La sindrome del burnout negli insegnanti. Una proposta sul territorio italiano

Il lavoro di ricerca svolto ha come oggetto di studio la sindrome del burnout negli insegnanti. In particolare la ricerca ha previsto uno studio approfondito della sindrome nel territorio italiano, in quanto le ricerche internazionali hanno evidenziato come il rapporto tra scuola e politiche governative per l’educazione siano strettamente legate al sistema nazionale di riferimento. La ricerca parte dall’analisi degli obiettivi proposti per Europa 2020, in cui si propone chiaramente di migliorare la qualità e l’efficacia dell’istruzione e della formazione. Viene dichiarato: “Sussiste l'esigenza di garantire un insegnamento di qualità elevata, offrire un'istruzione iniziale adeguata ai docenti e uno sviluppo professionale continuo agli insegnanti e ai formatori e rendere l'insegnamento una scelta di carriera allettante“ (Gazzetta Ufficiale dell’Unione Europea C 119/3 IT del 28/5/2009). Ma oggi in Italia fare l’insegnante purtroppo non è una carriera allettante. Diverse ricerche (tra cui quelle dell’Istituto Iard del 1999, 2000 e 2010) dimostrano che un numero sempre maggiore di insegnanti percepisce una caduta del prestigio e che sta avvenendo una femminilizzazione della professione che porta ad un’ulteriore svalutazione della professione stessa. Il burnout è una sindrome vera e propria che coinvolge l’intera psicologia dell’individuo e causa uno sconvolgimento del contesto personale e lavorativo dove la persona scarica le proprie frustrazioni: è una rottura dell’equilibrio tra la persona e la sua professione. In particolare, nelle cosiddette helping profession, (in cui il lavoratore è a stretto contatto con la propria utenza, come ad esempio infermieri e psicologi), la sindrome porta a conseguenze negative anche per gli utenti che si affidano al servizio. Lo stress raggiunge livelli così alti che si “scoppia”. E’ un crescendo in cui ci si sente completamente esauriti, sia fisicamente che emotivamente, non si ha alcun interesse per il proprio lavoro e si tende a non organizzare quello che si deve fare. La particolarità di questa situazione è che difficilmente si riconosce di esserci caduti. E questo mette a serio rischio il proprio lavoro. In particolare il lavoro dell’insegnante fa parte della categoria delle cosiddette helping profession, ma è l’unico nel quale il lavoratore si trova a strettissimo contatto con l’utenza per almeno 4 ore al giorno, per 5 giorni a settimana, per periodi che vanno dai 3 ai 5 anni. Gli studi che dimostrano il collegamento tra il lavoro docente e burnout sono numerosi. Il costrutto scelto per la ricerca è quello presentato da Kristensen e al relativo strumento Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Presenta il burnout come composto dall’unica dimensione dell’esaurimento sia fisico che emotivo e propone un questionario che lo rileva in tre sezioni: una generale (considerata anche per i non lavoratori), una specifica legata al lavoro e una specifica legata all’utenza. In più, nel caso degli insegnanti, questo modello permetterebbe di rilevare le sfumature fra il burnout causato dal lavoro in senso stretto o legato agli studenti. Le ipotesi di ricerca mirano ad indagare in che modo il burnout sia legato alla self-efficacy degli insegnanti e al clima di scuola. Il campione di giudizio è stato selezionato con il contributo della Federazione Gilda Unams e successivamente con la redazione di OrizzonteScuola. Inizialmente la Gilda prevedeva la diffusione del questionario ai soli iscritti di Bologna e Bari, ma poi la somministrazione si è estesa al territorio nazionale con la pubblicazione sul sito di OrizzonteScuola. La compilazione del questionario è stata individuale, tramite invio di email nella casella di posta elettronica personale. E’ stata usata la piattaforma di Limesurvey, che ha permesso la costruzione del questionario online e la raccolta dati sul server del Dipartimento di Psicologia dei processi di sviluppo e di socializzazione. Il questionario che è stato costruito è formato da 5 aree: dati di sfondo (raccolta di informazioni personali e sulla scuola dei docenti); Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (questionario validato in italiano nel 2005); Self-Efficacy (Teacher Self-Efficacy scale - adattamento di Schwarzer del 2008); Clima di scuola (School-Level Environment); domande aperte: 5 item sulla percezione del disagio nella gestione della classe, dei colleghi, dei genitori, dell’amministrazione e ulteriori proposte per migliorare il proprio lavoro. I dati sono stati raccolti da giugno a novembre 2014. Sono stati inviati 1541 inviti: di questi, il 61% ha risposto all’intero questionario. Sono presenti nella piattaforma altri 400 questionari non completi (solo delle ultime domande aperte), raggiungendo pertanto un totale del 68%. Il tasso di risposta previsto per un questionario da compilare interamente online è del 50-60% e il tasso di abbandono per un tempo di risposta superiore ai 30 minuti è del 50%, il che porta ad affermare un successo della somministrazione online, probabilmente dato dalla rilevanza dell’argomento per gli insegnanti stessi. Dai dati raccolti, per quanto riguarda il burnout, è emerso che: per il genere, le donne sono più a rischio degli uomini; per l'età, c'è un picco altissimo tra i giovanissimi (ma erano presenti pochissimi casi in questa categoria) e il picco successivo è di quelli sulla soglia della pensione; per l'ordine di scuola non c'è una differenza significativa; per la tipologia di contratto quelli di ruolo sono più a rischio. Alcuni tra i dati più significativi sono il livello di burnout per chi ha avuto dei trasferimenti che risulta più alto, soprattutto nel burnout personale, dove la differenza è significativa, mentre per chi svolge funzioni attive (come funzioni strumentali, o ha un ruolo aggiuntivo a scuola) ha un livello molto più basso di chi non ha incarichi. Gli anni di ruolo sono fortemente significativi: più si lavora a scuola e più il livello di burnout sale. I dati confermano la situazione italiana, in cui è in atto una femminilizzazione del corpo docente e una crescita dell’età rappresentata. Emergono poi alcune interessanti osservazioni dalle risposte aperte. Per le situazioni di disagio risultano: nella gestione della classe, coordinare alunni difficili e la mancanza di rispetto e disciplina; nel rapporto con i colleghi, la mancanza di collaborazione; nel rapporto con i genitori, l’avere la presunzione di commentare le scelte dei figli; nel rapporto con l’amministrazione, l’eccessiva burocrazia. Tra le proposte dei docenti spiccano richieste quali la riduzione del numero degli alunni per classe, il desiderio di una migliore formazione in servizio e soprattutto ritrovare il rispetto sociale per il proprio lavoro

Contamination of a high-cell-density continuous bioreactor

Continuous fermentations were carried out with a recombinant flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain in an airlift bioreactor. Once operating under steady state at a dilution rate of 0.45 h−1, the bioreactor was contaminated with Escherichia coli cells. The faster growing E. coli strain was washed out of the bioreactor and the recombinant, slower growing flocculating S. cerevisiae strain remained as the only species detected in the bioreactor. Flocculation, besides allowing for the realization of high-cell-density systems with corresponding unusual high productivity, may be used as a selective property for controlling some contamination problems associated with prolonged continuous operation.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia -PRAXIS XXI/BD/11306/97

CHARACTERIZATION OF LIPASE ACTIVITY IN GREEN COFFEE BEANS DURING STORAGE AND GERMINATION

Lipase, green coffee, germination, storage, lipid Coffee seeds possess an intermediate storage pattern, showing a non-quiescent behaviour characterized by various metabolic reactions occurring during storage. In particular, lipase is the main enzyme involved in the mobilization of triacylglycerols, providing energy and a source of carbon skeleton during early stages of germination. During storage, the triacylglycerols might be involved in the generation of undesirable compounds (known as \u201coff-flavours\u201d), lowering both the viability of coffee seeds and the cup quality. In this work, the soluble protein fraction from coffee seeds and plantlets was extracted by acetone and then was utilised to assay lipase activity. Green coffee beans, harvested in Colombia, were stored at room temperature for 2-3 months, in order to verify the influence of prolonged storage on lipase activity. For germination experiments, the seeds were imbibed for 7 days at 30 \ub0C and transferred in perlite at 28 \ub0C and 90% R.H. for further 3 weeks. Lipase activity was detected by a colorimetric method based on specific degradation of a chromogenic substrate, at pH 8.2. Green coffee seeds exhibited an appreciable lipase activity that was slightly increased during storage. Such an activity was inhibited by tetrahydrolipstatin (THL) in a concentration-dependent manner, while it was slightly stimulated by both EGTA and EDTA. During the germination, after 10, 14, 17 and 21 days, lipase activity showed an initial increase that was followed by a gradual decrease. The effect of the presence or absence of the parchment (seed coat), during the first stages of germination, has also been investigated

Spermine Oxidase-Substrate Electrostatic Interactions: The Modulation of Enzyme Function by Neighboring Colloidal ɣ-Fe2O3

Protein-nanoparticle hybridization can ideally lead to novel biological entities characterized by emerging properties that can sensibly differ from those of the parent components. Herein, the effect of ionic strength on the biological functions of recombinant His-tagged spermine oxidase (i.e., SMOX) was studied for the first time. Moreover, SMOX was integrated into colloidal surface active maghemite nanoparticles (SAMNs) via direct self-assembly, leading to a biologically active nano-enzyme (i.e., SAMN@SMOX). The hybrid was subjected to an in-depth chemical-physical characterization, highlighting the fact that the protein structure was perfectly preserved. The catalytic activity of the nanostructured hybrid (SAMN@SMOX) was assessed by extracting the kinetics parameters using spermine as a substrate and compared to the soluble enzyme as a function of ionic strength. The results revealed that the catalytic function was dominated by electrostatic interactions and that they were drastically modified upon hybridization with colloidal Gamma-Fe2O3. The fact that the affinity of SMOX toward spermine was significantly higher for the nanohybrid at low salinity is noteworthy. The present study supports the vision of using protein-nanoparticle conjugation as a means to modulate biological functions

Progression independent of relapse activity in relapsing multiple sclerosis: impact and relationship with secondary progression

Objectives: We investigated the occurrence and relative contribution of relapse-associated worsening (RAW) and progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) to confirmed disability accrual (CDA) and transition to secondary progression (SP) in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Relapsing-onset MS patients with follow-up > / = 5 years (16,130) were extracted from the Italian MS Registry. CDA was a 6-month confirmed increase in Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. Sustained disability accumulation (SDA) was a CDA with no EDSS improvement in all subsequent visits. Predictors of PIRA and RAW and the association between final EDSS score and type of CDA were assessed using logistic multivariable regression and multivariable ordinal regression models, respectively. Results: Over 11.8 ± 5.4 years, 16,731 CDA events occurred in 8998 (55.8%) patients. PIRA (12,175) accounted for 72.3% of CDA. SDA occurred in 8912 (73.2%) PIRA and 2583 (56.7%) RAW (p < 0.001). 4453 (27.6%) patients transitioned to SPMS, 4010 (73.2%) out of 5476 patients with sustained PIRA and 443 (24.8%) out of 1790 patients with non-sustained PIRA. In the multivariable ordinal regression analysis, higher final EDSS score was associated with PIRA (estimated coefficient 0.349, 95% CI 0.120-0.577, p = 0.003). Discussion: In this real-world relapsing-onset MS cohort, PIRA was the main driver of disability accumulation and was associated with higher disability in the long term. Sustained PIRA was linked to transition to SP and could represent a more accurate PIRA definition and a criterion to mark the putative onset of the progressive phase

The IAAM LTBP4 Haplotype is Protective Against Dystrophin-Deficient Cardiomyopathy

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major complication of, and leading cause of mortality in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Its severity, age at onset, and rate of progression display wide variability, whose molecular bases have been scarcely elucidated. Potential DCM-modifying factors include glucocorticoid (GC) and cardiological treatments, DMD mutation type and location, and variants in other genes. Methods and Results: We retrospectively collected 3138 echocardiographic measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), shortening fraction (SF), and end-diastolic volume (EDV) from 819 DMD participants, 541 from an Italian multicentric cohort and 278 from the Cooperative International Neuromuscular Group Duchenne Natural History Study (CINRG-DNHS). Using generalized estimating equation (GEE) models, we estimated the yearly rate of decrease of EF (–0.80%) and SF (–0.41%), while EDV increase was not significantly associated with age. Utilizing a multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) model we observed that mutations preserving the expression of the C-terminal Dp71 isoform of dystrophin were correlated with decreased EDV (–11.01 mL/m2 , p = 0.03) while for dp116 were correlated with decreased EF (–4.14%, p = Conclusions: We quantitatively describe the progression of systolic dysfunction progression in DMD, confirm the effect of distal dystrophin isoform expression on the dystrophin-deficient heart, and identify a strong effect of LTBP4 genotype of DCM in DMD

Disease-Modifying Therapies and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods: We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. All the patients had complete follow-up to death or recovery. Severe COVID-19 was defined by a 3-level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID-19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)-weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results. Results: Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID-19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty-eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized. After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti-CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-4.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Recent use (<1 month) of methylprednisolone was also associated with a worse outcome (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.20-12.53, p = 0.001). Results were confirmed by the PS-weighted analysis and by all the sensitivity analyses. Interpretation: This study showed an acceptable level of safety of therapies with a broad array of mechanisms of action. However, some specific elements of risk emerged. These will need to be considered while the COVID-19 pandemic persists

COVID-19 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis: Putting Data Into Context

Background and objectives: It is unclear how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to compare COVID-19-related outcomes collected in an Italian cohort of patients with MS with the outcomes expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian population. Methods: Hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death after COVID-19 diagnosis of 1,362 patients with MS were compared with the age- and sex-matched Italian population in a retrospective observational case-cohort study with population-based control. The observed vs the expected events were compared in the whole MS cohort and in different subgroups (higher risk: Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score > 3 or at least 1 comorbidity, lower risk: EDSS score ≤ 3 and no comorbidities) by the χ2 test, and the risk excess was quantified by risk ratios (RRs). Results: The risk of severe events was about twice the risk in the age- and sex-matched Italian population: RR = 2.12 for hospitalization (p < 0.001), RR = 2.19 for ICU admission (p < 0.001), and RR = 2.43 for death (p < 0.001). The excess of risk was confined to the higher-risk group (n = 553). In lower-risk patients (n = 809), the rate of events was close to that of the Italian age- and sex-matched population (RR = 1.12 for hospitalization, RR = 1.52 for ICU admission, and RR = 1.19 for death). In the lower-risk group, an increased hospitalization risk was detected in patients on anti-CD20 (RR = 3.03, p = 0.005), whereas a decrease was detected in patients on interferon (0 observed vs 4 expected events, p = 0.04). Discussion: Overall, the MS cohort had a risk of severe events that is twice the risk than the age- and sex-matched Italian population. This excess of risk is mainly explained by the EDSS score and comorbidities, whereas a residual increase of hospitalization risk was observed in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and a decrease in people on interferon

DMTs and Covid-19 severity in MS: a pooled analysis from Italy and France

We evaluated the effect of DMTs on Covid-19 severity in patients with MS, with a pooled-analysis of two large cohorts from Italy and France. The association of baseline characteristics and DMTs with Covid-19 severity was assessed by multivariate ordinal-logistic models and pooled by a fixed-effect meta-analysis. 1066 patients with MS from Italy and 721 from France were included. In the multivariate model, anti-CD20 therapies were significantly associated (OR = 2.05, 95%CI = 1.39–3.02, p < 0.001) with Covid-19 severity, whereas interferon indicated a decreased risk (OR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.18–0.99, p = 0.047). This pooled-analysis confirms an increased risk of severe Covid-19 in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and supports the protective role of interferon