The Old Neo-Liberalism. The Neo-Liberalist Germ in Mises' and Hayek's Theories

What is neo-liberalism? I’m going to affirm here that, as well as being a political doctrine born in the 1970s, neo-liberalism is the construction, the extension and the final reinforcement of a number of classical elements. My argument is that many of the typical aspects of contemporary neo-liberalism were already present in theories expressed by thinkers such as L. von Mises and F. A. von Hayek. As proof of this fact, I reclaim some characteristics of the present neo-liberal phenomenon as having been conceived by the above authors. These characteristics actually imply the ongoing spread of a dominant ideology that tends to pit the concept of liberty against those of rationality and critical consciousness. First, the article will analyse the changes that have occurred within the phenomenon of consumerism, which becomes en-twined with the competitive and entrepreneurial spirit of the individual; second, it will reflect on the wide-spread aversion to socialist policies, and in fact to all policies that provide for public intervention by the State and that change the relationship between State and economy; finally, it will relate these investiga-tions to the ideological and structural model that supports the European Union

Denitrification-derived nitric oxide modulates biofilm formation in Azospirillum brasilense

Azospirillum brasilense is a rhizobacterium that provides beneficial effects on plants when they colonize roots. The formation of complex bacterial communities known as biofilms begins with the interaction of planktonic cells with surfaces in response to appropriate signals. Nitric oxide (NO) is a signaling molecule implicated in numerous processes in bacteria, including biofilm formation or dispersion, depending on genera and lifestyle. Azospirillum brasilense Sp245 produces NO by denitrification having a role in root growth promotion. We analyzed the role of endogenously produced NO on biofilm formation in A. brasilense Sp245 and in a periplasmic nitrate reductase mutant (napA::Tn5; Faj164) affected in NO production. Cells were statically grown in media with nitrate or ammonium as nitrogen sources and examined for biofilm formation using crystal violet and by confocal laser microscopy. Both strains formed bio- films, but the mutant produced less than half compared with the wild type in nitrate medium showing impaired nitrite production in this condition. NO measurements in biofilm confirmed lower values in the mutant strain. The addition of a NO donor showed that NO influences biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner and reverses the mutant phenotype, indicating that Nap positively regulates the formation of biofilm in A. brasilense Sp245.Fil: Arruebarrena Di Palma, Andrés. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pereyra, Cintia Mariana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Moreno Ramírez, Lizbeth. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; MéxicoFil: Xiqui Vazquez, Maria L.. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; MéxicoFil: Baca, Beatriz E.. Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla; MéxicoFil: Pereyra, María Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lamattina, Lamattina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Creus, Cecilia Mónica. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Examining the Role of Stress in Binge Eating Disorder

[In lieu of Abstract, excerpt from Conclusion of Examining the Role of Stress in Binge Eating Disorder]: Results from the present study support growing evidence which demonstrates that stress can negatively impact binge eating. However, given the paucity of research examining these variables in clinical samples of individuals diagnosed with BED, additional research is warranted. Therefore, future studies should continue to recruit clinical samples utilizing clinical interviews. Research is also needed to further explore the relationship between cortisol and binge eating in individuals diagnosed with BED. Interestingly, individuals diagnosed with BED perceived the stress task (and situations in general) as more stressful than individuals in the control group despite the fact that there were no significant differences between cortisol levels. Individuals diagnosed with BED had a different experience even though there were no differences in cortisol. Therefore, it is important for future studies to focus on the relationship between cortisol and perceived stress. Given that many studies, including the current study, have found a relationship between binge eating and negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, depression) future research should extend these findings by focusing on other negative emotions, such as shame as another possible avenue to better understand BED processes. Although there were interesting results when looking at within group changes in cortisol, the current findings have to be viewed cautiously. Future research utilizing larger samples and an actual consumption of food component after the stress task may be able to address several limitations of the current study. In addition, there are other biological markers of stress (e.g., DHEA, ACTH, etc) that may be more pertinent to BED and could be examined in addition to cortisol. Although aspects of the interactive model of binge eating (Cattanach & Rodin, 1988) were supported in the current study (e.g., greater negative affect and perceived stress, increased desire to binge eat after stress, and the use of maladaptive coping styles by individuals diagnosed with BED), the methodology of the study did not permit a thorough test of the model. For example, level of control and social support were not assessed in the current study. Similarly, in a test of the interactive model (Cattanach et al., 1988), only urge to binge eat was assessed after individuals went through stressful tasks. It remains to be seen if the interactive model can account for actual binges in individuals with BED. In addition, certain aspects of the escape from awareness model (Heatherton & Baumeister, 1991) and affect regulation models of bingeing (e.g., Kenardy et al., 1996) were supported in the current study. Incomplete tests of the models and commonalities between them make it difficult to provide definitive support for any one model of BED. In addition, the models were all proposed for bingeing associated with BN, not BED. Further research is needed to specify which components of the models apply to BED. Future research should also focus on perceived stress given that the current study found no significant difference in the quantity of stressful events reported by groups. Taking into account perceived stress is also important when administering treatments for individuals diagnosed with BED. Given the current results, it may be more effective to focus on helping an individual perceive situations differently as opposed to (or in addition to) just reducing the number of stressors in their lives. Therefore, treatment such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be particularly helpful with this population. If an individual diagnosed with BED perceives situations as more stressful, then targeting only a reduction in quantity of stressful events, without addressing the client’s beliefs about the stressors will not likely result in significant improvements. Instead, engaging in the meaning attributed to the stressor through cognitive restructuring or cognitive defusion may be an important aspect of treatment

Glutathione and ascorbic acid protect Arabidopsis plants against detrimental effects of iron deficiency

Iron is an essential micronutrient required for a wide variety of cellular functions in plant growth and development. Chlorosis is the first visible symptom in iron-deficient plants. Glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (ASC) are multifunctional metabolites playing important roles in redox balancing. In this work, it was shown that GSH and ASC treatment prevented chlorosis and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species induced by iron deficiency in Arabidopsis leaves. In iron deficiency, GSH and ASC increased the activity of the heme protein ascorbate peroxidase at a similar level to that found in iron-sufficient seedlings. GSH was also able to preserve the levels of the iron-sulfur protein ferredoxin 2. GSH content decreased 25% in iron-deficient Arabidopsis seedlings, whereas the ASC levels were not affected. Taken together, these results showed that GSH and ASC supplementation protects Arabidopsis seedlings from iron deficiency, preserving cell redox homeostasis and improving internal iron availability.Instituto de Fisiología Vegeta

A possible mechanism for the apocynin-induced nitric oxide accumulation in plants

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small, ubiquitous bioactive molecule, postulated as a broad spectrum anti-stress compound. The NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin induces the accumulation of endogenous NO in leaves of maize seedlings through a nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like activity, and confers an augmented tolerance to UV-B-induced oxidative damage. Here we propose a mechanism for the apocynin-induced NO increase in plants. NOS catalyzes the oxidation of arginine to citrulline and NO. It is suggested that apocynin inhibit arginase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes L-arginine to urea and L-ornithine, increasing the arginine availability for arginine-dependent NO synthesis. Superoxide (O2-) is a strong NO scavenger due to its high reactivity with NO to give peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Superoxide is mainly produced by plant NADPH oxidase (pNOX). Inhibition of pNOX by apocynin at relatively high NO concentration, could reduces the formation of O2- and ONOO-, increasing the availability of a huge amount of NO. We consider apocynin as a very attractive compound for studying NO-regulated processes in plants since it can replace the use of NO donors and overcome the subsequent technical problems.Fil: Tossi, Vanesa Eleonora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Lamattina, Lorenzo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Cassia, Raul Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

Structure diversity of nitric oxide synthases (NOS): the emergence of new forms in photosynthetic organisms

Humans have enormously increased the level of nitrogen (N) circulating in the troposphere and the earth surface during the last century, correlating with the population increase. As an undesirable consequence, high levels of reactive N are polluting the environment where humans inhabit. Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the reactive N species with both positive and negative impact on life. NO synthases (NOS) are enzymes that oxidize arginine to citrulline and generate the denitrifying intermediate NO which can be subsequently reduced to N2O and N2. NOS are large modular enzymes present in all kingdoms which through evolution were the result of multiple gene and genome duplication events together with changes in protein architecture (Andreakis et al. 2011). A recently described NOS from the marine unicellular microalgae Ostreococcus tauri, belonging to the picoplankton in oceans, adds new insights to study the evolution of the complex organization of these enzymes. In this opinion we discuss the structure diversity of the emerging new NOS forms described in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Regarding the controversy about the existence of canonical NOS in higher plants, we propose that the latest findings support the existence of a high diversity of NOS forms in different lineages. Thereby, since higher plant species whose genomes have been fully sequenced, which are scarce, it cannot be discarded that a new form of NOS may have evolved in higher plants.Fil: Correa Aragunde, Maria Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Foresi, Noelia Pamela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Lamattina, Lorenzo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentin

Capitalismo e ideologie della libertà. La libertà oltre il capitale

2015 - 2016To survive and expand, capitalism has always needed an ideology that would support its project. This was clear for thinkers such as Tönnies, Simmel, Weber, and Sombart who analyzed the transition from traditional to modern society, reflected on the birth of the new capitalist Geist and described the ways of 'imbibing' the societies. The thinker who has deepened the process of widespread diffusion of capitalist rationality and understood how the conception of liberty advocated by the liberals succeeded in settling insistently in our existences is surely Marx. The use of Marxian theory (and successive Marxist theories) on ideology has enabled us to highlight both the rise of an ever-growing capitalism in societies and the shadows of a Marxism increasingly weakened by its winning charge. After describing the changes made in societies following the explosion of consumerism, we have mapped out the framework of the neoliberal theoretical system, capable of further radicalizing the concept of freedom, now becoming 'market freedom'. According to this, individual freedom is at the maximum of profit and inevitably strides with the principle of equality. Our intent therefore becomes to show the existence of a concept of alternative freedom, in which the relationship between freedom and equality is possible. Starting from this assumption and referring primarily to the Gramsci concept of ‘guerra di posizione’, we reflect on the forms of resistance designed over the years and on the possibility of creating new ones by following the ‘Gramsciano model’. [edited by author]XV n.s

A comprehensive phylogeny reveals functional conservation of the UV-B photoreceptor UVR8 from green algae to higher plants

UV-B is present in sunlight (280- 315 nm) and has diverse effects on living organisms. Low fluence rate of exposure induces a specific photomorphogenic response regulated by the UV-B response locus 8 UVR8 receptor. UVR8 was first described in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the absence of stimuli is located in the cytoplasm as a homodimer, however, upon UV-B irradiation, it switches to a monomer and interacts with the ubiquitin ligase E3 COP1 via the UVR8 β- propeller domain and the VP core. This induces the expression of the transcription factor HY5 leading to changes in the expression of genes associated with UV-B acclimation and stress tolerance. UVR8 senses UV-B through tryptophan residues being Trp233 and 285 the most important. Here we report a comprehensive phylogeny of UVR8, trying to identify UVR8 homologs and the ancestral organism where this gene could be originated based on the comparison and analysis of UVR8 functionally important motifs. Results obtained showed that Chlorophytes are the first organisms from the Viridiplantae group where UVR8 appear. UVR8 is present in green algae, bryophytes, lycophytes and angiosperms. All the sequences identified contain tryptophans 233 and 285, arginines involved in homodimerization and the VP domain suggesting they are true UVR8 photoreceptors. We also determined that some species from bryophytes and angiosperms contain more than one UVR8 gene copy opening the question if UVR8 could constitute a gene family in these species. In conclusion, we described the functional conservation among UVR8 proteins from green algae to higher plants.Fil: Fernandez, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Tossi, Vanesa Eleonora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Lamattina, Lorenzo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Cassia, Raul Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

A singular nitric oxide synthase with a globin domain found in Synechococcus PCC 7335 mobilizes N from arginine to nitrate

The enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS) oxidizes L-arginine to NO and citrulline. In this work, we characterise the NOS from the cyanobacteria Synechococcus PCC 7335 (SyNOS). SyNOS possesses a canonical mammalian NOS architecture consisting of oxygenase and reductase domains. In addition, SyNOS possesses an unusual globin domain at the N-terminus. Recombinant SyNOS expressed in bacteria is active, and its activity is suppressed by the NOS inhibitor L-NAME. SyNOS allows E. coli to grow in minimum media containing L-arginine as the sole N source, and has a higher growth rate during N deficiency. SyNOS is expressed in Synechococcus PCC 7335 where NO generation is dependent on L-arginine concentration. The growth of Synechococcus is dramatically inhibited by L-NAME, suggesting that SyNOS is essential for this cyanobacterium. Addition of arginine in Synechococcus increases the phycoerythrin content, an N reservoir. The role of the novel globin domain in SyNOS is discussed as an evolutionary advantage, conferring new functional capabilities for N metabolism.Fil: Correa Aragunde, Maria Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Foresi, Noelia Pamela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: del Castello, Fiorella Paola. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Lamattina, Lorenzo. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin