Recensione di Daria Biagi, Prosaici e moderni. Teoria, traduzione e pratica del romanzo nell’Italia del primo Novecento (Quodlibet, 2022)

Recensione di Daria Biagi, Prosaici e moderni. Teoria, traduzione e pratica del romanzo nell’Italia del primo Novecento. Quodlibet, 2022

In Algeria. Immagini dello sradicamento.

Pensate per essere un supporto di ricerca senza alcuna velleit\ue0 estetica, le immagini fotografiche presentate per la prima volta in Italia da questo libro sono scattate in Algeria durante la guerra di indipendenza (1954-1962). L\u2019autore \u2013 il giovane Pierre Bourdieu \u2013 viene catapultato nel paese maghrebino per svolgere il servizio militare e qui decide di trattenersi sotto l\u2019impulso di un faustiano desiderio di conoscenza. Sperimenta cos\uec un caleidoscopio di strumenti di inchiesta e realizza centinaia di foto che nel libro sono accompagnate da lunghi estratti degli scritti di argomento algerino di Bourdieu, alcuni mai tradotti prima. Se il cuore di queste fotografie \ue8 certamente lo sradicamento inferto dalla politica coloniale, attorno, tuttavia, emerge il tema dello spazio di possibilit\ue0 aperto dalla rivoluzione, che sembra incrinare alcuni rapporti di dominio tanto tra algerini e francesi, quanto all\u2019interno della stessa societ\ue0 tradizionale araba: uomini e donne, padri e figli, giovani e vecchi. L\u2019Algeria di Bourdieu, per\uf2, parla anche di noi e suggerisce un gioco di specchi con ci\uf2 che l\u2019intero Occidente \ue8 oggi, con la sua identit\ue0, costruita storicamente in opposizione all\u2019Altro orientale, all\u2019\u201cindigeno\u201d, al \u201cselvaggio\u201d africano, al \u201cmusulmano\u201d. Forse \ue8 proprio questa identit\ue0, oggi, a dover essere riconsiderata. Le periferie stanno diventando centro e il centro \ue8 incapace di governare la transizione

Prevalence of diabetic striatopathy and predictive role of glycated hemoglobin level

Background Diabetic striatopathy is defined as a state of hyperglycemia associated with chorea/ballism, striatal hyperdensity at CT, or hyperintensity at T1-weighted MRI. It is considered a rare complication of uncontrolled diabetes but prevalence data are scarce. Objectives Characterize diabetic striatopathy prevalence in the population afferent to the largest teaching hospital in Genova (Liguria, Italy) and investigate the role of glycated hemoglobin level in predicting the risk. Methods Data were retrospectively obtained from general population undergoing blood sampling for glycated hemoglobin and resulting with HbA1c values ≥ 8%, from January 2014 to June 2017. Brain neuroimaging of those who underwent at least a brain CT or MRI was examined in search of findings compatible with diabetic striatopathy and clinical information was collected. Logistic regression was used to predict the risk of diabetic striatopathy based on age and HbA1c values. Results Subjects with uncontrolled diabetes were 4603. Brain neuroimaging was available in 1806 subjects and three patients with diabetic striatopathy were identified, all of them reporting choreic movements. The prevalence of hemichorea due to diabetic striatopathy was therefore 3 cases out of 1806 (0.16%) in our population. Hepatic and hypoxic encephalopathies were the conditions most frequently mimicking diabetic striatopathy. Odds ratio of diabetic striatopathy and HbA1c level was significantly correlated (p = 0.0009). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the prevalence of diabetic striatopathy in Italy. High HbA1c values may have a role in predicting diabetic striatopathy

Anti-erythroblast autoimmunity in early myelodysplastic syndromes.

Background and Objectives Autoimmune phenomena, mainly directed against red blood cells are described in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), particularly early MDS, i.e. refractory anemia (RA) and RA with ringed sideroblasts (RARS). Dysregulation of apoptosis and immunoregulatory cytokines are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of MDS.Design and Methods This work was aimed to investigate anti-erythroid autoimmunity in unstimulated and mitogen-stimulated peripheral blood and bone marrow cultures of 26 patients with early MDS (RA and RARS), and to relate its presence with apoptotic markers and cytokine production. Bone marrow cytokine production in culture supernatants, and caspase-3 and nuclear factor-κB activity in cell extracts were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Results Fourteen of the 26 (53.8%) patients showed the presence of autoantibodies in bone marrow cultures, whereas none displayed a positive direct antiglobulin test in peripheral blood cultures. Incubation of culture supernatants from positive patients with autologous CD45– enriched-cell suspensions showed that the autoimmune reaction was directed against autologous erythroblasts. These patients had mild signs of hemolysis and increased numbers of erythroblasts, compared with negative patients. Patients with anti-erythroblast autoimmunity displayed higher caspase-3 activity and lower tumor necrosis factor-αand interleukin-4 production than did negative patients.Interpretation and Conclusions Half of the patients with early MDS showed autoimmunity against erythroblasts. This evidence might support a more rationale use of steroid therapy in these patients. The lower levels of cytokines in patients with anti-erythroblast autoimmunity are consistent with the suggested hypothesis that the autoimmune phenomena observed in MDS are probably initiated and perpetuated through alterations of pro-inflammatory and/or immunoregulatory cytokine production

Cognitive Functions and Cognitive Reserve in Relation to Blood Pressure Components in a Population-Based Cohort Aged 53 to 94 Years

In 288 men and women from general population in a cross-sectional survey, all neuropsychological tests were negatively associated with age; memory and executive function were also positively related with education. The hypertensives (HT) were less efficient than the normotensives (NT) in the test of memory with interference at 10 sec (MI-10) (−33%, P = 0.03), clock drawing test (CLOX) (−28%, P < 0.01), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) (−6%, P = 0.02). Lower MMSE, MI-10, and CLOX were predicted by higher systolic (odds ratio, OR, 0.97, P = 0.02; OR 0.98, P < 0.005; OR 0.95, P < 0.001) and higher pulse blood pressure (BP) (OR 0.97, P = 0.02; OR 0.97, P < 0.01; and 0.95, P < 0.0001). The cognitive reserve index (CRI) was 6% lower in the HT (P = 0.03) and was predicted by higher pulse BP (OR 0.82, P < 0.001). The BP vectors of lower MMSE, MI-10, and CLOX were directed towards higher values of systolic and diastolic BP, that of low CRI towards higher systolic and lower diastolic. The label of hypertension and higher values of systolic or pulse BP are associated to worse memory and executive functions. Higher diastolic BP, although insufficient to impair cognition, strengthens this association. CRI is predicted by higher systolic BP associated to lower diastolic BP

Broadband enhancement of light-matter interaction in photonic crystal cavities integrating site-controlled quantum dots

The fabrication of integrated quantum dot (QD)-optical microcavity systems is a requisite step for the realization of a wide range of nanophotonic experiments (and applications) that exploit the ability of QDs to emit nonclassical light, e.g., single photons. Thanks to their similar to 20-nm positioning accuracy and to their proven potential for single-photon operation, the QDs obtained by spatially selective hydrogen irradiation of dilute-nitride semiconductors-such as Ga(AsN) and Ga(PN)-are uniquely suited for integration with photonic nanodevices. In the present work, we demonstrate the ability to deterministically integrate single, site-controlled Ga(AsN)/Ga(AsN):H QDs within a photonic crystal (PhC) cavity. The properties of the fabricated QD-PhC cavity systems are then probed by photon correlation-providing clear evidence of single-photon emission-and time-resolved microphotoluminescence spectroscopy. Detailed information on the dynamics of our integrated nanodevices can be inferred by comparing these experiments to the solutions of a rate-equations system, developed by taking into account all the main processes leading to the capture, relaxation, and recombination of carriers in and out of the QD. This allows us to follow the evolution of the relevant recombination rates in our system for varying energy detuning, Delta E, between the QD and the PhC cavity. When the QD exciton transition is nearly resonant with the cavity mode, a large (&gt;tenfold) enhancement of the spontaneous emission rate is observed, in substantial agreement with Jaynes-Cummings (JC) theory. For intermediate detunings (Delta E similar to 1.5-3.5 meV), on the other hand, the observed enhancement is significantly larger than that predicted by JC theory, due to the important role played by acoustic phonons in mediating the QD-PhC cavity coupling in a solid-state environment. Apart from its fundamental interest, the observation of such phonon-mediated, broadband enhancement of light-matter interaction significantly relaxes the requirements for the realization of a large variety of cavity QED-based experiments and applications. These include many photonic devices for which the use of site-controlled Ga(AsN)/Ga(AsN):H QDs would be inherently advantageous, such as those based on the coupling between more than one QD and a single cavity mode (e.g., few-QD nanolasers and QD solids)

Final results of the second prospective AIEOP protocol for pediatric intracranial ependymoma

BACKGROUND: This prospective study stratified patients by surgical resection (complete = NED vs incomplete = ED) and centrally reviewed histology (World Health Organization [WHO] grade II vs III). METHODS: WHO grade II/NED patients received focal radiotherapy (RT) up to 59.4 Gy with 1.8 Gy/day. Grade III/NED received 4 courses of VEC (vincristine, etoposide, cyclophosphamide) after RT. ED patients received 1-4 VEC courses, second-look surgery, and 59.4 Gy followed by an 8-Gy boost in 2 fractions on still measurable residue. NED children aged 1-3 years with grade II tumors could receive 6 VEC courses alone. RESULTS: From January 2002 to December 2014, one hundred sixty consecutive children entered the protocol (median age, 4.9 y; males, 100). Follow-up was a median of 67 months. An infratentorial origin was identified in 110 cases. After surgery, 110 patients were NED, and 84 had grade III disease. Multiple resections were performed in 46/160 children (28.8%). A boost was given to 24/40 ED patients achieving progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of 58.1% and 68.7%, respectively, in this poor prognosis subgroup. For the whole series, 5-year PFS and OS rates were 65.4% and 81.1%, with no toxic deaths. On multivariable analysis, NED status and grade II were favorable for OS, and for PFS grade II remained favorable. CONCLUSIONS: In a multicenter collaboration, this trial accrued the highest number of patients published so far, and results are comparable to the best single-institution series. The RT boost, when feasible, seemed effective in improving prognosis. Even after multiple procedures, complete resection confirmed its prognostic strength, along with tumor grade. Biological parameters emerging in this series will be the object of future correlatives and reports

New pathogen-specific immunoPET/MR tracer for molecular imaging of a systemic bacterial infection

PublishedArticleThe specific and rapid detection of Enterobacteriaceae, the most frequent cause of gram-negative bacterial infections in humans, remains a major challenge. We developed a non-invasive method to rapidly detect systemic Yersinia enterocolitica infections using immunoPET (antibody-targeted positron emission tomography) with [64Cu]NODAGA-labeled Yersinia-specific polyclonal antibodies targeting the outer membrane protein YadA. In contrast to the tracer [18F]FDG, [64Cu]NODAGA-YadA uptake co-localized in a dose dependent manner with bacterial lesions of Yersinia-infected mice, as detected by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. This was accompanied by elevated uptake of [64Cu]NODAGA-YadA in infected tissues, in ex vivo biodistribution studies, whereas reduced uptake was observed following blocking with unlabeled anti-YadA antibody. We show, for the first time, a bacteria-specific, antibody-based, in vivo imaging method for the diagnosis of a Gram-negative enterobacterial infection as a proof of concept, which may provide new insights into pathogen-host interactions.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n°602820, from the European Social Fund Baden-Württemberg (to SEA), and from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant WI 3777/1-2; to SW)