"Le avventure straordinarie d’Antoine Roquentin". La malinconica paura di J.-P. Sartre

This essay examines the role of fear in J.P. Sartre’s Nausea (1938) not as the consequence, but as the primary cause of the sufferings experienced by Antoine Roquentin, the protagonist of the novel. By investigating the theoretical origin and development of the protagonist’s fear, we find out that it arises in two different moments: firstly, through the great effort of writing about himself and the Marquis de Rollebon; secondly, through the sugary perception of his body. By analyzing the relationship between Nausea and Sartre’s critical argumentations about some of the major topics, such as autobiography and body, this essay shows how Antoine realizes that his own existence is the real cause of his Nausea. In this process, the influence of Husserl’s phenomenology is undeniable, because Antoine will not discover the truth by means of an introspective analysis, but only by observing the absurd existence of things, especially of a chestnut root

L’enigma del simbolo. Itinerari filosofici: Nota introduttiva

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Sparing of muscle mass and function by passive loading in an experimental intensive care unit model

The response to mechanical stimuli, i.e., tensegrity, plays an important role in regulating cell physiological and pathophysiological function, and the mechanical silencing observed in intensive care unit (ICU) patients leads to a severe and specific muscle wasting condition. This study aims to unravel the underlying mechanisms and the effects of passive mechanical loading on skeletal muscle mass and function at the gene, protein and cellular levels. A unique experimental rat ICU model has been used allowing long-term (weeks) time-resolved analyses of the effects of standardized unilateral passive mechanical loading on skeletal muscle size and function and underlying mechanisms. Results show that passive mechanical loading alleviated the muscle wasting and the loss of force-generation associated with the ICU intervention, resulting in a doubling of the functional capacity of the loaded versus the unloaded muscles after a 2-week ICU intervention. We demonstrate that the improved maintenance of muscle mass and function is probably a consequence of a reduced oxidative stress revealed by lower levels of carbonylated proteins, and a reduced loss of the molecular motor protein myosin. A complex temporal gene expression pattern, delineated by microarray analysis,was observed with loading-induced changes in transcript levels of sarcomeric proteins, muscle developmental processes, stress response, extracellular matrix/cell adhesion proteins and metabolism. Thus, the results from this study show that passive mechanical loading alleviates the severe negative consequences on muscle size and function associated with the mechanical silencing in ICU patients, strongly supporting early and intense physical therapy in immobilized ICU patients

Endovascular therapy with or without intravenous thrombolysis in acute stroke with tandem occlusion

International audienceBackground Endovascular therapy (EVT) is effective and safe in patients with tandem occlusion. The benefit of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) prior to EVT in acute tandem occlusion is debatable. Objective To compare EVT alone with EVT plus IVT in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to anterior circulation tandem occlusions. Methods This is an individual patient pooled analysis of the Thrombectomy In TANdem lesions (TITAN) and Endovascular Treatment in Ischemic Stroke (ETIS) Registries. Patients were divided into two groups based on prior IVT treatment: (1) IVT+ group, which included patients who received IVT prior to EVT, (2) IVT− group, which included patients who did not receive IVT prior to EVT. Propensity score (inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)) was used to reduce baseline between-group differences. The primary outcome was favorable outcome—that is, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0 to 2 at 90 days. Results Overall, 602 consecutive patients with an acute stroke with tandem occlusion were included (380 and 222 in the bridging therapy and EVT alone groups, respectively). Onset to imaging time was shorter in the IVT+ group (median 103 vs 140 min). In contrast, imaging to puncture time was longer in the IVT+ group (median 107 vs 91 min). In IPTW analysis, the IVT+ group had higher odds of favorable outcome, excellent outcome (90-day mRS score 0–1), and successful reperfusion (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score 2b/3 at the end of EVT). There was no difference in the risk of significant hemorrhagic complications between groups. In secondary analysis of patients treated with acute cervical internal carotid artery stenting, bridging therapy was associated with higher odds of favorable outcome and lower odds of mortality at 90 days. Conclusions Our results suggest that bridging therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to anterior tandem occlusion is safe and may improve functional outcome, even in the setting of acute cervical internal carotid artery stenting during EVT

Prognosis and risk factors associated with asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after endovascular treatment of large vessel occlusion stroke: a prospective multicenter cohort study

International audienceBackground and purpose: Asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (aICH) is a common occurrence after endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aims of this study were to address its impact on 3-month functional outcome and to identify risk factors for aICH after EVT. Methods: Patients with AIS attributable to anterior circulation large vessel occlusion who underwent EVT were enrolled in a multicenter prospective registry. Based on imaging performed 22–36 h post-EVT, we included patients with no intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) or aICH. Poor outcome defined as a 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 4–6 and overall 3-month mRS score distribution were compared according to presence/absence of aICH, and aICH subtype using logistic regression. We assessed the risk factors of aICH using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: Of the 1526 patients included in the study, 653 (42.7%) had aICH. Patients with aICH had a higher rate of poor outcome: odds ratio (OR) 1.88 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44–2.44). Shift analysis of mRS score found a fully adjusted OR of 1.79 (95% CI 1.47–2.18). Hemorrhagic infarction (OR 1.63 [95% CI 1.22–2.18]) and parenchymal hematoma (OR 2.99 [95% CI 1.77–5.02]) were associated with higher risk of poor outcome. Male sex, diabetes, coronary artery disease, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score, number of passes and onset to groin puncture time were independently associated with aICH. Conclusions: Patients with aICH, irrespective of the radiological pattern, have a worse functional outcome at 3 months compared with those without ICH after EVT for AIS. The number of EVT passes and the time from onset to groin puncture are factors that could be modified to reduce deleterious ICH

Successful thrombectomy is beneficial in patients with pre-stroke disability: Results from an international multicenter cohort study

International audienceAbstract Excessive alcohol consumption is the leading cause of liver diseases in Western countries, especially in France. Alcohol‐related liver disease (ARLD) is an extremely broad context and there remains much to accomplish in terms of identifying patients, improving prognosis and treatment, and standardising practices. The French Association for the Study of the Liver wished to organise guidelines together with the French Alcohol Society in order to summarise the best evidence available about several key clinical points in ARLD. These guidelines have been elaborated based on the level of evidence available in the literature and each recommendation has been analysed, discussed and voted by the panel of experts. They describe how patients with ARLD should be managed nowadays and discuss the main unsettled issues in the field