Lemnos, l'île aux Cosaques

En novembre 1920, l’armée Wrangel, évacuée de Crimée, arrive à Constantinople. Elle compte dans ses rangs quelque 50 000 Cosaques que les autorités françaises décident d’installer sur l’île grecque de Lemnos, en attendant de leur trouver un pays d’accueil. Ces camps vont fonctionner près d’un an, jusqu’en octobre 1921. L’auteur passe en revue les raisons qui ont poussé au choix de Lemnos et dresse un tableau du difficile quotidien des Cosaques sur cette île dénuée de ressources (problèmes de logement, nourriture et vêtements rationnés, relations tendues avec les autorités françaises ainsi qu’avec les autochtones, ...). Cette année sera marquée par un bras de fer permanent entre des autorités françaises pressées de se débarrasser de réfugiés qui coûtent cher au budget de l’État, et un état-major russe cherchant à garder intacte son armée pour reprendre la lutte contre le pouvoir des Soviets. Pris en tenaille entre ces deux autorités, les Cosaques sont partagés entre la nostalgie du pays perdu et la crainte d’un avenir plus qu’incertain dans des pays inconnus. Une grande partie des Cosaques va accepter de retourner en Russie soviétique, malgré l’opposition de Wrangel qui voit en ce retour une trahison. Les autres vont finir par être acceptés en Bulgarie et Yougoslavie, tout en gardant leurs formations militaires, selon les vœux de leurs officiers supérieurs.In November 1920, Wrangel’s army arrived in Constantinople after being evacuated from the Crimea. It contained within its ranks some 50,000 Cossacks, whom French authorities decided to camp on the Greek island of Lemnos until a host country could be found. Don and Kuban Cossacks were placed in separate settlements which remained opened for about a year, until October 1921. The author evaluates the reasons for the choice of Lemnos and describes the harshness of the Cossacks’ daily lives on the island (insufficient shelter, clothes and food rationing, strained relations with French authorities and locals, etc.). The year was marked by a permanent trial of strength between French authorities, in a hurry to get rid of refugees considered too expensive for the national budget, and the Russian General Staff, which aimed at keeping its army intact in order to resume the struggle against Soviet power. Caught in the middle between these two authorities, the Cossacks wavered between nostalgia for the lost homeland and fear of an uncertain future in unknown countries. A vast number of Cossacks accepted to return to Soviet Russia even though Wrangel opposed this move, which he regarded as treason. The others were eventually placed in Bulgaria and Yugoslavia and kept their military formations, thereby complying with their superior officers’ wishes

Effect of intense military training on body composition

Individuals in a structural physical training program can show beneficial changes in body composition, such as body fat reduction and muscle mass increase. This study measured body composition changes by using 3 different techniques-skinfold thickness (SF) measurements, air displacement plethysmography (BOD-POD), and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-during 9 months of intense training in healthy young men engaged in military training. Twenty-seven young men were recruited from a special faction of the Italian Navy. The program previewed three phases: ground combat, sea combat, and amphibious combat. Body composition was estimated at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the training. After the subjects performed the ground combat phase, body composition variables significantly decreased: body weight (P < 0.05), fat-free mass (FFM) (P < 0.001), and fat mass (FM) (P < 0.03). During the amphibious combat phase, body weight increased significantly (P < 0.01), mainly because of an increase in FFM (P < 0.001) and a smaller mean decrease in FM. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in circumferences and SF at various sites after starting the training course. Bland-Altman analysis did not show any systematic difference between FM and FFM measured with the 3 different techniques on any occasion. On any visit, FFM and FM correlation measured by BOD-POD (P = 0.90) and DXA was significantly greater than measured by SF. A significant difference was found in body mass index (BMI) measured during the study. BOD-POD and SF, compared with DXA, provide valid and reliable measurement of changes in body composition in healthy young men engaged in military training. In conclusion, the findings suggest that for young men of normal weight, changes in body weight alone and in BMI are not a good measure to assess the effectiveness of intense physical training programs, because lean mass gain can masquerade fat weight loss

Obstáculos epistemológicos y perspectiva socio-cultural de la matemática

El considerar a un concepto matemático por medio de su evolución histórica y epistemológica requiere asumir posiciones comprometidas y significativas. Además, son problemas relevantes los relacionados con la interpretación, inevitablemente conducida a la luz de nuestros paradigmas culturales actuales mediante los cuales se ponen en contacto culturas “diferentes pero no inconmensurables” (Radford, Boero & Vasco, 2000, p. 165). La actualidad didáctica del argumento introducido es evidente: los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la matemática están influenciados por las concepciones de los docentes sobre la naturaleza del conocimiento científico y de su evolución (Brickhouse, 1990; Hashweb, 1996) y de los cambios de convicciones ocurridos luego de la maduración alcanzada con reflexiones personales o, mejor, por ocasiones de fuerte confrontación teórica (D’Amore & Fandiño Pinilla, 2004; Bagni, 2006). Una evolución histórica didácticamente propuesta desde un punto de vista moderno permitiría, tal vez, presentar a los estudiantes los ‘obstáculos espistemológicos’ principales y aclarar algunas posiciones históricas, cuya debilidad fue revelada sucesivamente; pero, por otro lado, un planteamiento que pretenda hacer seguir al desarrollo cognitivo un recorrido modelado en base a la evolución histórica, encontraría notables dificultades teóricas (Werner, 1984; Radford, 1997). La presentación de elementos históricos con referencia al propio contexto cultural ofrece la posibilidad de una profundización orgánica e induce reflexiones fundamentales sobre la génesis de un concepto (Bagni & D’Amore, 2005): la elección de una historia “interna”, que da cuenta de un desarrollo aislado de la matemática, resulta problemática (Grugnetti & Rogers, 2000) y difícilmente sostenible desde el punto de vista epistemológico. Varios agentes clasificados en los años ’70-‘80 por Guy Brousseau (1976, 1983, 1989) contrastan la formación de los conceptos que actúan como obstáculos. Analizaremos en este escrito la formulación teórica de Luis Radford, a propósito de la interpretación que daremos a la idea de “obstáculo epistemológico” (Bachelard, 1938), sobre la cual pueda fundamentarse una conexión de la historia a la didáctica, a través de la epistemología. Realizaremos tal profundización proponiendo la relatoría de una conversación entre tres, con Luis Radford y Bruno D’Amore que responderán a algunas preguntas propuestas por Giorgio Tommaso Bagni

Studio radioisotopico nella patologia bollosa

Nelle patologie bollose polmonari la medicina nucleare è in grado di offrire informazioni riguardanti sia la distribuzione del flusso ematico polmonare, sia la ventilazione alveolare utilizzando uno studio combinato: la scintigrafia ventilo/perfusoria. La PET-TC con 18F-FDG può dare importanti notizie nel caso in cui, durante il follow-up, la patologia bollosa si complica con la comparsa di un'area di addensamento che potrebbe essere indice di presenza di lesione maligna. La PET-TC, grazie alla possibilità di indagare i processi metabolici, è diventata un mezzo essenziale nel differenziare le lesioni maligne da quelle di altra natura

Sensitivity and specificity of scintimammography versus magnetic resonance imaging: a comparison in 58 patients with breast lesions using histology as a gold standard

In our study the MRI and scintimammography sensitivity resulted to be superimposable, whereas specificity is greatly in favour of scintimammography: thus, we believe that in the specific clinical conditions, such as in dense breast and in multifocal breast cancer, scintimammography colud be a great help

99mTc-HMPAO Labelled autologous granulocytes scintigraphy in Crohn’s disease

99mTc-HMPAO labelled granulocytes scintigraphy can accurately assess Crohn's disease extent, its severity and relapses, and providing a non-invasive alternative technique to colonoscopy and radiological investigations

Peripheral Quantitative Computer Tomography (pQCT), Broad Band Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and Speed of Sound (SOS) in a population of normal females aged from 8 to 20 years

The sexual growth influences the position of bone density peak. The results obtained show a statistically significative correlation between BUA and BMD versus age, the menarche-age, and the period of exposure of bone-tissue to the oestrogen. After all, pQCT and ultrasound are useful techniques to evaluate bone density and structure also in a growing population. The results of this study show the possibility to use bidimensional quantitative ultrasound devices in clinical practice also in young population taking in account age and sexual development

Peripheral Quantitative Computer Tomography (pQCT), Broad Band Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and Speed of Sound (SOS) in a population of normal females aged from 8 to 20 years

The sexual growth influences the position of bone density peak. The results obtained show a statistically significative correlation between BUA and BMD versus age, the menarche-age, and the period of exposure of bone-tissue to the oestrogen. After all, pQCT and ultrasound are useful techniques to evaluate bone density and structure also in a growing population. The results of this study show the possibility to use bidimensional quantitative ultrasound devices in clinical practice also in young population taking in account age and sexual development

Bone mass evaluated by calcaneous ultrasound and radial peripheral computed tomography in 726 youngsters

To compare the results of ultrasound and computed peripheral tomography in evaluating bone mass in a population of normal children. Seven hundred and twenty-six healthy school children (260 males; age 8.3-20.9 y) underwent calcaneous ultrasound and peripheral computed tomography at the ultradistal radius. Broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and areal and volumetric bone mineral density (aBMD and vBMD) were evaluated. The results were compared and correlated among them and with auxological parameters (height, BMI and pubertal stages) using the software package SPSS for Windows. The three variables examined (BUA, aBMD and vBMD) all showed a progressive increase with age and a positive correlation with age, height and BMI. When the population was subdivided according to pubertal stages, all variables showed a progressive increase, the difference being significant when stages 1-2 were compared with stages 4-5. A significant correlation was present among BUA, aBMD and vBMD even if the Pearson correlation coefficient was not high.The similar pattern of BUA, aBMD and vBMD with respect to age, height and pubertal stages indicates that ultrasound could be a reliable method to screen bone mass abnormalities in children. The low correlation coefficient, however, suggests that the methods employed measure different bone parameters. Moreover, the different skeletal locations could also account for these results