UNO SGUARDO ANTROPOLOGICO SULL’ESPERIENZA DI CONDUZIONE DI ALCUNI LABORATORI DI ITALIANO L2 RIVOLTI AD ALUNNI ROM

L’obiettivo del saggio è fornire spunti di riflessione e analisi di carattere antropologico in merito al tema dell’inclusione scolastica e della didattica dell’italiano L2 rivolta ad alunni rom. L’esperienza di alcuni laboratori condotti nelle scuole primarie torinesi nell’ambito del progetto “Italiano L2 a scuola” ha infatti posto numerose sfide e fatto emergere le molteplici difficoltà e complessità connesse a tale contesto. È necessario ripensare la didattica rivolta ad alunni rom mediante la valorizzazione delle abilità e delle competenze di tutti e la creazione di nuove alleanze con le famiglie e le comunità di origine, senza tuttavia cadere in errate interpretazioni della cosiddetta interculturalità. Il progetto “Italiano L2 a scuola” può fornire un valido esempio dell’efficacia di adottare un approccio laboratoriale, in cui gli studenti sono chiamati ad agire – concretamente e cognitivamente – per affrontare un compito all’interno di una didattica cooperativa e project-based, coniugando le metodologie glottodidattiche con i saperi e le riflessioni dell’antropologia.   An anthropological look at the experience of some Italian L2 labs for Roma pupils The aim of the paper is to provide food for thought and an anthropological analysis on the theme of school inclusion and the teaching of Italian L2 to Roma pupils. The experience of some labs conducted in Turin primary schools within the project “Italiano L2 a scuola” has in fact posed many challenges and brought to light the many difficulties and complexities related to this context. It is necessary to rethink the teaching of Roma pupils through the enhancement of the skills and competences of all and the creation of new alliances with their families and communities of origin, without falling into erroneous interpretations of the so-called interculturality. The project “Italiano L2 a scuola” is a valid example of the effectiveness of adopting a lab approach, where students are called to act – concretely and cognitively – to tackle a task within cooperative and project-based didactics, combining language teaching methodologies with the knowledge and reflections of anthropology

Breastfeeding and obesity in Brazilian children

The association between breastfeeding and obesity is inconsistent by the literature. This study aims to assess whether obesity is associated to occurrence of breastfeeding and to duration of total and exclusive breastfeeding in Brazilian children. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 764 children enrolled in public and private schools from Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Obesity (outcome variable) was defined as body mass index above the +2 standard deviations score using sex and age specific standards of World Health Organization. Exposure was the occurrence and duration of breastfeeding. Potential confounders were controlled by multiple logistic regression analysis and were divided in two groups: children (gender, age, birth weight, gestational age, order of birth, number of siblings, number of persons in the residence, type of school, physical activity patterns and time watching television) and mothers (age, nutritional status, level of education, weight gain during pregnancy, smokes currently and during the pregnancy). Prevalence of obesity was 10.7%; 6.8% of the children were not breastfed and 59.0% did not receive exclusive breastfeeding. After adjustment for confounding variables by logistic regression analysis, no statistically significant association was observed between obesity and the occurrence and/or duration of total and exclusive breastfeeding. There was no dose-response effect of duration of breastfeeding on prevalence of obesity. Our results do not support the hypothesis that breastfeeding promotion would reduce obesity in this population. Controversial findings regarding this association by literature indicate a need for further investigations

Movimientos de la educación permanente en salud desencadenados a partir de la formación de facilitadores

This study mapped the movements of Permanent Health Education in the region of Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil, begun by the Permanent Health Education Facilitators program, promoted by the Ministry of Health and the National School of Public Health. This qualitative study was grounded on the theoretical framework of institutional and schizoanalysis. Data were collected from operative groups of individuals who finished the program. The results were grouped into two plans: micropolitics and organization. Micropolitics indicates the production of different concepts concerning permanent education and different ways to establish it. Autonomy and control and also a tenuous relationship between tutorship and autonomy were highlighted, in the plan of organization. In conclusion, the program was an important device that suffered captures/overcoding but also produced changes in practice.Se tuvo por objetivo cartografiar los movimientos de educación permanente en salud, en la región de Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brasil, iniciados a partir del curso de Facilitadores de Educación Permanente en Salud, del Ministerio de la Salud y Escuela Nacional de Salud Pública. Es un estudio de abordaje cualitativo, sustentado por el referencial teórico del análisis institucional en la línea esquizoanalítica, siendo los datos recolectados mediante grupos operativos con alumnos terminando el referido curso. Los resultados fueron agrupados en dos planos: micropolítica y organización. Con relación a la micropolítica, apuntan que hubo producción de diferentes conceptos sobre educación permanente y diferentes formas de institucionalización de la misma. En el plano de la organización se destacan la autonomía y el control y también la tenue relación entre tutela y autonomía. Concluimos que el curso fue un importante dispositivo que sufrió capturas, pero también produjo cambios en las prácticas.Tem-se, aqui, por objetivo, cartografar os movimentos de educação permanente em saúde, na região de Araraquara, São Paulo, Brasil, disparados a partir do curso de Facilitadores de Educação Permanente em Saúde, do Ministério da Saúde e Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública. É estudo de abordagem qualitativa, sustentado pelo referencial teórico da análise institucional na linha esquizoanalítica, sendo os dados coletados mediante grupos operativos com concluintes do referido curso. Os resultados agrupados em dois planos: micropolítica e organização, apontam, em relação à micropolítica, que houve produção de diferentes conceitos sobre educação permanente e diferentes formas de institucionalização da mesma. No plano da organização, destacam-se a autonomia e o controle e, ainda, a tênue relação entre tutela e autonomia. Conclui-se que o curso foi importante dispositivo que sofreu capturas, mas, também, produziu mudanças nas práticas

Risk factors for low birth weight among low-income pregnant women

This paper assessed 77 pregnant women undergoing the last three months of gestation, in order to analyze their exposure to risk factors for low birth weight. They lived in slums in the region of Vila Mariana, a district in the city of São Paulo, and were followed up by the Projeto Favela, developed by the Federal University of São Paulo/School of Medicine. The maternal variables which most influenced birth weight were the mother's number of pregnancies and height. Primiparous women gave birth to newborns with lower birthweight, presenting an average difference of -264g when compared with infants born to multiparous mothers. Women whose height did not exceed 150cm also delivered infants with lower birth weight, demonstrating an average difference of -287g when compared with neonates born to taller mothers. Only 2.6% of the infants presented low birth weight, despite the high exposure of the studied population to risk factors.Foram analisadas, quanto à exposição a fatores de risco para o baixo peso ao nascer, 77 gestantes no último trimestre da gestação, residentes em favelas da região de Vila Mariana, município de São Paulo, acompanhadas pelo Projeto Favela, desenvolvido pela Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)/Escola Paulista de Medicina. As variáveis maternas de maior impacto sobre o peso ao nascer foram paridade e estatura. Primíparas geraram crianças com diferença média de peso ao nascer de -264g em relação aos recém-nascidos das multíparas. Mulheres com estaturas abaixo de 150cm tiveram crianças com diferença média de peso ao nascer de -287g em comparação com os neonatos de mães com estaturas maiores. Apenas 2,6% das crianças nasceram com baixo peso, apesar da alta exposição da população estudada aos fatores de risco.Universidade Federal de Viçosa Departamento de Nutrição e SaúdeUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Stature estimation using the knee height measurement amongst Brazilian elderly

Stature is an important variable in several indices of nutritional status that are applicable to elderly persons. However, stature is difficult or impossible to measure in elderly because they are often unable to maintain the standing position. A alternative is the use of estimated height from measurements of knee height measure. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the formula proposed by Chumlea et al. (1985) based on the knee of a Caucasian population to estimate the height and its application in calculation of body mass index in community- dwelling older people residents in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The sample included 621 elderly aged 60 years old and older, living in the community. Measures of weight, height and knee height (KH) were taken and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated with the measured weight and estimated. The Student`s t-test was used for comparison of measurements of height between the genders. For the comparison of estimated and measured values it was used paired t-test and also the methodology proposed by Bland and Altman to compare the difference between measurements. To evaluate the agreement between the classifications for BMI was used Cohen's Kappa. The average values obtained from KH were higher than those measured in the whole sample and women. There underestimation of BMI in females and also in the whole. The present results suggest that the equation Chumlea was not adequate to estimate the height of the sample in question, especially for women.La estatura es una variable importante en varios índices del estado nutricional que son aplicables a las personas mayores. Sin embargo, la estatura es difícil o imposible de medir en la edad avanzada, ya que a menudo son incapaces de mantener la posición de pie. Una alternativa es el uso de altura estimada a partir de mediciones de medida de altura de la rodilla. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la exactitud de la fórmula propuesta por Chumlea et al. (1985), basado en la altura de la rodilla de una población caucásica para estimar la altura y su aplicación en el cálculo del índice de masa corporal en las personas mayores residentes en la comunidad de Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil. La muestra incluyó a 621 adultos mayores de 60 anos y más, que viven en la comunidad. Se tomaron medidas de peso, talla y altura de la rodilla (AR) y el Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) se calculó con el peso medido y estimado. Se utilize la prueba T del estudiante para la comparación de las mediciones de altura entre los géneros. Para la comparación de los valores estimados y medidos se utilizó la prueba T pareada y también la metodología propuesta por Bland y Altman para comparar la diferencia entre las mediciones. Para evaluar el acuerdo entre las clasificaciones para el IMC se utilizó el Kappa de Cohen. Los valores medios obtenidos a partir de AR fueron más altos que los medidos en la muestra completa y mujeres. Hay subestimación de IMC en mujeres y también en el conjunto. Los resultados sugieren que la ecuación Chumlea no era adecuado para estimar la altura de la muestra en cuestión, especialmente para las mujeres

Conditional Inactivation of Limbic Neuropeptide Y-1 Receptors Increases Vulnerability to Diet-Induced Obesity in Male Mice

NPY and its Y1 cognate receptor (Y1R) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of stress, anxiety, depression and energy homeostasis. We previously demonstrated that conditional knockout of Npy1r gene in the excitatory neurons of the forebrain of adolescent male mice (Npy1rrfb mice) decreased body weight growth and adipose tissue and increased anxiety. In the present study, we used the same conditional system to examine whether the targeted disruption of the Npy1r gene in limbic areas might affect susceptibility to obesity and associated disorders during adulthood in response to a 3-week high-fat diet (HFD) regimen. We demonstrated that following HFD exposure, Npy1rrfb male mice showed increased body weight, visceral adipose tissue, and blood glucose levels, hyperphagia and a dysregulation of calory intake as compared to control Npy1r2lox mice. These results suggest that low expression of Npy1r in limbic areas impairs habituation to high caloric food and causes high susceptibility to diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance in male mice, uncovering a specific contribution of the limbic Npy1r gene in the dysregulation of the eating/satiety balance

Limited proteolysis of a disulfide-linked apoA-I dimer in reconstituted HDL.

The apolipoprotein A-I Milano (apoA-I M ) is a mo- lecular variant of apoA-I characterized by the Arg 173 → Cys substitution, leading to the formation of homodimers A-I M / A-I M. Upon interaction with palmitoyloleoylphosphatidyl- choline, A-I M /A-I M forms only two species of reconstituted HDL (rHDL) particles, with diameters of 7.8 and 12.5 nm. We used limited proteolysis to analyze the conformation of A-I M /A-I M in the two rHDL particles, in comparison with that of apoA-I in rHDL of similar size. ApoA-I in the small, 7.8-nm rHDL is degraded to a greater extent (50% after 6 h) than in the large rHDL ( � 10% degraded after 6 h). The pro- tease susceptibility of A-I M /A-I M in small and large rHDL is instead remarkably the same, with A-I M /A-I M being much more sensitive to proteolytic digestion (50% degraded after 10 min) than apoA-I. The identification of the proteolytic fragments by immunoblotting, N-terminal sequencing, and molecular mass determination, shows that the N-terminus of both proteins is resistant to proteolysis, with six cleavage sites located in the central and carboxy-terminal portions of the molecules. Cleavage in the middle of apoA-I occurs at dis- tinct sites in 7.8-nm (Lys 118 ) and 12.7-nm (Arg 123 ) rHDL, in- dicating a different conformation in small and large rHDL particles. The A-I M /A-I M instead adopts a unique and identi- cal conformation in small and large rHDL, with the carboxy- terminal portion of the molecule being remarkably more ac- cessible to the proteases than in apoA-I. This suggests the presence of a novel carboxy-terminal domain in A-I M /A-I M , not organized in a compact structure and not shared by wild-type apoA-I, which may account for the unique functional proper- ties of A-I M /A-I M. —Calabresi, L., G. Tedeschi, C. Treu, S. Ron- chi, D. Galbiati, S. Airoldi, C. R. Sirtori, Y. Marcel, and G. Franceschini. Limited proteolysis of a disulfide-linked apoA-I dimer in reconstituted HDL. J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 935-942