VERSO LO SVILUPPO DI UN SILLABO FRASEOLOGICO PER L’APPRENDIMENTO DELL’ITALIANO L2: ALCUNE PREMESSE TEORICO-METODOLOGICHE

Le combinazioni lessicali sono centrali nell’apprendimento linguistico perché possono essere elaborate velocemente (Siyanova-Chanturia, 2015) e il loro uso contribuisce a dare l’idea di fluenza in produzione (Nattinger & DeCarrico, 1992). Tuttavia, l'acquisizione della competenza fraseologica in L2 è fonte di difficoltà per gli apprendenti. Nei sillabi per l’insegnamento della lingua italiana, inoltre, il lessico è generalmente presentato sotto forma di elenco di singole parole e la dimensione fraseologica risulta assente. Sarebbe quindi utile sviluppare un sillabo che tenga conto di questa dimensione. Come afferma Luoni (2016), nel sillabo gli item linguistici devono essere organizzati considerando la complessità dei processi comunicativi e dei processi di apprendimento e di acquisizione. Il sillabo fraseologico dovrebbe, pertanto, integrare funzioni comunicative e misure di complessità fraseologica. In questo contributo, presentiamo una riflessione teorico-metodologica che rappresenta la necessaria premessa per lo sviluppo di un sillabo fraseologico che tenga conto di misure di complessità fraseologica, definite tramite metodologie computazionali e psicolinguistiche, e di funzioni comunicative e argomenti caratteristici di ciascun livello di competenza. TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PHRASEOLOGICAL SYLLABUS FOR LEARNING ITALIAN L2: SOME THEORETICAL-METHODOLOGICAL PREMISES Lexical combinations are central to language learning because they can be processed quickly (Siyanova-Chanturia, 2015) and their use gives the idea of fluency in production (Nattinger & DeCarrico, 1992). However, the acquisition of L2 phraseological competence is difficult for learners. Furthermore in Italian L2 syllabuses, vocabulary is often presented as a list of words and the phraseological dimension is usually absent. To fill this gap, a phraseological syllabus should be designed. As stated by Luoni (2016), linguistic items in the syllabus should be organized taking into account the complexity of the communication processes and the complexity of the learning and acquisition processes. Thus, the phraseological syllabus should integrate communicative functions and measures of phraseological complexity. In this article, we discuss the theoretical and methodological premises for the development of a phraseological syllabus that takes into account measures of phraseological complexity that are defined through computational and psycholinguistic methodologies and the communicative functions and topics that characterize each proficiency level.

Study of alteration and degradation products of a Roman marble sarcophagus located in the medieval cloister of the old st Cosimato’s Convent, now the new "Regina Margherita Hospital” (Rome)

Optical and SEM-EDS microscopy, FT-IR and mFT-IR spectroscopy investigations have been applied to the study of alteration and degradation products of a Roman sarcophagus located in the medieval cloister of St Cosimato’s Convent, now the new “Regina Margherita Hospital” (Rome) before restoration work. This scientific analysis was performed in order to compare it with a diagnosis report based on the restorer’s expertise. The sarcophagus is small and consists of a single block of fine-grained marble covered by a thick pink patina. The results obtained from this diagnostic investigation, allow us to draw important conclusions about the state of conservation of this archaeological artefact. The main components found in the samples analyzed are: black crust, calcium oxalate, organic matter due to recent conservation treatment, calcite, iron-oxides and coloured earths. In particular, the combined used of petrographical and mFT-IR analysis provided useful insights into the polishing and consolidation processes of archaeological artefacts

Ischemic Preconditioning Modulates the Peripheral Innate Immune System to Promote Anti-Inflammatory and Protective Responses in Mice Subjected to Focal Cerebral Ischemia

The development of tolerance triggered by a sublethal ischemic episode (preconditioning, PC) involves a complex crosstalk between neurons, astrocytes and microglia, although the role of the peripheral immune system in this context is largely unexplored. Here, we report that severe cerebral ischemia caused by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in adult male mice elevates blood counts of inflammatory neutrophils and monocytes, and plasma levels of miRNA-329-5p. These inflammatory responses are prevented by ischemic PC induced by 15 min MCAo, 72h before the severe insult (1h MCAo). As compared with sham-operated animals, mice subjected to either ischemic PC, MCAo or a combination of both (PC+MCAo) display spleen contraction. However, protein levels of Ym1 (a marker of polarization of myeloid cells towards M2/N2 protective phenotypes) are elevated only in spleen from the experimental groups PC and PC+MCAo, but not MCAo. Conversely, Ym1 protein levels only increase in circulating leukocytes from mice subjected to 1h MCAo, but not in preconditioned animals, which is coincident with a dramatic elevation of Ym1 expression in the ipsilateral cortex. By immunofluorescence analysis, we observe that expression of Ym1 occurs in amoeboid-shaped myeloid cells, mainly representing inflammatory monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils. As a result of its immune-regulatory functions, ischemic PC prevents elevation of mRNA levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β in the ipsilateral cortex, while not affecting IL-10 mRNA increase induced by MCAo. Overall, the elevated anti-inflammatory/pro-inflammatory ratio observed in the brain of mice pre-exposed to PC is associated with reduced brain infarct volume and ischemic edema, and with amelioration of functional outcome. These findings reaffirm the crucial and dualistic role of the innate immune system in ischemic stroke pathobiology, extending these concepts to the context of ischemic tolerance and underscoring their relevance for the identification of novel therapeutic targets for effective stroke treatment

Analytical Investigations of XIX–XX century paints. The study of two vehicles from the Museum for Communications of Frankfurt

Over the centuries, humans have developed different systems to protect surfaces from the influence of environmental factors. Protective paints are the most used ones. They have undergone considerable development over the years, especially at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Indeed, between the two centuries, new binders and pigments have been introduced in the constituent materials of paints. The years in which these compounds have been introduced and spread in the paint market allow them to be defined as markers for the dating of paints and painted artifacts. The present work is focused on the study of the paints of two vehicles of the Frankfurt Museum of Communication, i.e., a carriage and a cart, that was designed for the German Postal and Telecommunications Service roughly between 1880 and 1920. The characterization of the paints was performed through in situ non-invasive techniques, i.e., portable optical microscopy and multispectral imaging, and laboratory non-destructive techniques, i.e., FT-IR ATR spectroscopy and SEM-EDS. The analytical investigation and the comparison with the data reported in the literature allowed us to determine the historicity of the paints, which are all dated before the 1950s

Targeted therapies for advanced and metastatic adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction: is there something new?

Despite improvements in systemic chemotherapy (CT), the prognosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction remains poor. Over the years, new targeting agents have become available and were tested, with or without CT, in first or subsequent lines of therapy. The epidermal growth factor receptor family was targeted with monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) (trastuzumab, cetuximab, panitumumab) and tyrosin kinase inhibitors (TKIs) (lapatinib, erlotinib, gefitinib). Only trastuzumab, in combination with cisplatin and fluoropyrimidines, significantly improved overall survival (OS) in first-line therapy (13.8 vs. 11.1 months). Angiogenesis also was targeted with MoAbs (bevacizumab and ramucirumab); ramucirumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor-receptor 2 antagonist, enhanced OS in two phase III studies in the first (9.6 vs. 7.4 months) and subsequent lines of treatment (5.2 vs. 3.8 months), while the bevacizumab study was negative. TKIs (sunitinib, sorafenib, regorafenib, apatinib) were tested in this setting in phase II studies in the second/third line, only showing modest antitumor activity. The hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET) was targeted in untreated patients in a phase III trial with MoAb rilotumumab, with or without CT, but the study was stopped because of mortality excess in the rilotumumab arm. Mammalian target of rapamycin (MTOR) pathway inhibition with everolimus was tested in pretreated patients in a placebo-controlled phase III trial who failed to improve OS (5.4 vs. 4.3 months). In conclusion, considering the modest survival gain obtained overall, the high cost of these therapies and the quality of life issue must be primarily considered in treating these patients

Systemic immune-inflammation index predicts the clinical outcome in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer treated with sunitinib.

Background: In this retrospective analysis, we explored the prognostic and predictive value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), based on lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts, at baseline and changes at week 6 during first-line sunitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC).Results: Patients were stratified into high SII (? 730) and low SII (< 730) groups. SII was associated with objective response, p < 0.0001. The median PFS was 6.3 months (95% CI 5.5–8.9) in patients with SII ? 730 and 18.7 months (95% CI 14.7–22.8) in those with SII < 730, p < 0.0001. The median OS was 43.6 months (95% CI 35.3–52.1) in patients with SII < 730, and 13.5 months (95% CI 9.8–18.5) in those with SII ? 730, p < 0.0001. In multivariate analysis, performance status, IMDC score and SII were able to predict OS (HR = 3.29, HR = 1.71 and HR = 1.79, respectively).Materials and Methods: We included 335 consecutive RCC patients treated with first-line sunitinib. The X-tile 3.6.1 software (Yale University, New Haven, CT) was used for bioinformatic analysis of the data to determine the cutoff value of SII. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and compared with logrank test. The impact of SII conversion at week 6 of treatment on PFS and OS was evaluated by Cox regression analyses.Conclusions: The SII and its changes during treatment represent a powerful prognostic indicator of clinical outcome in patients with metastatic RCC

Design and development of a peptide-based adiponectin receptor agonist for cancer treatment

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adiponectin, a fat tissue-derived adipokine, exhibits beneficial effects against insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory conditions, and cancer. Circulating adiponectin levels are decreased in obese individuals, and this feature correlates with increased risk of developing several metabolic, immunological and neoplastic diseases. Thus, pharmacological replacement of adiponectin might prove clinically beneficial, especially for the obese patient population. At present, adiponectin-based therapeutics are not available, partly due to yet unclear structure/function relationships of the cytokine and difficulties in converting the full size adiponectin protein into a viable drug.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We aimed to generate adiponectin-based short peptide that can mimic adiponectin action and be suitable for preclinical and clinical development as a cancer therapeutic. Using a panel of 66 overlapping 10 amino acid-long peptides covering the entire adiponectin globular domain (residues 105-254), we identified the 149-166 region as the adiponectin active site. Three-dimensional modeling of the active site and functional screening of additional 330 peptide analogs covering this region resulted in the development of a lead peptidomimetic, ADP 355 (H-DAsn-Ile-Pro-Nva-Leu-Tyr-DSer-Phe-Ala-DSer-NH₂). In several adiponectin receptor-positive cancer cell lines, ADP 355 restricted proliferation in a dose-dependent manner at 100 nM-10 μM concentrations (exceeding the effects of 50 ng/mL globular adiponectin). Furthermore, ADP 355 modulated several key signaling pathways (AMPK, Akt, STAT3, ERK1/2) in an adiponectin-like manner. siRNA knockdown experiments suggested that ADP 355 effects can be transmitted through both adiponectin receptors, with a greater contribution of AdipoR1. <it>In vivo</it>, intraperitoneal administration of 1 mg/kg/day ADP 355 for 28 days suppressed the growth of orthotopic human breast cancer xenografts by ~31%. The peptide displayed excellent stability (at least 30 min) in mouse blood or serum and did not induce gross toxic effects at 5-50 mg/kg bolus doses in normal CBA/J mice.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>ADP 355 is a first-in-class adiponectin receptor agonist. Its biological activity, superior stability in biological fluids as well as acceptable toxicity profile indicate that the peptidomimetic represents a true lead compound for pharmaceutical development to replace low adiponectin levels in cancer and other malignancies.</p

Corrective feedback : techniques, processing, acquisition : A longitudinal study on the acquisition of Italian as a foreign language by French-speaking adolescents in high school

Le feedback correctif écrit, c’est-à-dire l’intervention de l’enseignant en réponse à l’erreur de l’apprenant, est une technique très utilisée dans l'interaction didactique en classe. Si les chercheurs travaillant sur l’acquisition des langues s’accordent généralement à penser que le feedback correctif joue un rôle dans le développement des compétences de l’apprenant, l’identification de la technique corrective écrite la plus appropriée pour favoriser ce développement fait encore aujourd’hui l’objet de nombreuses controverses (Bitchener & Storch, 2016). Parmi la multitude de techniques correctives, le feedback direct – c’est-à-dire la reformulation de la forme erronée par l’enseignant – et le feedback indirect – c’est-à-dire le fait de signaler la forme erronée de manière implicite, sans en donner la correction – sont les plus étudiées dans la littérature francophone, italophone et anglo-saxonne. Si l’efficacité de la correction dépend en partie de la technique adoptée par l’enseignant, la manière dont elle est élaboré par les apprenants ainsi que d’autres variables contextuelles, individuelles et linguistiques peuvent également affecter son potentiel acquisitionnel. Notre travail se propose de comparer les effets des deux techniques correctives susmentionnées dans le processus d’acquisition en L2 et, en même temps, d’évaluer l’impact des autres variables qui affectent l’assimilation du feedback. Pour ce faire, nous avons conduit une étude expérimentale sur vingt-six apprenants francophones qui étudient l’italien comme troisième langue étrangère au lycée. Ils ont été répartis en trois groupes : un groupe a reçu le feedback direct, un groupe a reçu le feedback indirect et un groupe de contrôle n’a pas reçu le feedback. Le protocole d’enquête a prévu : un pré-test (production orale et production écrite), une phase de traitement avec le feedback correctif écrit (écriture – correction – révision et réécriture), un post-test immédiat et un post-test différé (production orale et production écrite). Les résultats obtenus montrent que les groupes qui ont reçu le feedback écrit obtiennent de meilleurs résultats par rapport au groupe de contrôle, tant dans la révision du texte que dans les productions écrites et orales successives. Le niveau d’engagement montré par les apprenants dans l’élaboration de la correction affecte leurs résultats : à un niveau d’engagement plus élevé correspondent de meilleurs résultats. Quant à la comparaison entre les deux techniques correctives, le feedback indirect semble être légèrement plus efficace pour la révision du texte, en revanche le feedback direct s’avère plus efficace dans les productions écrites et orales successives.Written corrective feedback, that is, the intervention of the teacher in response to learners’ errors, is a widely adopted technique in classroom interaction. While researchers working on second language acquisition generally agree that corrective feedback plays a role in the development of learners L2 skills, the identification of the most effective written corrective technique is still a matter of debate (Bitchener & Storch, 2016). Among many techniques, direct feedback - i.e. reformulation of the error by the teacher - and indirect feedback - i.e. pointing out the error implicitly, without giving the correction - are the most studied. While feeback effectiveness depends in part on the technique adopted by the teacher, the way students process it and other contextual, individual and linguistic variables might affect its learning potential. Our work aims to compare the effects of the two aforementioned corrective techniques on the L2 acquisition process and, at the same time, to assess the impact of other variables that affect the assimilation of feedback. To this end, we conducted an experimental study on twenty-six French-speaking learners who studied Italian as a third foreign language in high school. They were divided into three groups: one group received direct feedback, one group received indirect feedback, and a control group did not receive feedback. The experimental design consisted in: a pre-test (written and oral production), a treatement phase with written corrective feedback (writing - correction - revision and rewriting), an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test (written and oral production). The results show that the groups that received written feedback obtained better results compared to the control group, both in the rewriting of the text and in the successive written and oral productions. The level of engagement shown by learners while processing the correction affected their results: a higher level of engagement corresponded to better results. As for the comparison between the two corrective techniques, the indirect feedback seemed to be slightly more effective for the rewriting of the text, while direct feedback was more effective in the successive written and oral productions

Il feedback correttivo scritto : tecniche, elaborazione, acquisizione : Uno studio longitudinale sull’acquisizione dell’italiano come lingua straniera da perte di adolescenti francofoni al liceo

Written corrective feedback, that is, the intervention of the teacher in response to learners’ errors, is a widely adopted technique in classroom interaction. While researchers working on second language acquisition generally agree that corrective feedback plays a role in the development of learners L2 skills, the identification of the most effective written corrective technique is still a matter of debate (Bitchener & Storch, 2016). Among many techniques, direct feedback - i.e. reformulation of the error by the teacher - and indirect feedback - i.e. pointing out the error implicitly, without giving the correction - are the most studied. While feeback effectiveness depends in part on the technique adopted by the teacher, the way students process it and other contextual, individual and linguistic variables might affect its learning potential. Our work aims to compare the effects of the two aforementioned corrective techniques on the L2 acquisition process and, at the same time, to assess the impact of other variables that affect the assimilation of feedback. To this end, we conducted an experimental study on twenty-six French-speaking learners who studied Italian as a third foreign language in high school. They were divided into three groups: one group received direct feedback, one group received indirect feedback, and a control group did not receive feedback. The experimental design consisted in: a pre-test (written and oral production), a treatement phase with written corrective feedback (writing - correction - revision and rewriting), an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test (written and oral production). The results show that the groups that received written feedback obtained better results compared to the control group, both in the rewriting of the text and in the successive written and oral productions. The level of engagement shown by learners while processing the correction affected their results: a higher level of engagement corresponded to better results. As for the comparison between the two corrective techniques, the indirect feedback seemed to be slightly more effective for the rewriting of the text, while direct feedback was more effective in the successive written and oral productions.Le feedback correctif écrit, c’est-à-dire l’intervention de l’enseignant en réponse à l’erreur de l’apprenant, est une technique très utilisée dans l'interaction didactique en classe. Si les chercheurs travaillant sur l’acquisition des langues s’accordent généralement à penser que le feedback correctif joue un rôle dans le développement des compétences de l’apprenant, l’identification de la technique corrective écrite la plus appropriée pour favoriser ce développement fait encore aujourd’hui l’objet de nombreuses controverses (Bitchener & Storch, 2016). Parmi la multitude de techniques correctives, le feedback direct – c’est-à-dire la reformulation de la forme erronée par l’enseignant – et le feedback indirect – c’est-à-dire le fait de signaler la forme erronée de manière implicite, sans en donner la correction – sont les plus étudiées dans la littérature francophone, italophone et anglo-saxonne. Si l’efficacité de la correction dépend en partie de la technique adoptée par l’enseignant, la manière dont elle est élaboré par les apprenants ainsi que d’autres variables contextuelles, individuelles et linguistiques peuvent également affecter son potentiel acquisitionnel. Notre travail se propose de comparer les effets des deux techniques correctives susmentionnées dans le processus d’acquisition en L2 et, en même temps, d’évaluer l’impact des autres variables qui affectent l’assimilation du feedback. Pour ce faire, nous avons conduit une étude expérimentale sur vingt-six apprenants francophones qui étudient l’italien comme troisième langue étrangère au lycée. Ils ont été répartis en trois groupes : un groupe a reçu le feedback direct, un groupe a reçu le feedback indirect et un groupe de contrôle n’a pas reçu le feedback. Le protocole d’enquête a prévu : un pré-test (production orale et production écrite), une phase de traitement avec le feedback correctif écrit (écriture – correction – révision et réécriture), un post-test immédiat et un post-test différé (production orale et production écrite). Les résultats obtenus montrent que les groupes qui ont reçu le feedback écrit obtiennent de meilleurs résultats par rapport au groupe de contrôle, tant dans la révision du texte que dans les productions écrites et orales successives. Le niveau d’engagement montré par les apprenants dans l’élaboration de la correction affecte leurs résultats : à un niveau d’engagement plus élevé correspondent de meilleurs résultats. Quant à la comparaison entre les deux techniques correctives, le feedback indirect semble être légèrement plus efficace pour la révision du texte, en revanche le feedback direct s’avère plus efficace dans les productions écrites et orales successives.Il feedback correttivo scritto, ovvero l'intervento dell'insegnante in risposta all'errore dell’apprendente, è una tecnica ampiamente utilizzata nell'interazione didattica in classe. Se generalmente i ricercatori che lavorano sull'acquisizione delle lingue seconde concordano sul fatto che il feedback correttivo gioca un ruolo nello sviluppo delle abilità dello studente in lingua seconda, l'identificazione della tecnica correttiva scritta più adatta a promuovere questo sviluppo è ancora oggi oggetto di controversie (Bitchener & Storch, 2016). Tra la moltitudine di tecniche correttive, il feedback diretto - cioè la riformulazione della forma sbagliata da parte dell'insegnante - e il feedback indiretto - cioè l'indicazione implicita della forma sbagliata, senza dare la correzione - sono i più studiati. Inoltre, se l'efficacia della correzione dipende in parte dalla tecnica adottata dall'insegnante, il modo in cui viene elaborata dagli studenti e alcune veriabili contestuali, individuali e linguistiche, influiscono sulla sua efficacia. Il nostro obiettivo è quello di confrontare gli effetti delle due tecniche correttive sopra menzionate nel processo di acquisizione della L2 e, allo stesso tempo, di valutare l'impatto di altre variabili che influenzano l'assimilazione del feedback. A tale scopo, abbiamo condotto uno studio sperimentale su ventisei studenti francofoni che dell'italiano come terza lingua straniera al liceo. Sono stati divisi in tre gruppi: un gruppo ha ricevuto feedback diretto, un gruppo ha ricevuto feedback indiretto e un gruppo di controllo non ha ricevuto feedback. Il protocollo di indagine ha previsto: un pre-test (produzione scritta e orale), una fase di trattamento con il feedback correttivo scritto (scrittura - correzione - revisione e riscrittura), un post-test immediato e un post-test differito (produzione scritta e orale). I risultati dello studio mostrano che i gruppi che hanno ricevuto il feedback scritto hanno ottenuto risultati migliori rispetto al gruppo di controllo, sia nella revisione del testo che nelle successive produzioni scritte e orali. Il livello di coinvolgimento mostrato dagli studenti nello sviluppo della correzione influenza i loro risultati: un livello di coinvolgimento più alto corrisponde a risultati migliori. Per quanto riguarda il confronto tra le due tecniche correttive, il feedback indiretto sembra essere stato leggermente più efficace per la revisione del testo, invece il feedback diretto è stato più efficace nelle successive produzioni scritte e orali

La reformulation dans l’écriture collaborative : niveau d’engagement et pattern d’interaction

Dans cet article, nous nous intéressons à la reformulation d’apprenants d’italien L3 qui travaillent en binômes dans une tâche d’écriture collaborative, d’une portion variable (mot ou expression) de texte écrit après avoir reçu le feedback correctif. La reformulation est ici envisagée comme un processus collaboratif, dans lequel les apprenants travaillent ensemble sur la forme linguistique et co-construisent les connaissances pour arriver à la version reformulée. Nous observons ce processus en portant une attention particulière à deux facteurs : l’engagement des apprenants pendant la révision et la réécriture du texte et le pattern d’interaction entre eux. À cette fin, nous avons conduit une analyse qualitative des interactions entre deux binômes d’apprenants au cours de la révision et réécriture du texte, après avoir reçu du feedback de la part de l’enseignant. L’analyse des interactions montre qu’un niveau d’engagement élevé ainsi qu’un pattern d’interaction collaboratif dans cette phase mènent le plus souvent les apprenants à reformuler de manière correcte leurs erreurs