Magister vitae: educare oggi secondo una prospettiva ermeneutica

All of us are born, but nobody is born free: no one is allowed to choose where, how and when to be born; Heidegger speaks, in fact, of original finiteness.The birth of man is characterized by a certain datability, which gives man the entire anonymity, which accompanies him until he himself is able to become aware of himself, to reach an authentic life.The means, the tool for realizing the transition from inauthenticity to authenticity can be identified in education; in fact, it allows man to grow relationships in the fertile soil.In fact, relationships with others are the "place" for exercising one's freedom,fundamental characteristic to give life to an authentic, real and no longer unknown self.In this fundamental passage, the role of the magister vitae is inserted, the one who helps to reach the "Good" within a dyadic relationship, made of cooperative and interpersonal exchanges. A relationship, not occasional or formal, but a real "apprenticeship" in which the pupil acquires the cognitive, affective and relational tools to attribute new and original meanings to the surrounding reality and the magister undertakes to manage the antinomies related to the relationship authority / freedom.An authority in the full sense of the etymology of the word, being "author of authors", and a "liberating liberty", in the sense that each man is free to realize himself according to his will, but above all according to his own potential.It is in this dialogic exchange that education takes on the characteristics of a "gift", understood as an act of love that has as its goal the realization of the other, through the expression full of all of itself, in a logic of discovery, of the construction of the "truth". A truth that is not absolute, but that is built step by step, through both the skills, not dry and sterile, the magister but also and above all through his human qualities that make him a man, an educator, a magister vitae that not even time can make you forget.Tutti noi nasciamo, ma nessuno nasce libero: a nessuno è concesso di scegliere dove, come e quando nascere; Heidegger parla, infatti, di originaria finitezza.La nascita dell’uomo è caratterizzata da una certa datità, che consegna l’uomo all’intero anonimato, che lo accompagna fino a quando egli stesso non sarà capace di prendere coscienza di sé, di giungere ad una vita autentica.Il mezzo, lo strumento per realizzare il passaggio dall’inautenticità all’autenticità è individuabile nell’educazione; essa, infatti, consente all’uomo di crescere nel terreno fertile delle relazioni.I rapporti con gli altri, infatti, si configurano come il “luogo” per esercitare la propria libertà, caratteristica fondamentale per dar vita ad un sé autentico, reale e non più ignoto.In questo fondamentale passaggio, si inserisce il ruolo del magister vitae, colui che aiuta a raggiungere il “Bene” all’interno di una relazione diadica, fatta di scambi cooperativi, ed interpersonali. Un rapporto, non occasionale né formale, ma un vero e proprio “apprendistato” nel quale lo scolaro acquisisce gli strumenti cognitivi, affettivi e relazionali per attribuire significati sempre nuovi ed originali alla realtà circostante ed il magister si impegna a gestire le antinomie legate al rapporto autorità/libertà.Un’autorità nel senso pieno dell’etimologia della parola, essere “autore di autori”, ed una “libertà liberante”, nel senso che ciascun uomo è libero di realizzarsi secondo la propria volontà, ma soprattutto secondo le proprie potenzialità.È in questo scambio dialogico che l’educazione assume le caratteristiche di un “dono”, inteso come atto di amore che ha come fine la realizzazione dell’altro, attraverso l’espressione piena di tutto se stesso, in una logica di scoperta, di costruzione della “verità”. Una verità che non è assoluta, ma che si costruisce passo dopo passo, per mezzo sia delle competenze, non aride e sterili, del magister ma anche e soprattutto attraverso le sue doti umane che fanno di lui un uomo, un educatore, un magister vitae che nemmeno il tempo potrà far dimenticare

L’importanza dei prerequisiti e dello screening precoce nella scuola dell’infanzia

Este trabajo pretende subrayar la importancia de algunas competencias cognitivas, denominadas precursoras de aprendizaje, que participan en la adquisición de habilidades de lectura y escritura, tales como: conocimiento de letras, conciencia fonológica, nomenclatura automatizada rápida (RAN), memoria fonológica y procesamiento visual. Varias investigaciones demostraron cómo estas habilidades son importantes en el nivel preescolar, en particular para la prevención del desarrollo de dificultades escolares o discapacidades específicas de aprendizaje en la siguiente carrera académica de los niños. Además, la formación específica dirigida a mejorar los precursores cognitivos aumenta o recupera las capacidades de lectura y escritura. En este panorama, es muy importante reflexionar sobre la importancia de la proyección preescolar temprana y sobre las herramientas de evaluación relacionadas con ella. Por esta razón, la presente revisión describe los principales instrumentos psicométricos para la evaluación de precursores de lectura y escritura en niños de edad preescolar de 5 años, publicados en Italia desde 1999 hasta ahora.This paper aims to underline the importance of some cognitive competencies, called learning precursors that are involved in the acquisition of reading and writing abilities, such as: knowledge of letters, phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological memory and visual processing. Several researches demonstrated how these abilities are important at pre-school level, in particular for the prevention of the development of scholastic difficulties or specific learning disabilities in the following academic career of children. Moreover, specific educational training aimed at enhancing cognitive precursors increase or retrieve reading and writing abilities. In this panorama, it is very essential to reflect on the importance of screening at early pre-school level and on assessment tools related to it. For this reason, the present review describes the main psychometric instruments for the evaluation of reading and writing precursors in preschoolers of 5 years, which were published in Italy from 1999 until now.Questo contributo si propone di sottolineare l’importanza di alcune competenze cognitive, detti prerequisiti, che sono implicate nell’acquisizione delle abilità di lettura e scrittura come ad esempio: la conoscenza dell’alfabeto; la consapevolezza fonologica; la denominazione rapida automática (RAN); la memoria fonologica e la processazione visiva. Numerose ricerche, anche internazionali, mostrano l’importanza dell’esercizio di tali abilità all’interno della scuola dell’infanzia anche ai fini della prevenzione dello sviluppo di difficoltà di apprendimento e/o di veri e propri disturbi nella successiva carriera accademica del bambino. Inoltre, la realizzazione di interventi didattici mirati allo sviluppo di tali prerequisiti cognitivi favorisce l’incremento e/o il recupero delle strumentalità della lettoscrittura. In tale scenario, diviene fondamentale riflettere sulle modalità di screening precoce che è possibile attivare all’interno della scuola dell’infanzia e sui relativi strumenti di assessment che è possibile utilizzare. Di conseguenza, sono passati in rassegna alcuni dei principali strumenti psicometrici editi in Italia, dal 1999 ad oggi, per la valutazione dei prerequisiti delle abilità di letto-scrittura in allievi a partire dai 5 anni di età.peerReviewe

Development and validation of an indirect ELISA as a confirmatory test for surveillance of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis in vaccinated herds

BACKGROUND: Bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV1) is a member of the viral subfamily of Alphaherpesvirinae that infects various species, including cattle, sheep, and goats. The virus causes infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), which is included in a European list of diseases that may require control and eradication programs. The lack of confirmatory tests affects the validity of diagnostic tools, especially those used for vaccinated herds. In this study, we report the development and validation of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on BoHV1 glycoprotein E, which was expressed as a secreted recombinant antigen in a mammalian cell system. The performance of the new rec-gE ELISA was compared with that of commercially available indirect and/or blocking ELISAs. RESULTS: The sample set included blood sera from animals from IBR-positive farms, IBR-free farms, and marker-vaccinated farms. The indirect ELISA proposed in this study is based on antibody reactivity against BoHV1 gE, and showed high sensitivity and specificity (98.41 and 99.76 %, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The ELISA performed well, in terms of both its diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and as a confirmatory methodology, and therefore should improve the diagnostic protocols used for IBR surveillance

BRCA Mutation Status in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Pivotal Role for Treatment Decision-Making

Simple Summary In this retrospective observational study, we evaluated data from patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in order to better define the impact of germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2) mutation status on outcomes in this patient population. Our results show that patients with BRCA1/2 mutation had a higher pathologic complete response (pCR) rate than non-mutated patients; nevertheless, the benefit was confirmed only in the subset of patients who received a platinum-based NACT. Furthermore, pCR was associated with improved Event Free Survival (EFS) and Overall Survival (OS), regardless of BRCA1/2 mutation status and type of NACT received. Long-term follow-up analyses are needed to further define the impact of gBRCA mutation status in patients with early-TNBC. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by earlier recurrence and shorter survival compared with other types of breast cancer. Moreover, approximately 15 to 25% of all TNBC patients harbor germline BRCA (gBRCA) 1/2 mutations, which confer a more aggressive phenotype. However, TNBC seems to be particularly sensitive to chemotherapy, the so-called 'triple negative paradox'. Therefore, Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is currently considered the preferred approach for early-stage TNBC. BRCA status has also been studied as a predictive biomarker of response to platinum compounds. Although several randomized trials investigated the addition of carboplatin to standard NACT in early-stage TNBC, the role of BRCA status remains unclear. In this retrospective analysis, we evaluated data from 136 consecutive patients with Stage I-III TNBC who received standard NACT with or without the addition of carboplatin, in order to define clinical features and outcomes in BRCA 1/2 mutation carriers and non-carrier controls. Between January 2013 and February 2021, 67 (51.3%) out of 136 patients received a standard anthracyclines/taxane regimen and 69 (50.7%) patients received a platinum-containing chemotherapy regimen. Deleterious germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations were identified in 39 (28.7%) patients. Overall, patients with deleterious gBRCA1/2 mutation have significantly higher pCR rate than non-carrier patients (23 [59%] of 39 vs. 33 [34%] of 97; p = 0.008). The benefit of harboring a gBRCA mutation was confirmed only in the subset of patients who received a platinum-based NACT (17 [65.4%] of 26 vs. 13 [30.2%] of 43; p = 0.005) while no differences were found in the platinum-free subgroup. Patients who achieved pCR after NACT had significantly better EFS (OR 4.5; 95% CI 1.9-10.7; p = 0.001) and OS (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.3-8.9; p = 0.01) than patients who did not, regardless of BRCA1/2 mutation status and type of NACT received. Our results based on real-world evidence show that TNBC patients with the gBRCA1/2 mutation who received platinum-based NACT have a higher pCR rate than non-carrier patients, supporting the use of this chemotherapy regimen in this patient population. Long-term follow-up analyses are needed to further define the role of gBRCA mutation status on clinical outcomes in patients with early-TNBC

Assessing the pathogenicity of BRCA1/2 variants of unknown significance: Relevance and challenges for breast cancer precision medicine

IntroductionBreast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes account for approximately 50% of all hereditary BC, with 60-80% of patients characterized by Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) at an early stage phenotype. The identification of a pathogenic BRCA1/2 variant has important and expanding roles in risk-reducing surgeries, treatment planning, and familial surveillance. Otherwise, finding unclassified Variants of Unknown Significance (VUS) limits the clinical utility of the molecular test, leading to an “imprecise medicine”.MethodsWe reported the explanatory example of the BRCA1 c.5057A>C, p.(His1686Pro) VUS identified in a patient with TNBC. We integrated data from family history and clinic-pathological evaluations, genetic analyses, and bioinformatics in silico investigations to evaluate the VUS classification.ResultsOur evaluation posed evidences for the pathogenicity significance of the investigated VUS: 1) association of the BRCA1 variant to cancer-affected members of the family; 2) absence of another high-risk mutation; 3) multiple indirect evidences derived from gene and protein structural analysis.DiscussionIn line with the ongoing efforts to uncertain variants classification, we speculated about the relevance of an in-depth assessment of pathogenicity of BRCA1/2 VUS for a personalized management of patients with BC. We underlined that the efficient integration of clinical data with the widest number of supporting molecular evidences should be adopted for the proper management of patients, with the final aim of effectively guide the best prognostic and therapeutic paths

Infected pancreatic necrosis: outcomes and clinical predictors of mortality. A post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study

: The identification of high-risk patients in the early stages of infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is critical, because it could help the clinicians to adopt more effective management strategies. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the MANCTRA-1 international study to assess the association between clinical risk factors and mortality among adult patients with IPN. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify prognostic factors of mortality. We identified 247 consecutive patients with IPN hospitalised between January 2019 and December 2020. History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.135-15.882; aOR 4.245), qSOFA (p = 0.005; 95% CI 1.359-5.879; aOR 2.828), renal failure (p = 0.022; 95% CI 1.138-5.442; aOR 2.489), and haemodynamic failure (p = 0.018; 95% CI 1.184-5.978; aOR 2.661), were identified as independent predictors of mortality in IPN patients. Cholangitis (p = 0.003; 95% CI 1.598-9.930; aOR 3.983), abdominal compartment syndrome (p = 0.032; 95% CI 1.090-6.967; aOR 2.735), and gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal bleeding (p = 0.009; 95% CI 1.286-5.712; aOR 2.710) were independently associated with the risk of mortality. Upfront open surgical necrosectomy was strongly associated with the risk of mortality (p < 0.001; 95% CI 1.912-7.442; aOR 3.772), whereas endoscopic drainage of pancreatic necrosis (p = 0.018; 95% CI 0.138-0.834; aOR 0.339) and enteral nutrition (p = 0.003; 95% CI 0.143-0.716; aOR 0.320) were found as protective factors. Organ failure, acute cholangitis, and upfront open surgical necrosectomy were the most significant predictors of mortality. Our study confirmed that, even in a subgroup of particularly ill patients such as those with IPN, upfront open surgery should be avoided as much as possible. Study protocol registered in ClinicalTrials.Gov (I.D. Number NCT04747990)