Gli alunni stranieri e l’apprendimento delle matematica: alcune riflessioni sul caso italiano

The growing presence of foreign students in the Italian school continually interrogate teachers, policy makers and all those who are daily faced with issues related to this more and more structural reality. This work presents an analysis of the educational achievements in Mathematics of foreign students who have just completed the first cycle of education (5th grade) in Italy. To this end, we use INVALSI data that have the advantage to measure learning outcomesthrough standardized tests. Studying the frequency of responding correctly to any individual item and controlling for students’ background, we find substantially different and more encouraging reading of the learning gaps between Italian and foreign students.La crescente presenza di allievi stranieri nella scuola italiana interroga continuamente gli insegnanti, i decisori politici e tutti coloro che si trovano quotidianamente a fronteggiare le problematiche legate a questa realtà sempre più strutturale. Il presente contributo propone un’analisi sugli esiti in Matematicaalle Rilevazioni INVALSI 2014 degli studenti con cittadinanza non italiana che hanno appena terminato il primo ciclo di istruzione (classe V della scuola primaria). Considerando la probabilità di rispondere correttamente ai singoli item e tenendo sotto controllo alcune condizioni di contesto, si può avere una lettura diversa e più incoraggiante dei divari nell’apprendimento tra alunni italiani e stranieri

Sport education and lifelong learning in the Cemea experience: Cecrope Barilli and Ettore Gelpi

This work is a reflection on sport and its educational value. We shall be focusing on how necessary it is to be aware that humans, before being a mind, have a body, and that education, conceived as a lifelong global project, cannot neglect the body and physical education. This is equally applicable to young people and adults: everyone needs to rediscover their relationship with the world through the body. This relationship will be analysed through the experience of the Training Centres in Methods of Active Education (CEMEA) and the thinking of Cecrope Barilli and Ettore Gelpi. Educazione sportiva ed educazione permanente nell’esperienza dei Cemea: Cecrope Barilli e Ettore GelpiIl presente lavoro costituisce una riflessione sullo sport e sul suo valore educativo. Si cercherà di evidenziare come sia necessario ritornare alla consapevolezza che l’uomo, prima ancora di essere mente, è corpo e che l’educazione, concepita come un progetto globale e permanente, non può non iniziare dal corpo e dell’educazione al movimento. Ciò vale sia per i giovani sia per gli adulti: tutti hanno bisogno di riscoprire il proprio rapporto con il mondo attraverso il corpo. Questo rapporto verrà analizzato, in particolare, attraverso l’esperienza dei Centri d’Esercitazione ai Metodi dell’Educazione Attiva (CEMEA) e il pensiero di Cecrope Barilli ed Ettore Gelpi

Mente, cuore, mano nel gioco motorio: Educazione integrale in azione

Mente, cuore e mano sono la triade che introduce il valore dell'azione educativa integrale su cui si basa la pedagogia di Pestalozzi. Il presente lavoro, analizzando il pensiero dell'autore e mettendolo in relazione con altri autorevoli pedagogisti, anche contemporanei, intende evidenziare il ruolo che le diverse anime dell'essere umano rivestono nella formazione, non solo in età evolutiva. In particolare, il gioco motorio può essere il luogo in cui le intuizioni educative legate all'intelligenza (mente), alle emozioni (cuore) e alla corporeità (mano) si esprimono in maniera integrata. Sono evidenti le ricadute sul piano didattico-educativo in cui le attività ludico motorie offrono l'occasione di integrare aspetti cognitivi, affettivi e relazionali.Pertanto, se vissuto come occasione di rispetto, comprensione reciproca e lealtà

Il Tentativo di decalogo per la convivenza interetnica di Alexander Langer: 10 raccomandazioni per l’educazione alla pace

Alexander Langer (1946-1995) è stato un politico originale e lungimirante del secolo scorso che si è dedicato convintamente ai temi della pace e della convivenza tra i popoli. Il presente articolo vuole proporre una breve analisi di quello che, con ogni probabilità, è il suo testo più conosciuto: il Tentativo di decalogo per la convivenza interetnica (1995). A partire da questo testo, si proporranno alcune riflessioni volte ad evidenziarne la grande attualità e l’indubbio valore pedagogico.  Alexander Langer (1946-1995) was an original and forward-looking politician of the last century, and he has devoted himself passionately to the themes of peace and coexistence between peoples. The aim of this paper is to present a brief analysis about one of the best-known texts: the Tentative Decalogue for Interethnic Coexistence (1995). Starting from this text, some reflections will be proposed to highlight its great topicality and undoubted pedagogical value.

Eicosapentaenoic acid induces DNA demethylation in carcinoma cells through a TET1-dependent mechanism

In cancer cells, global genomic hypomethylation is found together with localized hypermethylation of CpG islands within the promoters and regulatory regions of silenced tumor suppressor genes. Demethylating agents may reverse hypermethylation, thus promoting gene re-expression. Unfortunately, demethylating strategies are not efficient in solid tumor cells. DNA demethylation is mediated by ten-eleven translocation enzymes (TETs). They sequentially convert 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which is associated with active transcription; 5-formylcytosine; and finally, 5-carboxylcytosine. Although α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid, the major n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, have anti-cancer effects, their action, as DNA-demethylating agents, has never been investigated in solid tumor cells. Here, we report that EPA demethylates DNA in hepatocarcinoma cells. EPA rapidly increases 5hmC on DNA, inducing p21Waf1/Cip1 gene expression, which slows cancer cell-cycle progression. We show that the underlying molecular mechanism involves TET1. EPA simultaneously binds peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and retinoid X receptor α (RXRα), thus promoting their heterodimer and inducing a PPARγ-TET1 interaction. They generate a TET1-PPARγ-RXRα protein complex, which binds to a hypermethylated CpG island on the p21 gene, where TET1 converts 5mC to 5hmC. In an apparent shuttling motion, PPARγ and RXRα leave the DNA, whereas TET1 associates stably. Overall, EPA directly regulates DNA methylation levels, permitting TET1 to exert its anti-tumoral function.-Ceccarelli, V., Valentini, V., Ronchetti, S., Cannarile, L., Billi, M., Riccardi, C., Ottini, L., Talesa, V. N., Grignani, F., Vecchini, A., Eicosapentaenoic acid induces DNA demethylation in carcinoma cells through a TET1-dependent mechanism

The theft of medicines from Italian hospitals

In recent years, the theft of medicines from Italian hospitals has emerged as a booming criminal phenomenon. This issue represents a serious threat to people’s health, the national budget, companies’ revenues and legal competition. However, studies concerning theft of medicines are lacking, as most research focuses only on the counterfeiting of medicines. In 2014 Transcrime published the first systematic and scientific attempt to analyse the theft of medicine from Italian hospitals. This essay summarises and provides updates on the results of that study

Mathematics teaching and learning: a paper starting from Invalsi data

This paper illustrates the main teaching practices features in the Italian primary and secondary school, by using new data, provided by Invalsi, about teachers’ daily activities. We merge such information with the scores achieved by the students in the Invalsi test. Our study reframes the cognitive test results in mathematics from a new bottom-up perspective, that is internal to the educational system. La didattica della matematica e gli apprendimenti: un contributo a partire dai dati InvalsiLa finalità principale del presente lavoro è di illustrare alcune caratteristiche delle pratiche didattiche del primo e del secondo ciclo di istruzione, utilizzando alcuni nuovi dati forniti da Invalsi sulle attività quotidiane degli insegnanti. Unendo queste informazioni con i punteggi ottenuti dagli studenti nel test Invalsi, si vogliono approfondire i risultati ottenuti dagli studenti in matematica partendo da una nuova prospettiva, interna al sistema di educazione.

Enhanced expression of hepatic lipogenic enzymes in an animal model of sedentariness.

The hindlimb-suspended rat was used as animal model to investigate the effects induced by immobilization of the skeletal muscle in the expression of the genes encoding hepatic lipogenic enzymes. Following a 14-day period of immobilization, rats were injected intraperitoneally with radioactive acetate, and the labeling of hepatic lipids and cholesterol was evaluated 15 min after the isotope injection. The incorporation of labeled acetate in lipids and cholesterol was almost three times higher in the liver of immobilized rats than in control animals as a consequence of the enhanced transcription of the genes encoding acetyl-CoA synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. The high expression of the key enzymes for fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis induced by immobilization was not paralleled by an increase of the hepatic sterol-regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1 and SREBP-2 mRNA content. However, the expression of the mature form of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 was higher in the nuclear fraction of immobilized rat liver than in controls due to a significant increase of the cleavage of the native proteins. Immobilization also affected the expression of proteins involved in lipid degradation. In fact, the hepatic content of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARalpha) mRNA and of PPARalpha target genes encoding carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 and acyl-CoA oxidase were significantly increased upon immobilization

Clinical Profiles in Multiple Sclerosis: Cognitive Reserve and Motor Impairment along Disease Duration

(i) Background: Cognitive impairment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been studied in relation to certain clinical variables (e.g., motor disability and disease duration) and lifestyle factors such as cognitive reserve (CR). However, only very few studies have considered the interaction of clinical variables and cognitive reserve in preserving the integrity of the neuropsychological profile. In this paper, we hypothesised that a higher level of CR might predict good cognitive efficiency by modulating the clinical outcome of the disease. (ii) Methods: A sample of 100 participants with MS (age range 30–74), was recruited and assessed remotely with a questionnaire to measure CR and a cognitive screening test. Data were analysed through generalized additive models. (iii) Results: We found that the model analysing the interaction between CR and disease duration, and between CR and motor disability, was able to explain a significant percentage of cognitive performance. In particular, higher levels of CR predicted a better cognitive performance despite a long disease duration, unless the motor disability was severe. (iv) Conclusion: This study highlights the crucial role of CR in modulating cognitive efficiency in people with MS

Tyrosine phosphorylation modulates peroxiredoxin-2 activity in normal and diseased red cells

Peroxiredoxin-2 (Prx2) is the third most abundant cytoplasmic protein in red blood cells. Prx2 belongs to a well-known family of antioxidants, the peroxiredoxins (Prxs), that are widely expressed in mammalian cells. Prx2 is a typical, homodimeric, 2-Cys Prx that uses two cysteine residues to accomplish the task of detoxifying a vast range of organic peroxides, H2O2, and peroxynitrite. Although progress has been made on functional characterization of Prx2, much still remains to be investigated on Prx2 post-translational changes. Here, we first show that Prx2 is Tyrosine (Tyr) phosphorylated by Syk in red cells exposed to oxidation induced by diamide. We identified Tyr-193 in both recombinant Prx2 and native Prx2 from red cells as a specific target of Syk. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that phosphorylation of Tyr-193 allows Prx2 conformational change that is more favorable for its peroxidase activity. Indeed, Syk-induced Tyr phosphorylation of Prx2 enhances in vitro Prx2 activity, but also contributes to Prx2 translocation to the membrane of red cells exposed to diamide. The biologic importance of Tyr-193 phospho-Prx2 is further supported by data on red cells from a mouse model of humanized sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD is globally distributed, hereditary red cell disorder, characterized by severe red cell oxidation due to the pathologic sickle hemoglobin. SCD red cells show Tyr-phosphorylated Prx2 bound to the membrane and increased Prx2 activity when compared to healthy erythrocytes. Collectively, our data highlight the novel link between redox related signaling and Prx2 function in normal and diseased red cells