Audiodescrizione nella classe di italiano L2 : un esperimento didattico

Audio description in a class of L2 Italian. A didactic experimentAudio description is an inter-semiotic translation process, converting visuals into spoken language. This translation practice is meant for visually impaired individuals and aims to increase their social inclusion and the availability of suitable media products, such as audio-described movies, for this specific audience. In this contribution, however, we will not focus on the social function of this translation practice, but will explore its potential in the field of foreign language didactics. We will present the results of a didactic experiment, carried out in a class of L2 Italian at Ghent University, in which the students were asked to write an audio description script. The main goal of this exploratory study is to test the validity of audio description as a didactic tool in a class of Italian as a foreign language and to identify the linguistic challenges that emerge for the students during a task of this kind. The results indicate that audio description is certainly a valid didactic tool for an L2 learning environment, since it promotes metalinguistic reflection and consequent awareness of various aspects of the used language, such as morpho-syntactic features (pronouns, prepositions, verbs), lexical aspects (encouraging precision and variety) and the (inter)cultural dimension

Laboratorio Italia : 150 anni di innovazione politica

Recensione di: Pepijn Corduwener & Arthur Weststeijn, Proeftuin Italië. Hoe het mooiste land van Europa de moderne politiek uitvond, Amsterdam, Prometheus, 2018, 286 p., ISBN: 9789035145016, € 19,99

Third language acquisition and its consequences for foreign language didactics : the case of Italian in Flanders

The present study examines crosslinguistic influence (CLI) from L1 and L2s in two groups of multilingual learners of L3 Italian. The two groups share their L1, which is Dutch, and an elementary proficiency in French and German, but they differ regarding other L2s: one group has high proficiency in English and Spanish, while the other group has low intermediate proficiency in English and no knowledge of Spanish. Earlier research has shown that typological proximity and proficiency level are the most important factors explaining the source of CLI, together with the L2 status factor. The results of our study confirm that learners with the same L1 can behave in a substantially divergent way, when learning an L3, if their linguistic background is different. This is especially true when typologically close L2s in which learners have a high proficiency level, such as Spanish in the present study, are involved. In this paper we will discuss the outcomes of our experiment and highlight didactic consequencesEen colloquium over universitair taalvaardigheidsonderwijs Universiteit Leiden, 2 december 2016, the complete issue can be found at http://hdl.handle.net/1887/57204Wetensch. publicati

Cancer rate of the indeterminate lesions at low or high risk according to italian system for reporting of thyroid FNA

Background: Italian consensus for the classification and reporting of thyroid cytology (ICCRTC) has been used in almost all Italian institutions since 2014. High reliability of ICCRTC in classifying low and high risk indeterminate nodules (Tir 3A and Tir 3B, respectively) was demonstrated. Here we reviewed our casuistry of thyroid indeterminate lesions to analyze the histologic outcome. Methods: All lesions undergone FNA and final histology at S. Andrea Hospital of Rome after a cytologic assessment of Tir 3A and Tir 3B, according to ICCRTC, were included in the study. Results: A number of 157 indeterminate FNA was found after the introduction of ICCRTC. Of these, 75 undergone surgery and were finally included for the study. At histology we found a 33.3% of cancers and a 67.7% of benign lesions. Out of the overall series, 25 were classified as Tir 3A and 50 as Tir 3B. Cancer rate observed in Tir 3A (1/25, 4%) was significantly (p = 0.0002) lower than that of Tir 3B (24/50, 48%). No significant difference was found in age and size between the two subcategories. Conclusions: We confirm in our series that Italian consensus for the classification and reporting of thyroid cytology allows to discriminate indeterminate lesions at low and high risk of malignancy

DIVERTENTE O AMUSANTE? INTERFERENZE NELL’ITALIANO L3 DI APPRENDENTI NEDERLANDOFONI: ANALISI E CONFRONTO TRA PRODUZIONE SCRITTA E ORALE

Questo contributo offre un’analisi dell’italiano come terza lingua (L3) di apprendenti nederlandofoni. In particolare, questo lavoro mira ad analizzare gli errori di interferenza linguistica esaminando come e se essi differiscano nella produzione orale e scritta. A questo scopo è stato appositamente creato ed analizzato un corpus di testi scritti e interviste orali in italiano L3 di sette studenti nederlandofoni dell’università di Gand (Belgio). Come lingue di background sono state considerate le diverse L2 precedentemente acquisite, ovvero il francese, l’inglese e il tedesco. Dal punto di vista qualitativo, i risultati di questo lavoro rivelano che le interferenze linguistiche avvengono principalmente a livello sintattico e sull’uso delle preposizioni. Dal punto di vista quantitativo, questo studio suggerisce che gli apprendenti nederlandofoni di italiano L3 commettono il più delle volte errori di interferenza dovuti alla loro L1 (il nederlandese), piuttosto che alle loro L2. Infine, i risultati indicano che di tutte le lingue di background, solo la L1 causa più interferenze nella produzione parlata rispetto a quella scritta, mentre le L2 mostrano la tendenza opposta.   Funny or amusing? Interference in L3 Italian of native-speaking learners: analysis and comparison between written and oral production This paper analyzes Italian as the third language (L3) for Dutch-speaking learners. In particular, this study aims at analyzing interference errors and how and whether they differ in oral and written production. For this purpose, we specifically created and analyzed a corpus of both written texts and oral interviews in L3 Italian from seven Dutch-speaking learners at Ghent University (Belgium). The different previously acquired L2s, namely French, English and German, were considered background languages. From a qualitative point of view, the results of this research reveal that linguistic interference occurs mainly at a syntactic level and in the use of prepositions from a quantitative point of view, this study suggests that Dutch-speaking learners of Italian L3 most often commit interference errors due to their native language (Dutch), rather than their L2s. Finally, the results indicate that of all background languages, only the L1 caused more interference in spoken production than in written production, while the L2s showed the opposite trend

Nodular cutaneous metastasis of the leg in advanced urothelial bladder carcinoma: a case report and systematic literature review

Cutaneous metastases from urothelial carcinoma (UC) are very rare and indicate advanced disease with a poor prognosis. A 63-year-old female patient with a history of urothelial bladder carcinoma, treated 2 months prior with radical cystectomy and adjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) therapy, presented a skin lesion localized in the lower third of the right leg. Punch biopsy revealed carcinomatous metastasis whose urothelial origin was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis. 18-FDG PET-CT showed the spread of metastases to the lung and left ischium. Our review focuses on the time between surgery and skin metastasis, localization, and prognosis after metastasis diagnosis. In many cases, skin metastases occur within one year of initial UC surgery and in most cases occur on the abdominal wall. Local wide excision of metastasis should be considered in selected cases; however, chemotherapy remains the main treatment

Transcriptional Repressors of Fetal Globin Genes as Novel Therapeutic Targets in Beta-Thalassemia

During development the human β-globin gene cluster undergoes two switching processes at the embryo-fetal and fetal-adult stages, respectively, involving changes in chromatin remodeling and in transcriptional regulatory networks. In particular, during the perinatal period, the switch from fetal-to-adult globin gene expression leads to fetal globin genes silencing and progressive decline of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Impaired hemoglobin switching is associated with hereditary persistence of HbF (HPFH), a condition in which the fetal globin genes fail to be completely silenced in adult red blood cells. This condition, when co-inherited with hemoglobinopathies, has great therapeutic potential because elevated HbF levels can ameliorate β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. Therefore, there is a growing interest about the complex network of factors that regulate fetal globin genes expression. Here we discuss the activity of transcriptional repressors of fetal globin genes and their potential role as novel therapeutic targets in β-thalassemia

Telemedicine and Digital Medicine in the Clinical Management of Hypertension and Hypertension-Related Cardiovascular Diseases: A Position Paper of the Italian Society of Arterial Hypertension (SIIA)

: High blood pressure is the leading cause of death and disability globally and an important treatable risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and chronic kidney diseases. Digital technology, including mobile health solutions and digital therapy, is expanding rapidly in clinical medicine and has the potential to improve the quality of care and effectiveness of drug treatment by making medical interventions timely, tailored to hypertensive patients' needs and by improving treatment adherence. Thus, the systematic application of digital technologies could support diagnosis and awareness of hypertension and its complications, ultimately leading to improved BP control at the population level. The progressive implementation of digital medicine in the national health systems must be accompanied by the supervision and guidance of health authorities and scientific societies to ensure the correct use of these new technologies with consequent maximization of the potential benefits. The role of scientific societies in relation to the rapid adoption of digital technologies, therefore, should encompass the entire spectrum of activities pertaining to their institutional role: information, training, promotion of research, scientific collaboration and advice, evaluation and validation of technological tools, and collaboration with regulatory and health authorities

Evolving trends in the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 waves. The ACIE appy II study

Background: In 2020, ACIE Appy study showed that COVID-19 pandemic heavily affected the management of patients with acute appendicitis (AA) worldwide, with an increased rate of non-operative management (NOM) strategies and a trend toward open surgery due to concern of virus transmission by laparoscopy and controversial recommendations on this issue. The aim of this study was to survey again the same group of surgeons to assess if any difference in management attitudes of AA had occurred in the later stages of the outbreak. Methods: From August 15 to September 30, 2021, an online questionnaire was sent to all 709 participants of the ACIE Appy study. The questionnaire included questions on personal protective equipment (PPE), local policies and screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, NOM, surgical approach and disease presentations in 2021. The results were compared with the results from the previous study. Results: A total of 476 answers were collected (response rate 67.1%). Screening policies were significatively improved with most patients screened regardless of symptoms (89.5% vs. 37.4%) with PCR and antigenic test as the preferred test (74.1% vs. 26.3%). More patients tested positive before surgery and commercial systems were the preferred ones to filter smoke plumes during laparoscopy. Laparoscopic appendicectomy was the first option in the treatment of AA, with a declined use of NOM. Conclusion: Management of AA has improved in the last waves of pandemic. Increased evidence regarding SARS-COV-2 infection along with a timely healthcare systems response has been translated into tailored attitudes and a better care for patients with AA worldwide

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements