Tools and models for distance teaching in an English Language and Culture university course: the flipped classroom and cooperative learning in a digital environment

The Covid-19 pandemic emergency has contributed to shift towards a more learner-centred teaching approach accelerating an ongoing trend in the university system. Re-arranging teaching materials and devices in different forms using digital tools and delivering online lessons, has been a complex challenge for academics. This necessity to re-adapt and possibly implement and re-shape traditional contents has contributed to consolidate teaching strategies as the flipped classroom (integration of pre-recorded lectures with online synchronous lessons) cooperative learning among peers (both in class and on online platforms with discussion groups), and small group teaching. These teaching strategies have also brought about a general re-thinking of learning strategies on the students' part. To meet students' needs in this emergency situation, materials have also been frequently developed by teachers themselves. Given such premises, this paper reports on the challenging attempt to adopt the aforementioned teaching strategies in an online course (English Language and Culture) held in 2020/21 at the Department of Education Science (Roma Tre University), also providing the students' response to a questionnaire submitted after the completion of the course.

The role of chest ct in understanding interstitial lung disease (ILD): Systemic sclerosis (SSC). versus COVID-19

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is a global emergency which may overlap on the clinical and radiological scenario of ILD in SSc. In clinical practice, the striking similarities observed at computed tomography (CT) between the diseases make it difficult to distinguish a COVID-19 superinfection from a progression of SSc-ILD. Objectives: The aim of our study was to identify the main CT features that may help distinguishing SSc-ILD from COVID-19 pneumonia. Methods: 22 international readers were included and divided in the radiologist group (RAD) and non-radiologist group (nRAD). The RAD group included nonchest RAD and chest-RAD. A total of 99 patients, 52 with COVID-19 and 47 with SSc-ILD, were included in the study. Results: Fibrosis inside focal ground glass opacities (GGO) in the upper lobes;fibrosis in the lower lobe GGO;reticulations in lower lobes (especially if bilateral and symmetrical or associated with signs of fibrosis) were the CT parameters most frequently associated with SSc-ILD. The CT parameters most frequently associated with COVID-19 pneumonia were: consolidation (CONS) in the lower lobes, CONS with peripheral (both central/peripheral or patchy distributions), anterior and posterior CONS and rounded-shaped GGOs in the lower lobes. After multivariate analysis, the presence of CONS in the lower lobes (p <0.0001) and signs of fibrosis in GGO in the lower lobes (p <0.0001) remained independently associated with COVID-19 pneumonia or SSc-ILD, respectively. These two variables were combined in a predictive score which resulted positively associated with the COVID-19 diagnosis, with 96.1% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity: 3 different risk class for COVID-19 pneumonia may be identified: high risk for COVID-19 pneumonia (5-9 points);probable overlap COVID-19 pneumonia in SSc-ILD (4 points);low risk for COVID-19 pneumonia (0-3 points). Conclusion: The CT differential diagnosis between COVID-19 Pneumonia and SSc-ILD is possible and may be fostered in practice by the use of a radiological score. In the case where an overlap of both diseases is suspected, the presence of consolidation in the lower lobes may suggest a COVID-19 pneumonia while the presence of fibrosis inside GGO may indicate a SSc-ILD.

The impact of COVID-19 on fertility plans in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom

OBJECTIVE This study offers a descriptive overview of changes in fertility plans during the COVID-19 crisis in a sample of the young population (18-34) in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The data were collected between 27 March and 7 April 2020. RESULTS Our results show that fertility plans have been negatively revised in all countries, but not in the same way. In Germany and France fertility plans changed moderately, with many people still planning or postponing their decision to have a child. In Italy, however, the proportion of abandoners is much higher than in the other countries, and the proportion of those deciding to postpone their plans is lower. Moreover, across countries the demographic characteristics of individuals appear to be associated with fertility plans in different ways. In Italy, abandoners are common among individuals younger than 30 and those without a tertiary education. In Germany, abandoners are slightly more prevalent in the regions most affected by COVID-19. In the United Kingdom, the individuals that most frequently abandoned their fertility plans are those who expect the crisis to have a dramatic negative effect on their future income. Finally, in France and Spain we do not observe a clear pattern of revision of fertility plans. CONTRIBUTION These results suggest that different mechanisms are at work, possibly due to the different economic, demographic, and policy pre-crisis background and post-crisis prospects. Low-fertility contexts in particular appear to be more at risk of a fertility loss due to the crisis.

Pathogenesis and treatment of idiopathic and rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial pneumonia. The possible lesson from COVID-19 pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: Main clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection are characterized by fever, dyspnea, and interstitial pneumonia, frequently evolving in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). AREAS COVERED: Features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents some common points with interstitial lung disease (ILD) both idiopathic and related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), typically characterized by a chronic progression over time and possibly complicated by acute exacerbation (AE). The study of common pathogenetic mechanisms, such as the involvement of toll-like receptor 4, could contribute to the knowledge and treatment of idiopathic and RA-ILD. Moreover, hyperinflammation, mainly characterized by increase of effector T-cells and inflammatory cytokines, and activation of coagulation cascade, observed in COVID-19 related ARDS have been already shown in patients with AE of idiopathic and RA-ILD. A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science, together with a manual search in COVID-resource centers of the main journals. EXPERT OPINION: Despite the uncertainty about pathogenetic aspects about COVID-19- pneumonia, it could be a possible model for other forms of ILD and AE. The great amount of data from studies on COVID-19 could be helpful in proposing safe therapeutic approaches for RA-ILD, in understanding pathogenesis of usual interstitial pneumonia and to develop new therapeutic strategies for AE.