Bioethics, a transversal theme for secondary education, a study in teachers

This paper describes the data provided by 40 secondary education teachers on their knowledge and teaching in bioethics issues. The textbook, debate and research in small groups are the usual tools. Their training needs and the most appropriate methodology for teaching are discussed. Human health, biotechnology and new topics, such as animal abuse, are the most commented among students, without appreciating gender differences. Bioethics can be considered as a transversal one that encourages interdisciplinary work and the acquisition of skills.En este trabajo se describen los datos aportados por 40 profesores de Educación Secundaria sobre su conocimiento y docencia en temas de bioética. El libro de texto, el debate y los trabajos de investigación en grupos reducidos son las herramientas habituales. Se comentan sus necesidades de formación y la metodología más adecuada para la enseñanza. La salud humana, la biotecnología y nuevos temas, como el maltrato animal, son los más comentadas entre los estudiantes, sin apreciarse diferencias de género. La bioética puede plantearse como una transversal que fomente el trabajo interdisciplinar y la adquisición de las competencias

Bioética: perspectivas generales en el marco educativo. Un estudio en Italia y España

El cuerpo del trabajo presentado se articula en seis capítulos. El primero capítulo pone de manifiesto la relevancia del objeto de estudio, los objetivos del trabajo de investigación y describe la metodología aplicada en cada una de los aportes posteriores. El segundo capítulo analiza la bioética desde su nacimiento y consolidación como ciencia, algunas de las diferentes definiciones elaboradas entre los estudios y su ámbito de acción. Se trata de un análisis necesariamente sintético considerando que el tema es muy amplio en sí mismo y por sus implicaciones e interacciones con otros campos de conocimiento y debido al crecimiento exponencial, aún en curso, de su ámbito de acción. El tercero capítulo se ocupa del tema central de esta investigación relacionado con la exigencia de máxima difusión de una cultura bioética a través de su enseñanza no tanto a nivel universitario sino a nivel de la escuela y en particular en la escuela secundaria superior o educación secundaria obligatoria. En este nivel de educación se muestra especial atención a su relación con el enfoque Ciencia-Tecnología-Sociedad de la enseñanza de las Ciencias. Así, también se hace un análisis del tratamiento de la bioética en una muestra de libros de texto disponible en Avellino y en Granada, para diferentes materias, con especial atención a la disciplina de biología en el caso de Granada. El cuarto capítulo recoge y analiza los resultados del estudio empírico realizado entre el profesorado en Italia por el Comité de bioética Nacional italiano, como un estudio previo del que se recogió su herramienta de estudio y en la ciudad de Avellino (Italia) y la ciudad de Granada (España) sobre el estado y las perspectivas de enseñanza de la bioética en las escuelas de educación secundaria superior o institutos de educación secundaria En el quinto capítulo después de una breve premisa sobre la enseñanza y el aprendizaje se analizan los principales problemas que se ponen en la enseñanza de la bioética en las escuelas poniendo de manifiesto la solución de algunos de estos problemas. A continuación se formula una propuesta de desarrollo para trabajar la bioética en la educación secundaria superior, proporcionándola en general y con específica referencia a un ejemplo de enseñanza considerando las aportaciones anteriormente presentadas en el trabajo. Por último, sexto capítulo, se recogen las conclusiones del trabajo y se comentan las limitaciones en las que se ha desarrollado.This work is divided in six chapters. The first chapter reveals the relevance of the object of study, the objectives of the research work and describes the methodology applied in each of the subsequent contributions. The second chapter analyses bioethics from its birth and consolidation as a science, some of the different definitions elaborated between the studies and its field of action. This is a necessarily synthetic analysis considering that the topic is very broad in itself and because of its implications and interactions with other fields of knowledge and due to the exponential growth, still ongoing, of its field of action. The third chapter deals with the central theme of this research related to the demand for maximum diffusion of a bioethical culture through its teaching not so much at the university level but at the school level and particularly in upper secondary school or compulsory secondary education. At this level of education, special attention is paid to its relationship with the Science-Technology-Society approach to science teaching. Thus, an analysis of the treatment of bioethics is also made in a sample of textbooks available in Avellino and in Granada, for different subjects, with special attention to the discipline of biology in the case of Granada. The fourth chapter collects and analyses the results of the empirical study carried out among teachers in Italy (city of Avellino) and Spain (city of Granada) on the status and perspectives of teaching bioethics in upper secondary schools or secondary education institutes. In the fifth chapter, after a brief premise on teaching and learning, the main problems that arise in the teaching of bioethics in schools are analysed, revealing the solution to some of these problems. Next, a development proposal is formulated to work on bioethics in upper secondary education, providing it in general and with specific reference to a teaching example considering the contributions previously presented in the work. Finally, sixth chapter, the conclusions of the work are collected and the limitations in which it has been developed are commented.Il lavoro presentato si articola in sei capitoli. Il primo capitolo pone in rilievo la rilevanza dell’oggetto di studio, gli obiettivi della ricerca e descrive la metodologia applicata in ognuno dei successivi contributi. Il secondo capitolo analizza la bioetica dalla sua nascita e consolidazione come scienza, alcune delle differenti definizioni elaborate dagli studiosi ed il suo ambito di azione. Si tratta di una analisi necessariamente sintetica considerando che il tema è molto ampio in sé stesso, per le sue implicazioni e interazioni con altri campi del sapere ed a causa della crescita esponenziale, ancora in corso, del suo raggio di azione. Il terzo capitolo si occupa del tema centrale di questa ricerca relativo alla esigenza della massima diffusione di una cultura bioetica attraverso l’insegnamento non tanto a livello universitario ma a livello scolastico ed in particolare nella scuola secondaria o educazione secondaria obbligatoria. A questo livello educativo si pone particolare attenzione alla sua relazione con l’approccio Scienza-Tecnologia-Società dell’insegnamento della Scienza. Inoltre viene effettuata una analisi della trattazione della bioetica su un campione di libri di testo disponibile in Avellino e Granada, di differenti materie, con particolare attenzione alla biologia per quanto riguarda Granada. Il quarto capitolo raccoglie ed analizza i risultati dello studio empirico realizzato tra i docenti dal Comitato di Bioetica nazionale italiano, assunto come studio preliminare, adottato come strumento di studio sia nella città di Avellino (Italia) che nella città di Granada (Spagna) riguardante lo stato e le prospettive di insegnamento della bioetica nelle scuole secondarie di secondo grado o istituti di educazione secondaria. Nel quinto capitolo dopo una breve premessa sull’insegnamento e l’apprendimento vengono analizzati i principali problemi posti dall’insegnamento della bioetica nella scuola evidenziando la soluzione di alcuni di questi problemi. Di seguito viene formulata una proposta per sviluppare la bioetica nella educazione secondaria superiore, in generale e con specifico riferimento ad un esempio di insegnamento considerando i contribuiti presentati anteriormente in questo lavoro. Infine, nel sesto capitolo vengono evidenziate le conclusioni del lavoro e le limitazioni in cui si è sviluppato.Tesis Univ. Granada

The Italian version of the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT) personality questionnaires: five new measures of personality change after acquired brain injury

The aim of this study was to describe the translation and adaptation of the BIRT personality questionnaires for the Italian population. This included the replication of validity testing and the collection of normative data. Following translation and adaptation according to cross-cultural guidelines, the questionnaires were administered as a pre-test to a sample of 20 healthy subjects and then to 10 patients. The questionnaires were then administered to 120 healthy subjects equally distributed by sex, education, and age, to collect normative data from an Italian population. The questionnaires were easily administered to both healthy subjects and patients. Statistical analysis on normative data was conducted to find the mean value for each questionnaire. This study lays the foundations for using a new instrument to assess behavioral changes after acquired brain injury on the Italian population

Genomic and functional evaluation of TNFSF14 in multiple sclerosis susceptibility

Among multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility genes, the strongest non-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) signal in the Italian population maps to the TNFSF14 gene encoding LIGHT, a glycoprotein involved in dendritic cell (DC) maturation. Through fine-mapping in a large Italian dataset (4,198 patients with MS and 3,903 controls), we show that the TNFSF14 intronic SNP rs1077667 is the primarily MS-associated variant in the region. Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis indicates that the MS risk allele is significantly associated with reduced TNFSF14 messenger RNA levels in blood cells, which is consistent with the allelic imbalance in RNA-Seq reads (P < 0.0001). The MS risk allele is associated with reduced levels of TNFSF14 gene expression (P < 0.01) in blood cells from 84 Italian patients with MS and 80 healthy controls (HCs). Interestingly, patients with MS are lower expressors of TNFSF14 compared to HC (P < 0.007). Individuals homozygous for the MS risk allele display an increased percentage of LIGHT-positive peripheral blood myeloid DCs (CD11c+, P = 0.035) in 37 HCs, as well as in in vitro monocyte-derived DCs from 22 HCs (P = 0.04). Our findings suggest that the intronic variant rs1077667 alters the expression of TNFSF14 in immune cells, which may play a role in MS pathogenesis