International Summer School explores the use of literature in the study of Global Education and Learning

The first International Summer School on Global Education and Learning1, with a focus in “Using literature”, is a collaboration between the UNESCO Chair in Global Citizenship Education in Higher Education at the University of Bologna, the Academic Network on Global Education and Learning (ANGEL) and the Development Education Research Centre (DERC) of UCL, with the support of Global Education Network Europe (GENE). This initiative, along with other ANGEL network activities, is co-funded by the European Union

Returning the body to the mind: Educating the living body

The article aims to contribute to the debate on corporeity education, focusing on the question of subjectivity, understood as mind-body unity, as developed by phenomenology and embodied approaches. This allows to rethink the educational settings in which the living body is embraced. Within a cross-curriculum design, particularly in primary school, it offers an overview of possible devices in which corporeity is pivotal. Through conceptual frameworks such as those of space and time, the article underlines the innovative contribution of OE and outdoor education, suggesting possible directions for teacher training

Dental care protocol based on visual supports for children with autism spectrum disorders

Background : Subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) have often difficulties to accept dental treatments. The aim of this study is to propose a dental care protocol based on visual supports to facilitate children with ASDs to undergo to oral examination and treatments. Material and Methods : 83 children (age range 6-12 years) with a signed consent form were enrolled; intellectual level, verbal fluency and cooperation grade were evaluated. Children were introduced into a four stages path in or der to undergo: an oral examination (stage 1), a professional oral hygiene session (stage 2), sealants (stage 3), and, if necessary, a restorative treatment (stage 4). Each stage came after a visual training, performed by a psychologist (stage 1) and by parents at home (stages 2, 3 and 4). Association between acceptance rates at each stage and gender, intellectual level, verbal fluency and cooperation grade was tested with chi-square test if appropriate. Results: Seventy-seven (92.8%) subjects overcame both stage 1 and 2. Six (7.2%) refused stage 3 and among the 44 subjects who need restorative treatments, only three refused it. The acceptance rate at each stage was statistically significant associated to the verbal fluency ( p =0.02; p =0.04; p =0.01, respectively for stage 1, 3 and 4). In stage 2 all subjects accepted to move to the next stage. The verbal/intellectual/cooperation dummy variable was statistically associated to the acceptance rate ( p <0.01). Conclusions: The use of visual supports has shown to be able to facilitate children with ASDs to undergo dental treatments even in non-verbal children with a low intellectual level, underlining that behavioural approach should be used as the first strategy to treat patients with ASDs in dental setting

Diffuse calcifications protect carotid plaques regardless of the amount of neoangiogenesis and related histological complications

Background. Neoangiogenesis is crucial in plaque progression and instability. Previous data from our group showed that Nestin-positive intraplaque neovessels correlated with histological complications. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the relationship between neoangiogenesis, plaque morphology, and clinical instability of the plaque. Materials and Methods. Seventy-three patients (53 males and 20 females, mean age 71 years) were consecutively enrolled. Clinical data and 14 histological variables, including intraplaque hemorrhage and calcifications, were collected. Immunohistochemistry for CD34 and Nestin was performed. RT-PCR was performed to evaluate Nestin mRNA (including 5 healthy arteries as controls). Results. Diffusely calcified plaques (13/73) were found predominantly in females (P=0.017), with a significantly lower incidence of symptoms (TIA/stroke (P=0.019) than noncalcified plaques but with the same incidence of histological complications (P=0.156)). Accordingly, calcified and noncalcified plaques showed similar mean densities of positivity for CD34 and Nestin. Nestin density, but not CD34, correlated with the occurrence of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusions. Plaques with massive calcifications show the same incidence of histological complications but without influencing symptomatology, especially in female patients, and regardless of the amount of neoangiogenesis. These results can be applied in a future presurgical identification of patients at major risk of developing symptoms

Long-term Memory of Sensory Experiences from the First Pregnancy, its Peri-partum and Post-partum in Women with Autism Spectrum Disorders without Intellectual Disabilities: A Retrospective Study

Purpose: To explore the recalled experience of pregnancy and motherhood in women diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) without intellectual disabilities, focusing on sensory perceptions and mood. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated, through an ad-hoc structured interview, the sensory sensitivity during the pre-partum, the peri-partum, and the post-partum of thirty-three mothers with ASD and thirty-two neurotypical mothers. Participants also underwent a psychometric assessment about autistic traits, general sensory sensitivity, and post-partum depressive symptomatology. Results: Mothers with ASD recalled a higher sensitivity than the comparison group across the three time-points; however, during the peri-partum their recalled hypersensitivity decreases, and in the post-partum it returned as high as before childbirth. The difference in the length of recall between groups did not statistically influence our results. Higher levels of autistic traits correlated with higher depressive post-partum symptomatology. Conclusions: Mothers with ASD seem to recall their experience of pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum period differently from neurotypical mothers, particularly in terms of hypersensitivity. The correlation with depressive symptoms and the potential role of oxytocin and of long-term memory (encoding and recollection) are discussed. Further exploring these aspects might give fundamental hints to provide tailored support to mothers with ASD during pregnancy and motherhood

Diffuse Calcifications Protect Carotid Plaques regardless of the Amount of Neoangiogenesis and Related Histological Complications

Background. Neoangiogenesis is crucial in plaque progression and instability. Previous data from our group showed that Nestin-positive intraplaque neovessels correlated with histological complications. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the relationship between neoangiogenesis, plaque morphology, and clinical instability of the plaque. Materials and Methods. Seventy-three patients (53 males and 20 females, mean age 71 years) were consecutively enrolled. Clinical data and 14 histological variables, including intraplaque hemorrhage and calcifications, were collected. Immunohistochemistry for CD34 and Nestin was performed. RT-PCR was performed to evaluate Nestin mRNA (including 5 healthy arteries as controls). Results. Diffusely calcified plaques (13/73) were found predominantly in females (P=0.017), with a significantly lower incidence of symptoms (TIA/stroke (P=0.019) than noncalcified plaques but with the same incidence of histological complications (P=0.156)). Accordingly, calcified and noncalcified plaques showed similar mean densities of positivity for CD34 and Nestin. Nestin density, but not CD34, correlated with the occurrence of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusions. Plaques with massive calcifications show the same incidence of histological complications but without influencing symptomatology, especially in female patients, and regardless of the amount of neoangiogenesis. These results can be applied in a future presurgical identification of patients at major risk of developing symptoms

COVID-19 in rheumatic diseases in Italy: first results from the Italian registry of the Italian Society for Rheumatology (CONTROL-19)

OBJECTIVES: Italy was one of the first countries significantly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. The Italian Society for Rheumatology promptly launched a retrospective and anonymised data collection to monitor COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), the CONTROL-19 surveillance database, which is part of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance. METHODS: CONTROL-19 includes patients with RMDs and proven severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) updated until May 3rd 2020. In this analysis, only molecular diagnoses were included. The data collection covered demographic data, medical history (general and RMD-related), treatments and COVID-19 related features, treatments, and outcome. In this paper, we report the first descriptive data from the CONTROL-19 registry. RESULTS: The population of the first 232 patients (36% males) consisted mainly of elderly patients (mean age 62.2 years), who used corticosteroids (51.7%), and suffered from multi-morbidity (median comorbidities 2). Rheumatoid arthritis was the most frequent disease (34.1%), followed by spondyloarthritis (26.3%), connective tissue disease (21.1%) and vasculitis (11.2%). Most cases had an active disease (69.4%). Clinical presentation of COVID-19 was typical, with systemic symptoms (fever and asthenia) and respiratory symptoms. The overall outcome was severe, with high frequencies of hospitalisation (69.8%), respiratory support oxygen (55.7%), non-invasive ventilation (20.9%) or mechanical ventilation (7.5%), and 19% of deaths. Male patients typically manifested a worse prognosis. Immunomodulatory treatments were not significantly associated with an increased risk of intensive care unit admission/mechanical ventilation/death. CONCLUSIONS: Although the report mainly includes the most severe cases, its temporal and spatial trend supports the validity of the national surveillance system. More complete data are being acquired in order to both test the hypothesis that RMD patients may have a different outcome from that of the general population and determine the safety of immunomodulatory treatments

A VALUE-CREATING APPROACH. Dialogues with the Advisory Board: Interview with Namrata Sharma

Namrata Sharma is adjunct professor at the State University of New York. She is also an expert advisor to the United Nations Harmony with Nature Knowledge Network. Her research focuses on Global Citizenship Education discourse and practice and Education for Sustainable Development within UNESCO-led initiatives. Her work has focused on India, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. In these contexts, she is concerned with the impact of the political climate on young people's values, young people's perceptions of global citizenship and the role of institutions in shaping students' values and sense of belonging. Outcomes of her research have included the development and teaching of various courses (such as EDU 114 - Comparative and International Education: Non-Western Perspectives at SUNY Oswego)

Agentività ed esperienza incarnata per la formazione alla cittadinanza globale

This work focuses on agency in the framework of Global Citizenship Education (GCE). The aims of Law 92/2019 are part of this broad concept. In this context, promoting active and participatory citizenship behaviours requires competent agents and educational models sensitive to this perspective. This article aims to identify some essential theoretical elements of agency that can corroborate educational models. At the same time, these elements are placed in dialogue with the phenomenological approach and embodied approaches to highlight the role of the body in the foundation of agency. The text is divided into the following sections: definition of agency; es-sential elements - the phenomenological approach and the role of the body. Finally, the body is proposed as a central dimension in GCE, to reestablish perceptibility and transparency in formal and informal educational models of active and situated learning.Il contributo si focalizza sul tema dell’agentività nel quadro dell’Educazione alla Cittadinanza Globale (ECG), qui considerata come orizzonte complessivo all’introduzione in Italia della Legge 92/2019. In questo ambito pro-muovere comportamenti di cittadinanza attiva e partecipativa implica formare soggetti agentivi e comporta risposte educative attente a questa prospettiva. L’articolo mira ad individuare alcuni elementi essenziali del concetto di agentività che possano sostanziare la riflessione sui modelli educativi, contestualmente si pongono questi elementi in dialogo con l’approccio fenomenologico e dei successivi approcci embodied al fine di dare rilevanza al contributo del corpo nella formazione di agentività. Il testo si articola in queste sezioni: -– definizione di agentività: elementi essenziali; -– l’approccio fenomenologico ed il ruolo del corpo. Infine, si propone il corpo come una delle dimensioni centrali nell’ECG, per valorizzare modelli educativi formali ed informali della didattica attiva e situata

Faggioli R., (2011) Fare esperienza sulla pelle -la formazione di esperienza professionale nei docenti neoassunti di scuola dell\u2019infanzia

Gli studi sui processi di formazione iniziale degli insegnanti sono molteplici, ma lo sviluppo del processo di formazione professionale in un contesto reale, potenzialmente assai rilevante, \ue8 un fenomeno poco analizzato in Italia, per lo meno all\u2019interno di una prospettiva qualitativa, permeabile alla rappresentazione che ne hanno i protagonisti stessi. L\u2019articolo vuole sollecitare questa angolazione del dibattito, offrendo, come spunto, i dati emergenti da una ricerca Grounded Theory, che ha, come focus, i significati attribuiti dagli insegnanti di scuola dell\u2019infanzia alla formazione di esperienza professionale iniziale. La specificit\ue0 metodologica del lavoro \ue8 data dalla postura del ricercatore: un\u2019insegnante. I risultati della ricerca suggeriscono una struttura di significati centrata su due categorie che descrivono la formazione di esperienza come un processo adattivo, situato e, d\u2019altra parte, strettamente connesso alle relazioni fortuite occorrenti tra esperti e inesperti. Relazioni che sembrano esprimersi all\u2019interno di una sorta di paradosso nel quale pare essere imprevedibilmente alienata l\u2019idea dei partecipanti di poter contribuire al miglioramento. Elementi che incalzano riflessioni critiche e domande ulteriori