Processi di auto-valutazione dei Nidi e delle Scuole dell’Infanzia: il ruolo della formazione metodologica di base dei docenti e dei dirigenti

In recent years we have witnessed the development of internal evaluation (Self-evaluation in the first place) and external evaluation of school structures of the 0-6 level. In 2016/17 a Research-Training project was promoted on the theme of self-evaluation of the Nursery and Kindergartens of the Municipality of Rome, which involved 36 Heads of educational services and 93 educationalfacilities. We describe here the activities of the training and research path carried out by the participants in blended mode and the results obtained. The evaluation model adopted considers self-evaluation activities as an interaction between the indications of the legislator (top-down) and the territorial needs (bottom-up), also taking into account the perception of the professional identityand the effectiveness of the school organization.Negli ultimi anni si è assistito allo sviluppo della valutazione interna (auto-valutazione in primis) ed esterna delle strutture scolastiche di fascia 0-6. Nel 2016/17 è stato promosso un progetto di Ricerca-Formazione sul tema dell’auto-valutazione dei Nidi e delle Scuole dell’Infanzia del Comune di Roma, che ha coinvolto 36 Responsabili di servizi educativi e 93 strutture educative.Descriviamo in questa sede le attività del percorso di formazione e ricerca svolte dai partecipanti in modalità blended e i risultati ottenuti. Il modello di valutazione adottato considera le attività auto-valutative come interazione tra le indicazioni del legislatore (top-down) e le esigenze territoriali (bottom- up), tenendo anche conto della percezione dell’identità professionale e dell’efficaciadell’or ganizzazione scolastica

Root-end resection with or without retrograde obturation after orthograde filling with two techniques: A micro-CT study

To evaluate the filling ability of two orthograde obturation techniques followed by the apical resection with or without retrograde obturation through micro-computed tomography (CT). Thirty-two single-rooted permanent teeth were prepared and randomised into four groups (n = 8) according to the orthograde obturation technique (single cone technique [SCT] and mineral trioxide aggregate placement) combined or not with retrograde obturation. The volume of voids (VoV) within the entire endodontic space, the apical 3 mm, and 1 mm after root resection was calculated by micro-CT. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference among the groups regarding the total VoV in all root canals, as well as within the apical 1 mm after root resection. The SCT and apical resection without retrograde filling showed significantly better results in terms of VoV at the apical 3 mm after root resection. Within the study limitations, SCT associated with apical resection without retrograde preparation exhibited a similar or less amount of voids than the other groups

Stem cells isolated from human dental pulp and amniotic fluid improve skeletal muscle histopathology in mdx/SCID mice

Introduction: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), caused by a lack of the functional structural protein dystrophin, leads to severe muscle degeneration where the patients are typically wheelchair-bound and die in their mid-twenties from cardiac or respiratory failure or both. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSCs) to differentiate toward a skeletal myogenic lineage using several different protocols in order to determine the optimal conditions for achieving myogenic commitment and to subsequently evaluate their contribution in the improvement of the pathological features associated with dystrophic skeletal muscle when intramuscularly injected into mdx/SCID mice, an immune-compromised animal model of DMD. Methods: Human DPSCs and AFSCs were differentiated toward myogenic lineage in vitro through the direct co-culture with a myogenic cell line (C2C12 cells) and through a preliminary demethylation treatment with 5-Aza-2\u2032-deoxycytidine (5-Aza), respectively. The commitment and differentiation of both hDPSCs and hAFSCs were evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis. Subsequently, hDPSCs and hAFSCs, preliminarily demethylated and pre-differentiated toward a myogenic lineage for 2 weeks, were injected into the dystrophic gastrocnemius muscles of mdx/SCID mice. After 1, 2, and 4 weeks, the gastrocnemius muscles were taken for immunofluorescence and histological analyses. Results: Both populations of cells engrafted within the host muscle of mdx/SCID mice and through a paracrine effect promoted angiogenesis and reduced fibrosis, which eventually led to an improvement of the histopathology of the dystrophic muscle. Conclusion: This study shows that hAFSCs and hDPSCs represent potential sources of stem cells for translational strategies to improve the histopathology and potentially alleviate the muscle weakness in patients with DMD

Wastewater phytoremediation: genomic analysis and screening of green microalgae species for extracellular laccase activity.

Phytoremediation deals with the use of plants, or other green photosynthetic organisms, to reduce organic or inorganic pollutant in the environment, mainly waters and soils (Pivetz. B.E. 2001. EPA /540/S-01/500). Our research group is involved in studies regarding the use of plants for soil phytoremediation (Galante et al., 2005. Proc. SIGA Congress, L04) and, more recently, of unicellular green algae species (green microalgae) for wastewater treatments. Some microalgae species have been recently tested to degrade an array of pollutants such as phenols, polyphenolic aromatic compounds (PAH) and even hormones (Pollio et.al., 1994. Phytochemistry, 37:1269- 1272;. Pinto et.al., 2003. Biotechnol Lett., 25:1657-1659). It is worthy to note that about 2,500 species belong from Chlorophyceae, seldom living in contrasting habitat under severe environmental conditions. So far, a little has been done to exploit this genetic biodiversity bonanza; thus, few reports have been published on enzymes implicated in their degradative action (Semple et.al., 1996. Appl. Envr. Micr, 62:1265-1273). Since a wide collection of green microalgae species are available at the University of Naples, Department of Biological Science, recently we have started a research aimed to (a) find algae species with extracellular phenoloxidase enzymatic activity; (b) identify extracellular enzymes able to degrade xenobiotic like synthetic dyes and other PAHs; (c) clone and overexpress genes producing phenoloxidases in homologous and in heterologous systems, in order to use these enzymes primarily for phytoremediation of milling oil wastewaters. Among phenoloxidaes, we focused our interest on laccases (EC 1.10.3.2) that are phenol-oxidoreductases able to catalyze the oxidation of various aromatic compounds (particularly phenols) with the concomitant reduction of oxygen to water. Selected algae strains were grown in liquid culture at 22°C under continuous light conditions, starting with an inoculum of 0.1 OD. After ten days, the algal growth was measured as optical density at 600 nm. A screening was performed by detecting the laccase activity in the broth medium culture, deprived of algae cells, in the presence of 2,2-azino-bis 3-ethybenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) at 420 nm. The laccase activity was referred to the polyphenol oxidase activity of Trametes versicolor; thus, each positive strain was assayed on industrial azo-dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) and on the natural phenol compound syringaldazine by kinetic analysis. Preliminary results, obtained comparing different species, showed a wide variation both within the same substrate and among the different microalgae. Microalgae strains able to produce and secrete laccase enzymes were further chosen for more detailed genetic studies. To clone phenoloxidase genes from those species, we have started a bioinformatics approach, on the basis of highly conserved coding sequences of laccases already isolated and sequenced from several higher plants. Primers drawn on the alignment of those sequences have been used to amplify genomic DNA

The Local Complement Activation on Vascular Bed of Patients with Systemic Sclerosis : A Hypothesis-Generating Study

Peer reviewe

ANTIFUNGAL POTENTIAL OF PLANT SPECIES FROM BRAZILIAN CAATINGA AGAINST DERMATOPHYTES

Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex, or Trichophyton spp. are the main etiologic agents of dermatophytosis, whose treatment is limited by the high cost of antifungal treatments, their various side effects, and the emergence of resistance amongst these species. This study evaluated the in vitro antidermatophytic activity of 23 crude extracts from nine plant species of semiarid vegetation (caatinga) found in Brazil. The extracts were tested at concentrations ranging from 1.95 to 1,000.0 mg/mL by broth microdilution assay against the reference strains T. rubrum ATCC 28189 and T. mentagrophytesATCC 11481, and 33 clinical isolates of dermatophytes. All plants showed a fungicidal effect against both fungal species, with MIC/MFC values of the active extracts ranging from 15.6 to 250.0 µg/mL. Selected extracts of Eugenia uniflora (AcE), Libidibia ferrea (AE), and Persea americana (AcE) also exhibited a fungicidal effect against all clinical isolates of T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes complex. This is the first report of the antifungal activity of Schinus terebinthifolius, Piptadenia colubrina, Parapiptadenia rigida, Mimosa ophthalmocentra, and Persea americana against both dermatophyte species

The impact of carotid plaque presence and morphology on mortality outcome in cardiological patients

BACKGROUND: Carotid plaque severity and morphology can affect cardiovascular prognosis. We evaluate both the importance of echographically assessed carotid artery plaque geometry and morphology as predictors of death in hospitalised cardiological patients. METHODS: 541 hospitalised patients admitted in a cardiological division (age = 66 ± 11 years, 411 men), have been studied through ultrasound Duplex carotid scan and successively followed-up for a median of 34 months. Echo evaluation assessed plaque severity and morphology (presence of heterogeneity and profile). RESULTS: 361 patients showed carotid stenosis (67% with <50% stenosis, 18% with 50–69% stenosis, 9% with >70% stenosis, 4% with near occlusion and 2% with total occlusion). During the follow-up period, there were 83 all-cause deaths (15% of the total population). Using Cox's proportional hazard model, age (RR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03–1.09, p = 0.000), ejection fraction > 50% (RR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.4–0.96, p = 0.03), treatment with statins (RR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.29–0.95, p = 0.34) and the presence of a heterogeneous plaque (RR 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.14, p = 0.002) were independent predictors of death. Kaplan – Meier survival estimates have shown the best outcome in patients without plaque, intermediate in patients with homogeneous plaques and the worst outcome in patients with heterogeneous plaques (90% vs 79% vs 73%, p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In hospitalised cardiological patients, carotid plaque presence and morphology assessed by ultrasound are independent predictors of death

Enhanced tonic GABAA inhibition in typical absence epilepsy

The cellular mechanisms underlying typical absence seizures, which characterize various idiopathic generalized epilepsies, are not fully understood, but impaired GABAergic inhibition remains an attractive hypothesis. In contrast, we show here that extrasynaptic GABAA receptor–dependent ‘tonic’ inhibition is increased in thalamocortical neurons from diverse genetic and pharmacological models of absence seizures. Increased tonic inhibition is due to compromised GABA uptake by the GABA transporter GAT–1 in the genetic models tested, and GAT–1 is critical in governing seizure genesis. Extrasynaptic GABAA receptors are a requirement for seizures in two of the best characterized models of absence epilepsy, and the selective activation of thalamic extrasynaptic GABAA receptors is sufficient to elicit both electrographic and behavioural correlates of seizures in normal animals. These results identify an apparently common cellular pathology in typical absence seizures that may have epileptogenic significance, and highlight novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of absence epilepsy.peer-reviewe