Heidegger and Lacan

Lacanian psychoanalysis cannot disregard its debts to philosophy, especially continental philosophy. Lacan’s conception of language is derived from multiple philosophical sources (i.e., Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard) including Heidegger’s philosophy of language and pride of place. Heidegger’s view of language prepares the ground for reversing the relationship between language and human beings, overcoming common sense about language and the communicative model of language. Language is much more than a set of labels; it shapes the human world and structures social relations themselves. In addition, language acts as a social link. The function of language as a social link allows us to think of it in relation to the Law and the very function of this human subjectivity. In reference to the Other of the Law and language, the subject finds her recognition, and this implies that the language is not reducible to communication. The process of technical-scientific domination of Western institutions leads to a reduction of their functions to the formal aspects, which may lead to a reification of the human as well as a state of alienation

Hepatitis E virus in Italy: molecular analysis of travel-related and autochthonous cases

Human hepatitis E virus (HEV) is considered an emerging pathogen in industrialized countries. The aim of the present study was to contribute to the body of knowledge available on the molecular epidemiology of acute hepatitis E in Italy. Three sets of HEV-specific primers targeting the ORF1 and ORF2 were used to examine serum samples collected from acute hepatitis patients positive for anti-HEV IgG and/or IgM, between 2007 and 2010. Seventeen patients (39.5 %) tested HEV RNA-positive: 12 infections, due to genotype 1, were associated with travel to endemic areas (Bangladesh, India and Pakistan), while five infections, due to genotype 3, were presumably autochthonous. Risk factors identified in this group included exposure to raw seafood, pork liver sausages and wild boar. Results from the present study confirm that human HEV infection in Italy is caused by different genotypes, depending on whether the infection is travel-related or autochthonous

Riflessioni sull’impatto della pandemia di COVID-19 sul benessere psicologico degli studenti universitari: una rassegna della letteratura

La pandemia di COVID-19 ha totalmente rivoluzionato la vita quotidiana e le relazioni sociali della popolazione mondiale. Numerosi studi hanno evidenziato il forte impatto che l’evento pandemico e le misure di restrizione adottate per contenere la diffusione del virus hanno avuto sul benessere psicologico e sulla qualità di vita delle persone, in particolare dei più giovani. A tale proposito, gli studenti universitari sono risultati essere particolarmente vulnerabili alle conseguenze psicologiche del COVID-19 a causa delle profonde trasformazioni nella vita accademica e del passaggio repentino alla didattica a distanza. Questa breve rassegna della letteratura si propone di fornire una panoramica generale delle evidenze sull’impatto che la pandemia ha avuto negli ultimi due anni sul benessere psicologico degli studenti universitari, con un focus particolare sugli studenti italiani. The COVID-19 pandemic completely revolutionized daily life and social relations of the world population. Numerous studies have highlighted the strong impact that the pandemic event and the restrictive measures taken to contain the spread of the virus have had on the psychological well-being and quality of life of people, particularly young people. In particular, college students have been found to be particularly vulnerable to the psychological consequences of COVID-19 due to the profound transformations in academic life and the sudden shift to distance learning. This brief review of the literature aims to provide a general overview of the evidence on the impact that the pandemic has had over the past two years on the psychological well-being of college students, with a particular focus on Italian students

Ecosystem Accounting for Marine-Based Tourism provided by Posidonia oceanica in Italy

This work presents the first ecosystem accounts for Marine-Based Tourism (MBT) in Italy. We develop a methodological approach to connect biophysical and economic information required to fill ecosystem accounting supply and use tables. Coherent with the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) framework, this approach starts by estimating the extent and the condition of marine ecosystems, showing the urgency in improving the availability, organisation and accessibility of biophysical data. This work provides valuable insights into understanding MBT from an ecosystem accounting perspective. We focus on the Posidonia oceanica and its role in the MBT sector in Italy, providing a physical quantification of such contribution and converting this flow into monetary terms. Our findings show that such habitat significantly contributes to the tourism sector, resulting in exchange values of MBT of €6 million in 2019 and €3.7 million in 2021

Superoxide Dismutase-1 intracellular content in T lymphocytes associates with increased Regulatory T Cell level in Multiple Sclerosis subjects undergoing immune-modulating treatment.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in the T-cell activation processes. ROS-dependent regulatory networks are usually mediated by peroxides, which are more stable and able to freely migrate inside cells. Superoxide dismutase (SOD)-1 represents the major physiological intracellular source of peroxides. We found that antigen-dependent activation represents a triggering element for SOD-1 production and secretion by human T lymphocytes. A deranged T-cell proinflammatory response characterizes the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We previously observed a decreased SOD-1 intracellular content in leukocytes of MS individuals at diagnosis, with increasing amounts of such enzyme after interferon (IFN)-b 1b treatment. Here, we analyzed in depth SOD-1 intracellular content in T cells in a cohort of MS individuals undergoing immune-modulating treatment. Higher amounts of the enzyme were associated with increased availability of regulatory T cells (Treg) preferentially expressing Foxp3-exon 2 (Foxp3-E2), as described for effective Treg. In vitro administration of recombinant human SOD-1 to activated T cells, significantly increased their IL-17 production, while SOD-1 molecules lacking dismutase activity were unable to interfere with cytokine production by activated T cells in vitro. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide addition was observed to mimic, in vitro, the SOD-1 effect on IL-17 production. These data add SOD-1 to the molecules involved in the molecular pathways contributing to re-shaping the T-cell cytokine profile and Treg differentiation

Polydopamine nanoparticles as an organic and biodegradable multitasking tool for neuroprotection and remote neuronal stimulation

Oxidative stress represents a common issue in most neurological diseases, causing severe impairments of neuronal cell physiological activity that ultimately lead to neuron loss of function and cellular death. In this work, lipid-coated polydopamine nanoparticles (L-PDNPs) are proposed both as antioxidant and neuroprotective agents, and as well as a photo-thermal conversion platform able to stimulate neuronal activity. L-PDNPs showed the ability to counteract reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in differentiated SH-SY5Y, prevented mitochondrial ROS-induced dysfunctions, and stimulated neurite outgrowth. Moreover, for the first time in the literature, the photo-thermal conversion capacity of L-PDNPs was used to increase the intracellular temperature of neuron-like cells through near-infrared (NIR) laser stimulation, and this phenomenon was thoroughly investigated using a fluorescent temperature-sensitive dye and modeled from a mathematical point of view. It was also demonstrated that the increment in temperature caused by the NIR stimulation of L-PDNPs was able to produce a Ca2+ influx in differentiated SH-SY5Y, being, to the best of our knowledge, the first example of organic nanostructures used in such an approach. This work could pave the way to new and exciting applications of polydopamine-based and of other NIR-responsive antioxidant nanomaterials in neuronal research

An Unexpected Case of Opisthorchis felineus Infection Revealed during Liver Transplantation

A man with hepatitis B infection was admitted to Pisa University Hospital for hepatological evaluation, which revealed multiple cystic lesions and suggested a cirrhotic evolution. Treatment with Entecavir 0.5 mg/day was started, resulting in rapid viral load suppression and alanine aminotransferase normalization. After 10 years, imaging documented a single nodule of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and a robot-assisted nodule resection was performed. One year later, HCC recurrence prompted orthotopic liver transplantation, during which the patient died because of the sudden rupture of the donor's organ and rapid multiorgan deterioration before retransplantation. During post-mortem liver examination, adult worms were evidenced within large biliary ducts, suggesting infection with Opisthorchis or Clonorchis spp. flukes. Sequencing of the ITS2 locus, following PCR amplification of DNA extracted from liver tissue, revealed 100% identity with the reference sequence of O. felineus. Infection of the patient with O. felineus was confirmed by the presence of specific IgG detected by ELISA in the patient's sera. Two major alkaline phosphatase serum levels peaks observed during the first two years of antiviral therapy support the hypothesis that O. felineus infection worsened liver function. This case report highlights the importance of a very careful screening of parasitic infections in solid organ transplantation candidates

The role of healthy dog carriers of Babesia microti-like piroplasms

While in Europe Babesia canis has been traditionally held responsible for canine piroplasmosis, Babesia microti-like piroplasm (Bml) infection is being ever more observed in dogs, with the first clinical cases reported in northwestern Spain. This study examines the epidemiological role of healthy dogs living in endemic areas of Bml infection in Spain. The data obtained were used to describe the clinical status and map the geographical distribution of Bml infection in healthy dogs in northwestern SpainThe study was funded by the own sources of the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, SpainS