L'influenza dei fattori di stress e protettivi sulle pratiche didattiche: Un'indagine sui docenti in formazione

Work-Related Stress (WRS) in the teaching profession is a focal issue in the current scientific landscape. While the main causes and consequences in terms of teachers’ mental and physical health are known, contextual causes related to organization and effects on the implementation of effective teaching practices are neglected, thus tying psychological aspects to pedagogical implications. The paper shows the results of a research conducted on a sample of 139 teachers coming out of a TFA course on ICT, aimed at investigating the main factors of SLC and its implications for the activation of inclusive teaching. The results show that the major cause of stress is the relationship with colleagues who are perceived as unsupportive. In particular, the lack of recognition of the role of support teacher prevents the implementation and testing of inclusive practices, although these are part of the teacher’s skill set.Lo Stress Lavoro Correlato (SLC) nella professione docente è un tema focale nel panorama scientifico attuale. Mentre sono note le principali cause e le conseguenze sul piano della salute mentale e fisica degli insegnanti, sono maggiormente trascurate le cause di contesto legate all’organizzazione e gli effetti sulla realizzazione di pratiche didattiche efficaci, legando così gli aspetti psicologici alle implicazioni pedagogiche. Il contributo mostra i risultati di una ricerca condotta su un campione di 139 docenti uscenti da un corso TFA sulle TIC, volta ad indagare i principali fattori di SLC e le relative implicazioni per l’attivazione di una didattica inclusiva. I risultati mostrano come la maggiore causa di stress sia la relazione con i colleghi che si percepiscono non supportivi. In particolare, il mancato riconoscimento del ruolo di docente di sostegno impedisce la realizzazione e la sperimentazione delle pratiche inclusive, benché queste facciano parte del bagaglio di competenze del docente

Next generation sequencing study on RNA viruses of Vespa velutina and Apis mellifera sharing the same foraging area

The predator Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) represents one of the major threats to honeybee survival. Viral spillover from bee to wasp has been supposed in several studies, and this work aims to identify and study the virome of both insect species living simultaneously in the same foraging area. Transcriptomic analysis was performed on V. velutina and Apis mellifera samples, and replicative form of detected viruses was carried out by strand‐specific RT‐PCR. Overall, 6 and 9 different viral types were reported in V. velutina and A. mellifera, respectively, and five of these viruses were recorded in both hosts. Varroa destructor virus‐1 and Cripavirus NB‐1/2011/HUN (now classified as Triato‐like virus) were the most represented viruses detected in both hosts, also in replicative form. In this investigation, Triato‐like virus, as well as Aphis gossypii virus and Nora virus, was detected for the first time in honeybees. Concerning V. velutina, we report for the first time the recently detected honeybee La Jolla virus. A general high homology rate between genomes of shared viruses between V. velutina and A. mellifera suggests the efficient transmission of the virus from bee to wasp. In conclusion, our findings highlight the presence of several known and newly reported RNA viruses infecting A. mellifera and V. velutina. This confirms the environment role as an important source of infection and indicates the possibility of spillover from prey to predator

Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in adult obstructive sleep apnoea patients: A cross-sectional controlled study

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterised by partial or complete obstruction of the upper airways during sleep and it has been associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) on the basis of several pathophysiological hypotheses. Objectives:To assess the prevalence of TMDs in a population of patients affected by OSA compared to a control group of subjects not affected by OSA. MethodsA cross-sectional controlled study was conducted on a group subjects studied by polygraphy (PG) at the snoring section of the ENT department, Sant'Orsola-Malpighi Hospital - University of Bologna. Patients who received a diagnosis of OSA were included in the study group and subjects with a negative PG diagnosis for Sleep Disordered Breathing and PG respiratory pattern that did not suggest the occurrence of sleep disorders were enrolled in the control group. Both the subjects included in the study group and the control group underwent an examination following the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders Axis I and II. Results: Forty-three OSA patients (29 M, 16 F, mean age 52.26 +/- 11.40) and 43 healthy controls (25 M, 18 F, mean age 49.95 +/- 7.59) were included in the study. No significant differences were found between groups in demographic data. TMD prevalence and Axis II results did not differ between groups. Conclusions: This paper does not highlight a higher prevalence of TMDs in adults with OSA compared to healthy controls. Further high-quality studies are needed to confirm the results and to give possible pathophysiological explanations, providing reliable evidence

Are multiple-choice questions a good tool for the assessment of clinical competence in Internal Medicine?

There are many feasible tools for the assessment of clinical practice, but there is a wide consensus on the fact that the simultaneous use of several different methods could be strategic for a comprehensive overall judgment of clinical competence. Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are a well-established reliable method of assessing knowledge. Constructing effective MCQ tests and items requires scrupulous care in the design, review and validation stages. Creating high-quality multiple-choice questions requires a very deep experience, knowledge and large amount of time. Hereby, after reviewing their construction, strengths and limitations, we debate their completeness for the assessment of professional competence

Temporal Discounting of Money and Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Hoarding Level

The current study examines the association of individual hoarding levels with temporal discounting of different commodities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on their hoarding level, participants were assigned to the Hoarding Group (HG) or the Non-Hoarding Group (NHG). Participants performed two delay discounting tasks: a traditional task with monetary options and a modified task, where money was replaced with disposable surgical masks, a needed commodity during the pandemic. Results revealed a stronger preference for immediate commodity, therefore a higher discount rate, when evaluating surgical masks compared to money in the whole sample, and an overall higher tendency in discounting both type of rewards in the NHG compared to the HG. Moreover, non-hoarders discounted money significantly more than hoarders, while no significant differences were detected in the surgical mask version of the task. Possible explanations for this result are discussed in the light of a situational frame that makes salient the notion of scarcity, like the one induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The hoarding dimension of cluttering was found to be the only dimension to significantly correlate with the discount rate on surgical masks. Altogether, these findings shed light on the role of general hoarding level and specific hoarding dimensions on intertemporal preferences with different commodities by contributing to the theoretical debate about impulsivity in hoarders' behavior. Furthermore, the present results help to understand the general population's preferences during times of crisis, thus contributing to the investigation of the effects of COVID-19 on consumers' behavior

HHV-6A/6B infection of NK cells modulates the expression of miRNAs and transcription factors potentially associated to impaired NK activity

Natural killer (NK) cells have a critical role in controlling virus infections, and viruses have evolved several mechanisms to escape NK cell functions. In particular, Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is associated with diseases characterized by immune dysregulation and has been reported to infect NK cells. We recently found that HHV-6 in vitro infection of human thyroid follicular epithelial cells and T-lymphocytes modulates several miRNAs associated with alterations in immune response. Since miRNAs are key regulators of many immune pathways, including NK cell functions, we aimed to study the impact of HHV-6A and -6B in vitro infection on the intracellular mediators correlated to NK cell function. To this purpose, a human NK cell line (NK-92) was infected in vitro with HHV-6A or 6B and analyzed for alterations in the expression of miRNAs and transcription factors. The results showed that both viruses establish lytic replication in NK-92 cells, as shown by the presence of viral DNA, expression of lytic transcripts and antigens, and by the induction of an evident cytopathic effect. Notably, both viruses, although with species-specific differences, induced significant modifications in miRNA expression of miRNAs known for their role in NK cell development, maturation and effector functions (miR-146, miR-155, miR-181, miR-223), and on at least 13 miRNAs with recognized role in inflammation and autoimmunity. Also the expression of transcription factors was significantly modified by HHV-6A/6B infection, with an early increase of ATF3, JUN and FOXA2 by both species, whereas HHV-6A specifically induced a 15-fold decrease of POU2AF1, and HHV-6B an increase of FOXO1 and a decrease of ESR1. Overall, our data show that HHV-6A and -6B infections have a remarkable effect on the expression of miRNAs and transcription factors, which might be important in the induction of NK cell function impairment, virus escape strategies and related pathologies

THE ROLE OF ICT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TRAINING ON INDIVIDUAL RESOURCES AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE WORK OF ITALIAN TEACHERS

The increase in the number of teachers who experience stress and burnout at work, with a decrease in the quality of their students' learning experience, brings attention to elements that can mitigate stress and burnout in these professionals. The literature reports self-efficacy and engagement in one's work as protective factors, which are also influenced by professional training such as the Italian TFA courses. This study, conducted after a 75-hour TFA Course on ICT for Special Education, aims to identify the relationship between good perceptions of learning outcomes after the TFA experience and some dimensions of well-being in the workplace such as work engagement, coping, work satisfaction and the dimensions of related to the educational technologies investigated by the ITIS scale. The research is based on a self-report structured survey conducted on a sample of 176 Italian teachers which attended the course between June and July 2021. The results confirm that training and support for implementing new teaching strategies has positive impacts on individual resources and attitudes toward work, acting on work engagement, coping with adverse and challenging situations and one’s perceptions of personal professional skills