Existence of solutions of some quadratic integral equations

In this paper we study the existence of continuous solutions of quadratic integral equations. The theory of quadratic integral equations has many useful applications in mathematical physics, economics, biology, as well as in describing real world problems. The main tool used in our investigations is a fixed point result for the multivalued solution's map with acyclic values

Entre la tradición y la innovación: el uso de libros de texto y contenidos didácticos digitales en las aulas

El Ministerio de Educación de Italia ha promovido, desde 2013, el uso de textos digitales o mixtos (impresos-digitales) en el aula por medio de una ley (Ley 128/2013). Desde entonces, la adopción del libro de texto no es obligatoria en nuestro país: las escuelas italianas, según su autonomía, pueden utilizar materiales didácticos de editoriales, recursos educativos abiertos o textos de elaboración propia. La ley da legitimidad a las experiencias de algunas centros educativos italianos que están innovando en el uso de los libros de texto y están implicadas en un proceso de auto-producción de contenidos (libros de texto o CDD, Contenidos Didácticos Digitales). Este artículo describe el trabajo de estos centros educativos dentro de una comunidad de práctica denominada «Avanguardie Educative». Se analizan las creencias y actitudes de los profesores sobre «estudio», «libro de texto» y «textos digitales» para obtener aspectos innovadores y también para observar las dificultades y obstáculos durante el proceso de innovación, no siempre bien estudiado.Since 2013, the Italian Minister of Education promoted the use of digital or mixed paper-digital texts in the classroom by means of legislative act (Lex 128/2013). Since then, adoption of the textbook is not mandatory in our country: Italian schools, according to their autonomy, can choose to adopt teaching materials from publishers, Open Educational Resources, or auto-produced texts. The law legitimates the experience of some Italian schools that are innovating the use of textbooks and are involved in a process of auto-production of content (textbooks or DDC, Didactic Digital Content). The article attempts to describe the work of these schools within a network of practice named «Avanguardie Educative». It intends to analyse teachers beliefs and attitudes upon «studying», «textbooks» and «digital texts», to capture innovative aspects, but also to look at dificulties and obstacles along the path of innovation, not always so clear and well defined.peerReviewe

Gender effect on the Relation between Diabetes and Hospitalization for Heart Failure

Aims: Cardiovascular risk among diabetic patients is at least twice as much the one for nondiabetic individuals and even greater when diabetic women are considered. Heart failure (HF) is a common unfavorable outcome of cardiovascular disease in diabetes. However, since the comparison among sexes of heart failure prevalence in diabetic patients remains limited, this study is aimed at expanding the information about this point. Methods: We have evaluated the association between diabetes and HF by reviewing the medical records of all subjects discharged from the Internal Medicine and Cardiology Units of all hospitals in the Tuscany region, Italy, during the period January 2002 through December 2008. In particular we sought concomitance of ICD-9-CM codes for diabetes and HF. Results: Patients discharged by Internal Medicine were on average older, more represented by women, and had a lesser number of individuals coded as diabetic (p < 0.05 for all). Relative risk for HF (95 % CI) was signifi cantly higher in patients with diabetes, irrespective of gender 1.39 (1.36– 1.41) in males; 1.40 (1.37–1.42) in females. When the diabetes-HF association was analyzed according to decades of age, a “horse-shoe” pattern was apparent with an increased risk in 40–59 years old in female patients discharged by Internal Medicine. Conclusions: Although there is not a diff erence in the overall HF risk between hospitalized male and female diabetic patients, women have an excess risk at perimenopausal ag

Exenatide Improves Bone Quality in a Murine Model of Genetically Inherited Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with skeletal complications, including an increased risk of fractures. Reduced blood supply and bone strength may contribute to this skeletal fragility. We hypothesized that long-term administration of Exenatide, a glucagon- like peptide-1 receptor agonist, would improve bone architecture and strength of T2DM mice by increasing blood flow to bone, thereby stimulating bone formation. In this study, we used a model of obesity and severe T2DM, the leptin receptor-deficient db/db mouse to assess alterations in bone quality and hindlimb blood flow and to examine the beneficial effects of 4 weeks administration of Exenatide. As expected, diabetic mice showed marked alterations in bone structure, remodeling and strength, and basal vascular tone compared with lean mice. Exenatide treatment improved trabecular bone mass and architecture by increasing bone formation rate, but only in diabetic mice. Although there was no effect on hindlimb perfusion at the end of this treatment, exenatide administration acutely increased tibial blood flow. While Exenatide treatment did not restore the impaired bone strength, intrinsic properties of the matrix, such as collagen maturity, were improved. The effects of Exenatide on in vitro bone formation were further investigated in primary osteoblasts cultured under high-glucose conditions, showing that Exenatide reversed the impairment in bone formation induced by glucose. In conclusion, Exenatide improves trabecular bone mass by increasing bone formation and could protect against the development of skeletal complications associated with T2DM

Tests for a Strong Electroweak Sector at Future e^+e^- High Energy Colliders

The study of the scattering at high energy of the gauge bosons W and Z, in particular longitudinally polarized W and Z, can clarify the mechanism of spontaneous symmetry breaking in the Standard Model of the electroweak interactions. Different models of strong electroweak sector, based on the effective lagrangian approach are briefly reviewed. They include models with no resonance, with scalar resonance, additional vector and axial-vector resonances. The effective Lagrangians are derived from the chiral symmetry of the symmetry breaking sector. Limits on these models from existing measurements, mainly LEP and Tevatron, are considered. We study also direct and indirect effects of the new interactions at high energy future e^+e^- linear colliders, through WW scattering and the direct production of these new vector gauge bosons.Comment: 74 pages, 19 figures and 4 tables included, Latex, uses epsf, to appear in La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento, some minor change

Re-writing knowledge, re-design textbooks: auto-production of contents in the classroom

This contribution is a report of a qualitative research carried out within the Avanguardie Educative project aimed at describing and analyzing the experience of a group of Italian teachers in relation to the practice of textbook and digital resources auto-production. The research, conducted with some schools involved in an experimentation process of the alternative adoption of the textbook, has allowed us to start an in-depth reflection on the motivations that induce teachers to opt for this choice, in the direction of a rereading the relationship between curriculum, national indications and teaching autonomy, with particular attention to the student considered as an active subject of his / her training.This contribution is a report of a qualitative research carried out within the Avanguardie Educative project aimed at describing and analyzing the experience of a group of Italian teachers in relation to the practice of textbook and digital resources auto-production. The research, conducted with some schools involved in an experimentation process of the alternative adoption of the textbook, has allowed us to start an in-depth reflection on the motivations that induce teachers to opt for this choice, in the direction of a rereading the relationship between curriculum, National Indications and teaching autonomy, with particular attention to the student considered an active subject of his / her training