Esperienze formative nella prospettiva del Lifelong Learning: i progetti Car.Sek, Edueat e Edujob

Il lavoro di ricerca si articola in tre capitoli che trattano tre progetti differenti svolti durante il percorso di dottorato Eureka, il cui filo conduttore \ue8 il tema del life long learning, inteso come formazione continua e diffusa finalizzata al miglioramento della qualit\ue0 della vita dell\u2019essere umano. Prendendo in considerazione tre target diversi, anziani, bambini e adulti, il percorso di ricerca affronta tre diversi progetti di formazione tesi al benessere della persona, sia quando questo \ue8 legato alla conduzione di stili di vita salutari sia alla gratificazione legata al contesto professionale. Il primo capitolo della tesi riguarda un progetto pilota in ambito domotico realizzato dall\u2019azienda in collaborazione con l\u2019Inrca (Istituto Nazionale Riposo e Cura per Anziani). La cornice teorica di riferimento \ue8 quella offerta dalla psicologia del ciclo di vita. Tale prospettiva infatti offre supporto ai temi base della ricerca quali il lifelong learning e l\u2019invecchiamento attivo. Le criticit\ue0 emerse dal lavoro sul progetto Car.Sek hanno generato riflessioni all\u2019interno del gruppo di ricerca inerenti il ruolo della formazione come strumento di cambiamento inteso come ristrutturazione del sistema di significati della persona, avviando la ricerca verso due prospettive investigative: la formazione a stili di vita salutari e la formazione professionale. L\u2019acquisizione di corretti stili di vita, specialmente nel campo alimentare, \ue8 influenzata dai comportamenti e abitudini appresi durante l\u2019et\ue0 infantile, da qui deriva la necessit\ue0 di interventi di educazione alimentare nei primi anni di vita, in una fase in cui la plasticit\ue0 cerebrale \ue8 pi\uf9 attiva. L\u2019educazione alimentare dei bambini inoltre diviene strumento e motivazione per il cambiamento degli stili di vita dell\u2019intero nucleo familiare. A questo scopo il secondo capitolo della tesi si concentra sullo sviluppo del progetto Edueat, un percorso di educazione alimentare per bambini e adulti, basato sull\u2019esplorazione sensoriale del cibo e l\u2019approccio ludico. Partendo dall\u2019elaborazione di un Manifesto per un\u2019educazione alimentare sana e consapevole nella famiglia e nella scuola, il progetto prevede la strutturazione di diversi strumenti allo scopo di coinvolgere tutti gli attori che mediano l\u2019approccio del bambino al cibo: famiglia, scuola, pubblici esercizi. Nel progetto vengono presentati i dati provenienti da focus group condotti con le famiglie e i risultati di esperienze laboratoriali sviluppate insieme a genitori e bambini. Alla luce degli ultimi studi sulla formazione degli adulti, nel terzo capitolo si progetta un nuovo modello formativo basato sulla valorizzazione del formando come protagonista attivo, favorendo un percorso di apprendimento caratterizzato dalla ricorsivit\ue0 tra teoria e pratica e dallo sviluppo di competenze di autoriflessione e autovalutazione. L\u2019idea alla base \ue8 che percorsi di formazione gestiti in autonomia dall\u2019adulto producano apprendimenti pi\uf9 duraturi e incisivi rispetto a interventi costruiti e imposti dall\u2019esterno

Linee guida per una formazione degli adulti di qualit\ue0

Il tema della formazione oggi \ue8 terreno di incontro di molteplici paradigmi e metodologie. Sono diverse le chiavi di lettura e le definizioni disponibili, tanto da generare spaesamento. L\u2019elemento condiviso \ue8 il concetto di cambiamento, il cui legame \ue8 evidenziato dalla stessa etimologia della parola formare: dare forma. La formazione d\ue0 luogo, attraverso la strutturazione di percorsi di apprendimento, a una nuova configurazione nel formando, di solito di tipo mentale (Nicolini, 2015). La complessit\ue0 nella formazione degli adulti deriva dal lavorare con soggetti che hanno gi\ue0 un\u2019organizzazione mentale radicata e sperimentata attraverso l\u2019esperienza quotidiana. Il formatore si scontra con un modello di credenze, competenze ed esperienze gi\ue0 convalidato, che il soggetto fa fatica ad abbandonare in favore dell\u2019acquisizione dei nuovi contenuti, in quanto funzionante e funzionale, dal proprio punto di vista. Quasi mai, infatti, il percorso formativo avviene per la necessit\ue0 avvertita dal formando, quanto piuttosto per i bisogni di ammodernamento dei processi che partono dall\u2019organizzazione del lavoro. L'articolo propone linee guida per superare alcune di queste impasse

Soft Skills Identification for Guidance and Job Placement. Presentation of the Project UNIMC (Macerata University) for Soft Skills

The issue of recognition, validation and certification of skills, especially those developed in non-formal and informal fields, is becoming a current topic for all educative institutions, including University. Soft skills is a psycho-sociological term relating to a cluster of personality traits, social abilities, communication, language, personal attitudes that characterize relationships with other people. Soft skills complement hard skills which are the occupational requirements of a job and many other activities. In Italy the legal framework on skills is leaded by the Legislative Decree n. 13/13. According to the Decree, University should assure the effective implementation of lifelong learning through guidance and counselling services. The University of Macerata (UNIMC) has been involved from a long time in the field of soft skills with many activities, formal as well as informal and non-formal. A system to recognize and validate them has been experienced in the last years. The objective of the paper is to describe the designed procedures aimed to the recognition and validation of soft skills such as observation, active listening, communication in small group and problem solving. Each skill was operationalized through the identification of specific indicators to recognize three level of expertise: basic, intermediate, advanced. Moreover several tasks were tested in order to identify a set of activities useful for the aim of a kind of formal recognition

Retinal Detachment Diagnosed by Bedside Ultrasound in the Emergency Department

This case study describes a patient who presented with vague visual complaints in the right eye, decreased visual acuity in the affected eye, and a difficult initial eye evaluation, including fundoscopic and slit lamp examinations, in the emergency department (ED). The preliminary finding included a darkened-appearing area of the retina on fundoscopic exam. The patient subsequently had bedside sonography of the eyes done by an emergency medicine (EM) intern which revealed a thin and serpentine strip appearing as a hyperechoic representation of the retina floating freely into the vitreous from the superior-lateral section of the posterior globe

Troglitazone Induces Extracellular Matrix and Cytoskeleton Remodeling in Mouse Collecting Duct Cells

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ) has been shown to have a protective role in the nephron through its ability to inhibit a transforming growth factor- (TGF-β) mediated fibrotic response. In contrast, PPARγ was also shown to induce a mesenchymal transformation in epithelial intestinal cells. A fibrotic response in the collecting duct has only recently been established; however, the entire collecting duct has not been fully examined. Inner medullary collecting duct cells (IMCD-K2) and mouse cortical collecting duct cells (M1), representing the cortical and medullary collecting duct, were exposed to 5–10 μM troglitazone for 24 hours. Troglitazone resulted in an elongated morphology, 60% decreases in E-cadherin and β-catenin, a 35% decrease in α-catenin, and a 1.5-fold increase in fibronectin. These effects were not reversed with PPARγ antagonists or affected with PPARγ overexpression. Our results indicate that troglitazone induced a mesenchymal-like transformation in M1 and IMCD-K2 epithelial cells independently of PPARγ

Troglitazone Induces Extracellular Matrix and Cytoskeleton Remodeling in Mouse Collecting Duct Cells

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ) has been shown to have a protective role in the nephron through its ability to inhibit a transforming growth factor- (TGF-β) mediated fibrotic response. In contrast, PPARγ was also shown to induce a mesenchymal transformation in epithelial intestinal cells. A fibrotic response in the collecting duct has only recently been established; however, the entire collecting duct has not been fully examined. Inner medullary collecting duct cells (IMCD-K2) and mouse cortical collecting duct cells (M1), representing the cortical and medullary collecting duct, were exposed to 5–10 μM troglitazone for 24 hours. Troglitazone resulted in an elongated morphology, 60% decreases in E-cadherin and β-catenin, a 35% decrease in α-catenin, and a 1.5-fold increase in fibronectin. These effects were not reversed with PPARγ antagonists or affected with PPARγ overexpression. Our results indicate that troglitazone induced a mesenchymal-like transformation in M1 and IMCD-K2 epithelial cells independently of PPARγ

Rotational Mobility Analysis of the 3-RFR Class of Spherical Parallel Robots

none4noSpherical parallel manipulators (SPMs) are used to orient a tool in the space with three degrees of freedom exploiting the strengths of a multi-limb architecture. On the other hand, the performance of parallel kinematics machines (PKMs) is often affected by the occurrence of different kinds of singular configurations. The paper aims at characterizing a class of SPMs for which all singularities come to coincide and a single expression is able to describe all the singular configurations of the machines. The study is focused on a class of SPMs with 3-RFR topology (Revolute-Planar-Revolute pairs for each of the three limbs) addressing the mobility and singularity analysis by means of polynomial decomposition and screw theory. The neatness of the equations that are worked out, expressed in a robust formulation based on rotation invariants, allows a straightforward planning of singularity free tasks and simplifies the synthesis of dexterous machines.openCorinaldi, David; Carbonari, Luca; Palpacelli, Matteo-Claudio; Callegari, MassimoCorinaldi, David; Carbonari, Luca; Palpacelli, Matteo-Claudio; Callegari, Massim

Parents Must Be Cautious: Pediatric Multivitamins Can Contain Gluten

Introduction: Gluten enteropathy, also known as celiac disease, can affect 1 in 100 individuals. Increasingly, diagnoses are made in individuals who are asymptomatic. It has been reported that up to half of children with celiac disease may not be diagnosed. In effort to optimize health, parents often administer vitamins to their children. However, pediatric multivitamins can contain gluten which may adversely affect children with subclinical disease. This study evaluated pediatric multivitamins for gluten at mass market retail stores and a warehouse store. Methods: A survey of multivitamins at two mass market retail stores and a national warehouse store was conducted. Pediatric multivitamins were identified and ingredients were evaluated. The vitamins were categorized as gluten-free or containing gluten. Vitamins were categorized as cautionary if they contained soy or were manufactured in a facility where there was potential for cross contamination with gluten. Vitamins without gluten containing ingredients, but not labeled as gluten free, were placed in an uncertain category. A database was created using Microsoft Excel. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher Exact test, with significance set at p\u3c0.05. Results: The first mass market retail store offered 17 pediatric multivitamins, 6 (35.3%) categorized as gluten free, 2 contained gluten, 7 were cautionary and 2 uncertain. The second mass market retail store offered 19 pediatric multivitamins, 10 (52.6%) categorized as gluten free, 3 contained gluten, 4 were cautionary and 2 uncertain. The national warehouse store offered 3 pediatric multivitamins, 2 (66.7%) categorized as gluten free and 1 contained gluten. There was no significant difference (p=0.3351) in the available gluten free pediatric multivitamins between the retail stores. There was no significant difference in the rate at which the national warehouse store had gluten free vitamins compared to the first mass market retail store (p=0.5368) or the second mass market retail store (p=1.000). Notably, the pediatric multivitamins containing gluten often had cartoon character labelling. Discussion: Parents should be aware that pediatric multivitamins with gluten can cause or exacerbate nutritional deficiencies in children with celiac disease. Children with celiac disease can often be asymptomatic, but may react to daily gluten exposure through vitamins. Awareness of vitamin ingredients is important to avoid unintentional gluten ingestion. Parents must be careful when selecting vitamins for their children

Trying To Stay Healthy Can Sometimes Make You Sick: Vitamins At Mass Market Retail And Warehouse Stores Often Contain Gluten

INTRODUCTION: Celiac disease can cause nutritional deficiencies when there is exposure to gluten. Vitamin supplementation is often recommended to prevent malnutrition. However, it is important to evaluate all vitamins to determine if gluten is present. This study evaluated multivitamins available at mass market retail stores and a warehouse store to determine the frequency at which the vitamins contained gluten. METHODS: A survey of multivitamins at two mass market retail stores and a national warehouse store was conducted. All available multivitamins were identified and the ingredients were reviewed. The vitamins were categorized as gluten-free or containing gluten. Vitamins were categorized as cautionary if they contained soy or were manufactured in a facility where there was potential for cross contamination with gluten-containing products. Vitamins without identified sources of gluten, but not labeled as gluten free, were placed in an uncertain category. A database was created using Microsoft Excel. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher Exact test, with statistical significance set at p \u3c 0.05. RESULTS: The first mass market retail store had 57 different multivitamins available, 25 (43.9%) categorized as gluten free, 5 contained gluten, 11 were cautionary and 16 uncertain. The second mass market retail store had 55 different multivitamins available, 22 (40%) categorized as gluten free, 6 contained gluten, 12 were cautionary and 15 uncertain. There was no significant difference (p=0.7056) in the rate at which gluten free vitamins were available at the mass market retail stores. The national warehouse store had 20 different multivitamins available, 10 (50%) categorized as gluten free, 1 contained gluten and 9 were uncertain. There was no significant difference in the rate at which the national warehouse store had gluten free vitamins compared to the first mass market retail store (p=0.7947) or the second mass market retail store (p=0.5982). Notably most of the brand vitamins of the first mass market retail store (100%), the second mass market retail store (67%) and the national warehouse store (100%) were gluten free. DISCUSSION: The majority of vitamins available at the two mass market retail stores and half of the vitamins available at national warehouse store contained gluten, had the potential to be cross-contaminated with gluten products or it was uncertain if they contained gluten. Careful review multivitamin ingredients is important. Contacting vitamin manufacturers may be necessary to determine if a vitamin is gluten free. Individuals with celiac disease should be aware that many vitamins can contain gluten and may result in complications

How the Institute developed its scheme for oil spills response. by Rod Corinaldi

Today it is accepted that a capacity to respond to a major oil spill in a credible way is vital and in the interests of all concerned