Business English and Business French:a comparative analysis of teaching strategies and firms' needs.

Following T. Dudley-Evans' suggestions, in order to analyse languages for specific purposes, it is possible to argue that present teaching experience is characterized by certain common aspects, such as teachers' insufficient extra-linguistic knowledge; lack of adequate teaching materials; learners' different levels of linguistic competence and lack of motivation. Futhermore, Business Languages imply an additional aspect to be investigated, a sort of 'side effect': rapid changes in the market determine a necessity, that of naming new features and conditions, hence the question of word-formation and transparency arises. Moving from an analysis of language curricula at the University of Catania, Department of Business Economics, this paper will seek to explore adopted teaching methods in order to point out the importance of integrating language and content, as stated by Fortanet-Gómez and Räisänen. The study's diachronic and synchronic evaluation of the applied approaches will lead to suggestions in the design of modules, taking into account the role played by both Business English and Business French, in terms of teaching implications and job opportunities. The main aim is to provide a potential answer to the following question: To what extent are companies aware of the need to invest in languages, intercultural and interpreting skills, and the management of linguistic diversity? </p

Business English and Business French:a comparative analysis of teaching strategies and firms' needs.

Following T. Dudley-Evans’ suggestions, in order to analyse languages for specific purposes, it is possible to argue that present teaching experience is characterized by certain common aspects, such as teachers’ insufficient extra-linguistic knowledge; lack of adequate teaching materials; learners’ different levels of linguistic competence and lack of motivation. Futhermore, Business Languages imply an additional aspect to be investigated, a sort of ‘side effect’: rapid changes in the market determine a necessity, that of naming new features and conditions, hence the question of word-formation and transparency arises. Moving from an analysis of language curricula at the University of Catania, Department of Business Economics, this paper will seek to explore adopted teaching methods in order to point out the importance of integrating language and content, as stated by Fortanet-Gómez and Räisänen. The study’s diachronic and synchronic evaluation of the applied approaches will lead to suggestions in the design of modules, taking into account the role played by both Business English and Business French, in terms of teaching implications and job opportunities. The main aim is to provide a potential answer to the following question: To what extent are companies aware of the need to invest in languages, intercultural and interpreting skills, and the management of linguistic diversity?

Carbon Identity: A Lawrencian Reading of Thomas Hardy’s Novels

The Study of Thomas Hardy is one of the most misunderstood Lawrencian works, but at the same time it is one of the most influential. Hardy is not a mere pretext that the writer uses to discuss his metaphysics and aesthetics – as many critics have claimed: Lawrence writes on Hardy in order to understand himself. A subtle analysis of the Wessex novels allows him to name the new subject he attempts to describe, the unconscious. In the famous “carbon identity letter”, D. H. Lawrence detects a chemical element that is more valuable than the diamond itself, because it represents the true nature of human beings, something that underlies their actions and feelings, which is “non-human, in humanity”: an unrecognizable ego. According to Virginia Woolf, there is “a little blur of unconsciousness” in Hardy’s Novel, as if he were not cognizant of the implications of his writing, leaving “for his readers to make out his full meaning and to supplement it from their own experience”. From Thomas Hardy’s lesson, Lawrence learns the worth and the danger of metaphysics, inheriting the two great themes that shape his literary production, the human psyche and sexual dimension. The bound that ties these two eminent writers is deeper than a simple relation between master and disciple: both of them break with tradition and produce better works when the unconscious drives their actions. The aim of this paper is to analyze the complex relationship, shedding new light on Hardy’s novels in order to appreciate his “state of soul”.L’Étude sur Thomas Hardy est l’une des œuvres les plus incomprises de D. H. Lawrence. Hardy n’est pas un simple prétexte pour parler de sa métaphysique et de son esthétique, comme certains critiques l’ont prétendu : Lawrence écrit sur Hardy afin de se comprendre lui-même. Son analyse subtile des romans du Wessex l’aide à nommer le nouveau sujet qu’il veut décrire, à savoir l’inconscient. Dans la célèbre Lettre sur l’identité de carbone, D. H. Lawrence met au jour un élément chimique plus précieux que le diamant lui-même, car il représente la véritable nature des êtres humains. Il s’agit de quelque chose qui sous-tend toutes nos actions et tous nos sentiments, quelque chose qui n’est “pas humain dans l’humanité” : un ego méconnaissable. Selon Virginia Woolf, il y a “un petit flou d’inconscience” dans les romans de Hardy, comme si l’auteur “lui-même n’était pas conscient de ce qu’il a fait […], laissait à ses lecteurs le soin de déchiffrer la signification complète et de la compléter à partir de leur propre expérience”. De la leçon hardyenne, Lawrence apprend la valeur et le danger de la métaphysique et hérite des deux grands thèmes de sa production littéraire : le sexe et l’inconscient. Le lien qui unit Lawrence et Hardy est plus profond qu’une simple relation de maître à disciple : tous deux rompent avec la tradition et produisent de meilleures œuvres quand l’inconscient les guide. Le but de cet article est d’analyser leur relation afin de comprendre la dette profonde de Lawrence à l’égard de Hardy, ainsi que d’éclairer autrement les romans de Hardy pour évaluer “l’état d’âme” de l’auteur

Adapting historical characters for the screen: dal Dan Leno di Peter Ackroyd al Limehouse Golem di Juan Carlos Medina

Attraverso l&rsquo;analisi di Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem di Peter Ackroyd e The Limehouse Golem di Juan Carlos Medina, il presente studio mira ad analizzare il processo di transmediation/remediation che occorre nel caso della trasposizione cinematografica dei romanzi neo-Vittoriani. Ponendo particolare attenzione al doppio processo di adaptation che mette in discussione il concetto stesso di originale o source text, richiamando il problema della reference individuato da Hutcheon (1988; 1989; 2006) e Hadley (2010), il romanzo di Peter Ackroyd diventa paradigma di una modalit&agrave; ricettiva squisitamente postmoderna con la riscrittura /appropriazione del testo sorgente. La struttura polifonica del romanzo permette infatti di individuare voci vittoriane all&rsquo;interno dell&rsquo;istanza narrativa postmoderna, fornendo ai lettori un esempio di biographical novel/novelistic biography, in cui history and fiction si fondono. The aim of the present study is to analyse Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem by Peter Ackroyd and The Limehouse Golem by Juan Carlos Medina in order to investigate the transmediation/remediation process that occurs when neo-Victorian novels are adapted for the screen. Paying specific attention to the double process of adaptation that questions the same concept of source text, regarding the problem of reference as defined by Hutcheon (1988; 1989; 2006) and Hadley (2010), the novel by Peter Ackroyd becomes the paradigm of a postmodern receptive model with the rewriting/appropriation of the source text. The polyphonic structure of the novel allows to identify Victorian voices as part of the postmodern narrative, providing an example of biographical novel/novelistic biography to readers, where history and fiction merge

L’acquisizione dell’inglese da parte di apprendenti italiani in contesti non guidati: l’errore linguistico in età prescolare

Nel corso degli ultimi decenni, la ricerca su ELT si &egrave; concentrata sul ruolo delle nuove tecnologie nell&rsquo;apprendimento, considerando tutte le forme di social media, cartoni animati e video giochi, in quanto tali materiali possono mantenere alti i livelli di interesse, sostenendo cos&igrave; la motivazione. In particolare, i cartoni presentano una combinazione di linguaggio verbale e non verbale, offrendo la possibilit&agrave; di sviluppare diversi livelli di analisi, favorendo sia un approccio linguistico sia uno culturale. Gli effetti positivi dei cartoni sull&rsquo;apprendimento sono stati comprovati da diverse ricerche, ma questo contesto di riferimenti deve essere ridefinito se si prende in considerazione l&rsquo;apprendimento in et&agrave; prescolare. Al fine di analizzare un apprendimento che &egrave; sia formale sia informale, la presente ricerca considerer&agrave; gli effetti che diverse tipologie di cartoni hanno sull&rsquo;apprendimento della lingua inglese per la valutazione delle abilit&agrave; di speaking, la conoscenza del lessico e la motivazione, prestando particolare attenzione al ruolo dell&rsquo;errore linguistico. Over the past decades, ELT research has focused on the role of ICT in learning, considering all the forms of social media, cartoons, and videogames, since they can maintain high levels of interest, thus sustaining motivation. In particular, cartoons present a combination of verbal and nonverbal language, offering the opportunity to develop different levels of analysis, favouring a linguistic focus and a cultural one. The positive effects of cartoons on learning are proved by several researches, but this background of references must be re-structured if preschool children&rsquo;s learning is considered. In order to analyse a learning that is both formal and informal, the present research will muse on the effects that different typology of cartoons have on English learning process in order to assess speaking skills, vocabulary knowledge, and motivation, paying specific attention to the role played by errors/mistakes

Elotuzumab plus pomalidomide and dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma: a multicenter, retrospective real-world experience with 200 cases outside of controlled clinical trials

In the ELOQUENT-3 trial, the combination of elotuzumab, pomalidomide and dexamethasone (EloPd) proved a superior clinical benefit over Pd with a manageable toxicity profile, leading to its approval in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), who had received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a proteasome inhibitor (PI). We report here a real-world experience of 200 RRMMs treated with EloPd in 35 Italian centers outside of clinical trials. In our dataset, the median number of prior lines of therapy was 2, with 51% of cases undergoing autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and 73% exposed to daratumumab. After a median follow-up of 9 months, 126 patients stopped EloPd, most of them (88.9%) because of disease progression. The overall response rate (ORR) was 55.4%, in line with the pivotal trial results. Regarding adverse events, our cohort experienced a toxicity profile similar to the ELOQUENT-3 trial, with no significant differences between younger (&lt;70 years) and older patients. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 7 months, shorter than that observed in the ELOQUENT-3, probably due to the different clinical characteristics of the two cohorts. Interestingly, the ISS stage III (HR:2.55) was associated with worse PFS. Finally, our series's median overall survival (OS) was shorter than that observed in the ELOQUENT-3 trial (17.5 versus 29.8 months). In conclusion, our real-world study confirms EloPd as a safe and possible therapeutic choice for RRMM who received at least two prior therapies, including lenalidomide and a PI

Parathyroid Retrospective Analysis of Neoplasms Incidence (pTRANI Study): An Italian Multicenter Study on Parathyroid Carcinoma and Atypical Parathyroid Tumour

Background: Parathyroid cancer (PC) is a rare sporadic or hereditary malignancy whose histologic features were redefined with the 2022 WHO classification. A total of 24 Italian institutions designed this multicenter study to specify PC incidence, describe its clinical, functional, and imaging characteristics and improve its differentiation from the atypical parathyroid tumour (APT). Methods: All relevant information was collected about PC and APT patients treated between 2009 and 2021. Results: Among 8361 parathyroidectomies, 351 patients (mean age 59.0 ± 14.5; F = 210, 59.8%) were divided into the APT (n = 226, 2.8%) and PC group (n = 125, 1.5%). PC showed significantly higher rates (p &lt; 0.05) of bone involvement, abdominal, and neurological symptoms than APT (48.8% vs. 35.0%, 17.6% vs. 7.1%, 13.6% vs. 5.3%, respectively). Ultrasound (US) diameter &gt;3 cm (30.9% vs. 19.3%, p = 0.049) was significantly more common in the PC. A significantly higher frequency of local recurrences was observed in the PC (8.0% vs. 2.7%, p = 0.022). Mortality due to consequences of cancer or uncontrolled hyperparathyroidism was 3.3%. Conclusions: Symptomatic hyperparathyroidism, high PTH and albumin-corrected serum calcium values, and a US diameter &gt;3 cm may be considered features differentiating PC from APT. 2022 WHO criteria did not impact the diagnosis

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries