L’allegoria del potere in alcune opere di Antonio Tabucchi

The chronological approach adopted in this article emphasises the recurrence and the interpretation of the theme of power in the work of this Tuscan author over a twenty year period. In the first two novels of the Seventies, power appears as the malevolent disfunction of a society in transformation from the Garibaldi epoch to the First Republic. Thereafter, a more contemplative and more metaphysical phase is revealed in the short story collections of the Eighties, in particular Piccoli equivoci senza importanza. By way of L’angelo nero (1991) we come to the present and to Sostiene Pereira, in which Tabucchi examines the relationship between writing and history, between civil commitment and politics, between literature and the demistification of power

COINTEGRATION AND PRICE LINKAGES IN THE MERCOSUR BEEF CATTLE MARKETS

This research provides empirical evidence of the degree of integration of Mercosur region beef cattle markets with the international market. Prices for six spatially distinct cattle markets located in the four countries were analyzed using a fractional cointegration approach. The analysis included the computation of fractional integration parameters and the error term of the cointegration equations. The null hypothesis of ‘separate markets’ could not be rejected in any of the cases. This conclusion is absolute for Argentina; there is strong evidence of separate markets with Uruguay, which was chosen as a proxy of the international market. For Brazil and Paraguay, empirical results may suggest a weak degree of market integration but not enough to reject the null hypothesis. Despite the common price and industry trends in the different markets, their responses to specific price shocks were dissimilar and, most importantly, the reversion of the prices to equilibrium was always slow

Budesonide increases TLR4 and TLR2 expression in Treg lymphocytes of allergic asthmatics

Background: Reduced innate immunity responses as well as reduced T regulatory activities characterise bronchial asthma. Objectives: In this study the effect of budesonide on the expression of TLR4 and TLR2 in T regulatory lymphocyte sub-population was assessed. Methods: TLR4 and TLR2 expression in total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), in CD4+/CD25+ and in CD4+/CD25- was evaluated, by flow cytometric analysis, in mild intermittent asthmatics (n = 14) and in controls (n = 11). The in vitro effects of budesonide in modulating: TLR4 and TLR2 expression in controls and in asthmatics; IL-10 expression and cytokine release (IL-6 and TNF-\u3b1 selected by a multiplex assay) in asthmatics were also explored. Results: TLR4 and TLR2 were reduced in total PBMC from asthmatics in comparison to PBMC from controls. CD4+CD25+ cells expressed at higher extent TLR2 and TLR4 in comparison to CD4+CD25- cells. Budesonide was able to increase the expression of TLR4, TLR2 and IL-10 in CD4+/CD25highly+ cells from asthmatics. TLR4 ligand, LPS induced Foxp3 expression. Budesonide was also able to reduce the release of IL-6 and TNF-\u3b1 by PBMC of asthmatics. Conclusions: Budesonide potentiates the activity of Treg by increasing TLR4, TLR2 and IL-10 expression. This event is associated to the decreased release of IL-6 and TNF-\u3b1 in PBMC treated with budesonide. These findings shed light on new mechanisms by which corticosteroids, drugs widely used for the clinical management of bronchial asthma, control T lymphocyte activation

Hypoallergenic fragment of Par j 2 increases functional expression of Toll-like receptors in atopic children

Parietaria judaica (Par j) is one of the main causes of allergy in the Mediterranean countries. The activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inhibits nasal inflammation of atopic children

Formoterol Exerts Anti-Cancer Effects Modulating Oxidative Stress and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Processes in Cigarette Smoke Extract Exposed Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells

Lung cancer frequently affects patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Cigarette smoke (CS) fosters cancer progression by increasing oxidative stress and by modulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes in cancer cells. Formoterol (FO), a long-acting β2-agonist widely used for the treatment of COPD, exerts antioxidant activities. This study explored in a lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549) whether FO counteracted the effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) relative to oxidative stress, inflammation, EMT processes, and cell migration and proliferation. A549 was stimulated with CSE and FO, ROS were evaluated by flow-cytometry and by nanostructured electrochemical sensor, EMT markers were evaluated by flow-cytometry and Real-Time PCR, IL-8 was evaluated by ELISA, cell migration was assessed by scratch and phalloidin test, and cell proliferation was assessed by clonogenic assay. CSE significantly increased the production of ROS, IL-8 release, cell migration and proliferation, and SNAIL1 expression but significantly decreased E-cadherin expression. FO reverted all these phenomena in CSE-stimulated A549 cells. The present study provides intriguing evidence that FO may exert anti-cancer effects by reverting oxidative stress, inflammation, and EMT markers induced by CS. These findings must be validated in future clinical studies to support FO as a valuable add-on treatment for lung cancer management

Cigarette smoke increases BLT2 receptor functions in bronchial epithelial cells: in vitro and ex vivo evidence

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a neutrophil chemotactic molecule with important involvement in the inflammatory responses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Airway epithelium is emerging as a regulator of innate immune responses to a variety of insults including cigarette smoke, the major risk factor for COPD. In this study we have explored whether cigarette smoke extracts (CSE) or soluble mediators present in distal lung fluid samples (mini-bronchoalveolar lavages) from smokers alter the expression of the LTB4 receptor 2 (BLT2) and peroxisome proliferator- activated receptor-a (PPAR-a) in bronchial epithelial cells. We also evaluated the effects of CSE on the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and on the binding of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT-1) to ICAM-1 promoter as well as the adhesiveness of neutrophils to bronchial epithelial cells. CSE and minibronchoalveolar lavages from smokers increased BLT2 and ICAM-1 expression as well as the adhesiveness of neutrophils to bronchial epithelial cells and decreased PPAR-a expression. CSE induced the activation of STAT-1 and its binding to ICAM-1 promoter. These findings suggest that, in bronchial epithelial cells, CSE promote a prevalent induction of pro-inflammatory BLT2 receptors and activate mechanisms leading to increased neutrophil adhesion, a mechanism that contributes to airway neutrophilia and to tissue damage