O consumo como experiência: de vestimentas e alimentos a luxo e gastronomia (séculos XIX-XXI)

A moda de luxo e a gastronomia não foram invenções do século XIX. Vestimentas suntuosas e alimentos refinados eram habitualmente consumidos pelas cortes aristocráticas nos séculos XVII e XVIII. A grande diferença introduzida pelo século XIX, portanto, foi o banimento da restrição do consumo desses bens à classe aristocrática. A possibilidade do acesso ao luxo e à gastronomia implica na necessidade do estabelecimento de novos critérios que garantam sua exclusividade à nova classe dominante. Esse preceito é traduzido em preços mais elevados, o que certifica não apenas a manutenção da restrição do consumo do luxo e da gastronomia à burguesia, como reforça a distinção da produção sofisticada desses bens ao modo de produção industrial em crescimento. Entretanto, no século XX, especialmente a partir dos anos 1950, o desenvolvimento dos meios de reprodutibilidade técnica promove a massificação na produção de bens de luxo e artigos gastronômicos, equiparando-se cada vez mais à produção daquilo que é considerado banal. A partir de então, se a forma como são produzidos não demarca mais a diferenciação entre o simples e o refinado, é necessário que novas formas de consumo o façam. Deste modo, a experiência do consumo assume uma posição de especial relevância, inclusive em comparação à forma de produção. Assim, não é mais a experiência da produção que confere ao bem de luxo ou ao artigo gastronômico a qualidade de exclusivo, mas a forma como são consumidos que garante a reprodução da sensação de exclusividade. Este trabalho pretende discutir como se manifestam essas experiências de consumo do luxo e da gastronomia no século XXI. Será dada especial atenção às expressões que combinam a moda de luxo e a gastronomia a uma experiência estética, na qual se busca a desvinculação da reprodutibilidade técnica através da compreensão do consumo como um momento supra-histórico, em que é privilegiada a experiência sensorial do “aqui e agora”

Life gain in Italian smokers who quit

This study aims to estimate the number of life years gained with quitting smoking in Italian smokers of both sexes, by number of cigarettes smoked per day (cig/day) and age at cessation. All-cause mortality tables by age, sex and smoking status were computed, based on Italian smoking data, and the survival curves of former and current smokers were compared. The more cig/day a man/woman smokes, and the younger his/her age of quitting smoking, the more years of life he/she gains with cessation. In fact, cessation at age 30, 40, 50, or 60 years gained, respectively, about 7, 7, 6, or 5, and 5, 5, 4, or 3 years of life, respectively, for men and women that smoked 10-19 cig/day. The gain in life years was higher for heavy smokers (9 years for >20 cig/day) and lower for light smokers (4 years for 1-9 cig/day). Consistently with prospective studies conducted worldwide, quitting smoking increases life expectancy regardless of age, gender and number of cig/day. The estimates of the number of years of life that could be gained by quitting smoking, when computed specifically for a single smoker, could be used by physicians and health professionals to promote a quit attempt. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Squeezing out predictions with leptogenesis from SO(10)

We consider the see-saw mechanism within a non-supersymmetric SO(10) model. By assuming the SO(10) quark-lepton symmetry, and after imposing suitable conditions that ensure that the right-handed (RH) neutrino masses are at most mildly hierarchical (compact RH spectrum) we obtain a surprisingly predictive scenario. The absolute neutrino mass scale, the Dirac and the two Majorana phases of the neutrino mixing matrix remain determined in terms of the set of already measured low energy observables, modulo a discrete ambiguity in the signs of two neutrino mixing angles and of the Dirac phase. The RH neutrinos mass spectrum is also predicted, as well as the size and sign of the leptogenesis CP asymmetries. We compute the cosmological baryon asymmetry generated through leptogenesis and obtain the correct sign and a size compatible with observations.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures; minor changes, version accepted for publication in PR

Diabetes and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

Acute bacterial skin and skin structures infections (ABSSSIs) are associated with high morbidity, costs and mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus. Their appropriate management should include several figures and a well-organized approach. This review aims to highlight the interplay between diabetes and ABSSSIs and bring out the unmet clinical needs in this area. Pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the increased risk of ABSSSIs in diabetes mellitus are multifactorial: high glucose levels play a crucial pathogenetic role in the tissue damage and delayed clinical cure. Moreover, the presence of diabetes complications (neuropathy, vasculopathy) further complicates the management of ABSSSIs in patients with diabetes. Multidrug resistance organisms should be considered in this population based on patient risk factors and local epidemiology and etiological diagnosis should be obtained whenever possible. Moreover, drug-drug interactions and drug-related adverse events (such as nephrotoxicity) should be considered in the choice of antibiotic therapy. Reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and prolonged length of hospital stay is of primary importance now, more than ever. To achieve these objectives, a better knowledge of the interplay between acute and chronic hyperglycemia, multidrug resistant etiology, and short and long-term outcome is needed. Of importance, a multidisciplinary approach is crucial to achieve full recovery of these patients

Arabinogalactan as active compound in the management of corneal wounds: In vitro toxicity and in vivo investigations on rabbits

ABSTRACT: Purpose: Aims of the present investigation were to prove that natural polysaccharide arabinogalactan (AG) is well tolerated after ocular administration and exerts a high restoring effect on corneal epithelium abrasions. Materials and Methods: AG interactions with corneal cells, as well as its effect on their proliferation, were evaluated employing rabbit corneal epithelial cell cultures. The effects due to the presence of benzalkonium chloride (BAK) were also studied on cell cultures, ex vivo on rabbit isolated corneas, evaluating the hydration level, and on the healing rate of experimental corneal wounds in rabbits. Furthermore, the healing process of corneal lesions treated with an experimental 5.0% AG solution was studied and compared with those obtained applying solutions of hyaluronic acid and tamarind seed polysaccharide, both chosen as a reference by virtue of their well-known adjuvant properties on corneal trophism; the study was carried out by light and transmission electron microscopy. Results: BAK showed toxic effects on corneal epithelium in all experiments. AG proved to stimulate the growth of the corneal epithelial cells by interacting at the level of the cell plasma membrane. The microscopy observations of the epithelial surface of AG-treated damaged corneas revealed a well-restored and histologically organized ultrastructure characterized by fully formed microvilli and glycocalyx; the healing process resulted faster with respect to spontaneously recovered untreated corneas. Conclusion: Our results suggest that AG can interact with corneal epithelial cells without any toxic side effect; moreover, it proved to stimulate cell proliferation, thus promoting tissue re-epithelialization and reorganization just 48hr post-woundin

Acute Tolerability of Methylphenidate in Treatment-Naïve Children with ADHD: An Analysis of Naturalistically Collected Data from Clinical Practice

OBJECTIVES: The acute tolerability of methylphenidate (MPH) in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been studied mainly in research samples. Taking advantage of the mandatory test-dose procedure required for starting MPH in Italy, this study aimed to assess the incidence of intolerable adverse events after initial exposure to MPH in routine clinical practice. METHODS: The medical records of 480 consecutively treated, previously drug-naïve children and adolescents with ADHD (90% male, mean age 10.6 ± 3.0 years) were retrospectively analyzed. All children received an initial single dose of MPH immediate release (5 or 10 mg) followed by a 4-hour direct medical observation. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured at dosing and 1, 2, and 3 hours afterwards. If the first dose was well tolerated, the child continued treatment with MPH 5–20 mg daily, and was reassessed a week later. RESULTS: Eleven patients (2.3%, 95% CI 1.1–4.1) interrupted treatment within a week of initiation because of the following adverse events: irritability (n = 3), tics worsening (n = 3), reduced appetite (n = 1), enuresis (n = 1), hallucinations (n = 1), hyperfocus (n = 1), and ‘rebound’ behavioral worsening (n = 1). The most common adverse events were reduced appetite (20%), irritability (14.2%), headache (10.6%), sleep problems (9.4%), stomachache (9.4%), and tics (5%). Intellectual disability increased the risk of any adverse event in general and of irritability in particular. No cardiovascular symptom was clinically reported. However, routine assessments of vital signs during the first 3 hours after the first dose of MPH showed that 9% of the children had a 20% increase in heart rate, 8.8% had a 20% increase in diastolic blood pressure and 4.5% had a 20% increase in systolic blood pressure. Of these, 25.2% still had an elevated heart rate 1 week later. CONCLUSIONS: Among stimulant-naïve children in clinical practice, the incidence of acute MPH intolerance can be estimated to be between 1.2 and 4.1%. An asymptomatic elevation in cardiovascular parameters can be observed in about 1 out of 10 children and warrants monitoring during ongoing treatment

Unusual Central Engine Activity in the Double Burst GRB 110709B

The double burst, GRB 110709B, triggered Swift/BAT twice at 21:32:39 UT and 21:43:45 UT, respectively, on 9 July 2011. This is the first time we observed a GRB with two BAT triggers. In this paper, we present simultaneous Swift and Konus-WIND observations of this unusual GRB and its afterglow. If the two events are from the same physical origin, their different time-dependent spectral evolution suggest they must belong to different episodes of the central engine, which may be a magnetar-to-BH accretion system

Combinatorial effects on gene expression at the Lbx1/Fgf8 locus resolve split-hand/foot malformation type 3

Split-Hand/Foot Malformation type 3 (SHFM3) is a congenital limb malformation associated with tandem duplications at the LBX1/FGF8 locus. Yet, the disease patho-mechanism remains unsolved. Here we investigate the functional consequences of SHFM3-associated rearrangements on chromatin conformation and gene expression in vivo in transgenic mice. We show that the Lbx1/Fgf8 locus consists of two separate, but interacting, regulatory domains. Re-engineering of a SHFM3-associated duplication and a newly reported inversion in mice results in restructuring of the chromatin architecture. This leads to ectopic activation of the Lbx1 and Btrc genes in the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) in an Fgf8-like pattern induced by AER-specific enhancers of Fgf8. We provide evidence that the SHFM3 phenotype is the result of a combinatorial effect on gene misexpression in the developing limb. Our results reveal insights into the molecular mechanism underlying SHFM3 and provide conceptual framework for how genomic rearrangements can cause gene misexpression and disease.This study was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (MU 880/16-1, MU 880/20-1) to S.M. We thank the transgenic unit, sequencing core and animal facility of Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics for technical assistance, Ute Fischer for technical support and Norbert Brieske for help with whole mount in situ hybridizations and image processing

SEMA6A/RhoA/YAP axis mediates tumor-stroma interactions and prevents response to dual BRAF/MEK inhibition in BRAF-mutant melanoma

Background: Despite the promise of dual BRAF/MEK inhibition as a therapy for BRAF-mutant (BRAF-mut) melanoma, heterogeneous responses have been observed in patients, thus predictors of benefit from therapy are needed. We have previously identified semaphorin 6A (SEMA6A) as a BRAF-mut-associated protein involved in actin cytoskeleton remodeling. The purpose of the present study is to dissect the role of SEMA6A in the biology of BRAF-mut melanoma, and to explore its predictive potential towards dual BRAF/MEK inhibition. Methods: SEMA6A expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in melanoma cohort RECI1 (N = 112) and its prognostic potential was investigated in BRAF-mut melanoma patients from DFCI and TCGA datasets (N = 258). The molecular mechanisms regulated by SEMA6A to sustain tumor aggressiveness and targeted therapy resistance were investigated in vitro by using BRAF-mut and BRAF-wt melanoma cell lines, an inducible SEMA6A silencing cell model and a microenvironment-mimicking fibroblasts-coculturing model. Finally, SEMA6A prediction of benefit from dual BRAF/MEK inhibition was investigated in melanoma cohort RECI2 (N = 14). Results: Our results indicate higher protein expression of SEMA6A in BRAF-mut compared with BRAF-wt melanoma patients and show that SEMA6A is a prognostic indicator in BRAF-mut melanoma from TCGA and DFCI patients cohorts. In BRAF-mut melanoma cells, SEMA6A coordinates actin cytoskeleton remodeling by the RhoA-dependent activation of YAP and dual BRAF/MEK inhibition by dabrafenib+trametinib induces SEMA6A/RhoA/YAP axis. In microenvironment-mimicking co-culture condition, fibroblasts confer to melanoma cells a proliferative stimulus and protect them from targeted therapies, whereas SEMA6A depletion rescues the efficacy of dual BRAF/MEK inhibition. Finally, in BRAF-mut melanoma patients treated with dabrafenib+trametinib, high SEMA6A predicts shorter recurrence-free interval. Conclusions: Overall, our results indicate that SEMA6A contributes to microenvironment-coordinated evasion of melanoma cells from dual BRAF/MEK inhibition and it might be a good candidate predictor of short-term benefit from dual BRAF/MEK inhibition

Unusual Central Engine Activity in the Double Burst GRB 110709B

The double burst, GRB 110709B, triggered Swift/BAT twice at 21:32:39 UT and 21:43:45 UT, respectively, on 9 July 2011. This is the first time we observed a GRB with two BAT triggers. In this paper, we present simultaneous Swift and Konus-WIND observations of this unusual GRB and its afterglow. If the two events originated from the same physical progenitor, their different time-dependent spectral evolution suggests they must belong to different episodes of the central engine, which may be a magnetar-to-BH accretion system.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables. ApJ accepte