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Brain correlates of adaptation to multifocal contact lenses
Get PDFOne common option to correct presbyopia is providing simultaneous images with multifocal contact lenses (MCLs). However, patient satisfaction with MCLs is not uniform and fully predictable and it might be modulated by neuroadap- tation mechanisms. Using another technique to correct presbyopia with CLs called monovision, the visual evoked potential (VEP) evidenced, after a short period of adaptation to monovision, a compensatory activity in anterior cortical areas used to counteract the degraded V1 signal induced by this kind of correction. This com- pensatory activity was considered cognitive rather than sensorial. The purpose of the present study was to explore, with the use of VEP with a high-density electrode array, whether this kind of compensation in anterior cortical areas of the brain is present in presbyopes corrected with MCLs too. Multifocal presbyopia corrections produced a loss of feedforward activity in the primary visual cortex but no mod- ulation over anterior cortical areas as the one recorded in monovision. This result suggests that the possible nature of neural compensation for MCLs is not cognitive as in monovision
Galileo's legacy: Astronomy paths to teach Physics
Get PDFSince the latest reform of instruction, the teaching of Astronomy is no longer inside Italian upper secondary education. However, the students’ profile at the end of this cycle requires them to possess the knowledge of the fundamental concepts of Astronomy. The context for teaching these contents could be Physics, whose topics are intertwined with Astronomy. In order to investigate the possibility of introducing concepts of Physics through Astronomy, we have structured ATENA (Asiago TEachers Network on Astrophysics), a training course for in-service high- school Physics teachers. The project has started in the current scholastic year by the means of a learning community, on the model of the previous experience with the COLLABORA project. To introduce ATENA, we organised two laboratory and museum workshops, built according to the Object-Based Learning paradigm, which involved the construction of two astronomical instruments and visits to two muse- ums. In this contribution, we will describe these activities and their results. The goal is to explore how this approach can foster the integrated learning of Astronomy and Physics
First education in the fundamentals of figurative thinking in physics
Get PDFThis paper presents the theoretical and practical developments of research in physics education carried out at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, which focuses mainly on primary physical science education. Our research is characterized by a move toward integrating the discipline and its didactics with the humanities to properly consider the human component of education. Both qualitative and quantitative outcomes, especially relating to prospective teachers’ education, will be presented. Moreover, the main national and international projects that have been completed or are still active at Free University of Bozen-Bolzano will be briefly outlined
Bringing the Physics Laboratory at home: Tools and methodologies for distance learning at the University of Trento
Get PDFExperiments play an essential role in the scientific training of stu- dents. Therefore, a crucial challenge in distance learning is to offer students an authentic and meaningful, possibly collective, laboratory experience that requires rigorous data analysis and ensures an active learning environment. This challenge has become urgent in recent years, as the global education system has led to a rapid shift to distance learning and training and social distancing measures have required universities and schools to readily adapt to remote education methods, an adjustment that is particularly difficult for scientific laboratory courses. As part of a project called COSID-20 (COllaborazioni per le Scienze In laboratorio Didattico - 2020), we followed different approaches and methods to design a remote physics laboratory: experiments using tools and materials from a specially designed home kit, created and sent to the participants, “kitchen experiments”, simulations, exper- iments pre-recorded by the teacher, remote access laboratories and virtual laborato- ries. With the aim of answering the crucial question of whether a physics laboratory course can be effectively delivered remotely, we will examine how students carried out the different activities and which of them are considered by students to be most effective and engaging. This will be done by discussing, for each methodology, whether the learning objectives for the physics laboratory indicated by the most recent research in Physics Education have been achieved
History of physics research and physics education: The case of the first electron charge measurement
Get PDFThe historical case-study of Thomson’s discovery of electron (1897), of the first Thomson’s ion charge measurements (1897–1899) and of Millikan ex- periments of the elementary charge (1907–1911) is here discussed with the goal of stressing its possible physics education significance
Progetto CELAVIE: il sistema energetico
Get PDFScopo del presente report tecnico è la presentazione del sistema di produzione di energia elettrica da fonte rinnovabile impiegato per soddisfare il fabbisogno energetico della “cellula per la vita”.
Un impianto fotovoltaico stand-alone è l’unica fonte di energia a cui fanno riferimento per funzionare tutti gli utilizzatori elettrici che compongono la cellula per la vita, allestita presso il centro di sperimentazione del progetto CELAVIE.
Oltre alcune informazioni tecniche sulla strumentazione di monitoraggio è descritta la configurazione scelta, le caratteristiche dei componenti usati e la produzione ottenuta nel corso della sperimentazion
Metodologie integrate per lo studio e la ricostruzione della quadriga bronzea di Ercolano nel Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli
Get PDFThe bronze quadriga of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, recovered in fragments at different times in the history of the Herculaneum excavations, represent a case study of interdisciplinary importance. Its reconstruction has never been attempted so far, due to the many factors of uncertainty that weigh on its knowledge. A new study, reconstruction and enhancement project was launched in 2020-2021 by the CNR-ISMed in cooperation with the National Archaeological Museum of Naples with the aim of producing new scientific knowledge and restoring the beauty and uniqueness of the recomposed original monument to public use. The interpretative problems related to the quadriga are numerous, complex and, concerning archaeology and its methods, they span from the study of sources and excavations records to in-depth knowledge of Roman statuary, casting techniques and the iconographic and stylistic characteristics of Roman bronzes. In this scenario, the application of methodologies and technologies combined with traditional investigations represents an innovative integrated method. Thanks to the digital verification of hypotheses, it can produce, on solid scientific bases, a virtual reconstruction of the investigated monument. This not only makes the costs for scientific research more sustainable, but enables restoration work to be directed by optimising time and resources
Soundscape and catchment analysis for a spatial geography of Medieval monastic estates in southeastern Tuscany (11th-12th centuries)
Get PDFThis contribution is the result of experimenting with methodologies linked to the understanding of soundscapes in the context of medieval monasteries. In our specific area, the approach was not focused on the cognitive concept itself so much as the perception of the spirituality of the ringing of bells. The premise was to understand whether, and how, the bells functioned as a soundmark for controlling the territory. The case studies examined are the Abbey of Farneta, the Monastery of Camaldoli and the Abbey of San Fedele, today located in the Province of Arezzo: the three religious structures differ in their historical development, geographical position, and economy. However, what links them (and what links the great majority of medieval monastic complexes) is a tight control of their territory for production purposes, in order to guarantee the profitability of their material heritage. Analyses of the diffusion of the sound of the bells was compared (and integrated) with visibility and catchment analyses. The aim was to understand whether this type of analytical approach could contribute to the definition of a monastery’s ‘catchment area’. The data that emerged describe a complex economic landscape in which identified anomalies at settlement level can be worth analyzing and trying to understand
Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia (AIHA) Secondary to Yersinia enterocolitica Septicemia: The Second Case Reported in the Literature
Get PDFYersinia enterocolitica infection is an uncommon but potentially fatal zoonosis, especially when it culminates with septicaemia. Post-infectious complications like reactive arthritis and erythema nodosum are well described in the literature. On the other hand, the association between yersinosis and autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA) has only been established in one clinical case. We present a case of an 87-year-old man admitted for AIHA, whose was successfully treated only after the identification and treatment of yersinosis
Primary Adrenal Lymphoma: When B Symptoms Appear Hand in Hand with Adrenal Masses
Get PDFPrimary adrenal lymphoma (PAL) is a very rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Herein, we report a case of NHL of both adrenal glands in a 69-year-old man. The patient was admitted because of a 1-month history of B symptoms and symptomatic hypotension. Biochemical analysis showed normocytic normochromic anaemia, hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein and D-dimers. A computed tomography scan revealed bilateral enlargement of the adrenal glands. There was no evidence of endocrine adrenal dysfunction. The mass in the right adrenal gland was biopsied and histopathology identified a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the activated B-cell subtype. A positron emission tomography 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose scan showed intensive hypermetabolic lesions involving both adrenal glands, as well as other locations, with higher uptake in the adrenal glands. Taken together, these findings suggested the diagnosis of PAL. The patient responded favourably to debulking therapy and is currently undergoing chemotherapy