Riflessioni su una nuova prospettiva: la cattedra mista

The aim of this article is to offer an help in understanding the difficult aspects involved in being a special education needs teacher in the Italian School, by a proposal that starts from examining this role’s weak points and go as far as thinking about a different upskill for the professional resources working for inclusion. If the bill C2444, promoted from the federation FISH and FAND, wants to relaunch the school inclusion by creating separate careers for special education needs teachers, then the here proposed theory is determined to reverse this view, considered as “non-inclusive”. The authors of this article think that if a teacher could teach a subject in part of his time and teach as special education teacher in the other part, he could be a positive change agent for all his students.The aim of this article is to offer an help in understanding the difficult aspects involved in being a special education needs teacher in the Italian School, by a proposal that starts from examining this role’s weak points and go as far as thinking about a different upskill for the professional resources working for inclusion. If the bill C2444, promoted from the federation FISH and FAND, wants to relaunch the school inclusion by creating separate careers for special education needs teachers, then the here proposed theory is determined to reverse this view, considered as “non-inclusive”. The authors of this article think that if a teacher could teach a subject in part of his time and teach as special education teacher in the other part, he could be a positive change agent for all his students

Second asymptomatic carotid surgery trial (ACST-2) : a randomised comparison of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy

Background: Among asymptomatic patients with severe carotid artery stenosis but no recent stroke or transient cerebral ischaemia, either carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) can restore patency and reduce long-term stroke risks. However, from recent national registry data, each option causes about 1% procedural risk of disabling stroke or death. Comparison of their long-term protective effects requires large-scale randomised evidence. Methods: ACST-2 is an international multicentre randomised trial of CAS versus CEA among asymptomatic patients with severe stenosis thought to require intervention, interpreted with all other relevant trials. Patients were eligible if they had severe unilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis and both doctor and patient agreed that a carotid procedure should be undertaken, but they were substantially uncertain which one to choose. Patients were randomly allocated to CAS or CEA and followed up at 1 month and then annually, for a mean 5 years. Procedural events were those within 30 days of the intervention. Intention-to-treat analyses are provided. Analyses including procedural hazards use tabular methods. Analyses and meta-analyses of non-procedural strokes use Kaplan-Meier and log-rank methods. The trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN21144362. Findings: Between Jan 15, 2008, and Dec 31, 2020, 3625 patients in 130 centres were randomly allocated, 1811 to CAS and 1814 to CEA, with good compliance, good medical therapy and a mean 5 years of follow-up. Overall, 1% had disabling stroke or death procedurally (15 allocated to CAS and 18 to CEA) and 2% had non-disabling procedural stroke (48 allocated to CAS and 29 to CEA). Kaplan-Meier estimates of 5-year non-procedural stroke were 2·5% in each group for fatal or disabling stroke, and 5·3% with CAS versus 4·5% with CEA for any stroke (rate ratio [RR] 1·16, 95% CI 0·86-1·57; p=0·33). Combining RRs for any non-procedural stroke in all CAS versus CEA trials, the RR was similar in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients (overall RR 1·11, 95% CI 0·91-1·32; p=0·21). Interpretation: Serious complications are similarly uncommon after competent CAS and CEA, and the long-term effects of these two carotid artery procedures on fatal or disabling stroke are comparable