Knowledge Management in Locating the Patient in an Emergency Medical Service in Italy

This study examines an Emergency Medical Service in order to analyze the composite set of activities and instruments directed at locating the patient. The good management of information about the location of the emergency is highly relevant for a reliable rescue service, but this information depends on knowledge of the territory that is socially distributed between EMS operators and callers. Accordingly, the decision-making process often has to go beyond the emergency service protocols, engaging the operator in undertaking an open negotiation in order to transform the caller’s role from layman to “co-worker”. The patient’s location turns out to be an emerging phenomenon, collaborative work based on knowledge management involving two communities—the callers and the EMS operators—that overlap partially. Drawing examples from emergency calls, the study analyzes the practice of locating a patient as a complex and multi-layered process, highlighting the role played by new and old technologies (the information system and the paper maps) in this activity. We argue that CSCW technologies enable the blended use of different kinds of instruments and support an original interconnection between the professional localization systems and the public’s way of defining a position.     

Recommending multimedia visiting paths in cultural heritage applications

The valorization and promotion of worldwide Cultural Heritage by the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies represent nowadays some of the most important research issues with a large variety of potential applications. This challenge is particularly perceived in the Italian scenario, where the artistic patrimony is one of the most diverse and rich of the world, able to attract millions of visitors every year to monuments, archaeological sites and museums. In this paper, we present a general recommendation framework able to uniformly manage heterogeneous multimedia data coming from several web repositories and to provide context-aware recommendation techniques supporting intelligent multimedia services for the users—i.e. dynamic visiting paths for a given environment. Specific applications of our system within the cultural heritage domain are proposed by means of real case studies in the mobile environment related both to an outdoor and indoor scenario, together with some results on user’s satisfaction and system accuracy.     

Self-adaptation and secure information flow in multiparty communications

We present a comprehensive model of structured communications in which self-adaptation and security concerns are jointly addressed. More specifically, we propose a model of multiparty, self-adaptive communications with access control and secure information flow guarantees. In our model, multiparty protocols (choreographies) are described as global types; security violations occur when process implementations of protocol participants attempt to read or write messages of inappropriate security levels within directed exchanges. Such violations trigger adaptation mechanisms that prevent the violations to occur and/or to propagate their effect in the choreography. Our model is equipped with local and global adaptation mechanisms for reacting to security violations of different gravity; type soundness results ensure that the overall multiparty protocol is still correctly executed while the system adapts itself to preserve the participants’ security.     

Integrating value modeling and legal risk management: an IT case study

Information Systems and e-Business Management - Companies need to be able to demonstrate compliance with rules and regulations, especially start-ups who typically do not have the legal expertise to...     

A hybrid dynamic motion prediction method for multibody digital human models based on a motion database and motion knowledge

In this paper, we present a novel method to predict human motion, seeking to combine the advantages of both data-based and knowledge-based motion prediction methods. Our method relies on a database of captured motions for reference and introduces knowledge in the prediction in the form of a motion control law, which is followed while resembling the actually performed reference motion. The prediction is carried out by solving an optimization problem in which the following conditions are imposed to the motion: must fulfill the goals of the task; resemble the reference motion selected from the database; follow a knowledge-based dynamic motion control law; and ensure the dynamic equilibrium of the human model, considering its interactions with the environment. In this work, we apply the proposed method to a database of clutch pedal depression motions, and we present the results for three predictions. The method is validated by comparing the results of the prediction to motions actually performed in similar conditions. The predicted motions closely resemble the motions in the validation database and no significant differences have been noted either in the motion’s kinematics or in the motion’s dynamics.     

The Geography of Logistics Firm Location: The Role of Accessibility

The organization of modern economies is built upon an efficient transport system and an increasing role is played by the logistics sector in overcoming the constraints of time and distance in modern supply chains. While a large body of literature is dedicated to the spatial distribution of firms and firm location choice in general, surprisingly little is still known about the location patterns of logistics firms, and more specifically about the role of accessibility in their location decisions. We use geo-referenced firm level data along with detailed information on transport infrastructure in order to investigate the geography of logistics firms in Spain. We place specific attention to the relationship between logistics firm location, accessibility, and urban structure. Our results show that these firms are located closer to highways and other transport infrastructure compared to other sectors and that the logistics sector is highly urbanized. Yet, they are also locating increasingly in suburban locations and to some extent in extra-urban locations with good accessibility while central cities of urban areas have experienced a declining share of logistics firms.     

Individual differences, exercise and leisure activity in predicting affective well-being in young adults

This study focuses on the prevalence of exercise and health-related leisure activities (smoking, drinking), across groups of subjects, defined by personality and gender, in relation to subjective well-being. Results from a cross-sectional survey of 187 participants are reported. Males (n = 80) reported more drinking (p < 0.001) and smoking (p < 0.001) than females, though they also reported higher habitual physical activity levels (p < 0.001). Females (n = 107) reported more frequent use of social support coping (p < 0.01). There was a positive association between extraversion and self-reported habitual physical activity as well as alcohol consumption (even when controlling for gender). Neuroticism was not related to any of the exercise and leisure activity variables. Multiple regression analyses predicted 34% of variance for the depression-enthusiasm and 39% of the variance for the anxiety-contentment measures of affective well-being. Neuroticism (p < 0.001) and avoidance coping (p < 0.05) were the only significant predictors of both anxiety-contentment and depression-enthusiasm. It is concluded that the influence of individual differences such as personality and gender on coping behaviour and well-being is consistent with social learning theory research. Limitations of cross-sectional research designs necessitate caution with inferring causal paths. Recommendations for future research are presented concerning the use and value of repeated measures designs within research into exercise and well-being.     

SecondSkin: An interactive method for appearance transfer

SecondSkin estimates an appearance model for an object visible in a video sequence, without the need for complex interaction or any calibration apparatus. This model can then be transferred to other objects, allowing a non‐expert user to insert a synthetic object into a real video sequence so that its appearance matches that of an existing object, and changes appropriately throughout the sequence. As the method does not require any prior knowledge about the scene, the lighting conditions, or the camera, it is applicable to video which was not captured with this purpose in mind. However, this lack of prior knowledge precludes the recovery of separate lighting and surface reflectance information. The SecondSkin appearance model therefore combines these factors. The appearance model does require a dominant light‐source direction, which we estimate via a novel process involving a small amount of user interaction. The resulting model estimate provides exactly the information required to transfer the appearance of the original object to new geometry composited into the same video sequence.     

Snap-back Analysis of Fracture Evolution in Multi-Cracked Solids Using Boundary Element Method

According to the Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics criteria, a numerical model is developed to simulate the failure evolution of multi-cracked finite plates by means of an incremental loading procedure. A modified crack length control scheme is used in order to analyse such problems depending on one or more independent parameters. The aim is to provide information about a discontinuous response, such as the snap-back instability, which can be highlighted only by a deformation controlled process. The load vs. displacement curve, included possible snap-back branches, is numerically traced by means of a procedure based on the Displacement Discontinuity Boundary Element Method. With reference to finite plates with ordered crack distributions in plane strain loading conditions, the model is applied in order to analyse the effects of the crack interaction on the fracture evolution. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.