Non è gentile accontentarsi delle parole. Il dono del senso

Questo scritto tratta alcuni aspetti caratteristici del dono nella società giapponese. Nello scambio del dono, l’oggetto conferito e gli agenti che vi partecipano si trasformano in simboli e la relazione che li lega può essere avvicinata al linguaggio, al logos

La consulenza genetica: un ponte tra autopoiesi ed autotrascendimento

Questo lavoro tratta della consulenza genetica attraverso l’analisi delle sue fonti nazionali ed internazionali. La c.g., è un dialogo che può prendere le sembianze di una relazione terapeutica, ovvero di una pratica filosofica. Il lavoro fornirà gli argomenti per poter considerare la c.g. un dialogo di tipo socratico in grado di dischiudere, attraverso l’esperienza parresiastica, una via di appercezione della propria persona

Neurocivilizzazione

Neuroscience develops a particular idea of civilization: a neuro-civilization; whereby improvements of society are brought about by certain strategies. Firstly, through a definition of the role of the neuroscientists in Courts and Public debates. Secondly it creates new paradigms in these cultural debates about the structure of Society and the Law. And finally through reductive neuro-law characterized by the progressive substitution of traditional normative sources with new neuroscientific standards. Thus, the more the neuroscientific establishment justifies itself in its attempt to define standards of normality (for example), the more the possibility opens up of invasive interventions with unpredictable effects upon the patient, which stray perhaps involuntarily from the paradigms of direct intervention. Such questions mask a fundamental importance, since there is a risk that a certain neuroscientific idea of normality imposes itself not for deeper theoretical reasons, but for dangerous current practices

Adverse Selection and Information Advantages of Training Firms

The possibility of adverse selection by training firms is common theoretical argument for company-sponsored investments in general skills. The paper derives a public and a private signal after apprenticeship training and shows that training firms are able to positively select graduates they keep. The public signal has a stronger impact on entry wages of employer changers than for stayers and private signals shows exactly the opposite pattern

Biodistribution And Immunogenicity Of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells In A Rat Model Of Intraarticular Chondrocyte Xenotransplantation

Xenogeneic chondrocytes and allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are considered a potential source of cells for articular cartilage repair. We here assessed the immune response triggered by xenogeneic chondrocytes when injected intraarticularly, as well as the immunoregulatory effect of allogeneic bone marrow-derived MSC after systemic administration. To this end, a discordant xenotransplantation model was established by injecting three million porcine articular chondrocytes (PAC) into the femorotibial joint of Lewis rats and monitoring the immune response. First, the fate of MSC injected using various routes was monitored in an in vivo imaging system. The biodistribution revealed a dependency on the injection route with MSC injected intravenously (i.v.) succumbing early after 24 h and MSC injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) lasting locally for at least 5 days. Importantly, no migration of MSC to the joint was detected in rats previously injected with PAC. MSC were then administered either i.v. 1 week before PAC injection or i.p. 3 weeks after to assess their immunomodulatory function on humoral and adaptive immune parameters. Anti-PAC IgM and IgG responses were detected in all PAC-injected rats with a peak at week 2 postinjection and reactivity remaining above baseline levels by week 18. IgG2a and IgG2b were the predominant and long-lasting IgG subtypes. By contrast, no anti-MSC antibody response was detected in the cohort injected with MSC only, but infusion of MSC before PAC injection temporarily augmented the anti-PAC antibody response. Consistent with a cellular immune response to PAC in PAC-injected rats, cytokine/chemokine profiling in serum by antibody array revealed a distinct pattern relative to controls characterized by elevation of multiple markers at week 2, as well as increases in proliferation in draining lymph nodes. Notably, systemic administration of allogeneic MSC under the described conditions did not diminish the immune response. IL-2 measurements in cocultures of rat peripheral blood lymphocytes with PAC indicated that PAC injection induced some T-cell hyporesponsiveness that was not enhanced in the cohorts additionally receiving MSC. Thus, PAC injected intraarticularly in Lewis rats induced a cellular and humoral immune response that was not counteracted by the systemic administration of allogeneic MSC under the described conditions

Shedding Light on Dasineura oleae Parasitoids: Local and Landscape Effects

Dasineura oleae was considered a minor pest in olive orchards. However, in the last decade, outbreaks have been reported all over its distribution area. Little is known about D. oleae biological control strategies; therefore, investigations into the biology and ecology of D. oleae parasitoids are urgently needed. In this scenario, the present field study reported the flight period of D. oleae parasitoids, evaluating their relative abundance over other parasitoids living in olive orchards. Furthermore, it estimated the effect of local and landscape features on D. oleae parasitoids within the frame of the overall parasitoid community. Lastly, we aimed to provide useful insights into the effectiveness of parasitoids for D. oleae population management. Hymenopteran parasitoids were sampled using Malaise traps in six sampling sites in central Italy. Results showed that Platygaster demades was the most abundant D. oleae parasitoid. Its presence was associated with high rates of D. oleae parasitism. The abundance of this parasitoid was influenced by the abundance of seminatural habitats

cytokines for the induction of antitumor effectors the paradigm of cytokine induced killer cik cells

Abstract Cytokine-Induced killer (CIK) cells are raising growing interest in cellular antitumor therapy, as they can be easily expanded with a straightforward and inexpensive protocol, and are safe requiring only GMP-grade cytokines to obtain very high amounts of cytotoxic cells. CIK cells do not need antigen-specific stimuli to be activated and proliferate, as they recognize and destroy tumor cells in an HLA-independent fashion through the engagement of NKG2D. In several preclinical studies and clinical trials, CIK cells showed a reduced alloreactivity compared to conventional T cells, even when challenged across HLA-barriers; only in a few patients, a mild GVHD occurred after treatment with allogeneic CIK cells. Additionally, their antitumor activity can be redirected and further improved with chimeric antigen receptors, clinical-grade monoclonal antibodies or immune checkpoint inhibitors. The evidence obtained from a growing body of literature support CIK cells as a very promising cell population for adoptive immunotherapy. In this review, all these aspects will be addressed with a particular emphasis on the role of the cytokines involved in CIK cell generation, expansion and functionalization