NODI PROBLEMATICI NELLA GRAMMATICA VALENZIALE: LA SICUREZZA DEL METODO

Come è ormai ampiamente noto, il modello valenziale ipotizza che il verbo sia il centro propulsore della frase e ne determini la struttura. Per lavorare con questo modello, bisognerà quindi in prima battuta ragionare sul verbo, e imparare a individuare gli elementi necessari, gli argomenti indispensabili alla realizzazione dell’evento rappresentato dal verbo. In questo saggio, dopo aver discusso il concetto di obbligatorietà dell’argomento, si affrontano una serie di casi problematici, e si individuano sottogruppi di verbi la cui struttura argomentale non è immediatamente evidente, o (il che è il caso più frequente) di verbi che presentano più strutture argomentali, e quindi più significati. Infine si incoraggiano i docenti a non temere le difficoltà, e ad incentivare la discussione con gli allievi sui casi più controversi. Si tratta di ragionare non già in termini di giusto/sbagliato, ma di più o meno plausibile, più o meno convincente, tenendo nel debito conto da una parte l’età degli allievi, dall’altra le sistemazioni già disponibili in materia.   Problematic nodes in valency grammar: the reliability of the method As it is now widely known, the valency model assumes that the verb is the propelling center of the sentence and determines its structure. In order to work with this model, it is therefore necessary to reason about the verb and learn how to identify necessary elements, indispensable argument for the realization of the event represented by the verb. In this essay, after discussing the concept of the compulsoriness of the argument, we deal with a series of problematic cases and identify subgroups of verbs whose argumentative structure  is not immediately evident or (which is the most frequent case) verbs that have several argumentative structures and therefore more meanings. Finally, teachers are encouraged not to fear difficulties and encourage discussion with students on the most controversial cases. It is a question of reasoning, not in terms of right or wrong, but what is more or less plausible, more or less convincing, taking due account of the students’ age and the structures?? already available on the subject

Formazione delle parole e terminologia grammaticale: proposte per il mondo della scuola

Il saggio si pone l'obiettivo di affrontare e sperabilmente chiarire alcuni snodi problematici relativamente al settore della formazione delle parole in italiano. Si presenta come una breve rassegna di parole tecniche – composizione, parole composte e parole polirematiche, conversione, parasintesi – che vengono illustrate attraverso degli esempi pertinenti, allo scopo di chiarire i fatti linguistici cui esse rimandano. Interlocutore ideale di questo saggio è il docente di italiano, o lo studente universitario che si prepari a diventarlo. A questo lettore ideale si offrono dati e ragionamenti che tentano di spiegare almeno alcune delle principali acquisizioni della ricerca moderna su questi temi, nella speranza che il chiarimento concettuale si accompagni ad una più sicura professionalità docente, in grado di adottare a ragion veduta l'inevitabile terminologia e scegliere con cognizione di causa i testi scolastici

RIFLESSIONE SULLA LINGUA E MODELLO VALENZIALE: COMINCIAMO DALLA PRIMARIA?

Il saggio parte dalla definizione delle due espressioni presenti nel titolo: “riflessione sulla lingua” e “modello valenziale”. Quanto alla prima, si sostiene che, nell’impostare un qualsiasi intervento di tipo grammaticale, sia opportuno partire non già da definizioni e liste precostituite, ma dalla naturale capacità di “riflettere sulla lingua” che tutti i bambini sviluppano spontaneamente nell’acquisire la loro lingua materna. Quanto al modello valenziale, dopo una breve presentazione dello stesso, ci si interroga se esso possa essere proposto già nella scuola primaria, e, sulla base di ricerche sul campo e di alcuni dati ricavati dalle prove nazionali di valutazione (Invalsi), si argomenta a favore di una presentazione precoce del modello, che alla prova dei fatti si rivela semplice e intuitivo, e consente di esercitare al meglio le capacità riflessive degli allievi.   Reflection on language and the valency model: should we begin with the primary school? The essay starts by defining the two expressions present in the title: “reflection on language” and “valency model”. Regarding for the former, it is argued that in setting up any grammatical intervention, it is appropriate to start from the natural ability to “reflect on the language” that all children develop spontaneously in acquiring their mother tongue rather than from pre-established definitions and lists. As for the valency model, after a brief presentation, we consider whether it can be proposed in primary school and, based on field research and data obtained from national evaluation tests (Invalsi), we argues in favor of early presentation of the model, which is simple and intuitive and promoting the students’ best reflective skills

“CARO MICHELE”: RIFLESSIONI E DOMANDE IN FORMA DI LETTERA SUI DIFFICILI CONFINI TRA FRASE E TESTO

La lettura di un saggio può a volte non lasciare traccia nel lettore, il che non è mai un bel risultato. A volte invece stimola la nostra intelligenza, forse il saggio non ci ha convinto del tutto ma non riusciamo a liberarcene, perché ha toccato dei temi che riconosciamo importanti ma complessi, non facili da dipanare. Così può succedere che i dubbi o le domande – nel nostro caso sui confini tra frase e testo – che il saggio ha suscitato prendano forma scritta e vengano addirittura inviate all’autore del saggio. E capita che l’autore risponda.   “Dear Michele”: reflections and questions in the form of a letter on the difficult boundaries between sentence and text   Reading an essay may sometimes leave no trace in the reader, which is never a good thing. Sometimes, on the other hand, it stimulates our intelligence, perhaps the essay has not completely convinced us but we cannot get rid of it, because it has touched on topics that we recognise as important but complex, not easy to unravel. So it can happen that the doubts or questions – in our case about the boundaries between sentence and text – that the essay has raised take written form and are even sent to the author of the essay. And it happens that the author replies

A case report of thyroid carcinoma confined to ovary and concurrently occult in the thyroid. Is conservative treatment always advised?

Introduction: Struma ovarii is an ovarian teratoma, represented in more than 50% by thyroid tissue. Five percent of struma ovarii cases have been proven to be malignant and, as in the thyroid gland, papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common histotype arising in struma ovarii. Because of the unusual occurrence of this tumor, its management and follow-up after pelvic surgery is still controversial. Usually, total thyroidectomy followed by radioiodine treatment is the choice treatment in metastatic malignant struma ovarii, while these procedures are still controversial in non-metastatic thyroid cancer arising in struma ovarii. Case Presentation: We report a female with follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma arising in struma ovarii. After pelvic surgery, thyroid morphofunctional examinations were performed and a single nodular lesion in the left lobe was discovered. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy and histological examination showed a papillary carcinoma. Radioiodine-ablation of residual thyroid tissue was performed and levothyroxine mildly-suppressive treatment was started. Conclusions: A more aggressive treatment should not be denied for malignant struma ovarii without any evidence, even when apparently confined into the ovary. However, in selected cases, aggressive treatment may be advisable to decrease the risk of recurrence and to allow an accurate follow-up

Modified versus standard intention-to-treat reporting: Are there differences in methodological quality, sponsorship, and findings in randomized trials? A cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that use the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) approach are increasingly being published. Such trials have a preponderance of post-randomization exclusions, industry sponsorship, and favourable findings, and little is known whether in terms of these items mITT trials are different with respect to trials that report a standard intention-to-treat.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To determine differences in the methodological quality, sponsorship, authors' conflicts of interest, and findings among trials with different "types" of intention-to-treat, we undertook a cross-sectional study of RCTs published in 2006 in three general medical journals (the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet) and three specialty journals (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, the American Heart Journal and the Journal of Clinical Oncology). Trials were categorized based on the "type" of intention-to-treat reporting as follows: ITT, trials reporting the use of standard ITT approach; mITT, trials reporting the use of a "modified intention-to-treat" approach; and "no ITT", trials not reporting the use of any intention-to-treat approach. Two pairs of reviewers independently extracted the data in duplicate. The strength of the associations between the "type" of intention-to-treat reporting and the quality of reporting (sample size calculation, flow-chart, lost to follow-up), the methodological quality of the trials (sequence generation, allocation concealment, and blinding), the funding source, and the findings was determined. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 367 RCTs included, 197 were classified as ITT, 56 as mITT, and 114 as "no ITT" trials. The quality of reporting and the methodological quality of the mITT trials were similar to those of the ITT trials; however, the mITT trials were more likely to report post-randomization exclusions (adjusted OR 3.43 [95%CI, 1.70 to 6.95]; <it>P </it>< 0.001). We found a strong association between trials classified as mITT and for-profit agency sponsorship (adjusted OR 7.41 [95%CI, 3.14 to 17.48]; <it>P </it>< .001) as well as the presence of authors' conflicts of interest (adjusted OR 5.14 [95%CI, 2.12 to 12.48]; <it>P </it>< .001). There was no association between mITT reporting and favourable results; in general, however, trials with for-profit agency sponsorship were significantly associated with favourable results (adjusted OR 2.30; [95%CI, 1.28 to 4.16]; <it>P </it>= 0.006).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found that the mITT trials were significantly more likely to perform post-randomization exclusions and were strongly associated with industry funding and authors' conflicts of interest.</p

Influence of environmental conditions on the virulence and distribution of Orobanche cumana Wallr. in the Republic of Moldova☆

The parasitic angiosperm Orobanche cumana is present in the main sunflower-producing countries around the world. In recent years, more aggressive races of broomrape have evolved and the parasite has rapidly spread to new areas. A similar trend has been observed in the Republic of Moldova. At the beginning of 1950s, broomrape was detected in Moldova, especially in the southern areas. Currently, all the known races of Orobanche are present in the country and the parasite has expanded considerably on new areas in the center and north. Based on these results and the data reported by other authors, related to influence of climate change on the phytosanitary situation, we studied the interdependence between the climate and the distribution of Orobanche cumana Wallr. over different parts of the Republic of Moldova. Prevalence of broomrape infection mainly in the southern and central part of the Republic of Moldova and its sporadic presence in the northern part can be influenced, not only by short rotations, type of sunflower hybrids grown and soil parameters, but also by the weather conditions such as higher temperatures and lower humidity in the south and center. Based on multiannual data and trends observed in recent years, characterized by an increase in temperature and decrease of relative humidity, we conclude that climate change will create favorable conditions for infecting sunflower plants in all the areas where sunflowers are grown, including the expansion of broomrape to the north of Moldova