Italie : la réforme des lycées

L’école italienne a fait l’objet, depuis une quinzaine d’années, de nombreuses tentatives de réformes. Le système éducatif étant resté fondamentalement inchangé depuis les années 1960, tant dans sa structure que dans les programmes scolaires, on a assisté de 1996 à 2013 à une agitation presque frénétique pour « rénover », sous cinq majorités politiques différentes, avec autant de ministres et de commissions techniques, le tout ayant abouti à mettre sur le pied de guerre les corporations et le..

6-Month Effects of Fingolimod on Indexes of Cardiovascular Autonomic Control in Multiple Sclerosis

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Psychological disorders after coronary artery by-pass surgery: a one-year prospective study

Background: Coronary artery by-pass surgery (CABG) is often followed by anxiety and depression that require early identification in order to provide adequate psychological support. The predictive role of tests administered soon after CABG on long-term psychological outcomes has been only incompletely explored. Aim, Design and Methods: Aim of this study was to assess post-operative and 12-month persistence of psychological disorders by means of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) and the depression and state and trait anxiety scales of the Cognitive Behavioural Assessment (CBA-2.0) in 118 male patients admitted to cardiac rehabilitation after CABG. Results: Early after CABG we observed a high prevalence of depression (11.8% by MMPI-2 and 12.7% by CBA) and state anxiety (23.5%). At 1-year the MMPI-2 scale D indicated stable mean score and high scores at entry were predictive of persistent depression. Conversely the CBA-2.0 scale QD score significantly decreased (from 3.86±3.19 to 2.91±3.45, p=0.017). Also ST1 state anxiety significantly decreased (from 35.17±6.95 to 32.55±6.72, p=0.003) whereas ST2 trait anxiety was stable. We found no association between psychometric results and ventricular function, number of grafts or time since diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Conclusions: State anxiety and depression by CBA significantly decreased 1-year after CABG; conversely trait anxiety and depression, investigated by MMPI-2, a more specific personality questionnaire, were stable. High scores for the depression in the scale D of MMPI-2 early after CABG seem to be predictive of the persistence of the disorder at 1-year

Psychological profiles derived by cluster analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and long term clinical outcome after coronary artery by pass grafting

Background: To evaluate the psychological characteristics of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) by cluster analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) questionnaires and to assess the impact of the profiles obtained on long-term outcome. Methods: 229 CHD patients admitted to cardiac rehabilitation filled in self-administered MMPI-2 questionnaires early after CABG. We assessed the relation between MMPI- 2 profiles derived by cluster analysis, clinical characteristics and outcome at 3-year follow-up. Results: Among the 215 patients (76% men, median age 66 years) with valid criteria in control scales, we identified 3 clusters (G) with homogenous psychological characteristics: G1 patients (N=75) presented somatoform complaints but overall minimal psychological distress. G2 patients (N=72) presented type D personality traits. G3 subjects (N=68) showed a trend to cynicism, mild increases in anger, social introversion and hostility. Clusters overlapped for clinical characteristics such as smoking (G1 21%, G2 24%, G3 24%, p ns), previous myocardial infarction (G1 43%, G2 47%, G3 49% p ns), LV ejection fraction (G1 60 [51 – 60]; G2 58 [49- 60]; G3 60 [55-60], p ns), 3-vessel-disease prevalence (G1 69%, G2 65%, G3 71%, p ns). Three-year event rates were comparable (G1 15%; G2 18%; G3 15%) and Kaplan- Meier curves overlapped among clusters (p ns). Conclusions: After CABG, the interpretation of MMPI- 2 by cluster analysis is useful for the psychological and personological diagnosis to direct psychological assistance. Conversely, results from cluster analysis of MMPI-2 do not seem helpful to the clinician to predict long term outcome

Effects of alirocumab on types of myocardial infarction: insights from the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial

Aims  The third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) Task Force classified MIs into five types: Type 1, spontaneous; Type 2, related to oxygen supply/demand imbalance; Type 3, fatal without ascertainment of cardiac biomarkers; Type 4, related to percutaneous coronary intervention; and Type 5, related to coronary artery bypass surgery. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction with statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduces risk of MI, but less is known about effects on types of MI. ODYSSEY OUTCOMES compared the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab with placebo in 18 924 patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and elevated LDL-C (≥1.8 mmol/L) despite intensive statin therapy. In a pre-specified analysis, we assessed the effects of alirocumab on types of MI. Methods and results  Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Myocardial infarction types were prospectively adjudicated and classified. Of 1860 total MIs, 1223 (65.8%) were adjudicated as Type 1, 386 (20.8%) as Type 2, and 244 (13.1%) as Type 4. Few events were Type 3 (n = 2) or Type 5 (n = 5). Alirocumab reduced first MIs [hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77–0.95; P = 0.003], with reductions in both Type 1 (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77–0.99; P = 0.032) and Type 2 (0.77, 0.61–0.97; P = 0.025), but not Type 4 MI. Conclusion  After ACS, alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy favourably impacted on Type 1 and 2 MIs. The data indicate for the first time that a lipid-lowering therapy can attenuate the risk of Type 2 MI. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction below levels achievable with statins is an effective preventive strategy for both MI types.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz299</p

Effect of alirocumab on mortality after acute coronary syndromes. An analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES randomized clinical trial

Background: Previous trials of PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9) inhibitors demonstrated reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events, but not death. We assessed the effects of alirocumab on death after index acute coronary syndrome. Methods: ODYSSEY OUTCOMES (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) was a double-blind, randomized comparison of alirocumab or placebo in 18 924 patients who had an ACS 1 to 12 months previously and elevated atherogenic lipoproteins despite intensive statin therapy. Alirocumab dose was blindly titrated to target achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) between 25 and 50 mg/dL. We examined the effects of treatment on all-cause death and its components, cardiovascular and noncardiovascular death, with log-rank testing. Joint semiparametric models tested associations between nonfatal cardiovascular events and cardiovascular or noncardiovascular death. Results: Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Death occurred in 334 (3.5%) and 392 (4.1%) patients, respectively, in the alirocumab and placebo groups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.98; P=0.03, nominal P value). This resulted from nonsignificantly fewer cardiovascular (240 [2.5%] vs 271 [2.9%]; HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.05; P=0.15) and noncardiovascular (94 [1.0%] vs 121 [1.3%]; HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.01; P=0.06) deaths with alirocumab. In a prespecified analysis of 8242 patients eligible for ≥3 years follow-up, alirocumab reduced death (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.94; P=0.01). Patients with nonfatal cardiovascular events were at increased risk for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths (P<0.0001 for the associations). Alirocumab reduced total nonfatal cardiovascular events (P<0.001) and thereby may have attenuated the number of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths. A post hoc analysis found that, compared to patients with lower LDL-C, patients with baseline LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL (2.59 mmol/L) had a greater absolute risk of death and a larger mortality benefit from alirocumab (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.90; Pinteraction=0.007). In the alirocumab group, all-cause death declined wit h achieved LDL-C at 4 months of treatment, to a level of approximately 30 mg/dL (adjusted P=0.017 for linear trend). Conclusions: Alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy has the potential to reduce death after acute coronary syndrome, particularly if treatment is maintained for ≥3 years, if baseline LDL-C is ≥100 mg/dL, or if achieved LDL-C is low. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01663402