Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

L'immagine-segno. Giorgio Morandi e la poetica del vuoto

The image-sign. Giorgio Morandi and the poetics of emptinessL'immagine-segno. Giorgio Morandi e la poetica del vuot

Claudio Parmiggiani. La preghiera della pittura

These pages are from Massimo Recalcati’s book Il Mistero delle cose. Nove ritratti di artista (Feltrinelli, Milano 2016). They are dedicated to Claudio Parmiggiani, whose work is read through the approach of the Lacanian psychoanalysis, starting from some artist’s works of art and texts. Queste pagine sono tratte dal libro di Massimo Recalcati Il Mistero delle cose. Nove ritratti di artista (Feltrinelli, Milano 2016) e sono dedicate a Claudio Parmiggiani, il cui lavoro viene letto attraverso l’approccio della psicoanalisi lacaniana, a partire da una serie di opere e di scritti dello stesso artista.

Andreas, suicida y verdugo: El síndrome de Narciso en el vuelo de la muerte

Lo traemos a nuestra revista, no sólo por ser una reciente atrocidad real, que merece toda nuestra compasión, sino porque el autor sugiere una sustancia presente en nuestro subsuelo social

La spiritualità nell’arte contemporanea: Claudio Parmiggiani

The text takes up almost literally, except for some inevitable formal changes, the content of the Lectio magistralis held by the author on June 2019 in Reggio Emilia at the church of San Filippo Neri in Reggio Emilia. The article examines the relationship between Claudio Parmiggiani’s work and the dimension of spirituality: “That which is spiritual of Parmiggiani - the author writes - is a spiritual rooted in the immanence of life, in the mystery of life.” In the article several works by the artist are taken into consideration: starting from the High Altar of the Cathedral of Reggio Emilia in 2011 going back to the Delocations of 1970.Il testo riprende quasi letteralmente, salvo qualche inevitabile modifica di carattere formale, il contenuto della Lectio magistralis tenuta dall’autore nel giugno 2019 presso la chiesa di San Filippo Neri a Reggio Emilia. L’autore prende in esame il rapporto tra l’opera di Claudio Parmiggiani e la dimensione della spiritualità: “Lo spirituale di Parmiggiani è uno spirituale che si radica nell’immanenza della vita, nel mistero della vita”. Nell’articolo vengono prese in considerazione diverse opere dell’artista: a partire dall’Altare maggiore del Duomo di Reggio Emilia del 2011 risalendo fino alle Delocazioni del 1970

Qualche nota critica sul Lacan “minore” di Ronchi

In his book Il canone minore Rocco Ronchi excludes the perspective of finitude, contingency and transcendence that would manifest themselves in the anthropological figure of desire. Howe-ver, if the field of immanence related to the dimension of transcendence (Other, subject, contin-gency, desire) is cut off, the risk is that of a drift towards a realism. More precisely, it is a realism ending up in a coincidence with a vitalism or a philosophy of nature which denies relief to the ethical dimension