Innovations in Educational Research and Teaching of Experimental Calculus

For several decades, there have been a varying number of books on Calculus following the classic line of mathematical thought, where Mathematics is taught for everybody by means of rigorous definitions, theorems, and carefully detailed and extensive demonstrations. For mathematical education into the XXI Century the students need to achieve ability in handling of present mathematical tools and concepts from the beginning of their courses. These needs can be achieved today by means of a paradigmatic change in the focus of mathematics teaching: to learn to develop ideas and to experiment and test those ideas in such way that students can verify their own inferences. In this paper we report an educational research in teaching and learning functions models according to a new paradigm in hands-on experimental mathematics, with applications in the real world, i.e. sciences and engineering by using Computer Algebra Systems. The study of functions is presented, focused into the framing of Exploratory Learning Systems, where students learn by means of the action and their participation in it. It is designed for teachers working together with students in a computer laboratory like hands-on workshops-type activities on other sciences. In this way students have a more “alive”, “realistic” and “accessible” touch in Calculus

The association between insight and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia: Undirected and Bayesian network analyses

Background. Greater levels of insight may be linked with depressive symptoms among patients with schizophrenia, however, it would be useful to characterize this association at symptom-level, in order to inform research on interventions. Methods. Data on depressive symptoms (Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia) and insight (G12 item from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) were obtained from 921 community-dwelling, clinically-stable individuals with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia, recruited in a nationwide multicenter study. Network analysis was used to explore the most relevant connections between insight and depressive symptoms, including potential confounders in the model (neurocognitive and social-cognitive functioning, positive, negative and disorganization symptoms, extrapyramidal symptoms, hostility, internalized stigma, and perceived discrimination). Bayesian network analysis was used to estimate a directed acyclic graph (DAG) while investigating the most likely direction of the putative causal association between insight and depression. Results. After adjusting for confounders, better levels of insight were associated with greater self-depreciation, pathological guilt, morning depression and suicidal ideation. No difference in global network structure was detected for socioeconomic status, service engagement or illness severity. The DAG confirmed the presence of an association between greater insight and self-depreciation, suggesting the more probable causal direction was from insight to depressive symptoms. Conclusions. In schizophrenia, better levels of insight may cause self-depreciation and, possibly, other depressive symptoms. Person-centered and narrative psychotherapeutic approaches may be particularly fit to improve patient insight without dampening self-esteem

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) Phase 4 (2018) : Change management in allergic rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity using mobile technology

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) has evolved from a guideline by using the best approach to integrated care pathways using mobile technology in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma multimorbidity. The proposed next phase of ARIA is change management, with the aim of providing an active and healthy life to patients with rhinitis and to those with asthma multimorbidity across the lifecycle irrespective of their sex or socioeconomic status to reduce health and social inequities incurred by the disease. ARIA has followed the 8-step model of Kotter to assess and implement the effect of rhinitis on asthma multimorbidity and to propose multimorbid guidelines. A second change management strategy is proposed by ARIA Phase 4 to increase self-medication and shared decision making in rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity. An innovation of ARIA has been the development and validation of information technology evidence-based tools (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network [MASK]) that can inform patient decisions on the basis of a self-care plan proposed by the health care professional.Peer reviewe

Adherence to treatment in allergic rhinitis using mobile technology. The MASK Study

Background: Mobile technology may help to better understand the adherence to treatment. MASK-rhinitis (Mobile Airways Sentinel NetworK for allergic rhinitis) is a patient-centred ICT system. A mobile phone app (the Allergy Diary) central to MASK is available in 22 countries. Objectives: To assess the adherence to treatment in allergic rhinitis patients using the Allergy Diary App. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out on all users who filled in the Allergy Diary from 1 January 2016 to 1 August 2017. Secondary adherence was assessed by using the modified Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) and the Proportion of days covered (PDC) approach. Results: A total of 12143 users were registered. A total of 6949 users reported at least one VAS data recording. Among them, 1887 users reported >= 7 VAS data. About 1195 subjects were included in the analysis of adherence. One hundred and thirty-six (11.28%) users were adherent (MPR >= 70% and PDC = 70% and PDC = 1.50) and 176 (14.60%) were switchers. On the other hand, 832 (69.05%) users were non-adherent to medications (MPR Conclusion and clinical relevance: Adherence to treatment is low. The relative efficacy of continuous vs on-demand treatment for allergic rhinitis symptoms is still a matter of debate. This study shows an approach for measuring retrospective adherence based on a mobile app. This also represents a novel approach for analysing medication-taking behaviour in a real-world setting.Peer reviewe

SANI-Severe Asthma Network in Italy: a way forward to monitor severe asthma

Even if severe asthma (SA) accounts for 5-10% of all cases of the disease, it is currently a crucial unmet need, owing its difficult clinical management and its high social costs. For this reason several networks, focused on SA have been organized in some countries, in order to select these patients, to recognize their clinical features, to evaluate their adherence, to classify their biological/clinical phenotypes, to identify their eligibility to the new biologic therapies and to quantify the costs of the disease. Aim of the present paper is to describe the ongoing Italian Severe Asthma Network (SANI). Up today 49 centres have been selected, widespread on the national territory. Sharing the same diagnostic protocol, data regarding patients with SA will be collected and processed in a web platform. After their recruitment, SA patients will be followed in the long term in order to investigate the natural history of the disease. Besides clinical data, the cost/benefit evaluation of the new biologics will be verified as well as the search of peculiar biomarker(s) of the disease

Decoding the historical tale: COVID-19 impact on haematological malignancy patients-EPICOVIDEHA insights from 2020 to 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened risks for individuals with hematological malignancies due to compromised immune systems, leading to more severe outcomes and increased mortality. While interventions like vaccines, targeted antivirals, and monoclonal antibodies have been effective for the general population, their benefits for these patients may not be as pronounced.Peer reviewe

Innovations in Educational Research and Teaching of Experimental Calculus

For several decades, there have been a varying number of books on Calculus following the classic line of mathematical thought, where Mathematics is taught for everybody by means of rigorous definitions, theorems, and carefully detailed and extensive demonstrations. For mathematical education into the XXI Century the students need to achieve ability in handling of present mathematical tools and concepts from the beginning of their courses. These needs can be achieved today by means of a paradigmatic change in the focus of mathematics teaching: to learn to develop ideas and to experiment and test those ideas in such way that students can verify their own inferences. In this paper we report an educational research in teaching and learning functions models according to a new paradigm in hands-on experimental mathematics, with applications in the real world, i.e. sciences and engineering by using Computer Algebra Systems. The study of functions is presented, focused into the framing of Exploratory Learning Systems, where students learn by means of the action and their participation in it. It is designed for teachers working together with students in a computer laboratory like hands-on workshops-type activities on other sciences. In this way students have a more “alive”, “realistic” and “accessible” touch in Calculus

Nuevo paradigma pedagógico para enseñanza de ciencias y matemática

A new pedagogical paradigm is presented (Pedagogy STEM) for sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics learning, based on policies, programs and experiences developed over the world in the last years. This paradigm is adapted specifically to Spanish speaking people: teachers, students and institutions. The main body of the work is made up by the development of pertinent criteria for the introduction of the mentioned Paradigm core (disciplinary approach, constitution of networks, the use of technologies for experimentation, production of pedagogic resources, and knows how to transfer). As a result of educational researches carried out in the last decade, new pedagogical resources are referred to work with teachers in laboratory environments. These resources are proposed as examples how physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics supported by electronic and information technologies are to be taught. These documents are open to Spanish Speaking teachers and students.El objetivo del trabajo es presentar un nuevo paradigma pedagógico (Pedagogía STEM) para el aprendizaje de ciencias, tecnología, ingeniería y matemática (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), basado sobre políticas, programas y experiencias desarrolladas en el mundo en los últimos años, adaptado a instituciones, profesores y alumnos de habla hispana. El cuerpo fundamental del trabajo está constituido por el perfeccionamiento de criterios de pertinencia para la implantación de dicho paradigma (enfoque transdisciplinario, constitución de redes, utilización de tecnologías para experimentación, producción de recursos pedagógicos, transferencia). Como resultado de investigaciones educativas realizadas durante la última década, se hace referencia a la producción de nuevos recursos didácticos para trabajar con docentes en ambientes de laboratorio. Estos recursos son propuestas de ejemplos cómo debe enseñarse física, química, biología y matemática asistidas por tecnologías electrónica e informática, ofrecidos en forma abierta para profesores y alumnos de habla hispánica

Innovations in Educational Research and Teaching of Experimental Calculus

For several decades, there have been a varying number of books on Calculus following the classic line of mathematical thought, where Mathematics is taught for everybody by means of rigorous definitions, theorems, and carefully detailed and extensive demonstrations. For mathematical education into the XXI Century the students need to achieve ability in handling of present mathematical tools and concepts from the beginning of their courses. These needs can be achieved today by means of a paradigmatic change in the focus of mathematics teaching: to learn to develop ideas and to experiment and test those ideas in such way that students can verify their own inferences. In this paper we report an educational research in teaching and learning functions models according to a new paradigm in hands-on experimental mathematics, with applications in the real world, i.e. sciences and engineering by using Computer Algebra Systems. The study of functions is presented, focused into the framing of Exploratory Learning Systems, where students learn by means of the action and their participation in it. It is designed for teachers working together with students in a computer laboratory like hands-on workshops-type activities on other sciences. In this way students have a more “alive”, “realistic” and “accessible” touch in Calculus