Ca2+-activated K+channels modulate microglia affecting motor neuron survival in hSOD1G93A mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multifactorial disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons (MN) and muscle paralysis. Despite current treatments, patients survive less than 3–5 years after the initial diagnosis. Most ALS cases are sporadic (sALS), and only 5-10% have a familial origin (fALS). Among the latter, about 20% express a dominant mutant form of the Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) (Rothstein, 2009). Transgenic mice expressing a mutant SOD1 develop MN pathology, with muscle denervation and weakness similar to ALS patients (Fischer et al., 2004). Many evidence demonstrate that ALS is non-cell autonomous, with multiple co-players involved in disease progression (Robberecht et al, 2013). In particular, signals from both glial cells and muscles initiate and sustain MN degeneration (Boillée et al., 2006; Dobrowolny et al, 2008). Recent studies described a critical role for microglia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where these CNS-resident immune cells participate in the establishment of an inflammatory microenvironment that contributes to motor neuron degeneration. Understanding the mechanisms leading to microglia activation in ALS could help to identify specific molecular pathways which could be targeted to reduce or delay motor neuron degeneration and muscle paralysis in patients. The intermediate-conductance calciumactivated potassium channel KCa3.1 has been reported to modulate the “pro-inflammatory” phenotype of microglia in different pathological conditions. We here investigated the effects of blocking KCa3.1 activity in the hSOD1G93AALS mouse model, which recapitulates many features of the human disease. We report that treatment of hSOD1G93A mice with a selective KCa3.1 inhibitor, 1-[(2-chlorophenyl) diphenylmethyl]-1H-pyrazole (TRAM-34), attenuates the “pro-inflammatory” phenotype of microglia in the spinal cord, reduces motor neuron death, delays onset of muscle weakness, and increases survival. Specifically, inhibition of KCa3.1 channels slowed muscle denervation, decreased the expression of the fetal acetylcholine receptor γ subunit and reduced neuromuscular junction damage. Taken together, these results demonstrate a key role for KCa3.1 in driving a pro-inflammatory microglia phenotype in ALS

Juvenile Mental Health Courts: An Emerging Strategy

Examines the benefits and drawbacks in using juvenile mental health courts. Includes how the courts are funded, which agencies administer them, criteria used for including youth in the programs, and community services that are provided to participants

A Dynamic Solvency Approach for Life Insurance

The paper investigates risk management processes in life insurance, in a perspective consistent with the framework of Solvency II. The paper starts with the breakdown of the business dynamics. This analysis provides for a complete depiction of risk and value driver within life business. The corresponding map is then put into the solvability context, in order to formally identify the equilibrium conditions. Considerations about the technical equilibrium of an insurance portfolio and the financial regulation lead to a dynamic system of solvency assessment. The formal model is applied to a life annuity cohort in a stochastic context in order to exemplify the potential of the model, especially referred to the need to frame solvency assessment in a dynamic perspective.Life insurance, financial risk, insolvency risk, capital adequacy, financial regulation

One numerical procedure for two risk factors modeling

We propose a numerical procedure for the pricing of financial contracts whose contingent claims are exposed to two sources of risk: the stock price and the short interest rate. More precisely, in our pricing framework we assume that the stock price dynamics is described by the Cox, Ross Rubinstein (CRR, 1979) binomial model under a stochastic risk free rate, whose dynamics evolves over time accordingly to the Black, Derman and Toy (BDT, 1990) one-factor model. To this aim, we set the hypothesis that the instantaneous correlation between the trajectories of the future stock price (conditional on the current value of the short rate) and of the future short rate is zero. We then apply the resulting stock price dynamics to evaluate the price of a simple contract, i.e. of a stock option. Finally, we compare the derived price to the price of the same option under different pricing models, as the traditional Black and Scholes (1973) model. We expect that, the difference in the two prices is not sensibly large. We conclude showing in which cases it should be helpful to adopt the described model for pricing purposes.option pricing; stochastic short rate model; binomial tree

The Banking Union in a Risk Management Perspective

The Key Risk Indicators by EB

CITTÀ METROPOLITANE E PROVINCE IN ITALIA: ORGANI, FUNZIONI FONDAMENTALI ED ESIGENZE DI RIDUZIONE DELLA SPESA

Aquest article analitza els problemes de la institució de les ciutats metropolitanes a Itàlia i la reforma simultània de les províncies. El problema forma part d’un debat polític italià més ampli i actual, vinculat als objectius de reducció de la despesa pública, i concerneix la necessitat d’aconseguir una nova organització del govern local respecte del pla contingut en el títol V de la Constitució italiana després de la reforma del 2001. Després d’examinar els anteriors intents de regulació de les ciutats metropolitanes, s’analitza la disposició continguda en el decret llei sobre l’spending review (d.l. n. 95/2012). Així, el text pretén exposar les dificultats i les incoherències en la identificació de les funcions administratives o en l’estructura general organitzativa del nou ens (la ciutat metropolitana) previst a la Constitució italiana el 2001, que encara segueix sense regulació jurídica normativa. En conseqüència, es consideren les implicacions i els efectes de la reforma en relació amb les funcions exercides per altres òrgans (municipis, províncies, regions) que ja operen en el territori.This paper analyses the problems derived from the metropolitan cities entities in Italy and the simultaneous reform of the provinces. These two issues are part of a broader and current Italian political debate related to targets for reduction of public spending and have to do with the achievement of a new order of local government different from that established in the Title V of the Italian Constitution after its 2001 reform. After an examination of previous attempts to regulate metropolitan cities entities, the article examines the aspects contained in decree law on spending review (d.l. n. 95/2012). In this way, the article aims to highlight both the difficulties and incoherencies of the identification of administrative functions and of the general structure to be assigned to the new level of government (the metropolitan city), provided in the Italian Constitution in 2001 but not yet established. Consequently, the article considers the effects that this new model has upon the other and already existing levels of government (such as municipalities, as provinces and as regions).Este artículo analiza los problemas de la institución de las ciudades metropolitanas en Italia y la reforma simultánea de las provincias. El problema forma parte de un más amplio y actual debate político italiano, vinculado a los objetivos de reducción del gasto público, y concierne la necesidad de conseguir una nueva organización del Gobierno local con respecto al plan contenido en el Título V de la Constitución italiana después de la reforma de 2001. Después de un examen de los anteriores intentos de regulación de las ciudades metropolitanas, se analiza la disposición contenida en el decreto ley sobre la spending review (d.l. n. 95/2012). Así, el texto pretende exponer las dificultades y las incoherencias en la identificación de las funciones administrativas y en la estructura general organizativa del nuevo ente (la ciudad metropolitana) previsto en la Constitución italiana de 2001, que todavía sigue sin regulación jurídico-normativa. En consecuencia, se consideran las implicaciones y los efectos de la reforma en relación a las funciones ejercidas por otros órganos (municipios, provincias, regiones) que ya operan en el territorio

Partecipazione a Bloomberg Trade Ideas 2012

Gli studenti del Corso di Laurea in Finanza della Facoltà di Economia dell'Università di Napoli Federico II confermano il prestigioso successo di Maggio 2011 vincendo, per il secondo anno consecutivo, la gara di trading indetta da Bloomberg, classificandosi al primo posto su 116 team gareggianti e precedendo, nell'ordine, l'università di Padova (II posto) e lo Instituto De Estudios Bursátiles di Madrid (III posto). Va sottolineato che, mentre il successo dello scorso anno aveva visto primeggiare gli studenti del Corso di laurea magistrale in Finanza, istituito presso la Facoltà di Economia dell'Ateneo federiciano, sui colleghi provenienti da altre Università solo italiane, il risultato conseguito quest'anno assume valenza europea. Infatti, i team in gara, che nella precedente edizione erano 55 e provenivano da 19 Università italiane, sono stati, quest'anno, 116, provenienti da 35 atenei europei, di cui 27 italiani (Bicocca, Bocconi, Bologna, Brescia, Ca Foscari Venezia, Cattolica, Firenze, Genova, La Sapienza, LIUC, Lodola, LUISS, LUM, Napoli Federico II, Padova, Parma, Pavia, Politecnico di Milano, Salerno, The American University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Torino, Trento, Trieste, Tuscia- Viterbo, Urbino, Verona), 3 francesi (Essec, INSEAD, Université Paris II) e 5 spagnoli (CUNEF, Eada Business School, Fundacion CIFF, Instituto de Estudio Bursatiles, Instituto de impresa). Gli studenti dell'ateneo federiciano – che hanno realizzato in tre settimane un rendimento del capitale investito pari al 3% – hanno surclassato in termini di risultato i colleghi di prestigiosi istituti tra cui la IE Business School e la Essec Business School entrambi sul podio della classifica 2011 del Financial Times dei Master in Finanza. Di gran lunga superiore la performance degli studenti federiciani anche rispetto ai colleghi dell'INSEAD, che figura al 4° posto nella classifica 2011 MBA del Financial Times

Mercati finanziari globali e strategie di portafoglio

Le strategie di gestione di portafoglio in contesti turbolent