Where does fear of maths come from? Beyond the purely emotional

Fear of mathematics is a widespread emotion that has many negative consequences in students: it is a possible factor of local failure (since it prevents the best use of one’s competence and knowledge) but also a possible factor of global failure (since it might lead to students giving up any engagement with mathematics). Investigating the cognitive origin of this emotion is fundamental to prevent it and to overcome its negative consequences. In this study we try to understand this origin giving voice to the students, analysing students’ narratives about their relationship with mathematics

Endogenous erythropoietin as part of the cytokine network in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Erythropoietin (EPO) is of great interest as a therapy for many of the central nervous system (CNS) diseases and its administration is protective in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Endogenous EPO is induced by hypoxic/ischemic injury, but little is known about its expression in other CNS diseases. We report here that EPO expression in the spinal cord is induced in mouse models of chronic or relapsing-remitting EAE, and is prominently localized to motoneurons. We found a parallel increase of hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF)-1 alpha, but not HIF-2 alpha, at the mRNA level, suggesting a possible role of non-hypoxic factors in EPO induction. EPO mRNA in the spinal cord was co-expressed with interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and these cytokines inhibited EPO production in vitro in both neuronal and glial cells. Given the known inhibitory effect of EPO on neuroinflammation, our study indicates that EPO should be viewed as part of the inflammatory/anti-inflammatory network in MS

Case report: The CCDC103 variant causes ultrastructural sperm axonemal defects and total sperm immotility in a professional athlete without primary ciliary diskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is an inherited autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by abnormal ciliary motion, due to a defect in ciliary structure and/or function. This genetic condition leads to recurrent upper and lower respiratory infections, bronchiectasis, laterality defect, and subfertility. Male infertility is often associated with PCD, since the ultrastructure of the axoneme in the sperm tail is similar to that of the motile cilia of respiratory cells. We present the first reported case of a male patient from a non-consanguineous Italian family who exhibited a severe form of asthenozoospermia factor infertility but no situs inversus and absolutely no signs of the clinical respiratory phenotype, the proband being a professional basketball player. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) has identified a homozygote mutation (CCDC103 c.461 A > C, p.His154Pro) in the proband, while his brother was a heterozygous carrier for this mutation. Morphological and ultrastructural analyses of the axoneme in the sperm flagellum demonstrated the complete loss of both the inner and outer dynein arms (IDA and ODA, respectively). Moreover, immunofluorescence of DNAH1, which is used to check the assembly of IDA, and DNAH5, which labels ODA, demonstrated that these complexes are absent along the full length of the flagella in the spermatozoa from the proband, which was consistent with the IDA and ODA defects observed. Noteworthy, TEM analysis of the axoneme from respiratory cilia showed that dynein arms, although either IDAs and/or ODAs seldom missing on some doublets, are still partly present in each observed section. This case reports the total sperm immotility associated with the CCDC103 p.His154Pro mutation in a man with a normal respiratory phenotype and enriches the variant spectrum of ccdc103 variants and the associated clinical phenotypes in PCD, thus improving counseling of patients about their fertility and possible targeted treatments

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of In Vivo and In Vitro SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Lesson from Human Sperm

Despite the major target of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, being the respiratory system, clinical evidence suggests that the male reproductive system may represent another viral target organ. Revealing the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on testis and sperm is a priority for reproductive biology, as well as for reproductive medicine. Here, we confirmed that the SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is highly expressed on human testis and ejaculated sperm; moreover, we provide evidence for the expression of the co-receptors transmembrane protease/serine (TMPRSS2), Basigin (BSG), and Catepsin L (CTSL). Human sperm were readily infected, both in vivo and in vitro, by SARS-CoV-2, as demonstrated by confocal and electron microscopy. The demonstration that the seminiferous epithelium and sperm support SARS-CoV-2 viral replication suggests the possibility that the spermatogenetic process may be detrimentally affected by the virus, and at the same time, supports the need to implement safety measures and guidelines to ensure specific care in reproductive medicine

Intestinal microbiota sustains inflammation and autoimmunity induced by hypomorphic RAG defects

Omenn syndrome (OS) is caused by hypomorphic Rag mutations and characterized by a profound immunodeficiency associated with autoimmune-like manifestations. Both in humans and mice, OS is mediated by oligoclonal activated T and B cells. The role of microbial signals in disease pathogenesis is debated. Here, we show that Rag2R229Q knock-in mice developed an inflammatory bowel disease affecting both the small bowel and colon. Lymphocytes were sufficient for disease induction, as intestinal CD4 T cells with a Th1/Th17 phenotype reproduced the pathological picture when transplanted into immunocompromised hosts. Moreover, oral tolerance was impaired in Rag2R229Q mice, and transfer of wild-type (WT) regulatory T cells ameliorated bowel inflammation. Mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency in the gut resulted in enhanced absorption of microbial products and altered composition of commensal communities. The Rag2R229Q microbiota further contributed to the immunopathology because its transplant into WT recipients promoted Th1/Th17 immune response. Consistently, long-term dosing of broad-spectrum antibiotics (ABXs) in Rag2R229Q mice ameliorated intestinal and systemic autoimmunity by diminishing the frequency of mucosal and circulating gut-tropic CCR9+ Th1 and Th17 T cells. Remarkably, serum hyper-IgE, a hallmark of the disease, was also normalized by ABX treatment. These results indicate that intestinal microbes may play a critical role in the distinctive immune dysregulation of OS

‘Me and maths’: towards a definition of attitude grounded on students’ narratives

The attitude construct is widely used by teachers and researchers in mathematics education. Often, however, teachers' diagnosis of 'negative attitude' is a causal attribution of students' failure, perceived as global and uncontrollable, rather than an accurate interpretation of students' behaviour, capable of steering future action. In order to make this diagnosis useful for dealing with students' difficulties in mathematics, it is necessary to clarify the construct attitude from a theoretical viewpoint, while keeping in touch with the practice that motivates its use. With this aim, we investigated how students tell their own relationship with mathematics, proposing the essay "Me and maths" to more than 1,600 students (1st to 13th grade). A multidimensional characterisation of a student's attitude towards mathematics emerges from this study. This characterisation and the study of the evolution of attitude have many important consequences for teachers' practice and education. For example, the study shows how the relationship with mathematics is rarely told as stable, even by older students: this result suggests that it is never too late to change students' attitude towards mathematics

Different Profiles of Attitude Toward Mathematics: the Case of Learned Helplessness

In a previous study, aimed at grounding a definition of attitude toward mathematics on students’ narratives about their own relationship with mathematics, we proposed a characterization of attitude based on three deeply interconnected dimensions: the individual’s emotional disposition toward mathematics, his/her view of mathematics, his/her perceived competence in mathematics. From this multidimensionality follows the need of overcoming the positive/negative dichotomy for attitude, in favour of considering different profiles. In this paper we will apply this model to investigate learned helplessness as an attitude toward mathematics. The analysis highlights that learned helplessness may correspond to different profiles, that require different remedial actions

Io e la matematica: una, cento, mille storie

To investigate students’ attitudes toward mathematics we have proposed the essay ‘Me and mathematics: my relationship with maths up to now’. Over the years we have collected more than 1000 essays that tell a variety of different ‘stories’. The analysis of this variety suggests some significant differences among the students’ attitudes toward mathematics, thus highlighting the limits of reducing a student’s attitude toward mathematics to the positive / negative dichotom

Problemi per crescere. Matematica senza paura

Insegnare matematica nella scuola primaria è un compito molto importante, perché è a questo livello scolare che ciascun bambino comincia ad acquisire le conoscenze e le competenze sulle quali ancorare quelle future, ma anche a plasmare le sue convinzioni sulla matematica e su di sé in relazione a essa. Questo bagaglio di conoscenze, competenze e convinzioni cresce o comunque cambia nel tempo e influenza il modo in cui il bambino affronta le sue esperienze in classe. Sappiamo che l’effetto di tali esperienze è spesso scoraggiante. Il rifiuto della matematica è infatti molto diffuso, sia tra gli studenti sia tra gli adulti. In una ricerca (Di Martino, Zan, 2005), abbiamo chiesto a più di 1800 allievi (dalla prima classe della scuola primaria all’ultima classe della secondaria di secondo grado) di raccontare la propria storia con la matematica attraverso il tema autobiografico – rigorosamente anonimo – Io e la matematica: il mio rapporto con la matematica (dalla scuola primaria a oggi). L’analisi dei temi conferma la prevalenza di rapporti caratterizzati da emozioni negative quali ansia, paura, rabbia, evidenziando come alla base di queste emozioni ci sia spesso la convinzione dell’allievo di essere inadeguato: cioè un basso senso di autoefficacia

Attitude towards mathematics: a bridge between beliefs and emotions

Recent research in the field of affect has highlighted the need to theoretically clarify constructs such as beliefs, emotions and attitudes, and to better investigate the relationships among them. As regards the definition of attitude, in a previous study we proposed a characterization of attitude towards mathematics grounded in students' experiences, investigating how students express their own relationship with mathematics. The data collected suggest a three-dimensional model of attitude towards mathematics that includes students' emotional disposition, their vision of mathematics, and their perceived competence. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between beliefs and emotions, investigating the interplay among the three dimensions in the proposed model of attitude, as emerging in the students' essays