AllAboard: Visual Exploration of Cellphone Mobility Data to Optimise Public Transport.

The deep penetration of mobile phones offers cities the ability to opportunistically monitor citizens' mobility and use data-driven insights to better plan and manage services. With large scale data on mobility patterns, operators can move away from the costly, mostly survey based, transportation planning processes, to a more data-centric view, that places the instrumented user at the center of development. In this framework, using mobile phone data to perform transit analysis and optimization represents a new frontier with significant societal impact, especially in developing countries. In this paper we present AllAboard, an intelligent tool that analyses cellphone data to help city authorities in visually exploring urban mobility and optimizing public transport. This is performed within a self contained tool, as opposed to the current solutions which rely on a combination of several distinct tools for analysis, reporting, optimisation and planning. An interactive user interface allows transit operators to visually explore the travel demand in both space and time, correlate it with the transit network, and evaluate the quality of service that a transit network provides to the citizens at very fine grain. Operators can visually test scenarios for transit network improvements, and compare the expected impact on the travellers' experience. The system has been tested using real telecommunication data for the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and evaluated from a data mining, optimisation and user prospective.

Atrial fibrillation after isolated coronary surgery. Incidence, long term effects and relation with operative technique.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative atrial fibrillation after isolated coronary revascularization has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Aim of present investigation was to evaluate incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation and its prognostic role in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery by-pass and disclose possible differences between off-pump and cardiopulmonary assisted revascularization. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 229 patients undergoing isolated coronary artery by-pass at a tertiary heart surgery Centre. Off-pump treated patients were significantly older (70.5 vs 64.9 years, p<0.001). No other baseline differences were found. Patients who developed postoperative atrial fibrillation were followed up for an average period of 2 years. RESULTS: Post-operative occurred in 56/229 (24.1% after cardiopulmonary and 24.6% after off-pump coronary artery by-pass). Left atrium diameter was the only independent predictive factor (odds ratio =1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.30, p<0.001). All patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation were treated and discharged in sinus rhythm, in 6/56 recurred, only in one persisted. One patient died during follow up. No stroke was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: After isolated surgical revascularization, atrial fibrillation occurred in 24% without differences related to operative technique. Recurrence of atrial fibrillation occurred in 6/56 patients (10.7%) however only in 1 persisted. Early and late mortality did not show relation with post-operative atrial fibrillation probably due to immediate treatment with recovery of sinus rhythm before discharge.

Fenoldopam to prevent renal replacement therapy after cardiac surgery. Design of the FENO-HSR study.

INTRODUCTION: Acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy is a serious complication following cardiac surgery associated with poor clinical outcomes. Until now no drug showed nephroprotective effects. Fenoldopam is a dopamine-1 receptor agonist which seems to be effective in improving postoperative renal function. The aim of this paper is to describe the design of the FENO-HSR study, planned to assess the effect of a continuous infusion of fenoldopam in reducing the need for renal replacement therapy in patients with acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. METHODS: We're performing a double blind, placebo-controlled multicentre randomized trial in over 20 Italian hospitals. Patients who develop acute renal failure defined as R of RIFLE score following cardiac surgery are randomized to receive a 96-hours continuous infusion of either fenoldopam (0.025-0.3 µg/kg/min) or placebo. RESULTS: The primary endpoint will be the rate of renal replacement therapy. Secondary endpoints will be: mortality, time on mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit and hospital stay, peak serum creatinine and the rate of acute renal failure (following the RIFLE score). CONCLUSIONS: This trial is planned to assess if fenoldopam could improve relevant outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery who develop acute renal dysfunction. Results of this double-blind randomized trial could provide important insights to improve the management strategy of patients at high risk for postoperative acute kidney injury.

Rapid analysis of tile industry gaseous emissions by ion mobility spectrometry and comparison with solid phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

The present paper reports on a rapid method for the analysis of gaseous emissions from ceramic industry, based on ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) as a means for on-site monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced during tile baking. IMS was calibrated with a set of reference compounds (i.e. ethyl acetate, ethanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, 2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-dioxolane, 1,4-dioxane, benzene, toluene, cyclohexane, acetone, acetic acid) via air-flow permeation. The technique was tested on a laboratory-scale kiln and tiles prepared with selected glycol- and resin-based additives. Finally, the analytical method was applied to emissions from two industries in the Modena (Italy) ceramic area. The results of all experimental phases were compared to those obtained by solid phase micro-extraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME/GC/MS). IMS showed potential as a real-time monitoring device for quality assessment in ceramic industry emissions. IMS spectra, SPME/GC/MS data, relationship between additives/baking conditions and produced VOCs and advantages and limitations of both techniques will be discussed.