A narrative metaphor to facilitate educational game authoring

In this paper we present WEEV (Writing Environment for Educational Video games), a methodology for educational point-and-click adventure game authoring. Our approach aims to allow educators to actively collaborate in the educational game development process, using a narrative-based representation. WEEV is based on a pragmatic reinterpretation of previous works on narrativity and video games, enhanced by the use of a novel visual language to represent the flow of the story or narrative. The WEEV methodology has been implemented into an actual tool based on the already established <e-Adventure> platform for educational games. This tool was improved with feedback gathered from formative evaluation, end-users testing (i.e. educators), and actual use in the development of an educational game. The system, still under development, presents some user-interaction problems along with a need for the educational effectiveness of the resulting games to be further analyzed. However, this paper highlights that, according to the qualitative results of evaluations, WEEV can indeed be successfully applied to simplify the game creation process and that by using representations of games that educators can understand, WEEV can help provide educational value to games.     

Self‐Assembled pH‐Sensitive Fluoromagnetic Nanotubes as Archetype System for Multimodal Imaging of Brain Cancer

Fluoromagnetic systems are recognized as an emerging class of materials with great potential in the biomedical field. Here, it is shown how to fabricate fluoromagnetic nanotubes that can serve as multimodal probes for the imaging and targeting of brain cancer. An ionic self‐assembly strategy is used to functionalize the surface of synthetic chrysotile nanotubes with pH‐sensitive fluorescent chromophores and ferromagnetic nanoparticles. The acquired magnetic properties permit their use as contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging, and enable the tracking of tumor cell migration and infiltration responsible for metastatic growth and disease recurrence. Their organic component, changing its fluorescence attitude as a function of local pH, targets the cancer distinctive acidity, and allows localizing and monitoring the tumor occurrence and progression by mapping the acidic spatial distribution within biopsy tissues. The fluoromagnetic properties of nanotubes are preserved from the in vitro to the in vivo condition and they show the ability to migrate across the blood brain barrier, thus spontaneously reaching the brain tumor after injection. The simplicity of the synthesis route of these geomimetic nanomaterials combined with their demonstrated affinity with the in vivo condition strongly highlights their potential for developing effective functional materials for multimodal theranostics of brain cancer.     

Investigation of the RTN amplitude statistics of nanoscale MOS devices by the statistical impedance field method

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the random telegraph noise amplitude in nanoscale MOS devices based on the statistical impedance field method. This method allows a strong reduction of the computational burdens required for the calculation of the amplitude statistics with respect to conventional Monte Carlo models based on the numerical implementation of microscopic differences on the simulated device structure, allowing the exploration of lower probability levels. Despite a rather good estimation of the amplitude statistics, however, the method results in relevant inaccuracies when looking at the single Monte Carlo samples, due to the linear approximations involved.     

Renal failure following gentamicin in combination with clindamycin

Acute renal failure (ARF) occurred concomitantly with the administration of gentamicin in combination with clindamycin in three patients in whom no other known predisposing cause of ARF could be demonstrated. The evidence for combined nephrotoxicity consisted of the temporal relationship between administration of the antibiotics and the development of ARF, and the prompt improvement in renal function upon cessation of therapy. Complete or partial recovery of renal function occured in all patients. Renal function should be carefully monitored in patients receiving this antibiotic combination.     

The Era of Digital Health: A Review of Portable and Wearable Affinity Biosensors

Digital health facilitated by wearable/portable electronics and big data analytics holds great potential in empowering patients with real‐time diagnostics tools and information. The detection of a majority of biomarkers at trace levels in body fluids using mobile health (mHealth) devices requires bioaffinity sensors that rely on “bioreceptors” for specific recognition. Portable point‐of‐care testing (POCT) bioaffinity sensors have demonstrated their broad utility for diverse applications ranging from health monitoring to disease diagnosis and management. In addition, flexible and stretchable electronics‐enabled wearable platforms have emerged in the past decade as an interesting approach in the ambulatory collection of real‐time data. Herein, the technological advancements of mHealth bioaffinity sensors evolved from laboratory assays to portable POCT devices, and to wearable electronics, are synthesized. The involved recognition events in the mHealth affinity biosensors enabled by bioreceptors (e.g., antibodies, DNAs, aptamers, and molecularly imprinted polymers) are discussed along with their transduction mechanisms (e.g., electrochemical and optical) and system‐level integration technologies. Finally, an outlook of the field is provided and key technological bottlenecks to overcome identified, in order to achieve a new sensing paradigm in wearable bioaffinity platforms.