apps was used, including Google Earth, Maps, Tour Builder, Street View, Gmail, Drive, and Docs. The Authors instructed the students about software and team-working and supported them along the research. After being checked, all the historical and geographic data have been uploaded on a Google Tour Builder to create a sequence of historical checkpoints. Each checkpoint has texts, pictures and videos that connect the tour-users to 1914. Moreover, GeoSNaV Lab researchers produced a KML (Keyhole Markup Language) file, formed by several polylines and points, representing the itinerary of the funeral procession that has been superimposed on ad-hoc georeferenced historical maps. This tour, freely available online, starts with the arrival of the royals, on June 28th 1914, and follows the couple along the events, from the assassination to the burial in Arstetten (Austria), including their passages through Trieste (Italy), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Graz and Wien (Austria).

We conduct a systematic literature review of the academic literature on activities organised by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with the aim of improving skills associated with employability and facilitating labour market outcomes. The search resulted in 87 papers followed by an iterative evaluation of their relevance. Papers in the corpus were analysed using an evaluation research framework and classified in terms of the activities, outputs, and outcomes. The reviewed literature is centred on one of three stakeholders: HEIs, students or employers. It suggests all stakeholders value employability activities for similar reasons. Generally, they are seen as a vital part of HEI education programmes, facilitating the development of diverse skills that are desirable in the labour market as well as de-risking labour market entry for students and appointments for employers by alleviating information asymmetries. The evidence base is dominated by small-scale case studies and evaluations that are not sufficiently robust to infer about causal impacts of employability activities on students' development and labour market outcomes. Moreover, the corpus is skewed towards studies of Work-Related Learning. We set out avenues for future research and argue for a comprehensive evidence base encompassing diverse forms of employability activities, such as larger scale 'embedded employability' activities; a more contextual understanding of employability as an interplay between individual and a particular labour market and education system; and a more robust evidence base tracking students from education into the labour market, allowing for selection effects and identifying heterogeneity of impacts across different activities and demographics.

The US National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) is a computerized, national system for matching residency applicants to programs. Similar systems exist in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and the need for such a program will probably make itself felt in the European Union soon. NRMP is an important laboratory for the ethical challenges that computerized matching programs create, especially its current prohibition of making commitments by both applicants and residency programs. Nonetheless, it would be denial to suppose that commitments are not being made and that there is no dishonesty when commitments are made. We analyze the current NRMP no-commitment policy by reference to Plato's retelling of the myth of the Ring of Gyges, which makes its wearer physically invisible and therefore ethically unaccountable. Because applicants and programs complete their preference-lists in secret, the matching process inadvertently slips a Ring of Gyges on the fingers of both parties. As a result, making false commitments promotes the rational self-interest of both parties. To strengthen the professional integrity of the matching process, we argue that NRMP should abandon its no-commitment policy and adopt a new paradigm: sanctioning honest, non-contingent, accountable, one-party, and documented commitments. Computerized residency matching systems in other countries should consider the NRMP a laboratory and develop policies about making commitments that promote professionalism in the residency application process.

Substance abuse poses significant health risks to childbearing-aged women in the United States and, for those who become pregnant, to their children. Alcohol is the most prevalent substance consumed by childbearing-aged women, followed by tobacco, and a variety of illicit drugs. Substance use in the preconception period predicts substance use during the prenatal period. Evidence-based methods for screening and intervening on harmful consumption patterns of these substances have been developed and are recommended for use in primary care settings for women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or at risk for becoming pregnant. This report describes the scope of substance abuse in the target population and provides recommendations from the Clinical Working Group of the Select Panel on Preconception Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for addressing alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among childbearing-aged women.

A number of infectious diseases should be considered for inclusion as part of clinical preconception care. Those infections strongly recommended for health promotion messages and risk assessment or for the initiation of interventions include Chlamydia infection, syphilis, and HIV. For selected populations, the inclusion of interventions for tuberculosis, gonorrheal infection, and herpes simplex virus are recommended. No clear evidence exists for the specific inclusion in preconception care of hepatitis C, toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, listeriosis, malaria, periodontal disease, and bacterial vaginosis (in those with a previous preterm birth). Some infections that have important consequences during pregnancy, such as bacterial vaginosis (in those with no history of preterm birth), asymptomatic bacteriuria, parvovirus, and group B streptococcus infection, most likely would not be improved through intervention in the preconception time frame.

Many vaccine-preventable diseases have serious consequences for the pregnant mother, the fetus, and the neonate. This article reviews the rationale and impact of including vaccinations as part of preconception care and provides recommendations for clinical care. Vaccinations that are recommended highly in preconception care include the hepatitis B and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines. The role of human papillomavirus, varicella, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccinations as part of preconception care is also discussed.

Scientific evidence indicates that improving a woman's health before pregnancy will improve pregnancy outcomes. However, for many years, our efforts have focused primarily on prenatal care and on caring for infants after birth. The concept of preconception care has been identified repeatedly as a priority for improving maternal and infant health. Preconception care is not something new that is being added to the already overburdened healthcare provider, but it is a part of routine primary care for women of reproductive age. Many opportunities exist for preconception intervention, and much of preconception care involves merely the provider reframing his or her thinking, counseling, and decisions in light of the reproductive plans and sexual and contraceptive practices of the patient. With existing scientific evidence that improving the health of "W"omen will improve the health of mothers and children, we must focus on improving the health of "W"omen before pregnancy and put the "W" in Maternal and Child Health.

Objective: Previous reports have demonstrated that physician counseling can improve rates of breast-feeding initiation and duration but suggest that physicians are ill-prepared for this role. It is unclear whether residency training for pediatricians, obstetrician/gynecologists, and family physicians provides the knowledge and skills necessary for effective breast-feeding promotion., Design: Survey., Participants: A national random sample of 3115 residents and 1920 practicing physicians in pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, and family medicine., Outcomes: Assessment of breast-feeding knowledge, attitudes, training, and experience., Results: Overall response rate was 68%. All groups demonstrated significant deficits in knowledge of breast-feeding benefits and clinical management; for example, less than 50% of residents chose appropriate clinical management for a breast-fed jaundiced infant or a breast abscess. Practicing physicians performed slightly better, but still more than 30% chose incorrect advice for mothers with low milk supply. Residents reported that their breast-feeding instruction consisted mainly of didactic lecture, not patient experience. Only 55% of senior residents recalled even one instance of precepting related to breast-feeding, and less than 20% had demonstrated breast-feeding techniques at least five times during residency. Regarding preparation for breast-feeding counseling, more than 50% of all practicing physicians rated their residency training as inadequate. Overall, physician involvement in breast-feeding promotion was endorsed by 90% of respondents, yet only half rated themselves as effective in counseling breast-feeding patients. The greatest predictor of physician self-confidence was previous personal or spousal breast-feeding experience., Conclusions: In this national sample of residents and practicing physicians in three specialties, physicians were ill-prepared to counsel breast-feeding mothers. Deliberate efforts must be made to incorporate clinically based breast-feeding training into residency programs and continuing education workshops to better prepare physicians for their role in breast-feeding promotion.

A prospective, nonrandomized controlled study was performed to determine the effect of using midline episiotomy only for mothers who experienced fetal distress and/or operative vaginal delivery. Such a policy resulted in a significant decline in third- and fourth-degree lacerations in nulliparous women. This reduction was most pronounced in nulliparous women delivering infants larger than 3400 g. No third- or fourth-degree laceration occurred without antecedent episiotomy in any woman. A policy of using episiotomy selectively appears to lower the incidence of perineal trauma.

Documented disseminated infection with herpes simplex virus has been reported only five times in pregnancy. All cases have been severe and demonstrated common clinical features, including hepatitis and adenopathy. These reports are reviewed and two new cases added. Dissemination is undoubtedly more common, and commonly less dramatic in presentation then previously suspected. Hepatocellular dysfunction and generalized adenopathy should be clues to dissemination. Dissemination has occurred only in the second half of pregnancy, and even with infected amniotic fluid, has not always resulted in an infected infant. Transplacental maternal IGG has been documented, but is not protective, though newer antiviral drugs do show therapeutic potential. The clinician should be aware of the possibility of dissemination in any patient with oral or genital herpes and generalized signs or symptoms of disease.