Textile and Apparel: an historical and "glo-cal" perspective. The Italian case from an economic agent's point of view

What might happen to the Italian Textile and Apparel industry? Does it deserve to survive, even if in a reduced dimension, or is it going to disappear, simply being a piece of our past without a passport to our future? This paper call for debate and reach a better view of a changing industry, starting from a different perspective from the usual one which regards the Textile and Clothing industry as a sunset one for western Europe. With the end of the quota system the Italian industry is facing market disruption produced by the flood of exports from China. Too much, too soon, too cheap. Italian entrepreneurs are over-reacting to this and technological innovation is no longer regarded as an opportunity to cultivate differential competitive advantage. Anti - dumping, tariffs and quotas are considered as controversial issues in the search for a new global balance. To reach this, we shouldn't forget that both structural and strategic aspects are always in action when international competition is concerned. All in all, transparency is very important and could be supported by product traceability. This issue is connected with the difference of standards and the difficulty to make them become a purchasing and innovation driver.

Liuc papers

Lo scopo di questo scritto è determinare in che cosa consista la rappresentanza delle associazioni industriali, definendo il suo ambito specifico e distinto. Ciò, prendendo spunto da una ricostruzione schematica - definita come 'asse della rappresentanza' - che collega la concezione privatistica a quella politica. L'analisi prosegue dando risposta ad alcuni quesiti come: che differenza c'è tra un'associazione e un partito politico? Nel rispondere, viene affrontata la disanima del ricorrente concetto di 'interesse', per concludere col tema del governo della complessità e, quindi, facendo accenno a come si possa assicurare l'efficienza decisionale nelle scelte collettive. Nel corso del testo, che tocca anche aspetti come la distinzione tra pluralismo e neo-corporativismo, la rappresentanza nel campo degli interessi economici emerge come elemento di bilanciamento democratico e, quindi, come condizione necessaria, anche se non sufficiente, per la difesa delle libertà civili. Questo non esclude l'innesco di possibili paradossi, o altre criticità, come l'eccessivo affollamento d'istanze. Se ne conclude, tuttavia, che la rappresentanza, compresa quella associativa, costituisca, al contempo, il problema e la soluzione.The aim of this paper is to better define the meaning of industrial representation, fixing its distinctive context. To do so reference will be made to a scheme called 'representation axis' which connects the private concept to the political one. The analysis proceeds to answer such typical questions as the one regarding the main difference between industrial associations, or trade unions, and political parties. In so doing one will consider the recurring issue about political and private interests, as well as the management of social complexity. In passing one will touch upon the problem concerning efficiency in collective bargaining or political decisions. Pluralism as well as neo-corporatism will be considered as an insufficient but necessary expression of civil society aimed at preserving civil liberties from government power. In the end one concludes that industrial representation, as well as every expression of pluralism, appears to be as much a problem as it is a solution

Liuc papers

Ciò che rende conveniente il secondo pilastro finanziato a capitalizzazione, rispetto a quello pubblico a ripartizione, dipende dalla minore sensibilità agli shock demografici. Tale risultato è frutto della diversificazione di portafoglio, che si realizza impiegando il risparmio previdenziale in una molteplicità di titoli con diverse caratteristiche di rendimento e volatilità. Siccome in una fase di crisi dei debiti sovrani ciò che impatta maggiormente sulle attività finanziarie è il cosiddetto rischio paese, la prudenza dei gestori si è tradotta in un ampia diversificazione dei panieri nazionali. In pratica, mentre le pensioni sono essenzialmente un problema locale, la gestione del risparmio previdenziale può trovare soluzioni di tipo globale. Questo ha comportato, però, che l’allocazione del nostro risparmio previdenziale sia finito per quasi due terzi in un impiego estero, mentre il terzo rimasto qui è stato collocato in titoli di stato. La prudenza è stata premiata perché ha permesso di passare indenni le turbolenze finanziarie di questi ultimi anni, ma si è accompagnata ad un lieve difetto. Quello per cui il disaccoppiamento tra origine del risparmio e luogo del suo impiego produttivo, se eccessivo, può trasformarsi in un amplificatore pro-ciclico. La mitigazione di tale difetto passa attraverso la ricerca di modalità d’investimento che permettano ai Fondi Pensione Negoziali di essere, al contempo, prudenti e pazienti, nonché propulsivi. Interpretando, così, pienamente, il ruolo finanziario che è proprio degli investitori istituzionali.This paper talks about multi-pillar pension system in Italy, focusing most on the impact of Pension Funds established by trade unions and employers associations. Minor sensitivity to demographic shocks is what makes funding appealing in respect of public pay-as-you-go scheme. Benefit comes from portfolio diversification, not only in terms of asset class but also in terms of national baskets. If Social Security is properly a local problem its solution can be a global one, because savings can be channeled into investments abroad improving the efficiency of funding. Exactly what happened in Italy in the last six years during which two thirds of the resources accumulated by our occupational Pension Funds were allocated in foreign markets. Caution was rewarded because it allowed to go trough financial turmoil. Nonetheless the strong decoupling between the origin of savings and the place of their investment had some sort of a side effect on national real economy. It operated as a pro-cyclical amplifier. The mitigation of this side effect depends on the way we will reallocate a larger part of our savings in Italian economy using special purpose instruments. Only then our Pension Funds will completely assume the financial role of institutional investors

COVID-19 Pathology in the Lung, Kidney, Heart and Brain: The Different Roles of T-Cells, Macrophages, and Microthrombosis

Here, we aim to describe COVID-19 pathology across different tissues to clarify the disease’s pathophysiology. Lungs, kidneys, hearts, and brains from nine COVID-19 autopsies were compared by using antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, macrophages-microglia, T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, and activated platelets. Alzheimer’s Disease pathology was also assessed. PCR techniques were used to verify the presence of viral RNA. COVID-19 cases had a short clinical course (0–32 days) and their mean age was 77.4 y/o. Hypoxic changes and inflammatory infiltrates were present across all tissues. The lymphocytic component in the lungs and kidneys was predominant over that of other tissues (p < 0.001), with a significantly greater presence of T-lymphocytes in the lungs (p = 0.020), which showed the greatest presence of viral antigens. The heart showed scant SARS-CoV-2 traces in the endothelium–endocardium, foci of activated macrophages, and rare lymphocytes. The brain showed scarce SARS-CoV-2 traces, prominent microglial activation, and rare lymphocytes. The pons exhibited the highest microglial activation (p = 0.017). Microthrombosis was significantly higher in COVID-19 lungs (p = 0.023) compared with controls. The most characteristic pathological features of COVID-19 were an abundance of T-lymphocytes and microthrombosis in the lung and relevant microglial hyperactivation in the brainstem. This study suggests that the long-term sequelae of COVID-19 derive from persistent inflammation, rather than persistent viral replication

L’industria nei 150 anni dell’Unità d’Italia. Paradigmi e Protagonisti

“L’Industria nella costruzione dell’Italia Unita” è un tema cruciale sul quale la Fondazione Edisone l’Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei hanno promosso un convegno a Roma il 24 e 25 novembre 2011 per individuare quali siano stati i Protagonisti e i Paradigmi che hanno fatto dell’Italia uno dei più importanti Paesi industrializzati al mondo.Nello specifico il volume affronta la storia e il ruolo che nell’economia italiana hanno avuto settori cruciali come l’energia elettrica, gli idrocarburi, la chimica, la siderurgia, l’auto e, in generale, i principali comparti del made in Italy manifatturiero quali la meccanica, l’alimentare e la moda, nonché il design. In molti di questi settori l’Italia ha conseguito successi internazionali anche se in taluni ad una prima fase di importante sviluppo, è seguito un declino che ha danneggiato la competitività complessiva del sistema economico italiano. Per questo dall’analisi si possono anche ricavare delle indicazioni su quali siano le politiche al fine di accrescere la nostra competitività. Storia, attualità e politiche sono le tre tonalità di questo volume che si colloca opportunamente nelle celebrazioni dei 150 anni dell’Unità d’Italia spiegando come anche l’industria abbia svolto un ruolo di notevole rilevanza."Industry in the 150 years of the Italian Unity" is a crucial theme and was the subject of a meeting arranged by Fondazione Edison and the National Lincei Academy on 24th and 25th November 2011 with a view to identifying Protagonists and Paradigms that have been making Italy one of the major industrial countries in the world. The volume specifically addresses the history and the role played in the Italian economy by essential sectors such as electric energy, hydrocarbons, chemistry, steel industry, cars and, in general, the main areas of the Made-in-Italy manufacturing such as mechanics, food and fashion, as well as design. Italy has achieved international successes in many of these sectors, even though in some others the initial period of remarkable development was followed by a decline that has damaged the entire Italian economic system. For this reason indications may be found in our analysis about the necessary policies to improve our productivity. History, activities and politics are the three lines along which this volume celebrates the 150 years of Italy's Unity with a focus on the major role played by our industries

91 Circulating lipid profile as a prognostic factor in patients with advanced solid tumors treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Background Components of lipid profile seem to impact differently on phenotype and activity of immune cells in cancer.1,2 Their prognostic role in solid cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is still matter of debate. Methods We retrospectively collected baseline clinicopathological characteristics including circulating lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL)] of consecutive solid cancer patients treated with ICIs and we investigated their impact on clinical outcomes. Cut-off values showing alteration of plasma lipid profile were ≥200 mg/dl for TC, ≥170 mg/dl for TGs, ≥130 mg/dl for LDL, <40 mg/dl for HDL in males, <45 mg/dl for HDL in females. Results Among 432 patients enrolled, 67% (N=289) were men, 61% (N=266) were diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and 86.6% (N=374) of patients were treated with ICIs as monotherapy. Patients’ circulating lipid assessments were described in tables (tables 1–3). At a median follow-up of 46 months, patients with TC≥200 mg/dl showed an improved, although not significant, progression free survival (PFS) (6.61 versus 4.67 months, p=0.4) and longer overall survival (OS) (19.4 versus 10.8 months, p=0.02) compared to those with TC<200 mg/dl. Conversely, patients with TGs≥170 mg/dl showed a shorter PFS (2.8 versus 5.07 months, p=0.006) and OS (5.92 versus 12.99 months, p<0.001) compared to those with TGs<170 mg/dl. Then, we combined TC and TGs in a LIPID-score that identified three subgroups: good risk (GR) (TC≥200 mg/dl and TGs<170 mg/dl), intermediate risk (IR) (TC<200 mg/dl and TGs<170 mg/dl or TC≥200 mg/dl and TGs≥170 mg/dl) and poor risk (PR) (TC<200 mg/dl and TGs≥170 mg/dl). The median PFS of GR, IR and PR groups was 7.76, 4.18 and 2.40 months, respectively (p<0.001). Moreover, median OS of GR, IR and PR was 20.36, 11.18 and 4.14 months, respectively (p<0.001) (figure 1). At multivariate analyses, after adjusting for baseline performance status, histology, treatment line, sex, statin use, number of metastatic sites and body mass index, the impact of LIPID score remained significant for both PFS and OS (table 4). Looking at TC components, HDL and LDL, a significant association was detected only for HDL and OS, with patients characterized by higher HDL levels showing longer OS (15.3 vs 10.1 months, p=0.02). Conclusions LIPID score seems to strongly define subgroups of patients treated with ICIs with different prognosis. Further mechanistic insights are needed to clarify the prognostic and predictive role of lipid profile components in patients treated with ICIs

Discontinuation of anti-PD1 in advanced melanoma: an observational retrospective study from the Italian Melanoma Intergroup

Background: Immunotherapy has improved the survival of patients with stage IV melanoma. In responders, clinical benefits may be long-lasting and persist even after treatment discontinuation. The optimal duration of anti-PD1 (anti-Programmed cell death-1) therapy in metastatic melanoma patients remains to be elucidated. Moreover, limited data are available on clinical outcomes of patients that discontinued anti-PD1 immunotherapy in a real-life setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate the progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with metastatic melanoma who interrupted anti-PD-1 treatment in the in the absence of disease progression. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with advanced/metastatic melanoma treated with anti-PD1 immunotherapy at 23 Italian Melanoma Intergroup (IMI) centres. The study investigated the risk of relapse in patients who stopped anti-PD1 therapy due to CR (Complete response), treatment-related toxicity, or by their own choice after a long period of treatment. Clinical and biological factors associated with or without recurrence were evaluated. Results: The study population included 237 patients. The median age of patients was 68.9 years (standard deviation: 13; range 33-95). The median time on treatment was 33 months (standard deviation: 18, 7; range 1-98). Among the 237 patients, 128 (54%) interrupted the anti-PD1 for CR, 74 patients (31.2%) for adverse events (37 patients in CR, 27 patients in partial response (PR), ten patients in stable disease (SD), and 35 patients (14.8%) by their own choice (12 patients in CR, 17 patients in PR, and 6 patients in SD). After a mean follow-up of 21 months (range 1-81), PFS after anti-PD1 discontinuation was 85.7%. Thirty-four patients (14.3%) developed disease progression after a median of 12 months (range 1-35): ten patients (29.4%) after discontinuation in CR, 17 patients (50%) after discontinuation for treatment-related toxicity (seven in CR, five in PR, five in SD), and seven (20.6%) after discontinuation due to the patient's decision (two in CR, four in PR, one in SD). Only 7.8% of patients who interrupted in CR (10/128), along with 23% of patients who interrupted for limiting toxicity (17/74) and 20% of patients who interrupted by their own choice (7/35), developed recurrence. Regarding patients who discontinued therapy because of CR, we observed a negative association between recurrence and site of primary melanoma, especially mucosal sites (p = <0.05, HR (Hazard ratio) 15.57 IC (confidence interval) 95% 2.64-91.73). Moreover, M1b patients who achieved a CR showed a lower number of relapses (p = <0.05, HR 3.84 IC 95% 1.40-8.48). Conclusions: This study shows in a real-life setting that, with anti-PD-1 therapy, long-lasting responses, can be maintained after anti-PD1 interruption. In 70.6% of cases, recurrences were observed among patients who did not obtain a CR at treatment discontinuation

Prognostic Impact of Blood Lipid Profile in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Multicenter Cohort Study

Background: Specific components of lipid profile seem to differently impact on immune activity against cancer and unraveling their prognostic role in patients with solid cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is needed. Materials and methods: We retrospectively collected baseline clinicopathological characteristics including circulating lipid profile (total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], low-density lipoproteins [LDL], high-density lipoproteins [HDL]) of patients with consecutive solid cancer treated with ICIs, and we investigated their role in predicting clinical outcomes. Results: At a median follow-up of 32.9 months, among 430 enrolled patients, those with TC ≥ 200 mg/dl showed longer median progression-free survival (mPFS; 6.6 vs. 4.7 months, P = .4), although not reaching statistical significance, and significantly longer median overall survival (mOS; 19.4 vs. 10.8 months, P = .02) compared to those with TC < 200 mg/dl. Conversely, patients with TG ≥150 mg/dl displayed shorter PFS (3.4 vs. 5.1 months, P = .02) and OS (7.1 vs. 12.9 months, P = .009) compared to those with TG <150 mg/dl. TC and TG were then combined in a "LIPID score" identifying three subgroups: good-risk (GR) (TC ≥200 mg/dl and TG <150 mg/dl), intermediate-risk (IR) (TC <200 mg/dl and TG <150 mg/dl or TC ≥200 mg/dl and TG ≥150 mg/dl) and poor-risk (PR) (TC <200 mg/dl and TG ≥150 mg/dl). The mPFS of GR, IR, and PR groups was 7.8, 4.3, and 2.5 months, respectively (P = .005); mOS of GR, IR, and PR was 20.4, 12.4, and 5.3 months, respectively (P < .001). At multivariable analysis, the PR profile represented an independent poor prognostic factor for both PFS and OS. Conclusions: We developed a lipid score that defined subgroups of patients with cancer who differently benefit from ICIs. Further mechanistic insights are warranted to clarify the prognostic and predictive role of lipid profile components in patients treated with ICIs