The Role of Unplugged Coding Activity in Developing Computational Thinking in Ages 6-11

Coding is a spreading teaching methodology that is involving more students and teachers all over the world. But how can the practice of coding affect the development of computational thinking strategies in early years? The author, a primary school teacher, will investigate the Italian experience, believing that it may constitute an excellent field of study on the matter thanks to the enormous enthusiasm with which coding was received by the teachers, capable of renewing their teaching practices, particularly in primary school. This is a movement born from below, from the spontaneous participation of teachers, and which, in many cases, has been substantiated in what can be defined as unplugged activities, without the use of electronic technological tools.

Sedentary lifestyle and precocious puberty in girls during COVID-19 pandemic: an Italian experience

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate children observed for suspected precocious puberty in 5 Italian centers of Pediatric Endocrinology during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic (March- September 2020), compared to subjects observed in the same period of the previous year. Design: The study population (490 children) was divided according to year of observation and final diagnosis: transient thelarche (TT), non-progressive precocious puberty (NPP), central precocious puberty (CPP), or early puberty (EP). Results: Between March and September 2020, 338 subjects were referred for suspected precocious puberty, compared to 152 subjects in the same period of 2019 (+222%). The increase was observed in girls (328 subjects in 2020 versus 140 in 2019, p<0.05), especially during the second half of the period considered (92 girls from March to May versus 236 girls from June to September); while no difference was observed in boys (10 subjects in 2020 versus 12 in 2019). The percentage of girls with confirmed CPP was higher in 2020, compared to 2019 (135/328 girls [41%] versus 37/140 [26%], p<0.01). Anthropometric and hormonal parameters in 2019 and 2020 CPP girls were not different; 2020 CPP girls showed a more prolonged use of electronic devices and a more sedentary lifestyle both before and during the pandemic, compared to the rest of the 2020 population. Conclusions: The present findings corroborate the recently reported association between the complex lifestyle changes related to the lockdown and a higher incidence of central precocious puberty in Italian girls.

Decades of Solar-driven geomagnetic disturbances impact homicide rates in Europe and the USA

Background: Homicides are the leading cause of death among young males. Conventional approaches to interpreting variations in criminality over time and across countries have failed to explain it.Methods: We applied ordinary least squared regressions on yearly homicide rates to identify the planetary drivers for homicides in Germany, the UK, and the USA over the past three solar cycles (22 to 24) between 1987 and 2018. We used the number of sunspots (solar activity), Kp and Ap indices (geomagnetic activity) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the German Research Centre for Geosciences DFZ-Potsdam, and weather variables from the countries’ meteorological organizations. Results: Our study revealed that lagged Kp NOAA index as a parameter of solar-driven geomagnetic disturbances (GMD) was the most important predictor to explain homicide rates in all three countries. Our results showed that over half the variance in homicide rates of all three countries could be attributed to GMD, not so by weather variables. We also predicted homicide rates peaking for 2025 and 2026 during the current 25th solar cycle, suggesting the current solar cycle could prove to be one of the most intense in a century, which would signal a concomitant increase in homicide rates. Based on the Italian experience in curbing homicides, we also suggest that collective agency may break what appears to be a deadly association between GMD and homicides.Conclusions: Our study suggests GMD may be involved in shaping human behavior and may help public and medical authorities prepare for eventual surges in homicides as the 25th solar cycle may induce stronger GMD.

The Ladins and their history of legal resilience

The Ladins of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol are an ethnic minority with an ancient history, located in the Dolomites Mountains, a place associated with extreme beauty and rugged land. Under the Italian Constitution, Ladins have acquired several legal rights connected with their language and history.Ladins have a history dating to the Roman Empire. Located in a strategic place, with Alpine valleys and mountain paths that connect the Italian Peninsula with Central Europe, several Germanic tribes after the end of the Roman Empire invaded and established themselves in the zone, enforcing their customs and laws. Those so-called “barbaric laws” together with Carolingian and Ecclesiastical law gave birth to a particular system of law during the Middle Ages.Afterward, Ladins became part of the Holy Roman Empire, and later, part of the House of Habsburg. During the aftermath of World War I, Italy obtained the region from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in the peace treaty of Saint Germain-en-Laye of 1919.The Italian experience with the Ladins started soon after World War I with several publications taking the task of understanding the origins of their language and its people. Ever since, Italian interest in the Ladins has not ceased. In 1998 the Italian Constitutional Court recognized the Ladin people their right to be represented in regional institutions, answering to the historical and social reality of Alto Adige/Südtirol.Consequently, the legal resilience of the Ladins gives testimony of a long history of peaceful victories for their rights, associated with the Ladin language, in the context of judicial procedures, political participation, and legislation.In comparison, Ladins living in other regions of Italy like Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia have not reached the same level of autonomy and privileges as those in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.

Immunological and Clinical Impact of DAA-Mediated HCV Eradication in a Cohort of HIV/HCV Coinfected Patients: Monocentric Italian Experience

HCV treatment became available for all infected patients regardless of their comorbidities, especially for HIV coinfected subjects, leading to an improvement in both clinical and immunological conditions. We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of HIV/HCV coinfected patients treated with DAA therapies; data regarding epidemiological, viral-immunological, and hepatic parameters before and after DAA administration have been collected. Drug-drug interactions between DAA and both antiretroviral therapy and non-ART-drugs were also evaluated; the study showed the efficacy of DAA schedules in HCV eradication also for HIV/HCV patients with multiple comorbidities and assuming many different drugs. Principal issues are still represented by drug interactions, pill burden, and patients’ compliance. These concerns have to be taken into account, especially in HIV patients for whom the immunological state and ART interactions should always be considered.